A Little Goes a Long Way~Completed

One Shot. May turn into a story later, depending upon time limitations and inspiration.

This was originally posted to FanFiction by me. WiseWolf826 here, FallenHuntress26 there.

A Little Goes a Long Way

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. This is trying to stop bullying and child abuse- not sell a bajillion copies of a fantastic series to a lot of people.

Why do people think bullying other people, even if only slightly, is OK?

Why is abuse, even if barely, so common?

It shouldn't be. Its not right.

The world should be different, but it isn't.

That's why I'm telling you my story in this letter, why you're reading this right now. Maybe if some people just get a clue, the cycle will end, or at least slow down.

Not many people know this about me, but my step-father; Gabe Ugliano, abused me as a child. At least before my mom used Medusa's head to sell him for some much needed cash. It wasn't very bad mind you, just a beating every time I did something he didn't like.

Things such as talking to him or not waiting on him hand and foot, or hiding any cash I had at all from him.

I never told my mom Sally about it. I wish she had married Paul first, not just for my sake, mostly to spare her from the life she led with that jerk. He only beat me for a little over a year, when Eddie- One of Gabe's poker buddies- had had enough.

I would have thanked him, but if I did that the one person who could do anything would have been kicked out of his little group.

Still, that one year affected me.

I flinched whenever someone moved their hands quickly around me for months afterward. I never-ever respected Gabe again, or any poker player-even Ed.

Not that I had much respect for them to begin with.

Gabe still pushed my mom around too much.

It makes me sick just to think about it.

You may be wondering why I'm not telling you, or the camp, or anyone this in person. Its because I don't want anyone to know.

I don't want anyone's pity. I just want things like this to end.

Even years later, every now and then when someone surprises me I immediately have Riptide out, at their throats.

I blame it on too many monster fights, but that isn't the real reason.

It never has been and it probably never will be.

I'm going to send this letter out to the world, hopefully no one at camp will find it.

Maybe, just maybe it will make people understand. I was also bullied at school when I was younger. It wasn't much but it still hurt.

A shove getting backpacks. A horrible name people call you daily.

After a while you start to believe them.

You are nothing.

You are an idiot.

No one cares about you.

You were a mistake.

Luckily, I got kicked out of that school a few months after that and made a good friend.

That nine year old girl made me see that I did matter. I wasn't a mistake just because my dad left us. I'm not stupid just because of my dyslexia and ADHD.

I may be a freak, I may not be. Its good to be weird. Who cares about normal.

That little girl made me not care what anyone else thought of me.

"People may push you around, but that is just because something bad happened to them too." She used to say that to me.

I feel sorry for bullies now, even if I do beat the daylights out of them and make them sing soprano for a week.

Even the girls- They are equals after all. If there is anything at all that I've learned from my girlfriend Annabeth its that girls are just as good at fighting and school, and anything else, as us guys.

Later I found out she was a daughter of a minor roman goddess, at Camp Jupiter. I still haven't talked to her since that year. I'm going to- even if it is just to thank her.

I wish there were a thousand more people like her, people who know how to handle situations like that. So if you are even slightly bullying someone just know that a little goes a really long way.

Someone at my 5th grade school killed himself because of bullying.

He was a year younger, or I would have known about it and put an end to it if I could have.

Instead he decided death was a better option than even the thought of continuing his awful life.

Every time I think of that I get sad. If only I could have been there for him, if only I had known.

That poor, innocent boy would still be alive.

A child could have lived to get married, enjoy life, everything.

Instead bullies put an end to that. His blood is on their hands.

I got kicked out of that school for knocking out the main bully and giving him a shiner in the hallway. I'm not entirely sure, but I may have also broken his arm.

He was smart enough to talk his family out of pressing charges.

The school let it go as a fight. I hope that if your reading this you'll help someone being bullied.

You don't have to be a hero and fight off ten guys at once.

Just tell an adult about what is going on.

Something can be done.

Tell someone you trust that you or someone you know is being bullied or abused, don't just stand by and watch it happen.

You never know- you could save a life.

I hope this changes some people's hearts or minds. If not it was worth a try.

Sincerely, Percy Jackson