Old Endings (adopted)

Chapter 1

The AC never quite worked right in Percy's apartment. 

Which sucked in a place as cold  as New York. 

And his window never shut right.

That was dangerous in this town.

But there was no money to fix the crappy AC or his stubborn window.

There was no money for much of anything these days.

And that's why Gabe lives with them now.

Percy didn't like Gabe. He had practically begged his mother not to marry him, but Sally only ever said "You'll understand when your older."

Percy didn't think he would.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Gabe like to drink, and he smelled like it.

Gabe liked to drink so much, yet he always retained the notion that he should never have to get a single one of those aluminum beer cans for himself.

That job was Percy's.

At least when his mother wasn't home.

Percy couldn't be sure (mainly because to him, Gabe had always been a d***), but he thought that Gabe got meaner when his mother wasn't around.

Or maybe it was that when his mother was home, Percy didn't have to be around Gabe, since Sally and Gabe always went to their bedroom to play. 

Percy wasn't really sure what this meant, when that's how Sally explained it to him when he had first asked what they did all the time in the bedroom, but Percy knew well not to ask to many questions.

Or maybe it was when Sally wasn't home, Gabe used mean words on Percy.

It seemed to Percy that his favorite by far was the following: Idiot, Dumb***, and fat.

Gabe just loved to poke fun at Percy's less than average grades and his chubby face that all 8 year old's had. 

The first few times, it had bothered Percy, but after a while, he came to suspect it.

Gabe didn't like him.

He wasn't the first.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Percy had a hard time in school.

When your in first grade, most kids care about their grades and if their teachers liked them, but Percy didn't have time to care about stuff like that.

He had chores.

He supposed other kids had chores too, and maybe that did make him stupid for having bad grades while every other kid had straight a's, while doing the same amount of work everyone else did.

But he didn't see how everyone had time for things.

On top of regular homework and projects, Percy had a long list of chores.

On a good day he'd walk home (he didn't have enough money for a subway pass), then do the dishes (as well as drying them and putting them up), he'd clean the kitchen, the bathroom, and their small living room. Then he'd start on the laundry, then cook dinner. 

Yet on a bad day, Gabe would be home, and while he essentially did the same chores, Gabe would have him do them 3 or 4 times, while serving him beer.

So yeah, he didn't have the time to do his projects every other kid his age did.

And yes, the homework hardly ever got done.

And of course this led to horrid bullying from the other kids, and a bunch of p****  teachers who looked at Percy as if he was the bain of their low paying jobs.

But it was Percy's life.

And he really didn't have any other choice but to live it.