{1} Princess - P. Jackson 🔱

"Everything was fine until it wasn't anymore."

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The presentation went well. The slides were made by me, all decorated with animations, colors and pictures of the sea and sharks. It took me the whole weekend to do that because I started to edit and then I would stop to watch tv or get distracted with the way Mrs. Jackson's desktop was unorganized. Percy was about to throw me out of the window but he also stopped creating the texts just to say how much he hated that project. It was a mess but in the end we did it.

I presented most of the slides since Percy always stumbled in some words with everyone's attention on him. I knew that he didn't like having the attention on him in large groups, he preferred to stay quiet just watching, so I told him that I wanted to present more.

Which was a lie, but I spent the night learning the subject so I could talk without reading off of anything. We got an A.

The end of the school year was coming, we were in our last weeks before summer started. I was pretty excited since Annabeth would be back and we would spend time in camp together. I have been trying to control myself near Percy but he's for a reason affecting me in a way I didn't want it to.

Part of me was anxious because December was coming. I tried to not think much of it but it only got worse when Aunt Lina came to my room one night.

"Maria, can we talk?" She asked reluctantly.

"Of course, Aunt Lina. Did something happen?" I sat up. She entered the room and sat in front of me, her back resting on the wall beside the window.

"Have you talked to your father?" She didn't look at me. I felt my body tensing, expecting the worst already.

"Last time was on my birthday. He called before our breakfast. But nothing later." I played with the camp beads around my neck.

"And what you two talked about?" She looked around my room.

"Aunt Lina," I took a deep breath. Guess it was time for the conversation. "He gave me a trip to Brazil, he told me he would send you the ticket. I tried to talk it out but he only got angrier."

"So you knew and didn't tell me, Maria?" My Aunt looked at me. "I didn't want to think about this right now, Aunt Lina. That's why..."

She pressed her hands on her face. "He told me I should tell you, and then changed his mind without even telling me?"

"You knew this before my birthday?" I frowned.

"I'm sorry, Maria. Really. I was trying to find the right way to approach you on that. It's been really hard for me too. I raised you all this time and now he sent me a one way trip ticket? How—"

"A what?" I gripped my blanket hard. "The ticket," She replied.

"No, Aunt Lina. A one way trip?" My eyes widened when she nodded sadly. "He didn't say that! He—he didn't!"

All this time I was preparing myself for leaving to Brazil on a small vacation, even though I wouldn't enjoy it. But now, it made sense why he didn't try to reassure me that I would be back. Because I wouldn't.

"He can't do that! He can't just take me away from here this way!" I stood up angrily. "I—I told him! We are in the middle of a hard situation at camp, I can't leave my friends! I can't leave you, Tia Lina!"

"I know, sweetheart! I don't want you to leave. I tried to talk to him but he had already decided." She sat up straight, her face sad and tired.

"He left me here all these years. He prefered to not come see his own daughter because his new wife is afraid of heights. Fuck her! I don't care! But now I'm the one who has to sacrifice everything?" I threw my hands around, talking loudly while pacing the room. "I tried to accept that it was only a vacation, but not coming back?! That's not how it works!"

I felt my throat closing up, tears forming in my eyes. I stopped walking and looked at my Aunt, who cleaned some tears away from her face. "I'm sorry, Maria. I understand what you're saying... but your father is so stubborn. So stupid."

I stepped forward and hugged her. The tears falling from my face to her shoulder. She embraced me so tightly like she didn't want to let go of me, and neither did I.

We cried. In sobs I cried on her lap. I didn't want to go, I don't want to go. It's my life, my family and my friends. How could I leave it all behind?

"I'll try to change his mind, Maria. I swear I will try everything." My Aunt whispered.