𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐔𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑: 𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐒'𝐒 𝟏𝟒𝐓𝐇 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘
"It's my party and I'll cry if I want too."
ONE MONTH AGO
NOVEMBER 27TH, 2007
NEW ORLEANS
ROBINSON RESIDENCE
TO BE FAIR ERIS DIDN'T MEAN TO FORGET TO TELL LENA AND KATHARINE ABOJT HER BIRTHDAY.
She just hated celebrating her birthday.
She never had a birthday cake, a family to celebrate it with or even a birthday party at all. When Willow was alive she used to steal Eris a cupcake and sing 'Happy Birthday' but...Willow couldn't do that anymore but she did make sure to sing Eris 'Happy Birthday' annoyingly off tone on purpose every year.
Truthfully, Eris never cared much to celebrate her birthday, she didn't see it as a big deal. Since she never celebrated it she always just saw her birthday as a normal day. The only time it was kinda celebrated was when Hades gave her an easel for her thirteen birthday last year but that was it. When Willow was alive she'd try to steal something every year to get Eris a present but..then she died and....well you know the rest.
Willow however loved to spend Eris's birthday with her. It was tradition. Which was how Eris Lewis found Willow popping up in her room at 11 a.m. in the morning.
Willow whistled, "Looking good, Lewis!"
Eris flushed, "Shut up," she muttered, fiddling with her outfit as she stared in the mirror of her bedroom.
Her outfit wasn't anything special. A green shirt and dark blue jeans with green shoes to match. Her locs were put into a high ponytail, she had dyed them a lighter shade of brown a week ago and she had on her same old glasses.
Eris didn't really have 'style' when it came to clothes like Willow did (Willow always went above and beyond for her outfits) but Willow told her Eris would probably develop some type of fashion sense when she 'peaked'. Whatever that meant.
Eris glanced around.
She actually had her own room, in her other foster care homes she usually ended sharing an overcrowded room but apparently Lena and Katherine put an entire room for her together. The walls were green and had a lot of her paintings hung on them, in the middle was a twin sized bed with a white cover, her painting easel was tucked into the corner of her room with a thick drawer filled with art supplies.
She never expected to ever have her own room and she never expected to have great foster parents either. She was even on her school's dance team and in art school. Things seemed to finally be looking up for Eris Lewis.
"I'm proud of you," Willow said suddenly.
Eris frowned, "What for?" She asked, "I...I haven't done anything."
Willow shrugged, "You've...blossomed."
Eris tilted her head, "Blossomed?"
"Yeah, y'know, evolved since moving here," Willow replied, "You've changed."
"I...I don't feel any different."
Willow looked at her like she had grown two heads, "Eris, think about it. Haven't you noticed that you haven't cried in a whole week, you haven't even stuttered in a month. You're not even looking down when you talk to people anymore."
Eris paused.
Had she really changed? Eris always did want to change in a positive way, she hated being so insecure. She hadn't noticed anything different but still the thought of changing even a little made her happy.
She didn't change much but...some change was better than not changing at all.
Eris smiled a bit, "I...guess you're right."
I guess that happens when you're happy.
"I would have gotten you a birthday present," Willow said, "but...y'know," she gestured to her ghostly transparent form.
Eris shrugged, "It's fine."
"Are Lena and Katherine celebrating your birthday?" Willow asked, "Are you getting a party or something?"
"Oh..."Eris bit her lip, "I didn't tell them that today was my birthday."
"Eris," Willow rolled her eyes, "why would you do that?"
There were mainly two reasons why Eris didn't tell Lena and Katherine her birthday.
One, Lena and Katherine (mostly Lena) took birthdays and Holidays seriously. Eris remember last month when it was Lena's 41th birthday and Katherine surprised them with a ski trip in the mountains and too Eris's surprise they included her on the trip too. Then on Halloween Lena had all three of them dress in matching Pokémon themed costumes (Katherine reluctantly agreed to be Ash, Lena as Brock and somehow they had convinced Eris to go as Pikachu much to her dismay) and went to the Halloween parade. Lena and Katherine practically invented the phrase 'go big or go home'.
Long story short, Lena and Katherine did not play about holidays and Birthdays. And Eris didn't like attention.
Two, Eris felt guilty. The day she was born she was given up to the foster care system and Willow was given up too. A part of Eris thought that maybe if she was never born Willow would still be with their biological mother. Willow never talked about their biological mother but Eris knew she lived with her until she six then when Eris was born both of them were given up.But Eris would never tell Willow that so instead she just said:
"I...I just don't want the attention," Eris replied. She flushed, "It makes me nervous."
Willow opened her mouth to reply when suddenly Lena's voice could be heard from downstairs: "Eris, honey, there's a special guest here for you!"
Lena sounded excited. Granted, Lena always sounded happy and cheerful especially compared to Katherine's usually dead planned tone but this time Lena sounded too happy.
Willow and Eris exchanged a look. "Maybe it's Freddie," Eris said quietly thinking about her friend from her school.
"Yeah," Willow drawled out, "doubt that. Since when do your friends show up her unannounced?"
"So..."
Willow sighed, "Monster."
Eris swore quietly before yanking off her necklace.
3 MINUTES EARLIER
HADES CLEARED HIS THROAT AS HE STOOD OUTSIDE OF THE ROBINSON HOUSEHOLD HOUSE.
"Careful, sir," Jules-Albert said dryly, "You're starting to sweat. One who doesn't know any better would think you were nervous."
"Silence," Hades commanded. "I am not nervous. I am anything but nervous."
"Yes, I am sure you are," Jules-Albert said flatly, "The doorbell, sir."
"I beg you pardon?"
"The doorbell," Jules-Albert said, "If you do not ring it they will not be aware of your presence." He pointedly looked at the doorbell before turning on his heel, "I will be in the car."
Hades glared at the doorbell as if it would ring it's self. He didn't even know why he came here, he knew his daughter wouldn't want to see him.
Originally, he planned on just sending her a gift until Charon had informed him that a woman named Lena Robinson was calling. Hades had given her the number to the Underworld when he was disguised as Eris's social worker to interview her and her wife. Come to find out they wanted to know how to get in contact with Eris's father for her 14th birthday because they wanted to surprise her. After a long argument with Persephone (she was home for the winter and fall) he agreed to go despite her wishes.
And now he regretted.
Though he did make sure to change his appearance slightly so they did not recognize him as the social worker who interviewed them months before.
A large part of himself hated himself for loving this little girl so much, even though he knew she hated him.
Hades glared harder at the doorbell before turning on his heel, determined to walk away but before he take step off the porch, the front door slammed open.
"Hi!" Lena said excitedly. "You're Eris's dad right? Um...sorry I forgot your name."
Hades swore under his breath, "Heath," he replied flatly.
"Great!" With surprising strength that could match a God, Lena snatched his hand and led him inside.
He was surprised to find what seemed like at least twenty teenage girls of all races already inside chatting away, all of them wearing party cone hats. In the corner of a room there were an Asian woman talking to an older looking Asian man.
The kitchen and living room were decorated with white and forest green streamers and balloons with a large banner with the words 'Happy Birthday Eris!" written on it. On the middle of the table was a green cake with Eris's name written on it in fancy white font.
"Here!" Lena forced a party cone hat on his head making him glare at her but Lena didn't seem fazed. "It's a surprise party," Lena started to ramble, "Eris didn't tell us about her birthday but then I found a letter sent from one of her friends, I didn't read it though, his name was Peter Johnson or something? He wrote on the back 'Happy Birthday' so we decided to look at her birth certificate and we just figured—"
"Lena," Katherine said tiredly, "Relax."
Katherine looked a bit ridiculous dressed in a party cone hat with jeans and a t-shirt. Usually all she wore was pants suits.
"Oh, I got carried away again, didn't I?"
Katherine nodded, "Excuse her," she told Hades, "she gets excited and gets carried away. Holidays are a big day in our house."
"I just want this to be amazing for her," Lena replied, "This the first time we'll be celebrating her birthday together! It has to be amazing or I'll just die!"
"You're overreacting," Katherine said flatly but Hades could trace a bit of fondness in her voice.
"Whatever, don't be mad at me because you're boring," Lena waved her off. She turned towards that steps that led upstairs, "Eris, honey, there's a special guest here for you!"
Hades cleared his throat. He hadn't seen his daughter in months. He wondered if she had grown? Was she taller now? Did her hair grow longer? Had her voice changed? Just how much had she changed in these passing months? Was she happy?
There was loud thumping from Eris's footsteps as she ran down the steps. Hades watched slightly amused as she landed on the bottom steps with wide eyes, her spear ready in her slightly trembling hands.
Eris hadn't changed too much. She had grown a couple inches, her hair was a shade lighter (hair dye?), and when her lips pulled into a snarl he could see green braces covering her teeth.
"SURPRISE!"
Eris blinked as she looked around, slightly dazed, "Um..."
"Eris, honey," Lena started, "Why are you holding a broom like that?"
Eris looked down at her spear, "Oh, um, sorry, I was...sweeping?" She cringed.
"Sweeping?"
"Yeah...my room is, um, really dusty," Eris blushed before turning her spear back into a necklace and putting it on. "My bad."
Eris's eyes swept around the room until she saw her dance team all in her living room, each member wearing a party hat. "What are you guys doing here?" She asked before her gaze shifted towards Hades and her eyes widened, "Had—I mean d-dad...what are you doing here?"
Eris hated calling 'Hades' her dad but Lena and Katherine would probably think it was weird if she called her father by his first name.
Hades swallowed and opened his mouth to reply but Lena quickly cut him off, "We invited him for your birthday party."
"My birthday party?" Eris finally seemed to take in her surroundings and her eyes focused in on the birthday cake. "Oh um...how did you find out it was my birthday?"
"It doesn't matter how we found out," Katherine waved the question off. "What matters is that you enjoy the party."
Eris looked around and her eyes felt a bit watery, "You did all this...f-for me?"
Her voice cracked at the end of her sentence.
Lena seemed genuinely confused, "Of course, baby. Why wouldn't we?"
"I just thought...I don't really," Eris cut herself off and swallowed.
How was she supposed to tell them that she hated celebrating her birthday? Especially when they went out to throw a whole surprise party for her. Never in her life had someone done something so thoughtful for her besides Willow.
"Um...I," Eris hesitated and wiped her eyes, "Thank you," she muttered.
"Oh by the way," Lena picked up a large wrapped box from the floor. "This is for you."
Eris eyed the tag on the box that said 'From: Percy Jackson, To: Eris Lewis.'
She smiled a bit before opening the box only to find card on top of the box filling. She felt eyes on her as she opened the card. The card read:
Dear Sweets,
I'm not the best with words so I'll make this short. I hope things are going good for you down in New Orleans. You should come by and visit New York, we could hang out...or something. Anyway, Happy Birthday.
—See you later,
Your favorite son of Poseidon,
Percy Jackson
Eris bit her lip before smiling shyly. She folded up the card and tucked it into her back pocket, she would have to save it with the rest of the letters she saved that he had sent her. She moved the filling from the box only to come face to face with a years worth of blue Jolly Rangers. Under the Jolly Rangers were a couple of tubes of sea green paint, the exact same color of Percy's eyes.
Her face felt hot as she heard someone clearing their throat.
"Anyway!" Lena clapped her hands, "Let's get it started."
THE PARTY WAS ACTUALLY SURPRISINGLY...FUN.
Granted, Eris didn't feel uncomfortable about all the attention being on but besides that...her party was actually kind of nice. To her surprise of the girls from her dance team showed up and showered her with gifts. Freddie, her first ever friend she made at school with dark brown skin and long braids, gave her a new art set and her dance teams senior captain, Ashley, gave Eris a couple of new clothes (Ashley had the fashion sense of a daughter of Aphrodite). Lena and Katherine had given her tickets to Disneyland (Eris cried a bit).
Katherine's grandfather had even flew in from Korea for her birthday ("Call me Grandpa Joon") Eris had never met the man before but he treated her like how Lena and Katherine did similarly, like he had known her his entire life. Apparently Lena's parents who Eris had also never met before wanted to come in and visit but had a work emergency. Eris thought their family was way too welcoming towards her. How could people be so nice to her? It was weird.
"Essence."
Frowning at the sound of her full name, Eris looked up her piece of chocolate birthday cake and eyed Hades. She was alone eating in the kitchen, requesting a break from the party as everyone else was in the living room. Salem had now become everyone's center of attention for a while.
"Hades," Eris said shortly. "Why...why are you here?"
The last time she had seen Hades was months ago before she returned from camp. Sure he sent letters via Salem but she never read them. She felt that if he really wanted to talk to her so badly he'd talk to her in person.
Hades blinked, seeming genuinely confused by the question, "Why would I miss your birthday party?"
Eris shrugged, "I...I didn't think you'd care."
"Why wouldn't I care?"
"You didn't seem to care before," she muttered, picking at her cake with her fork. Normally she loved the taste of sugary cake but with Hades in her presence the cake started to taste bitter.
"Essence...I," Hades paused and cleared his throat. He shook his head and swallowed. "You haven't been reading my letters...why is that."
"I just...I don't want too," Eris told him honestly.
Why couldn't he just see that she didn't want a relationship from him? That she was better off without him in her life. She was better off on her own. Eris couldn't stand him, couldn't he just leave her alone?
"I see," Hades said a bit awkwardly. He held out his hand and a small black envelope appeared in his palm. "This is for you."
Eris wearily took the envelope and opened it. Truth be told, Eris expected maybe a small card or a gift card to Micheals but instead—
"Oh my god!"
In her shaking hands were three tickets to Titus Kaphar's newest art show. Titus was Eris's favorite artist, there wasn't a single painting he created that she didn't love. And now she had tickets to see her icon in person. How did he even find out? She never mentioned her to anyone but Salem.
She looked at him with slightly watery eyes, "How did you—I..."
Eris didn't like accepting anything from her father. But this...these tickets were a once in a life time type of opportunity.
"Do you like them?" Hades asked.
"Uh...," Eris swallowed, "Yeah...I-I do. Thanks." She muttered.
Hades's lip twitched, "Happy Birthday, Essence."
Thank you all for reading!
Please comment it helps me update faster.
I'm going to be honest...I hate this chapter. But I feel bad I haven't posted in a while. I'm so sorry, I'm a senior in school now so grades, college essays and scholarships have been kicking my ass.
Also some of you guys wanted a kinda clue to what The Ungodly Hour is. I don't want to spoil it but I will say...think of a extremely popular cartoon.
You guys already know what's happening next chapter. The really question is...who is Eris kissing?
About Eris's character development. Do you guys think it's noticeable?I tried to do little things like not having her stutter as much (she's stuttering a bit in this chapter bc it's a flashback) or not looking down when speaking to someone. But if you guys don't feel like her character development is noticeable please let me know.
Is there anything you want to see?
Do you have any ideas for bonus chapters?
This is off topic but I've trying to decide how tall to make Eris. I've been thinking 6 feet — 5'10.
Thank you!