Little Tricks (PJO x HP) DISCONTINUED

CHAPTER THREE: Grover unexpectedly loses his pants

Confession time: We ditched Grover as soon as we got to the bus terminal.

Regulus, Circe and Sally looked at them with raised eyebrows, James was sleeping.

I know, I know. It was rude. But Grover was freaking me out, looking at me like I was a dead man,
muttering "Why does this always happen?" and "Why does it always have to he sixth grade?" Plus he kept looking at Ara with a mixed look of awe and horror, which got me even more on edge, I'm apparently very protective of my friends.
"Awww!" Ara whispered.

Whenever he got upset, Grover's bladder acted up, so I wasn't surprised when, as soon as we got off
the bus, he made us promise to wait for him, then made a beeline for the restroom. Instead of waiting, I
got my suitcase, motioned for Ara to follow me, slipped outside, and caught the first taxi uptown.

"Damn," Draco muttered, "brutal." Ara nodded, "It is the way."

"East One-hundred-and-fourth and First," I told the driver while Ara settled herself down beside me.

A word about my mother, before you meet her.
Her name is Sally Jackson and she's the best person in the world, which just proves my theory that the
best people have the rottenest luck.

"Good people don't have bad luck my boy, good people have the best luck." Dumbledore said to Percy.

Percy didn't respond, he wasn't going to waste his breath on a brainless old man.

Her own parents died in a plane crash when she was five, and she
was raised by an uncle who didn't care much about her. She wanted to be a novelist, so she spent high
school working to save enough money for a college with a good creative-writing program. Then her uncle
got cancer, and she had to quit school her senior year to take care of him. After he died, she was left
with no money, no family, and no diploma.

Several women looked at Sally with sympathy.

The only good break she ever got was meeting my dad.

"And meeting James and Reggie. Oh, and Paul." Percy amended his past self.

I don't have any memories of him, just this sort of warm glow, maybe the barest trace of his smile.

Zues glared at Poseidon, "Brother, did you-" Poseidon cut him off, "Yes I did, because unlike you I care about my children and want to see them." Thalia flinched, it was true but, that didn't stop the fact that it hurt.

My mom doesn't like to talk about him because it makes her sad. She has no pictures.
See, they weren't married. She told me he was rich and important, and their relationship was a secret.
Then one day, he set sail across the Atlantic on some important journey, and he never came back.
Lost at sea, my mom told me. Not dead. Lost at sea.

Athena nodded in approval, "A wise choice of words Mrs. Blofis." Sally smiled, "Thank you my lady, but I kept my maiden name." Athena smiled slightly, "You may just be one of my favorite mortals."

(My auto correct tried to change it to Blowfish)

She worked odd jobs, took night classes to get her high school diploma, and raised me on her own. She
never complained or got mad. Not even once. But I knew I wasn't an easy kid.
Finally, she married Gabe Ugliano, who was nice the first thirty seconds we knew him, then showed his
true colors as a world-class jerk. When I was young, I nick-named him Smelly Gabe. I'm sorry, but it's
the truth. The guy reeked like moldy garlic pizza wrapped in gym shorts.

Luckily by then me and my mom already knew Ara and her dads, whenever it was too much because of Smelly-Gabe they let us stay over, making sure we were safe, making sure we knew we weren't alone. Uncle James and Uncle Reggie treat mom like the sister they never had.