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chapter eighteen
WE ARE IMPERTINENT
SEN
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"Need any help?" Sen offered, trailing behind Percy.
"No, no, I got it."
Annabeth hung behind, not wanting to get near the head. "Just make sure it's pointing in the right direction before you take my hat off."
Percy nodded as he walked to the door. "Good tip."
Sen looked out the door, where Alecto was patiently waiting. She glanced at Percy, at the spot where the head was at, and she quickly opened the door and let him out. She closed the door behind him but stayed, watching through the metal bars as her best friend approached the Fury awkwardly, almost like he wasn't sure what to do.
Sen's shoulders tensed and she clutched the metal nervously as Alecto screeched and charged. In a flash, Percy's awkwardness disappeared, and he took a much more confident pose and he ripped the Yankees cap off Medusa's head and held it out, hauntingly reminding Sen of the exact statue of Perseus with Medusa's head she had seen only a few days ago. Alecto screeched one last time before greyness flashed over her body and she fell. She crumbled to the ground, her new stone body breaking apart, and Percy flinched, stepping back nervously.
Sen stared at him, her heartbeat uncontrollable and a blush rising to her cheeks as Percy put the hat back on Medusa. She ran off before he could see her, making her way to the kitchen, where Annabeth was filling a cup with water.
Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Did he do it?"
"Y-yeah, um, all done," she said, running to the burgers again.
Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so red?"
Sen ignored her as her eyes landed on Medusa's had. It was beautiful- cream colored and bowl-shaped, with a vintage trim and flower detail on the side. She grabbed it curiously, picking it up with shaky hands.
Annabeth frowned. "What are you doing with that?"
Sen stared at it. "I want to keep it."
"What?"
"I want to keep it." Sen heard the front door open.
"She tried to kill us!"
"And we killed her," Sen said. "Turnabout is fair play. You up her water bill, I keep her hat. Not to wear, or anything. Just..." She looked down. "This was my first real fight. And she told me something about myself." She stared at Annabeth. "Apollo is not my dad. Apollo is the dad of my demigod parent."
Annabeth hesitated. "You can't... You can't be sure about that. Medusa may have been lying to trick you, to make you join her side."
"She wasn't lying," Sen insisted. "I know it. Her intentions were good and bad. She intended to use that information to sway me, but that information was still truthful. She intended to turn all of us into stone, but she intended to protect Percy."
"What about me?" Percy said, entering the room with the now-invisible head.
Annabeth clenched her jaw. "Apparently, Sen has strange views on morality."
"Not morality," Sen told her. "I'm speaking a simple truth. You like truth, right? So, I'm telling it. Medusa wasn't all the way bad, and she wasn't all the way good." Sen stared where Percy was holding the head. "In her mind, killing us was how she was going to protect Percy. You have to see her side of things."
Annabeth elected to ignore this. "Let's go get Grover." She shoved past Percy and Sen, marching downstairs.
Percy stared at Sen. "I guess she doesn't want to see both sides."
"She's twelve," Sen said. "Most twelve-year-olds don't like to see both sides." She held up Medusa's hat. "She says it's wrong of me to keep this as a souvenir."
"I don't think it is," Percy said. "You won't wear it or parade it around. You'll store it with your other antique things. It's very... Sen of you." He hefted the head up. "Let's go downstairs."
Sen and Percy went downstairs, searching around until they saw Grover and Annabeth standing in front of the statue of a satyr. Right away, Sen's heart melted as she saw how sad Grover was as he stared at it.
"What is it?" Percy asked.
Grover's voice was quiet. "Uncle Ferdinand."
"Oh, no," Percy said after setting the head down. "Grover, I'm so sorry."
Grover gestured to the statue. "This is as far as he got on his quest. We aren't even to Trenton. But, look at him." His eyes welled with tears. "He's not like the others. He- He doesn't look afraid."
Sen stared at the statue, realizing Grover was right. Uncle Ferdinand didn't look afraid. His face looked calm, like he knew what was happening, and he maybe didn't mind it so much. He wasn't contorted in a horrifying frame of fear. He looked... satisfied.
She took Grover's hand. The satyr cleared his throat and swiped his tears away. "You used the um- You used the head to get rid of Alecto?"
Percy nodded softly. "Yeah."
"Good. That was the right move." He squeezed Sen's hand once and she let him go. "We should probably get going. It'll be dark soon."
Percy gestured to the desk, where he'd set Medusa. "What are we gonna do with the head? I just took down a Fury with it, and I wasn't even trying."
Sen blushed at the memory. What the hell-
"We can't just leave it for someone to find."
Sen sighed. "I mean... I can dig a nice hole."
Percy nodded. "We leave the hat on, and bury it in the basement. That oughta keep it safe."
Sen hesitated. "Well..."
Annabeth frowned and looked away, almost like she was trying to keep herself sane. "Sure. Now, can we talk about the bigger issue here?"
Sen didn't like her tone.
Percy frowned. "What bigger issue?"
"'You could have saved your mother.' That's what she said to you, like you discussed it already." She and Percy stepped aside. Grover stayed in front of Uncle Ferdinand while Sen watched the argument. "Is your mother still alive?"
"She's with Hades," Percy said, "but I appreciate your concern."
"Guys, just..." Grover begged. "Please, stop."
"Oh, I'm concerned," Annabeth told Percy, ignoring Grover. "What are you actually doing on this quest? And why did I have to hear about this from Medusa?"
Sen gripped the hem of her sweater. "We should-"
"Okay," Percy said. "While we're at it? You should have accepted my offer? What's that about, you think? And why did we have to hear about it from Alecto?"
"ENOUGH!" Sen yelled.
Everyone turned to look at her.
"I am so sick of listening to you two, and I have been here for like, three hours, so I can only imagine how Grover feels!" Sen yelled. "Percy, the hat was a gift from her mother. It's the only thing that connects her to Athena, so we aren't tossing it in the ground with Medusa's head."
Percy frowned. "Okay, but-"
Sen held her hand to his face and he backed off. "Uh, I'm not finished." She turned to Annabeth. "And you. Imagine the way Percy probably feels. He woke up one day, got attacked by a Fury, killed a Minotaur, and lost his mother. Then he thinks it might be okay, but all of a sudden, he's a forbidden child and he has to save the world- oh, and his mom is alive! Just imagine for a second the weight on his shoulders!"
She gripped her hair. "And lastly, imagine how Grover feels. He feels like he failed to save Thalia, he feels like he failed to save Ms. Jackson, and now, he is expected to save the world and Ms. Jackson- dammit, and he just find the statue of- of fucking Uncle Ferdinand! Then, both of you stand here, and bitch endlessly like nothing else matters, and I- I just- ARGH I am going to have a complete breakdown before the end of the day!"
She pointed at Percy. "You expected me to be blindly on your side, but it doesn't work like that. I love you and I'll kill for you and I'll die for you, but I can admit when you're being a dick, and Percy, you are being a mega dick."
She pointed at Annabeth. "You hate me so much for impeding on this quest and ruining it? I wouldn't have even come if it weren't for Luke!" Annabeth's eyes widened in shock. "Yeah, that's right. Luke gave me a way out, Luke distracted the camp, Luke convinced me to come help you guys. I wasn't even gonna come, but Luke pushed me to. If you hate me for being here, then you also hate Luke."
She rubbed her face. "I- I'm not like you guys, okay? I'm not some chosen one with untapped potential that Medusa wants to save, I don't have the brains of every Nobel Prize winner combined- I don't even know who my parents are, okay?" She felt tears brimming her eyes. "You feel neglected and you feel sad, and that's okay! At least you know who Athena and Poseidon are! I don't even know my mortal parent. I don't have anyone waiting for me back at home that misses me. I- I have Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez, who clearly regret ever fostering me- otherwise, they would have actually adopted me a long time ago- and I have Gordo, who turned out not to even be real. I have no idea which end is up, I have no training, I have no importance in this world- I don't even fuckin' know how many granola bars are left! I keep stress-eating them! I have stress-eaten six and a half granola bars in three hours because you kids are DRIVING ME CRAZY!"
She let the silence settle as she sat down in the dirt, bringing her knees to her chest. She could tell her words had been harsh. Percy wouldn't even look at her. Annabeth stopped breathing.
Grover turned around. "Don't look so trod-upon. She's right, y'know. Both of you are so stuck in your own heads, you didn't even consider how we might feel, much less each other!"
Annabeth blinked. "Why are you two talking like this?"
"Because all day, I have been trying to keep this quest on track without upsetting either of you!" Grover yelled. He took a deep breath. "But maybe things need to get a little upsetting before they move forward."
Sen stood up, wiping her tears away. "He's right. Sometimes, you have to yell for things to get fixed."
Grover looked at Percy. "She asked you a question back in the woods, and you never really answered. What are you so afraid of?"
Percy blinked back tears. "What are you talking about?"
"You heard me," Grover snapped. Sen hated seeing Percy on the verge of crying, but maybe he needed to if this quest were to move forward. "You've been fighting with Annabeth. You've been fighting with me." Percy shook his head. "What are-"
"Because the Oracle said one of you would betray me!" He yelled. "Okay?"
Everyone stared at him.
"You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend, and you shall fail to save what matters most in the end. That's the rest of what she said to me." He shook his head and gestured to Annabeth. "I chose her because I couldn't imagine we'd ever be friends."
Sen's eyes widened in horror. She saw the hurt look on Annabeth face, the way she averted her gaze.
"And I chose you," he continued, looking at Grover, "because I thought if I can count on anyone to be on my side, no matter what, it was you. That's why I chose Sen, but dammit, I- I was kinda happy she couldn't come! At least it meant she was- she was safe or something."
His voice broke. "And now, I'm feeling so... alone!" His breathing was frantic. "I don't know what to think or who to trust." His voice broke on the final word.
Nobody seemed to know what to say. Sen watched Annabeth take a deep breath. She was trying not to cry.
Percy realized his mistake. "I didn't mean it like that."
Annabeth pulled herself together. "Alecto offered to help our quest if I gave you up to her."
Percy looked surprised. "What did you say?"
She sighed. "I killed her sister."
Percy nodded, looking down. "Medusa offered to help me and Sen save me mom if I turned on the two of you." He glanced at Grover and Annabeth.
Annabeth stared. "And what'd you say?"
"I cut off her head."
Annabeth nodded and looked away.
Grover took a deep breath. "You didn't choose to be demigods. You didn't choose this quest. But, we can decide that as long as the four of us are together, none of us are gonna be alone."
Sen wiped her face. "That is why it's so important to see both sides. I don't need you guys to be best friends. I don't even need you to like each other. But you need to see the other side, put your differences on the back burner, and focus on the goal. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right? You can hate each other's guts, but don't put Grover and I in the middle of that, and don't let it fuck up our quest." She looked down at her hat. "And I really hate yelling at Percy, so... don't be a dick anymore."
He stared at her, nodding curiously. A small smile crossed his face. "I think I've got a better idea what to do with this."
He moved behind the desk, and Sen was the first to follow, peeking over his arm as he flipped through Medusa's strange address book.
"Hermes Express," Percy explained to Annabeth and Grover. "She ships these things all over. Some of it goes to Olympus."
Annabeth's eyes widened. "Percy! You can't ship Medusa's head to Olympus."
Sen grabbed another granola bar. "This is gonna go in your Top Ten book."
"Top Ten of?" Percy asked.
"Not sure yet. Either stupidity or brilliance."
He turned to Annabeth and Grover. "Why shouldn't I?"
They stared at him in disbelief.
"Because they gods won't like it!" Annabeth said.
"At all," Grover nodded fearfully. "At all, at all."
"Why?" Percy demanded. "That's what you do with dangerous stuff. Like batteries, you just... send 'em back where they came from."
Sen nodded. "This is A-plus logic." She ran around the table, quickly getting a box big enough ready.
"Look, this is a bad idea," Annabeth said. "They will see this as impertinent."
"I am impertinent."
Annabeth groaned. "Yes, but, we're not."
"Very not!" Grover agreed.
"I am," Sen said.
"Look," Percy said. "Medusa tried to derail our quest. She's got serious beef with your mom. When you look at it that way, this seems kinda like tribute or something, doesn't it?"
"Not in my eyes," Sen said, loading the invisible head in. "To me, this is two-fold. One; it is extremely funny. Imagine vibing and being immortal, and then, the head of your decapitated girlfriend and/or enemy arrives. To me, this is amusing. And two;" She removed the hat and quickly slammed the box shut before passing the cap to Annabeth. "we get to keep part of your mom with us."
She closed the box and tapped it. "Just not the cursed part."
Annabeth took the cap, her brown eyes wide and laced with thought.
Grover hesitated. "So, this isn't exactly what I meant. By choosing each other."
Percy taped the box shut. Sen slapped a shipping label on it. On the side, she wrote her name in letters larger than John Hancock did. Percy took the pen and signed his own name, adding a little note;
BEST WISHES.
Grover shook his head. "There are actual dangers involved here that cannot be-"
Percy cut him off by clapping.
Grover recognized it and hung his head. "You're gonna sing the song, aren't you?"
Percy smirked, glanced at Sen, and clapped faster. She joined in, a giddy smile on her face.
"Okay-"
Percy sang, "Oh, golly, the road's gettin' bumpy, consensuusss~"
"I think we need a better song," Sen cut off. "We don't need to say nice things about each other. We already said our mean things."
Grover frowned. "Um-"
Percy nodded. "We need a song that gets us all dancing and singing along. I fully agree."
Sen grinned. One of her favorite hobbies was acting stupid with Percy. "Annabeth, since you are the most sheltered, you may choose the song."
Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Any song?"
Percy nodded. "As long as we know the words. If we don't know the words, we get to veto."
Annabeth smirked. "Black Betty."
Percy hesitated. "Is that a jo-"
Sen immediately started stomping and clapping her hand, making her hair and skirt shake aggressively.
"WHAM-BA-LAM, WHOOOAAAA BLACK BETTY! WHAM-BA-LAM, WHOOOAAA BLACK BETTY~"
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double update for funsies
so guess who's dad SHATTERED his boss's windshield today and now we have to pay $800