Silence is Golden (Percy Jackson AU)

Chapter 12- Percy

If Percy had known his night would end in flames, literally, he might've stayed home and taken the beating.

He went out for lunch, or rather lunchtime because he wasn't going to risk angering Gabe to get money for food. So about 1 o'clock Percy snuck out of his house. It wasn't an ideal afternoon. It was cloudy and gray fog lingered from the thunderstorm last night. Even so families were out Christmas shopping; Percy could hear the kid's excited squeals after every row of toys.

He ducked into the nearest store, a Wal-Mart. After walking for so long in the cool air, the hot breeze was so enjoyable, Percy almost considered staying right there. But then an old guy with a shopping car nearly ran him over and Percy decided against it.

He wore his hood up, trying to cover the huge bruise on his cheek. His wrist was throbbing and his other shoulder hurt whenever he moved it. He walked with a limp. Luckily his ribs had semi healed and it only hurt a tiny bit to breathe.

Still it was better than staying home and being his step father's punching bag.

The Wal-Mart smelled like Christmas pine trees for some reason, and peppermint wafted from the Dunkin Donuts that had an in-store shop there. The signs boldly proclaimed new lowest deals, and free coffee with a box of a dozen Christmas donuts.

Wrapping paper was stacked in rows in the front of the store, like toy soldiers waiting to fire upon the enemy. Winter jackets were on sale for the season with screaming crying children being dragged around trying on endless amounts of clothes.

The corners of Percy's mouth flickered up for a moment, remembering the years of winter where his own mother battled through the monsters of price tags and heavy fabric just to find the prefect jacket for him.

Then Percy remembered the look of his mom the night before. Her pale, skinny figure. Her hair brittle and dying. Her lips stood out a thick pink against the colorless background. Her throat had made a scratchy rasping sound, like a dried up cough when ever she breathed. She had more needles poking out her than a human porcupine. It made Percy cry looking at her. She'd never done anything wrong, not even a speeding ticket. She'd use to make sugar chokes and dye them blue just for him.

It disgusted Percy that someone would do this to someone else. You couldn't be human. Then the first day Percy and Gabe got to see her came around. Something inside of Gabe must have snapped. And a couple punches, a couple broken vases, and two blackouts...Percy never was the same.

Never was the same.

"Hey, you don't look so good, man." Someone said, putting a light grip on his shoulder as Percy attempted to walk by the camping isle. Percy winced involuntarily.

The guy recoiled surprised. He wore a hiking outfit, with hikers boots, an orange T Shirt, cargo shirts, and a red baseball cap over short, curly hair. He had a slight goatee thing going on.

"I'm fine." Percy said through gritted teeth.

"Like Hell you are man!" The guy went to pull down Percy's hood for a better look at bruise on his face. Percy quickly reached up snapping the fabric back down. In his hurry his sweat shirt sleeve slipped up revealing his bandaged wrist.

"I said I'm fine!" Percy snapped..

"Grover, look what I- Oh my gods!" A small girl in a similar outfit appeared next to Percy holding a box of protein bars. She had long orange-red hair that curled at the ends and brilliant green eyes. Almost unnatural, her skin glowed a pale green, like she was part of a tree or something.

"Are you alright, sir?" She asked, dropping the box of protein food. "How did this happen?"

"I said I'm fine, it was a stupid skateboarding accident." Percy said again. He turned away before the weird couple could ask any more questions. He stomped towards the food section of the Wal-Mart, hoping they wouldn't follow.