The Skeletons In The Closet

Chapter Seven

Thalia's POV

The air around me was very familiar, a sort of bustling energy in the breeze. New York. We were standing in front of a rundown apartment building.

"Nope," Percy said, turning and walking away. "Nope nope nope."

"He sounds like Ella," I heard Frank whisper to Hazel who snickered.

"Wait, Percy, where are you going?" I asked. "Away from here," he said. "But we'll get to see your mom!" Nico called.

"She's not home," Percy growled and his tone sent a chill down my spine. I turned again to look at the apartment building.

"Well, whether you like it or not, we're gonna have to go in there," I told him.

"Well I very much don't like it," he answered still walking away. He stopped though, when a nine year old Percy walked right through him and to the apartment complex.

We all got quiet as we watched him speed walk to the apartment, like he was late for something. I didn't miss the bruise on his cheekbone. I frowned. This doesn't seem right.

We started to follow him, but then noticed that Percy hadn't moved from his spot. Annabeth marched over to him and grabbed his hand, pulling him into the building.

We ran up flights of stairs until we reached the third floor. Young Percy tiptoed to a door down the hall, holding his key like a weapon. There was something very offsetting about the way he walked. It made me nervous.

Looking back at Percy, he was walking much the same way. Slowly and cautiously, as if to not wake up some horrible beast.

Young Percy put the key in the lock and turned it ever so carefully. He opened the door as quiet as possible and we ran to get ahead of the closing door.

What struck me first was the smell. It was putrid and disgusting. Beer bottles and dirty laundry were strewn about. It looked like a garbage dump.

Percy Jr. tiptoed past the clutter, trying to creep silently down the hall. I found myself cheering him on in my head, though I didn't yet understand the villain from whom he was retreating.

"Ahem," came a man's voice from the living room. Both Percys visibly flinched at the sound. "I thought I told you to get me some more cigarettes," the man growled.

Percy Jr. slowly turned around. He kept his gaze on the floor. "I told you-"

"Speak louder, boy!" Percy Jr. was shaking in fear. "I told you," he said, a little louder this time, "I'm not old enough to get them for you."

"Don't sass me, boy," the man stepped into view and I gagged. He was obviously the source of the smell. He was a heavyset guy, kind of reminded me of a walrus.

Percy had backed himself into a wall, eyes wide and hands shaking. Annabeth shot him a questioning look. Obviously she was as much in the dark as we were.

Percy Jr. didn't answer the man. He just kept his eyes trained on the ground, like eye contact was illegal.

This whole situation was really pissing me off. Percy obviously used to live his life in fear of this man. And it really peeved me. But judging by Percy's reaction to just those few words, that wasn't the worst of it.

"Go get me a beer then, you useless piece of shit!" The man spat, shoving Percy in the direction of the fridge. Percy scrambled to get the door open, lip quivering when he saw the fridge was empty.

"Gabe, we—we don't have any beer left. You drank it all," Percy stuttered. Percy hardly had time to blink before Gabe had his arm in a vise grip and yanked him across the room.

Percy struggled to gain traction as Gabe let go of his arm, sending him careening into the wall. Jason let out a growl watching the scene unfold. But all we could do was watch.

The big dumb walrus waddled after Percy, grabbing him by the back of his neck and slamming his head against the wall. Percy groaned and slid to the floor, seeing stars no doubt.

Gabe grabbed Percy by the front of his shirt and tossed him to the middle of the living room, landing and crushing some beer bottles in the process. He landed a hard kick right in Percy's ribs. He went in for another and I took a step forward. "No, no stop. Stop it!" I yelled, trying to put myself between my cousin and his abuser.

But Gabe went right through me. I stumbled back, startled, as Gabe's foot connected with Percy's head. Percy curled into a ball, trying to block the barrage of blows by covering his head with his hands.

Gabe, in a drunken rage, grabbed an empty beer bottle from the carpet and lobbed it at the wall, where shattered fragments of glass sprayed all around, showering Percy.

Gabe wrapped his meaty hands around Percy's neck, lifting him right off his feet. Percy was a bit dazed, but his eyes were full of panic. Gabe squeezed his hands tighter for emphasis and then practically through Percy in the direction of the door.

Percy stumbled, trying to catch his balance, before collapsing on the carpet.

"Get out of my sight, boy. I don't want to see your face again until you've gotten me what I need. Don't come back here without some cigarettes and beer. You hear me? I'm already in a bad mood. You piss me off and you'll be sorry."

And with that, Percy hauled himself to his feet and slipped out the door.

He'd gotten two steps out the door before collapsing in a sobbing heap in the hallway. He was only nine years old.

I think it's safe to say we got out of that building as fast as humanly possible. We'd parked ourselves in a park, sitting on benches and on the ground. Everyone was too shocked by what just happened to do anything.

Percy sat with Annabeth, who held him close. Tears streamed down his face as he just sobbed. I've never seen him like that before.

I couldn't believe none of us had ever known he was abused so horribly. What kind of friends were we if we weren't there for him? The fact that he's kept such a big secret effortlessly for years was beyond me.

I stood and padded over to him. I sat on the side opposite of Annabeth and gave him a hug of my own. He stopped crying so hard, down to sniffles at this point, and closed his eyes, melting in our warmth.

Hazel walked over next, then Jason, Leo, and Piper. Rachel, Frank, Calypso and Will, Nico, Reyna, Travis, Connor, Clarisse, and Katie all joined in. In that moment we weren't only comforting Percy, but we were comforting all of us.

This hug was for Percy, for Hazel, for Leo, for everyone that had gone through reliving their past and for everyone that had yet to experience it. This hug was for everyone. And it was just what everyone needed.

Who's next?