Nina's POV
Annabeth, Grover, Percy, and I sat in the bus station, waiting for our bus. I had my head resting against Percy's shoulder. The jet lag was still kicking my butt. All around the station, posters were plastered with Percy's face on them. HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BOY? I would bet anything Gabe had been telling all the cops about how much of a delinquent Percy was. Tears filled my eyes. Percy wouldn't be wanted if Mom hadn't died. I hadn't even gotten a letter to warn me about it. Percy had told me last night before we went to bed. I had spent the entire night crying.
"You want to know why she married him?" Grover asked. I turned around to look at him, but he was talking to Percy. I had a feeling they were talking about Mom and Gabe.
"Were you reading my mind or something?" Percy asked. I suppressed the urge to snort. Could satyrs do that? Could wizards and witches?
"Just your emotions," Grover said, shrugging. ""Guess I forgot to tell you satyrs can do that. You were thinking about your mom and your step dad, right?" I saw Percy nod. "Your mom married Gabe for you. You may call him 'Smelly' but you've got no idea. The guy has this aura... Yuck. I can smell him from here. I can smell traces of him on you and your sister both, and Nina hasn't been near him since the beginning of September."
"Gee, thanks Goat Boy, where's the nearest shower?" my brother said. I rolled my eyes fondly at him. I loved having my twin back.
"You should be grateful," Grover continued as if Percy hadn't said a word. "Your stepfather smells so repulsively human he could mask the presence of any demigod. As soon as I took a whiff inside his camaro, I knew: Gabe has been covering your scent for years. If you hadn't lived with him every summer, you probably would have been found by monsters a long time ago. Your mom stayed with him to protect you two. She was a smart lady. She must have loved you a lot to put up with that guy-if that makes you feel any better."
"Not really," I said. "It doesn't change all the times-" I broke off. I hardly knew Grover, and I was going to say something I had only ever told Morgan, er Apollo, something I hadn't even told Artemis? "Mom's still dead."
"Nina," Percy said, but I didn't want to talk. I had just found out hours ago my mother was dead, and I was stuck on this stupid quest. I hadn't had any time to grieve, and I didn't know when I would. I just wanted to break down. Where would I go now? Where would Percy go? It's not like I could stay with Apollo or Artemis. They were both gods. Maybe I could stay with Lavender, Parvati, or Lilly. I felt a few tears escape from my eyes. I summoned my guitar from the bracelet Apollo had given me. I began to strum.
Look what he's done to youIt isn't fair
Your light was bright and new
But he didn't care
He took the heart of a little girl
And made it grow up too fast
Now words like "innocence"
Don't mean a thing
You hear the music play
But you can't sing
Those pictures in your mind
Keep you locked up inside your past
This is a song for the broken girl
The one pushed aside by the cold, cold world
You are
Hear me when I say
You're not the worthless they made you feel
There is a Love they can never steal away
YOU ARE READING
Nina's Destiny
FanfictionSummary: Growing up in Manhattan, Antonina Jackson was used to strange things. It hardly bothered her at all when she became friends with two, slightly odd twelve year olds. Almost nothing could catch her off guard, except maybe finding out she was...