Mortals meet demigods

Mrs. Brown (Percabeth)

I loved my job as a kindergarten teacher. Most of the kids were so cute and it was really fun! I couldn't wait for the new year to start so I could see my new group of five year olds! They streamed in one by one with their parents waiting anxiously outside. Just when I was about to start class, another girl walked in. She had black hair and startling gray eyes and carried herself with an air of confidence. I motioned for her to sit down and she did. Then I began. "Ok, class. Today we're going to get to know each other better. So can each of you come to the front and tell us about yourself? Let's start with Annabelle Thomas!" I said.

The kids came up one by one and told us their name and their age. Some added their favourite colours and things like that. I finally came to the last name. "Zoe Jackson!" The dark haired girl came up. "Good morning everyone. My name is Zoe Bianca Jackson and I am five years old. I like my name very much as I was named after two of my parents' closest friends who died to save them." I was shocked! Why did they tell her that? She was only five! I thought she was done but she continued. "My hobbies are reading and swimming. We have a huge library at home and my favourite book is 'Code name Verity'. I feel it expresses the horror of war and the question of right and wrong very well. I also like maths. Algebra is quite easy but really useful! I have finished all 6 stages of swimming and am attending a course on life saving right now. That's all, thank you!" I could hardly believe my ears. She was five and had read 'Code name Verity'? I had only read that book at 17! Algebra? That was taught to middle school kids! She wasn't even in elementary school yet! Who sent their five year olds for courses on life saving?

At first I didn't believe her and went on with the lesson. But as the weeks went by, I realised what she said was true! She finished the work I gave them in about two minutes with all the answers completely correct! So she started bringing books to read and to my surprise, the first day, she brought a Shakespear book of poetry! I thought she was just looking at the pictures at first, but during show and tell, she belted out sonnet 18 without a second thought and went on to explain the poem in complex sentences with a brilliant understanding of it! Her parents were pushing her too hard! Yes, she didn't look overworked, but she had to be! No five year old would do what she did out of choice would they? I had to help the poor girl. So I scheduled a meeting with her parents the next afternoon as soon as school was over. Usually a young woman with gold eyes or a latino boy who looked like an elf, would pick them up. Occasionally I had seen them get in a car with a girl who had choppy brown hair or a blonde boy with blue eyes. None of them seemed like the parents so I was left in curiosity as to her parents' appearance.

However it was nothing like I expected. The next afternoon, as all the other children were leaving, a blue BMW pulled up to the school and a tall young woman with blonde hair got out along with a muscular man with dark hair and green eyes. They made their way up to the school. They were a young couple who couldn't have been more than twenty five. I was wondering what they were doing here when I heard a knock on the door. Hurrying to open it I found the pair of them standing there! "Hello! May I help you with something?" I asked politely. They looked confused but the blonde spoke up. "Actually you called us here. You wanted to speak to us about Zoe?" she said in a clear, lilting voice. Only then did I realise that they were Zoe's parents! "Oh! Um. Yes yes. Sorry, I didn't realise you were this young!" I said, flustered. They stepped into the classroom and Zoe ran up to them. "Mom! Dad! How come you came today? I thought Aunt Pipes was supposed to?" she asked in confusion, hugging them all the same. Her father smiled and picked her up like she weighed nothing. "Mrs. Brown asked Mom and Dad to come so she could speak to them!" he explained and she smiled.

I led them over to my desk, pulled up two chairs and asked them to sit down. "Has Zoe done something wrong?" asked her mother anxiously. "Is it something to do with water? I told her not to!" she exclaimed under her breath. Zoe looked indignant but before she could cut in I interrupted. "No! No! Nothing like that at all! I just wanted to know if she was being overworked at home because she is very advanced for her age. She knows things college students would know but she is only five! She reads very complex books that hint at dark themes like 'Code name Verity', can do algebra and memorises long Shakespear poems! You are obviously pushing her too hard! Kids need a break. There is plenty of time for her to learn this later on in life! She should be enjoying herself in school and at home, not slaving away like she's entering college!" I burst out angrily.

"That's what I'm always telling her but she never listens!" exclaimed the man. The woman nodded her agreement and called Zoe over. "Let me prove it to you. Zoe, what do you like doing in your free time?" she asked.

"I love algebra and reading! I finished Pride and Prejudice yesterday!" she exclaimed happily, her eyes lighting up. They turned to look at me. "See! We aren't overworking her at all! In fact I try to get her to relax more but she doesn't want to! She says she relaxes while reading. So if that makes her happy, then I'm not going to do anything!" the man answered and the family got up. "If that's all you needed to talk about you could have done it on the phone! Percy had to miss swimming practice and I had to reschedule 4 meetings to come here!" the woman said. I felt mortified but still managed to ask. "What are your names?"

"My name is Percy Jackson, Olympic Gold Medallist and my wife is Annabeth Jackson, CEO of Athenian Architecture!" he said as they left in their BMW. My mouth dropped open in shock. I had just met the two most successful people in America!