Elimpia (HPxPJO)

I Shadowboxed My Bully into a Fountain

It all started way back when. You know before they had Covid and Donald Trump.

It started in second grade when me and my twin brother Percy were drawn to the roof after seeing something incredible. It looked like a Pegasus. The horse with wigs. It was brown and pretty.

I tilt my head and reach my hand out instinctively as if beckoning it to me. I only stopped when my hand was grabbed by one of the teachers bringing me back to reality. He guides us back inside the building but not without sneaking another peak at the creature.

When you say crazy shit like "I saw Pegasus on the roof next door" you end up in the shrinks office.

Then let's not forget my tendency to not be able to read fucking letters or understand the alphabet but yet know all the lyrics to Nicki Minaj's Monster without a stutter.

So yeah we've been with this brown noser a lot. He says the same bullshit as always "There's nothing to worry about. It's all in my imagination, but if it happens again, make sure to tell someone." Yeah okay whatever buddy.

But it kept happening all the dreams I had and the stories that mom told us, they were there and then the next...poof!

Gone.

"What losers." I dont give the two kids a glance as I continue drawing up an image in my notebook. Me and Percy give each other look as if we're reading each other's minds. 'Hey fellas, wanna come hear about the imaginary stuff we see?' We break into a smile and let out a laugh. I look back down at my notebook and start drawing again.

But one day our duo turned into trio. Our very first friend

A card finds itself on our notebook and I look up at our friend Grover. We all had a lot in common actually. Like...Nancy Bobifit hits him upside the head with her backpack as her and her friends laugh. I stand up to give her a piece of my mind but Grover stops me. "Mm-mm." I sit back down. I glare at them as they walk away. Which isn't just because we're plankton on the middle school food chain. But you know it felt good to talk to my friends. All though it wouldn't kill them to find a girl for us to hang out with.

Who knew a museum trip would make my life a gazillion times more complicated.

"What you see here, they are not fictions. They are not fantasies. What you see here are truest and deepest parts of yourselves. Fiends, the gods, the monsters, the heroes you see here in this room are reminders of what we are capable of." Mr Brunner explains. "Now, on your worksheets, I want you to choose one of the subjects you see here and describe it." I look down at my worksheet and let out a huff as the words seem to fly around.

"Perseus?" Percy says looking at the statue. "That's me." Mom hums as she holds our hands. "That's who you're named after." "Is that why you named me after him? Because he was a hero?" Percy asks. "What makes you think he was hero?" "He stopped Medusa. She was the monster...right?" I ask unsure. "And what makes you think that she was a monster?" She asks ominously.

I scrunch my face. "I'm confused." "Mom..." He says trying to get her to stop being suggestive. "Not everyone who looks like a hero is a hero, and not everyone who looks like a monster is a monster. I named you after him because when he was a very little boy, he and his mother were placed in a wooden chest and cast out into the sea by a very angry king. Alone, afraid. And at night, his mother would whisper in his ear, 'hold fast, Perseus. Brave the storm that was made to break us for we are unbreakable as long as we have each other'." She whisper to us. I smile at the story.

"And you were named Elipzos because the day you were born you were very sick. Doctors said you wouldn't make it through the night." "But I did!" I say happily. "Yes, you did." She says caressing my cheek. "Because I had hope that whatever force out there wouldn't want this precious strong girl to be taken from the world." I smile at her. "And here we are the three of us together as a happy family." She looks back down at us.

"Hope? Percy?"

"MOM?" We shout confused. Someone across from us says the same thing. "I'm right here sweetie! Mommy's here!" Nancy taunts. "Bite me you little-" "Ms. Jackson. You will learn to control yourself, do you understand me?" I look at Mrs Dodds with my mouth gaped open.

"Her?" Percy says coming to my defense. "Do you understand me?" "They can't help it, Mrs. Dobbs. Percy and Hope are special." Nancy insults. "You look special!" I retort as I raise my fist. Percy grabs my arm to hold me back. "That's enough!" Mr Brunner scolds Nancy as he rolls over to me and Percy. "Pay them no mind. When you're ready to hear what the gods have in store for you, they'll tell you. I believe in you both." He assures. We give a small smile to the crippled man.

"And I believe you'll be needing this." He reached in his jacket and pulls out a pen. Then he goes in his picked and hands me a necklace. "A pen?" Percy asks dumbfounded. "Hold onto it. Tis a mighty instrument." He says before wheeling away. Me and Percy give each other weird looks.

I sit at the fountain with Grover and Percy eating lunch. My lunch consisted of a grilled cheese some potato chips and stealing bits of Grover and Percy's lunches.

"There are all sorts of schools of thought about what drive that kind of bullying. Childhood trauma." "Got that." I state. "Feelings of inadequacy." "Ooh definitely." I say taking a bite of my sandwich. "Look I get that Nancy has issues, I'm just getting tired of her taking them out on me." "She keeps going and I'm gonna take out all my aggression on her." I say fed up with all the bullying.

"I feel like...maybe it's time to do something about it." "You could make an appointment to see Mr. Kane. He's really good at talking-." Grover suggests. I raise an eyebrow. "Yeah because telling an adult always solves the problem." I say sarcastically. "I was thinking more like shoving Nancy in the nearest dumpster." "Give her a scar or two for good measure." I hold my fist up and Percy bumps it with his. Grover looks at us with slight wide eyes. "Oh." I crack a smile. "Oh no. No, no, no, no, no, no." He says sensing what me and Percy are thinking.

"No, if there's one thing I know about bullies, it is that you should never, ever stand up to them." We look at Grover like he's an idiot. "That's not...no." I say shaking my head slowly. "That doesn't sound right." Percy says agreeing with me. "Look. I know this place is hard for people like us. But we're not gonna be here forever. There are better places out there." We smile at Grover's words.

Then out of nowhere a bread roll hits him in the face. "Oops." Nancy says with a laugh. I place my food down. "That's it!" "Percy, Hope..." we ignore Grover and start walking towards her.

"NO DONT!" I pull my fist back and her head whips back and then I see water from the fountain pull her into the fountain. My eyes wide when I see blood gushing from her nose. I didn't- did i? No I was going to and then...

"HOPE PUNCHED ME AND PERCY PUSHED ME!" She cries. "There you are." My head snaps up towards the crowd of students going to check on Nancy. Through the crowd I see Mrs Dodds looking at us. "We're not fools, Percy and Eli Jackson." She says to us but her lips aren't moving. "Yo Dodds, I you good?" I say confused and a little freaked out.

"It was only a matter of time before we found you." My eye begin to grow wide as I see a wing sweep out from behind her and her body turn scaly and hairy. She keeps walking forward and Percy and I grab each others hand instinctively and back away. "Where is it, half-bloods?" She screeches. Does nobody else see this? Why are we the only ones seeing this?

"Where is it?" He wings flap out and grip my necklace and fell something wrap around my body as we fall to the ground. She jumps on top of us. She goes to grab Percy's face and I let out a cry. I hear metal wiring and look at Percy's hand and see a gold light coming from it and look back Mrs Dodds as she disintegrates. My mouth falls open in shock. I slowly slip loose consciousness and pass out.