𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘, percy jackson

𝐗𝐕𝐈. lotus hotel and casino

CHAPTER SIXTEEN ——
LOTUS HOTEL AND CASINO !

┊͙ 🪷 ˖ . *. ⋆

( "should i slap her too?" )

       AFTER FALLING ASLEEP, Parker wasn't greeted by the Titan Lord in her dreams, and instead was faced with something equally as terrifying. 

Every so often, Parker would dream of flashbacks from her past, occasionally dreaming of alternative situations that wouldn't have ended in such tragedy as they did in real life.

She was back in New York, in her small new apartment that held only her and her mother. The sun was sinking behind the building, casting long shadows throughout the apartment. Usually, when Parker had dreams like this, she was back in her past-self's body, able to control her actions and alter her mistakes. But now, she stood invisible in the distance, unable to speak.

Parker watched as her ten-year-old self burst through the door, her steps heavy with the weight of the day's torment as she dropped her brand-new school bag to the ground. She had only been going to a new school for a few days and already despised it. 

The other children had been relentless that day, their jeers and sneers a chorus that echoed in her mind. She could still hear their mocking laughter, see their smirking faces. They had called her strange, an outcast. They had shoved her books to the ground, kicked her lunchbox away, and whispered cruel names as she walked past. 

After school, Parker took an extra hour and a half to get home, taking it upon herself to just walk around the block to try and calm down. She could feel something deep inside her, something cold and fierce, like a storm brewing beneath her skin. The feeling was familiar, though something she hadn't felt in a while. She was used to getting bullied back in Quebec; she shouldn't have gotten her hopes up that New York would be any different... or she should have considered it might be worse. 

At the sound of the door opening and a bag slamming on the ground, Juliette immediately turned around. She was in the kitchen, her hands occupied with stirring a pot on the stove. A relieved look washed over her face when she noticed her daughter. "Oh, ma fille, je m'inquiétais. If you weren't home by supper, I was going to have to go out looking for you. Why are you home so late?" Then she noticed the distressed look on her daughter's face. "Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas?" she asked, concern etching lines into her forehead.

Young Parker hesitated, then the words spilled out in a rush. In French, she said, "They were so mean today, Mom. They said awful things. They pushed me around and called me names. They think my voice is funny because I don't sound like them, and sometimes I can't remember some English words. I don't know why they hate me so much." 

Juliette's eyes softened with sympathy. She wiped her hands on a towel and crossed the room to her daughter, pulling her into a gentle embrace. This time she continued the conversation entirely in French. "Oh, honey, kids can be cruel sometimes. They're probably just jealous and want to make themselves feel better by picking on someone else." 

Parker pulled away, frustration bubbling up inside her. "Jealous? Of what? There's nothing to be jealous of! I'm just... me. And they're horrible!"

Juliette sighed, trying to find the right words. "Parker, sometimes people lash out because they see something different, something they don't have. It's not right, but it's often the way it is. You have to try and forgive them and show them kindness in return."

Parker's hands balled into fists. "Why do I have to be kind to them? They don't deserve it! They treat me like I'm nothing!" 

"Because kindness is stronger than hate," Juliette said softly, reaching out to touch her daughter's shoulder. "And you, my girl, are so much stronger than you know."

But Parker was beyond consolation. She wanted her mother to tell her the bullies were mean and stupid, not jealous and insecure. Her anger flared, and with it, the strange coldness inside her surged. "No, Mom, you don't understand! It's not..." She struggled for the words, her emotions spiraling out of control.