Daddy Issues

Kid in the Corner

Percy's POV) 

Somehow, I lucked out this morning, and arrived super early, meaning I actually got time to myself before the school day officially began. So did a couple of my friends, but before I went over there, someone caught my eye. 

Hera, Jason's stepmom. She was wearing a 50's style cocktail dress, patterned with peacock feathers, mostly blue with bits of purple, green, and shimmery copper. I may be biased because my favorite color is blue (if you couldn't tell already), but I thought it was so beautiful it had no business being worn by someone like her. Especially once I overheard what they were talking about. "I'm just saying, Mr. Brunner, I don't want any babies conceived in the bathroom stall." 

"For the last time, Hera, we're not splitting them up by sex. This is homecoming, not some rinky-dinky middle school sock hop. If I know anything from my thirty some-odd years of teaching here, it's that high schoolers, number one: Will find a way around whatever rule you have in place, if they want to break it, they will break it. And two: They don't appreciate being treated like twelve year olds! So not only would that be pointless, but humiliating. For god's sake, some of these kids are old enough to vote! Now, if you suggest that one more time, I'm kicking you off the committee." 

"Let's just kick her off now." Miss Hestia suggested in between sips of coffee. "She's been nothing but a miserable little pill ever since she joined. And she's not even a teacher or staff member or anything, she's just a stay at home mom-... Scratch that, stay at home step-mom, with too much time on her hands." 

"Y'know what? No. You're the one that shouldn't be on the committee. You shouldn't even be a teacher! Because you don't have a child of your own, you don't know how they work. But I do, because I have a son. And if you kick me off, that son won't be allowed to go! Is that what you want, Hestia? Do you really wanna be the reason a student can't go to homecoming?" 

She scoffed. "Jason's not gonna blame me, he's gonna blame you. And by the way, he doesn't consider himself to be your son. And I know that because he told me, because he had me for Home Ec last year, and he felt like he could open up to me. I, unlike you, tend to have that effect on people." 

"Fine!" Hera then stormed off, fuming, and I scurried off before she could bump into me. She doesn't like me, or my girlfriend, very much. But she especially has it out for me. She says I've ruined her son. Every time he snarks back or gets a b on a test or is anything less than perfect, she somehow finds a way to blame it on me. At least, from what Jason's told me. I've only met her once, and... Well, it didn't go well. 

As I walked closer to my friend group, I could hear Frank's voice fading in, as he seemed to be breaking something to Hazel. "-and I told her, you don't need to get a second job, the life insurance policy can cover whatever needs to be covered, but she insisted. Anyway... I know you got a dress picked out, but I'm kind of... In shock, I guess? And now there's all these reporters coming to the house, and... I'm sorry. I just don't think I have it in me." 

"Hey, don't be sorry. It's ok." She stroked his back. "It's alright, I get it." 

I knew what they were talking about. Honestly, my first reaction was 'who?', until I remembered I kicked him in the nuts. At nine years old. 

Hell yeah. I'm glad that pig is dead. 

"Yeah," Annabeth chimed in. "we could just make this a girls night out if you want. Me, you, Piper, our boyfriends." 

"What'cha talkin' about?" I asked, sitting next to Annabeth on the grass. The outdoor spaces are small here, but they're actually really nice, which I couldn't say of most of my previous schools.