The Violin That Started it Again

Part 4) Chapter Twenty-One

So, Part 4 is going to be pretty short. Just saying. It's basically about revealing some stuff I left a mystery in the first book. So yeah. Have fun with the plot twists.

It kind of mentions a little of the event that happened in the grocery store in this chapter. Haha, yeah I had to go re-read it because it's just been so long since then...

...

Percy Jackson

Thump. Thump. Thump.

I seriously hated calculus.

I tapped my pencil chronically on my desk as I squinted at the calculus problem printed upon the piece of paper right before my very eyes.

Can this problem even be solved? Where was Annabeth when I needed her?

Annabeth... My mind kept wandering away from my mathematical problem and toward the event that seemed to have happened at the supermarket. Was it just a coincidence that Nico just happened to be there? I mean, I didn't believe in Fate or anything like that, but this time... It just seemed too coincidental to just be an accident.

But, I already won Nico's heart? I just had to make his grudge against me disappear...

I groaned unintentionally. How was I supposed to do that?! As far as I knew, Nico's grudges stuck to his brain as if he used super glue or something.

Annabeth wanted me to get back together with Nico, so maybe I could ask her?

I picked up my phone which sat beside my now-forgotten calculus homework. I unlocked my phone and before I could press the contacts button, my door suddebly burst open and hit the wall behind it.

My hsnd froze at the surprising action. I glanced at the person responsible who was panting as if he ran a mile and had asthma. And, I was pretty positive that Tyson didn't have asthma.

"Yes?" I asked him with an eyebrow raised after he caught his breath.

"Why are you in Nico's room?" Tyson decided to ask me first before explaining why he wanted to almost break the door.

I glanced over my shoulder and scanned the dark bedroom with a small, nostalgic smile on my face. Why not? I thought to myself. Some belongings were taken away; when Nico took them with him I have no idea. His guitar was gone and so were some of his clothing items because he left the drawers of them open. His band postera were still hung up on the wall, and call me creepy, but his bed still held the scent of pomegranates and vanilla. I had even started taking a liking to sleeping in his bed instead of my own room. And, My Chemical Romance and Falling in Reverse weren't bad either. I now have their music downloaded onto my phone, thank you very much.

"Why not?" I finally said, bringing gaze up to Tyson's face. He became considerably tall in the last couple of months. It was as if he hit puberty early for some odd reason. He was probably taller than the previous owner of this room.

Tyson laughed. "You like Nico too much Brother!"

I shrugged, chuckling slightly. "I guess you can say that. Now why are you here?"

"Daddy wants to see you."

I admit, it probably took me a full ten minutes to realize what he said and process it through my brain before my mouth could open with a response. I wasn't surprised if Tyson laughed at how dumbfounded and stupid I looked.

"Daddy?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "He's talking to Mommy downstairs. He wants to see you."

I slowly stood up from my swivel chair, shoving my phone into my pocket and thanking Tyson for informing me. I walked past him and down the stairs, and each creak the stairs made seemed a lot more noticeable to me like in horror movies.

My foot hit the last step when three of my parents' eyes turned to me. Was I feeling scared to see my dad after so many years? Yeah, I was feeling pretty anxious and frightened.

"Percy." My dad nodded toward me. "Do you like your new step-father?"

I nodded like a malfunctioning robot. "Yeah, I do."

I heard footsteps from behind me come downstairs, and in the corner of my eyes, I could spot Tyson.

My dad glanced between his two children, and to my surprise, he smiled at us. "Why don't we go out and have some fun, Tyson and Perseus?"

Tyson and I glanced at each other. Even Tyson knew that something bad might happen out of this. His eyes were huge in fear, and his shoulders were tensed. He knew even less about our dad than I did.

"Why don't you to go with your father, okay?" Sally smiled comfortingly at us, but I could see in her eyes that she was worried. Maybe you haven't noticed, but after dating Nico, I knew how to read people's real emotions by body language pretty damn well.

Tyson and I nodded silently and followed our dad out the door.

I shut the door behind me after Tyson and my dad left the house.

The air was so tense that I could hardly breathe. Tyson didn't seem like his usual happy and enthusiastic self whenever he was allowed to go somewhere. I wondered what my mom and Paul were talking about behind the wall of the house that seperated them and me.

To alleviate the tense air, my father asked, "I guess you guys are curious as to why I decided to visit."

"Yeah, maybe a little," I muttered sarcastically when I got into the backseat with Tyson. I refused to sit up there with the bastard that decided to leave us behind. Was this how Nico felt whenever he told me about his long-term grudges?

God! Why did I always have to bring up Nico in everything?!

He chuckled, but it sounded more like he was choking. "It's been awhile since I've seen you guys, so I decided to drop by and do something with you guys."

"You know, I still have some calculus homework at home waiting to be finished for tomorrow, so maybe you could speed this up and tell Tyson and me why you're really here," I snapped, leaning back into the car seat in frustration.

"So you and Tyson get along?" He asked, slightly shocked at the mere idea. "Most siblings usually don't get along, but Sally has done a great job and getting you guys to be nice to each other."

"Yeah, it looks like none of us needed you around," I huffed, refusing to look at the back of his head.

He sighed. "So, I heard you know who Nico di Angelo is?"

My brain froze and melted at the sound of his name. Luckily, Tyson backed me up because I had no idea if I could say anything coherent after that name.

"We do know him," Tyson said. "Why do you know him?"

"I don't know him," he corrected as he started to pull into an open parking space. "But I do know his father."

"His dad?" I blurted out. "Why do you know his dad?"

"I'll explain it to you soon enough." He unlocked the doors and exited.

"Brother, I'm scared," Tyson whispered.

I attempted to give him a reassuring smile. "We'll be fine. He won't hurt his own children." I patted his shoulder and opened the door.

Tyson nodded and waited for me to leave the car first before exiting himself.

My dad was waiting by the back of the car. I peeled my eyes off the ground and glanced up to see where he had taken Tyson and me.

It was the exact same mall that Silena had taken Nico and me to.