Percy*Love Like Woe*Jackson

Sally Jackson

7 Love Like Woe

After a few boring minutes of nothing but the sound of clanging tools and complaining people, the bus drover ordered everybody off of the bus. We all pilled onto a long stretch of country road. Over on our side of the highway was some tall maple trees. On the other side there was some small, open stores selling various fruits. The only people there were three old ladies in three different rocking chairs.

I turned away, because I was really creeped out by them. They seemed to have been staring over here. I looked up at Grover. He looked as if he was about to say something, but suddenly stopped. His nose was twitching.

"Grover?" I asked, putting my hand on his arm gently. "Hey-""Percy, are they looking at you? Please tell me they aren't," Grover said, sounding slightly scared. "Yeah. Weird, huh? You think those socks would fit me?"Percy joked."Not funny, Percy. Not funny at all." Grover then sucked in air, taking charge."We're getting on the bus,"

"Come on!"He ordered us. What was going on? "What? Grover, it's a thousand degrees in there!"I exclaimed."C'mon!" Grover pried open the bus door and climbed inside. He glanced from me and then to Percy. I turned to look at Percy. Percy was staring intently at the three old ladies. I followed his gaze.

The three old ladies were all knitting a really huge looking sock. One then cut the yarn, and I could hear it from all the way over here. She then started to ball up the electric blue socks and yarn, then they all left. At the other end of the bus, the bus driver successfully started the Greyhound again. The passengers cheered. "Darn right!" He yelled.

"Everybody back on board!" We all pilled back on, but as soon as I sat down I felt sickly. Neither Percy or Grover looked any better. But Grover was shivering and his teeth were chattering as if he was cold. "Grover," I called. He looked over at me."Yeah?"

"What aren't you telling us?" I asked. He dabbed his sweaty forehead with the sleeve of his blue shirt. He ignored my question."Percy, what did you see back at the fruit stand?""You mean the old ladies? What about them?They're not like Mrs. Dodds, are they?" Grover's expression was hard to read. My gut feeling started to act up again, but this time told me that the seemingly old and feeble ladies at the fruit stand weren't so feeble and were much worse than Mrs. Dodds.

"Just tell me what you saw," Grover said. Percy told them what they looked like, and Grover did a weird hand gesture. Sign language? No. This seemed really old and other worldly. "You saw her snip the cord? Did you, too, Daphne?" Grover asked. I nodded."Yeah. What of it?" I said, curious. I knew that it apparently meant something big."This is not happening," Grover mumbled.

He started to act very nervous and chewed on his thumb."I don't want this to be like the last time.". Percy then asked," What last time?" "Always sixth grade. They never get past sixth."Grover said, apparently talking to himself.Grover was now starting to scare me. What did this all mean? Snipping the cord, weird hand gestures, and the sixth grade?

"Grover," Percy said," what are you talking about?"Grover shook his head."Let me escort you guys from the bus station. Promise me, Percy." Percy nodded, then sent me a look. And again, I shrugged my shoulders. Whatever it took for Grover to calm down.

{~*~}

"I feel bad for doing that, Percy."I said as we walked down the street from the bus stop, looking for a taxi. Percy sighed."I know. But he was freaking me out and was looking at me as if he was picking out what color flowers would look better on my coffin,"

"Knowing you, probably something blue."I said, smirking. Percy rolled his eyes and caught a taxi uptown. We put our suitcases in the trunk and we got into the back. "East One-hundred-and-fourth and First," He told the driver.

The rest of the way we really didn't talk; we just listened to music on my iPod. Anything that we wanted to say to each other we typed on my notepad. We typed stuff about Sally, Percy's mon, and even a little about Gabe- for a warning. He was a real Class A jerk.

{~*~}

We walked into his small apartment with hopes that his mom was home. But instead, Gabe sat in the living room, playing poker with three other people."So, you're home. With a friend," he said the word friend loosely. "Where's my mom?" Percy asked."Working," Gabe replied."You got any cash? Percy? Percy's friend?" I shook my head. Percy was right; Gabe was fat, ugly, and seemed utterly useless.

"We don't have any cash," Percy told him. Gabe didn't seem to believe him.He then started talking about how anyone under his house had to pay something."Fine."

Percy growled, getting the wad of cash out from his pocket."I hope you lose."Percy put the money on the table.

"Your report card came, brain boy!" Gabe yelled."I wouldn't act so snooty! Especially when a friend's over!" I blushed slightly, not really wanting to be noticed by him. I didn't like the way he looked at me. As if he was an animal. Percy then grabbed me wrist and led me down the hallway and to a room. I would have guessed that it was Percy's, but it was too messy.

There were a lot of old car magazines, random pieces of trash, and even a pair of muddy boots on the windowsill. And it smelt like nasty cologne and old cigars. "Nice room, Perce. Smells a lot like you," I joke. Percy tosses me a nasty look as he places our bags on the only clean spot next to the bed.

"It was Gabe's 'study' during during school."Percy said, lounging on the bed. I sat down on the edge of it, looking down at my iPod. "Percy?" I heard a voice call. The caller opened the door, revealing a kind face that I remembered as Percy's mother. She smiled brightly and warm, and I felt safe.

She had a few streaks of greying hair, but she was still beautiful."Oh, Percy."She rushed across the room and hugged Percy tightly."I can't believe it. You've grown since Christmas!" After their little hug fest, we all sat on the bed Indian style, eating some blue candy that she had brought from her work. As Percy attacked the blueberry sour strings and I ate some of the blue skittles. Mmm.

{~*~}

I can't believe it! Mrs. Jackson surprised both me and Percy when she told us that we were all going to south shore for three nights. Oh, how I loved the beach! I absolutely loved water; my mom kept me busy during summers as a little kid with swimming, gymnastics, and even horseback riding.

But I was even more excited because I get to go with Percy and his mom. I noticed that Percy's eyes just happened to light up with excitement as well when his mom announced that we were going to Montauk. And I could tell that it was a special place for the both of them.

We arrived there at sunset. Mrs. Jackson drove up to a pastel colored rental house. I liked it. We all started cleaning; opening up the windows, beating the blankets, and washed everything. I was exhausted, but not exhausted enough to swim. I left Percy with his mom as they walked down the beach, eating blue corn chips. They deserved alone time.

I swam until it got dark, and then we ended up making a fire. Percy roasted hot dogs as me and Mrs. Jackson roasted marshmallows. She told us stories about when she was a kid, before her parents died in the plane crash. She told us about the books that she wanted to write when she had enough money, and I told them about how I used to want to be an Olympic Gold Medalist in gymnastics, and my current ambition: to be a writer as well.

Then Percy asked a question that made Mrs. Jackson's eyes water. He asked about his father."He was kind, Percy." She replies."Tall, handsome, and powerful. You have his black hair, you know, and his green eyes." So that's where Percy gets his good looks from. Not that Mrs. Jackson wasn't pretty; she just had brown hair and blue eyes.

"I wish he could see you now, Percy. He would be so proud."That's true. Percy was nice, kind, and stuck up for other people. I bet his dad would be proud. "How old was I?" He asked."He was only with me for one summer, Percy. Right here at this beach. This cabin." No wonder it was so special to her...

I got down from the log that me and Percy were sitting on and sat down in the soft sand. He leaned against the trunk, not really listening to their conversation. It seems too personal for me to listen to.

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