Nico
There was um... There was another kid there when I got home from school. No older than 18. He was really skinny, wearing a Green Day shirt and black skinny jeans with converse. So sort of my fashion.
But he was there like he lived here. And I've never seen him before.
"Can I help you?" I asked him after closing the door, keeping my hand ready to get out my sword.
"Oh, hi!" He said, startled by my appearance. "Um, maybe? I was told this is where he lives. But is there a Paul Blofis living here?"
"Yeah," I informed this guy. "He'll be back in like 10 minutes. Sally should be back any minute, too."
He gave me a weird look.
"Sally?"
"His wife."
"Got it."
Paul got back before Sally did. Getting home at 3, which was normal, he took off his sweater and his shoes and said hi to me.
"Hey," I said to Paul. "You for a visitor. I don't know his name. He didn't seem dangerous, though. He's in the dining room."
"Okay?"
Paul
That's weird, but okay.
I put my keys on my kitchen counter and, as I grabbed myself a snack, I asked about this guest. I hadn't look quite yet.
"So, mysterious guest." I said as I scanned the fridge. "What brings you here?"
"Well," the voice sounded scarily familiar to me for some reason. "I mean, you're my dad. It was easier to find you than it was to find Mom."
I shattered a glass that I had taken out of the cupboard when I was told that.
My kid commuted suicide 5 years ago. I met Sally six months after it happened. She took me out of that crappy state I was always in. I wasn't always exhausted around her. When I heard she had Percy, I was kind of terrified that he would do the same thing. He was in the same boat that Patrick had been in. Minus the depression.
But Percy also has... He needs to see a therapist. He really does.
"Shit," I remarked under my breath before speaking a little louder. "My kid killed himself 5 years ago. It's almost impossible that he isn't..."
But then again, Maria died when Nico was little. Percy watched Bianca die. Thalia had died, and came back six years later. It's not impossible.
So I asked questions only my kid would know.
"When's your birthday?"
"New Year's," he told me. "12:03 AM. If I wasn't born in Abbot, I probably wouldn't have survived. I was a month early. Mom was in Urgent Care for 17 days after I was born."
Well shit.
That is my kid.
Before I could say anything, Percy and Alex came home. And it suddenly came to me that Percy didn't know I ever had a kid. Sally did. But we sort of never told Percy because he had already had camp and everything to deal with. It just never got to him.
"Are you sure he ever had a kid before Susan?" Percy asked Alex. "I mean, Paul would've started dating my mom like six months after he died. That's... I feel like I would know about—"
I'm in trouble now.
"There's a strange guy in my apartment."
He saw Patrick.
Patrick didn't hesitate to introduce himself.
"Hi!" My son introduced himself to my step son, walking over to him. "I'm Patrick! Paul's son. I kind of... I mean I died a few years ago and all. I don't know... Just don't ask. I'm alive."
Alex fainted on the spot, they moved him to the couch.
"Who was he?" Patrick asked, just out of curiosity being Alex was his best friend. They did everything together. It was impossible to separate them.
"Alex Sanchez," Percy told him. "I'm Percy. Sally's kid. Which makes me your step brother."
Now I had two kids. I had Patrick and his older sister, Jenny. They were really close. Jenny was a bit older, yeah. She moved out when Patrick was 10. An 8 year difference. But they got along. And I guess she just got tired of us after the divorce between their mother and I was finalized. We haven't heard from her since the final court hearing.
Patrick hasn't wanted any siblings since then. Younger siblings he said he'd be able to live with. But he didn't want any step siblings close to his age or older. He didn't want to go through that crap again.
And I don't blame him.
But here was Percy. 4 months older than him.
Percy didn't look it, though. To be honest, Percy looked like he was 20. He could easily pull off as a college student. I wouldn't be surprised if somebody let him get beer if they didn't card him.
He looks older, is my point. So does Nico. Nico looks 18, 19 years old. Bianca is the only one that looks like her age. 17.
Percy
He decided that he didn't like me.
"Oh." He remarked in a rude manner, and decided to interrogate the shit out of me as Nico was making sure everything was fine with Alex.
"Yeah," I told him, unsure as to why he didn't like me suddenly. He was really nice 30 seconds ago. "Is that alright?"
"Why are you still living at home?"
Taken back by that question, I felt insulted. I wasn't sure why, aside the tone. But for some reason, that question hurt.
"Because I'm 18 and a senior in high school." I answered his question. "I don't have anywhere else to live."
"What about your dad?"
That...
That hit a nerve that didn't want to be bothered as of right now. Or ever.
Dad and I got into a fight about me not wanting to go to camp. And now I'm banned from his place, Camp, and Olympus. And I can't see Tyson. He was told I died.
So yeah.
Poseidon and I aren't exactly on Father/Son terms anymore. We barely were to start.
I really consider that this guy didn't know about my dad when I opened my mouth.
"My dad is an inconsiderate asshole." I let Patrick in about that pretty quick. "The day he treats me like his fucking kid is the day I'll die of a heart attacked."
Patrick stepped back and apologized as soon as that came out of my mouth, seeing that it was a bad subject.
So he has common sense, at least.
"Sorry," he apologized almost instantly. "You just look older than 18 and I mean I wasn't sure how it went and all. Everyone is different when their parents break up. I didn't mean to hit a nerve. Mine broke up, too. My mom walked out and so did my sister when she had the chance."
He paused and considered the consequences before asking.
"Do you have siblings?"
I nodded my head.
"Two," I told him. "A brother a year younger on Dad's side and then Susan. The babysitter will drop her off at 4. She's a couple months old. You'll love her."
Changing topic, he took note of Nico.
"Who's he?"
Looking over, I saw him pointing at Nico, who was wrapping Alex's head. He hit it pretty hard. Bled a little.
"Oh, that's Nico!" I explained. "He's not related at all. His mom and sister live here, too, but his sister is spending the night with a friend and his mom works the afternoon shift. They're moving out in a couple weeks. They didn't have a place to stay so they stayed here for a while. Alex is next—"
"I know Alex."
