Zeus' Choice (A Percy Jackson Fan fiction)

Chapter 16 - Shadow Travelling To Canada

"No, Jenia, listen to me, this is a terrible idea." I insist for what seems like the thousandth time in the past hour.

"Come on, I'm sure it can't be that bad." says Jenia, polishing her longer bronze sword with the edge of her shirt. I glance nervously around, hoping no one is paying attention to two scraggly teenagers completely armed with Greek weapons.

"All done," Jenia mumbles to herself, then stands up and grins from ear to ear. "Let's go, lead the way."

I frown, frustrated that she doesn't understand the situation here. "You don't get it. My mother despises me. She hates it when I'm around." I close my eyes and take in a deep breath, disappointed at my inability to transform my feelings into words.

Jenia makes a big show of exhaling loudly. "Look, we're both tired and filthy. I wouldn't mind a nice hot cup of tea and a soft bed to lay my head on. Even a couch sounds better compared to this solid bench. Also, there is a slightly less chance we'll get attacked by monsters in a household than in a public park."

I sigh. She has a point. We are an open target just standing here. We need to keep moving. I am not happy about a reunion with my mother, but I am ready to face her. I look at Jenia. No matter how well she cleans up, she is still a little filthy.

"Okay. Although I have one condition: We rest for a bit, and then leave." Jenia smiles satisfyingly. "But we are not staying overnight." Her smile fades. I grab my bow and arrows and start walking toward the park gates.

"What? But why?" she whines like a 5-year-old who has just had her TV privileges taken away.

"You heard me."

Jenia curses in Ancient Greek and runs to catch up with my pace. The weather has returned to a normal summer day, but the heat is way too immense, even for an afternoon. We walk the short distance in silence, in the shade provided by the houses and trees.

In no time, we are standing facing the ivory-colored wooden door on the porch of the house I grew up in. The house is a white, two-story high residence with a dark brown roof, a shiny lime porch and no back yard. Similar houses occupy the street in a row.

For a while I pretend we aren't here. That I am not just about to walk into the place that caused me grief and the familiar feeling of being unwanted. Instead I focus on the front door; the way the patterns create perfect circles and then go in a completely different direction. I guess it sort of represents my life when I think about it - always the same routine, the same thinking, the same close-mindedness, until I met Grover and my whole world turned upside down. Everything I believed was a myth my whole life, turned out to be real. So real that some of it was a part of my immediate family even.

Jenia places a hand on my shoulder and gives me an encouraging smile. "It's going to be okay." As she turns to knock on the door, I know she has no idea just how wrong she is.

We wait. I can make out the faint sound of a woman's laughter followed by, "Hold on. I think there's someone at the door." There is no mistaking that that voice belongs to my mother's. I hear her footsteps getting closer and closer as my heart beat quickens.

The door opens and there stands my mother, looking as glorious as ever in her rich clothing. Her smooth auburn hair is pushed behind her ears to show off her hoop earrings. She is clutching the house phone across her right ear. Her chestnut brown eyes complement the genuine smile on her face. That is until she lays her eyes on me.

Her smile fades and she looks... startled. "Tamara, I'm going to have to call you back." She clicks the phone off and stares at me with a bewildered expression. She opens her mouth to say something, but decides against it and just stands there.