CW: mentions of physical abuse, drugs & alcohol
It was lunchtime when Percy got the call. Rachel was throwing food into Grover's mouth, Grover trying and failing to catch it. He looked at his phone.
Momma 🥰
It wasn't often Sally called Percy, especially not when he was in school.
"I'll be back in a minute," he said to his friends, leaving the lunch room and answering the call down a quieter corridor. "Hi, mom. Everything okay?"
"Hi sweetie. Sorry for ringing you during your lunch break, but I'm coming to collect you."
"Huh?"
"Gabe was arrested last night. I got a phone call this morning." Sally sounded a little worried, but more scared than worried.
"Huh?"
"I'll explain everything when I get there. See you at reception."
Percy ran to his locker, picking up his school bag. He wasn't going to wait to tell his friends the good- maybe bad- news. He didn't know what was going to happen. His stepfather, the jerk Gabe, had won a big sum of money in a poker game. He went out to the bar to celebrate, obviously not planning on using the money on his wife or stepson, then apparently got arrested. He waited at reception for his mother. When she arrived, he got into the car.
"What happened?" He asked before even greeting her.
"We're going to the police station."
"You're bailing him out?!"
Sally pressed her lips together and began driving. Percy wasn't surprised, to be honest. Sure Gabe was a drunken asshole who spent most of the money both him and Sally earned on alcohol and drugs, but Sally didn't know about the physical abuse. At least, Percy thought she didn't.
"Last night," Sally began explaining. "He was at the bar, as you know. Obviously he drove the car there, so I didn't have any way to collect him. I told him to call a taxi on his way back, but he didn't. He was pulled over for speeding and they did a breathalyser test. He was caught drunk driving and was taken to the station."
"So you're telling me you're still bailing him out when he's putting people in danger! Using all the money he just won, then he's going to use your money on something illegal instead?!"
"Percy, honey, calm down."
"Don't tell me to calm down." Percy didn't know what he was thinking. Usually he'd smile through it and let Gabe walk all over him. He just wanted his mother to be happy, he'd caused her enough trouble. This time was different. He couldn't control his anger.
"Percy."
"Mom, don't."
"When did I say I was bailing him out?"
Percy paused. "You're not?"
"Of course not. I'm going to the station to talk to the police, which is why I pulled you out of school, Percy. I need to ask you something and you need to tell me the truth and nothing but the truth, okay?"
Percy looked out the window. He didn't like where this was going. "Okay."
"Has Gabe ever hurt you?"
The world felt like it stopped. Did she know? Did she find out? How did she know?
"That's a yes." Sally said. Percy looked over to his mother, who had tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
"Mom- you don't have anything to be sorry for."
"I should've known- I should've left him long ago." Sally was gripping the steering wheel.
"How did you know?"
"I started suspecting during the summer-" Sally didn't look at Percy, but he knew exactly what she was talking about. He wished he didn't.
It was his birthday. Sally promised she'd be home for it. Just the two of them. Then Gabe decided to take the day off work to do absolutely nothing, meaning Sally had to work. It ended up in a fight between Percy and Sally. He hated the memory. He'd always struggled with anger management, he was a troubled kid to say the least, but the morning of his eighteenth birthday was the first time he raised a hand to his own mother. It was instinct. Gabe had done it so many times to him, it was almost natural. Percy had stopped himself, before running to the bathroom and crying until he got sick.
"Oh." Was all Percy could say without choking up.
"And I put the pieces together. Why you suffered so much. I mean- I always thought it was after what you seen happen to Bianca, but with what Gabe had obviously been doing to you-" she sniffed. "I'm so sorry, Percy."
Bianca di Angelo's death, the death 12 year old Percy watched, was the reason he was so troubled, to the extent of him having to repeat 7th grade at a boarding school for troubled kids, the reason he was older than almost everyone in his grade, but Sally was right, Gabe's abuse didn't help matters. Percy thought back to his birthday, remembering it clearly. He remembered his mother flinching when he raised his hand. He remembered the look of pain of her face.
"Mom? Did Gabe hit you?"
"No." Sally said quickly. Almost too quickly.
"No more lies. No secrets."
Sally took a moment to answer. "He promised me he wouldn't hit you if I didn't tell anyone. I can't believe I trusted him-"
"He said the same to me." Percy was even angrier now. If he ever saw that fucking dickhead again-
Sally pulled into the police station. "It ends today."
• • •
Sally spent a lot of time talking to the police. She told the police everything. From the abuse to the drugs. They talked to Percy and he confirmed everything his mother told them. They asked Sally why she didn't come sooner. Sally explained how she needed the money- how Percy's father left and she couldn't raise a child after her uncle kicked her out. She had to marry Gabe. Percy felt terrible. He was the reason she went through almost 18 years of abuse.
Gabe was taken away. Cops came to investigate the apartment. They seen Percy's room, which Gabe liked to use as his 'study'. They found the drugs. Sally and Percy drove home, still in Gabe's car, which was now Sally's. She was going to file for a divorce. It really was ending.
"Percy, why don't you text Grover and tell him the news?"
"What? You want me to tell Grover about everything?" Percy asked.
Sally raised an eyebrow. "He was never a big fan of Gabe."
"How do you know that?"
"Well, Grover didn't hold back from calling him 'Smelly Gabe' in front of me." Sally's face was still tear stained, but she smiled.
"I'll text him now."
• • •
They got back to the apartment, the police spending a long time talking to Sally. Then Grover showed up. He hadn't replied to Percy's text.
"Hey, Percy! I got the message and ran out of English class. Mr.Blowfish is gonna be pissed but oh well! This is the best day of my life!"
"I- think you've had better days." Percy said, but was glad to see his best friend.
Sally came over to them, the police now gone. "I've been looking and there's an apartment block with a few apartments free. We can move in next Sunday. Isn't that great?"
"Yes!" Grover answered. Percy didn't have the heart to tell him the question wasn't meant for him.
"We need to start packing-" Sally smiled. "Oh, and guess what?"
"What?!" Grover said, answering for Percy again.
"I'm selling Gabe's store, which will leave me with enough money to only work part-time. I'm going to start writing lessons and eventually maybe even write a novel." Sally was smiling. It had been a tough day, but things were finally getting better. After everything she'd been through, Percy couldn't help but feel overly proud to call her his mother.
• • •
He didn't go to school for the next day, insisting he stayed at home and helped Sally get things ready to move. On Saturday, he got a text from Frank.
Frank: you better be going to Reyna's party tonight.
Percy walked out to his mother, who was standing in the surprisingly clean kitchen. He pretended not to see her wiping tears away. It'd been a hard week.
"Hey mom?"
"Yes, Percy?"
"You know how you love me and I'm the best son ever and you're the best mother ever-"
"Just spit it out." Sally laughed.
"Can I go to a party tonight?"
"So you're telling me you couldn't go to school, but you can go to a party?" Sally put a hand on her hip.
"Please?"
"Fine. But you'll be back to school on Monday."
"Thanks mom! Love you so, so, so, so, so much you're the best!"
Percy got out his phone, replying to Frank.
Percy: of course I am. See you there, Zhang.
• • •
He went to the party with Grover. The house wasn't big, but there was a lot of people. Mostly people in senior year, but Percy spotted a few juniors. He walked inside to go get a drink, seeing Leo Valdez on the table.
"DRESS LIKE ME, WALK, TALK AND ACT LIKE ME JUST MIGHT BE THE NEXT BEST THING BUT NOT QUITE ME-" Valdez was screaming with the music. His friend, Piper, was on the table too.
"God, Leo. Eminem? Really?" She was saying, though she was laughing.
Percy found the drinks and seen his other friends already there, Rachel and Frank playing beer pong with a few others. He smiled. For the first time in his life, he felt safe. Maybe senior year wouldn't be so bad.
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Word Count: 1573
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A/N: I know this chapter was confusing lmao. I know nothing about police or cops or any of that, especially not in America. Anyway no more Gabe <3. Kinda quick paced already rid of him but pfft. Love love and more love
- Rachael