What They Said About Contact

Chapter 3: Extraordinary How Nice She Is... At First Anyway.

           Jason POV

I was by no means a coward, but under the glare of sea-green eyes—so much like Percy's yet oh so different—even I had to refrain from hiding behind Percy. I sneaked a glance at Percy's face; her face had turned ashen, sea-green eyes wide with horror.

But one stern look from Sally snapped her out of it. "Uh—hey, there... um, dad."

Poseidon then? Wow, maybe it's time I said goodbye to my life. A part of me felt jealous of Percy and resentment of how she looked as if she wanted her immortal parent to leave. My father had never visited me, had never ever given me any acknowledgment but claiming me. And Percy, a great hero, had her father visit her.

"So... what are you doing here, dad?" Percy' hand squeezed my hand. For what, I had no idea. For reassurance perhaps? My hand tightened on hers for a split second before loosening.

"I haven't time to say happy sixteenth birthday to you with the war going on, but now that it's over... I wanted to wish you a happy birthday, Percy." Poseidon smiled, tight-lipped— I, the son of Jupiter could tell that Poseidon wasn't happy seeing his daughter holding hands with a Roman, to top it all off, a son of his greatest rival.

"So... who's the boy?" I marveled at how Poseidon and Percy sound so similar to one another. The way they start a question, I meant.

"Err... he's Jason Grace, son of Zeus."—if it was possible for Poseidon's expression to darken any further, it just happened and it made me doubt this chances of survival—"Look, dad, I didn't choose this. We got cursed you see—"

"Who did you two offend?" Sally asked, frowning. Not at me but because she couldn't believe her daughter was so rude.

Percy glared at me. "Not. Me." She elbowed me to indicate who she was talking to.

Poseidon threw me a dirty glare but when Percy turned to look at him again, he was smiling kindly. "What's the curse about?" He asked.

"We're going to be stuck, for a week," Percy muttered gloomily. "Like this." She raised our intertwined hands for emphasis. The glare that Poseidon gave me was smoldering; it practically screamed: "DIE!"—I just hoped that the god wouldn't follow up with the threatening look.

"And your sleeping arrangements?" That was what concerned Sally the most. She didn't like—wasn't comfortable with—the fact that her daughter would be sleeping with a total stranger though I seemed nice enough; never judge a book by its cover.

"My bed's not big enough..." Percy ran her free hand through her hair. "We'll be sleeping in the living room, maybe?"

"Yes," Poseidon agreed venomously. "Where Sally can see him." The last word was said with distaste Sally and I winced but Percy, being as obtuse as she was, couldn't tell at all. I wondered how she can be such a great hero when she was this dense—she must have had a very wise sidekick then, someone that always form the plan.

"Dad," Percy nearly whined. "Can't you lift the curse?"

"Yeah," I piped up. "That'll be very helpful."

Poseidon shot me a sharp look of loathing. "Lifting another immortal's doing is... not easy and sometimes, impossible. That's why many heroes were cursed; did you not think their parents tried to help them?"

Percy averted her gaze, embarrassed. "Err... maybe?" I didn't blame her for that. I myself didn't believe my parents ever cared about me.

"I see."

An awkward silence descended upon the four of us. I shifted awkwardly on his feet; I couldn't help but feel bad—I was sure that if he wasn't here, Percy would be happy, smiling, to see her father.

"Well then," Poseidon broke the silence when it was silent for far too long. "I should be taking my leave." He looked at Percy's mother and smiled, then he glowered at me after smiling fondly at his daughter. " But first happy late birthday Percy" and handed her a laptop, and Percy's eyes seemed to light up.

"Wow... I don't know what to say... Thanks, dad." she said and walked up to him (dragging me with her) and hugging him with her free arm.

Poseidon then said, "If anything happens to her..." He let the threat hang in the air but it manages to convey the message to me anyway.

The three watched of us as Poseidon shimmered then disappeared.

"Oh man, was that weird or what?" Percy looked confused and curious. Just like when we had first met; back at the bus.

What?—I was baffled, how can she not see the tension in the air? "Unbelievable," I muttered.

Percy stared at him. "What's unbelievable?" She asked.

I rolled his eyes. "Did you not see how your father looked at me? Are you playing dumb or are you plain stupid?" Too late did I realize he used the wrong wording. I really should be more careful but the day's events were catching up to me; the problem with Reyna when she told me that she...

Percy blinked. I thought that she was going to snap at me but she didn't seem angry at all. Sally was gawking at us, trying to find something to ward off both of our tempers before we started fighting—and children of the Big Three fighting meant trouble and complete destruction of the area; just look at what World War II did.

"It's okay, mom. He's just tired, that's all. I'm too; it's late by the way."

Late? Already? I hadn't noticed that it was well past evening. How—?

"I live quite far away from where we met," Percy answered the unasked question. She looked at me up and down then wrinkled her nose. "You stink of sweat, go take a bath."

"Great idea," I said sarcastically. "With you watching me?"

"No!" Percy exploded, face flushed red with embarrassment. "Of course not!"

"Then how do you suppose we take a bath?"

"We? You're the one who's going to take a bath!"

"You don't think you're very clean are you?"

"Are you saying I stink?"

"You're blunt about it to me, why shouldn't I?"

"You are so—" Percy cut herself off and muttered under her breath, "Shoot. I'm starting to sound like Clarisse."

"And who's that?" I asked, curious as to why Percy would want to cut herself off to comment something so insignificant. She must really hate this 'Clarisse' girl then. An enemy of an enemy was a friend; that I knew well since I was trained in the Legion. Maybe Clarisse and I would get along.

"Why do you care?" She shot back.

Sally sighed as she watched the two teens bicker back and forth. "I'll leave the pillows and blankets here." She tried to choose the most comfortable ones for us both and arrange it on the sofa, but she doubts that either of us heard her.

The two of us won't make it without killing one another in a day! How are we suppose to survive a week?!

Published: 4/8/2017

Edited: 2/11/2019

Words: 1,179