When The Villain Falls (Depressed! Percy) (Percy Jackson)

Chapter Twelve

Percy

It's a miracle they didn't shoot him them. We weren't told what our acts of treason were. But I mean, there were quite a few of us.

Our parents were there. My mom and Paul. We we're handcuffed. Shoved down. A gun put to our heads.

I was put in a room with Poseidon, Mom, and Paul. Which was just lovely.

"Treason?" My mom was pissed rather than worried that they're going to kill me.

"I haven't done anything!" I insisted. "I left the state, I stayed away! You can't—"

"Perseus—" Poseidon tried, and I snapped. Gods were wondering being not all of them have kids on death row.

"No," I snapped at him and it all came out. I'm going to die anyways, right? "You shouldn't even be here as my father. I was nothing but faithful to you guys for five years. This treason charge is bullshit. Luke died for the survival of Olympus. He has done nothing against his contract. None of them have."

I paused for a second.

"So don't think you can just step in like you're my dad." I was over this. "Just because you had a kid with my mom doesn't mean anything. If you wanted to be my dad, you could've been there a month ago when I was freaking out over my mother being pregnant. You could've been there when my step dad beat me and I had nowhere else to go. You had your chance. So why don't you just do what you want, and fuck off."

He left.

"Percy!" Paul demanded and I just had to hold my breath. "don't talk to your—"

I shot him a look that I just didn't want to deal with this.

"Percy," my mom knew that look, and she hated when I gave it to him. "Be nice to your step-dad. I'm tired of your attitude towards us, and him. Whether you like it or not, he's here to stay. You can't just leave whenever you'd like. That's not how it works."

"Sorry that I just want to feel safe," I responded, crossing my arms and just going into defense mood. "Sorry that I don't feel safe around him. I thought you'd get it by now, but I guess not. You're pregnant with his kid after all, right?"

"Percy, me being pregnant..." Mom started off. "It was something—"

"Yeah, I know." I've heard this before. "I'm sorry that you're two for to for putting through kids through this shit. You do realize that I'll just leave again?"

That was the end of it and as like punishment I was sent home with Mom. Luke went with May. Not by choice.

"You do realize you can't leave, right?" Mom asked me when we got home and they made me sit at the table. "You can't just leave when you don't like something and it won't go the way you like. Life is unfair."

"I noticed," I informed her, still kind of pissed off. This is so dumb. "sorry, but I'll just do it again."

"No, you won't." She put her hand on the table. "Percy, you're 17. You don't know—"

"I know enough to be able to tell whether or not—" I stopped myself. "You know what, it's not even worth telling you. You'll never believe me anyways."

"If you were staying with your girlfriend," of course she went back to that. She won't let it go. "That's understandable that you'd want to go to her, Percy. But you need to be home, with us. When she gives birth, if you want to be—"

"Oh my gods, I don't have a girlfriend!" I snapped, not even caring that this is how I had to come out. "I've never had a girlfriend, Mom! And fuck you and everything you think about this, but yeah, I have a boyfriend. At least he gives a shit about me, unlike you, Mr. Beats His Kid And Expects Them To Respect You Afterwards. I'm tired of keeping my mouth shut. But if I have to come clean, so do you."

"Percy what are you..." Mom said confused and she looked between Paul and I. "What happened when I wasn't home?"

"You went to the store when we had our day together." I explained to her. "First of all, he made up that entire phone conversation. Then he came home while you were at the store. Drunk, per usual when he leaves the house. Nico stopped by, he hid under the bed. Recorded it just in case anything happened, and thank gods he did."

That set her on high alert. And it's not like I can exactly make this up. I mean, I can. But why would I?

Where else would my face get so messed up that day?

"Accused me of knocking up a girl, lying to him when I said I didn't have a girlfriend and I haven't had one." I went on to explain to my mom. "When I denied it, he slapped me. Took the empty beer bottle to the side of my head. Tried to move my hand to it, he wouldn't let me. Slapped my hand. He asked again and I told him it wasn't true. After that he pinned me to the wall and beat the shit out of me. I zoned out for a while. Nico got all of it, though."

I paused for a moment.

"He left. After that, Nico left. You came home, I figured you wouldn't believe me so I didn't say anything. Paul threatened to beat me to death anyways, if I told you." I broke the news to my mother. "If you want the video, I have it. And if you still want to stick with him and have a kid with him, fine. I don't care. But I won't be here for it."

He looked ready to kill me.

"I stuck around long enough with Gabe," I was over it, though. "I don't need another abusive parent in my life. And it's sad to say, but I'm happier without parents rather than a Mom that won't believe me and a step dad that abuses me. So make your choice. Until then, I'll be staying with a friend. Call, text, I don't care. Just let me know. If you don't respond, I'll just assume you're together."

Luke

With my mom having her act cleaned up, it wasn't that bad. I told the others that when this washed over, I'd explain to them the situation. It's just complimented.

I kind of missed Percy, though. We we're supposed to go on a date tonight in Westport. I was going to bring him to my favorite place to eat here. We could go to the arcade, too. They still have the old arcade here. I was excited for it.

So when dinner came around, I was kind of bummed.

"What do you want to eat?" Mom asked me, back in normal clothes. And I shrugged.

"I don't know," I responded, not really in the mood to do anything for the rest of the night. I'll be fine tomorrow.

"Are you okay?" Mom asked me, leaning against the wall, now more worried. I was still her kid after all.

"Yeah," I assured him. "just a little bummed. I had plans for tonight and because of this bullshit they got cancelled. Worried, too, I guess. He can take care of himself. I hope."

Mom was well aware that I'm gay. She knew years ago. My first crush was in the 3rd grade, after all. I don't remember who, he moved away when we were older.

So in regards to that, she's there for me.

"Aw, are you having boy problems?" Of course, she missed all of the teasing an she has to make up for it. "Is my baby Luke troubled over a boy he likes?"

"Shut up," I told my mom, playfully shoving her shoulder. "It's not that big of a problem with us, were already dating. But now he's back home and that's not safe for him and normally he can take care of himself. But he freezes up sometimes and it gets bad."

"Oh..." Mom responded, nodding her head for a moment. "Percy. I heard Mr. D talking about that, how he was upset with the decision to send him home. Because his step dad beat him. He lives in New York, right?"

I nodded my head.

"Let me s—"

My phone started to ring. Percy's number.

I cautiously answered the phone, worried that this was like his parents going through his phone and threatening me.

"Hello." I said.

"Luke, it's me," Percy assured me as I heard him get in a car. "Don't worry, I'm fine. But I talked to my parents, mainly my mom. I kind of told Paul off. But I told my mom about what Paul's been doing to me. The abuse and whatever else. So I said that I'd give her time to think about what she wanted to do. Until then, I'm not going to be home and I can't go to camp. So uh... Where does your mom live?"