Other Side Of The Closet [Percy Jackson Fanfiction] •Jiper•

Piper XXVII

C H A P T E R T W E N T Y - S E V E N

TRISTAN MCLEAN WAS A FAIRY TALE Piper Mclean sometimes thought she imagined it all; the gifts and the toys or their beach house in California. Maybe it had all been a dream, she thought to herself whenever she gazed at her father's face, his secrets hidden beneath his cherokee veins.

She could not ever tell what he was thinking or could she communicate and discuss with him whenever she felt down and there was never that empathic connection with her father. Maybe all of that was what made him a good actor because if one could hide their own self in their own home, then it was possible to hide their true side in the eye of the public.

She had been living a fairy tale founded by the Grimn Brothers in the distant land of California, never once guessing that her life would turn this badly. Tristan Mclean had been a part of a poker game that consisted of Mr. Tanaka and other men who were skilled in the game. He lost all of his money and Piper's college fundings. And the only reason they had been able to stay in that house for three years was because Tristan Mclean kept away all his problems concealed until it came back to him like a wrecking ball. He had left the entire mess a secret.

She gazed at the TV, her hand griping on the remote until her hands turned red as she watched the News air and her father's dignified cheeks from shortage of food - or that the entire mess had left him weak and half the man he was before literally speaking - and his thin bone-like hands guiding him toward the police car, showing what had happened one weeks ago as a flashback from the past Piper desired to abandon.

This wasn't happening, Piper told herself, her teeth clenching against her lip and her body shaking. This shouldn't be happening.

Cameras flashed through the TV screen blinding her father's face as he squinted and gazed down at the floor while a pair of police officers had pushed him into the car. Her father had turned himself in and what his intentions were, she couldn't tell.

"And right here we have Tristan Mclean - I repeat, Tristan Mclean - the movie star of our century and our modern gladiator being taken to jail for what we have to believe, the fatal destruction of Chandler Plaza Hotel leaving eight teenagers injured but no one has died yet. The owner of the hotel, Mr. Tanaka having more than a million dollars under his name, is filing Tristan for breaking and entering and false documents telling Mr. Mclean that the Chandler Plaza Hotel is rightfully his. Is it possible all we thought of Tristan Mclean could be a lie? We'll only have to guess until we learn more at court. This is Chelsie McDonald and Good Morning America!"

Piper wanted to cry; as an a mental break down to the floor, her body shimmering to glass on the floor and her tears bleed blood.

The screen turned black and Piper laid the remote on the coffee table next to the couch as Gleeson Hedge walked in into the living room a few seconds ago after the TV closed; Gleeson Hedge A.K.A Coach Hedge. The friend her dad had been speaking of was the Hedge family and she was to stay in their home for well, Piper wasn't sure how long she'd have to say.

Husband of Tristan Mclean's secretary Mellie, had allowed Piper to stay in their humble home for the time being. They weren't asking much. She lived her life as she usually did going to school and locking her new bedroom door to have some privacy and think. Sometimes she went downstairs and cared for Chuck, their infant when Mr. Hedge went out for groceries and Mellie kept in eye on what was happening with her dad and took care of all of his meetings for him.

"Piper, we're having dinner in the dining table. If you want you can grab some-" Mr. Hedge cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head. "Teenagers like macaroni & cheese, right?"