.☪︎.𖥔 ݁ ˖☁︎
" nyx.. the goddess of night! "
.☪︎.𖥔 ݁ ˖☁︎
OUT OF FIRST PERSON
Tara walked with Grover and Percy around the museum with Mr. Brunner and other students. " what you see here, they are not fictions. They are not fantasies. What you see here are the truest and deepest parts of yourselves. "
Tara looked at Percy and Grover, a glint of confusion on her face, the two boys looked back at her as Mr. Brunner continued. " the gods... the monsters, the heros. You see here in this room.. are reminders of what we are capable of. "
Tara sighed as she looked at her pages, the letters moving around like a night cloud flowing over the moon, she couldn't ask Percy for help because he had dyslexia too so she asked Grover.
Grover looked at her as they overviewed the Greek gods, sneaking glances off and on.. of course Tara didn't notice, she was to focused on trying to read correctly.
One Greek god caught Tara's eye, Nyx, the goddess of night.
Her vision faded into nostalgia as she remembered one of the things her dad taught her.
IN THE MEMORY
Tara stood with her as her dad looked at her. " what do you see. "
Tara looked closely at the statue. " nyx.. " she said hesitantly. " the goddess of night! " she smiled.
Her dad hummed. " mm-hmm. You look like her especially. " he smiled.
Tara grinned. " she's very beautiful! Is that why you say I look like her? "
Her dad looked at her. " of course she's very beautiful, but you'll find out sooner or later why I say you look like her. "
Tara looked confused as she just smiled. " shes pretty powerful, isn't she? "
Her dad grinned, his voice gentle and happy. " you know her very well. "
Tara looked at her dad as someone called out her name. " Tara? "
OUT OF THE MEMORY
Her pencil snapped and her vision faded as she looked around yelling. " dad? " she paused, realizing she was just in the museum again, her gaze lowering back to her page.
Suddenly an annoying high pitch voice spoke up, it was nancy bobofit. Tara snapped her head back up, listening to that annoying bit— girl. " I'm right here, sweetie! Daddy's here! " she laughed with all her friends.
She looked down and over at Grover as he gave her a sympathetic look, a look that gave off something else as well.
Suddenly Mrs. Dodds looked at her. " Ms. Raven, you will learn to control yourself, do you understand me? "
Tara looked stunned as she yelled, pointing at nancy. " me?! " her eyes flashing with pure annoyance.
She got interrupted by dodds. " do you understand me? " dodds was not playing around.
Nancy looked at dodds. " she can't help it mrs. Dodds. Taras special. " Nancy giggled like a schoolgirl with her friends.
Grover grabbed Tara's arm, leading her away from the nyx statue, Tara stumbled slightly, trying to catch up.
Tara looked at him. " hey, whyd you do that! " she grumbled, catching herself and following after him.
Grover looked at her. " because you would've fought Nancy, you know that yourself. " he said to her calmly.
Tara looked down, still embarrassed at yelling out her dad's name.. jeez she looked like an immature baby needing her dad.
Grover looked at her as he nudged her. " don't be embarrassed, we all do it sometimes. " he sympathized, smiling softly.
Tara sighed. " thanks Grover. " she whispered, looking up at him and smiling.. he always found a way to make her less embarrassed.
They stopped once mr. Brunner rolled up to them. " hello, Tara. Grover. " he nodded in acknowledgment.
Tara said hello as Grover stuck his hand up in a little wave.
Mr. Brunner looked at Tara. " don't pay them mind, when the gods are trying to talk to you, you'll hear them. " he paused. " and I think you'll be needing this! " he reached into his pocket, grabbing a fountain pen. " sorry I already gave Percy my ball point pen, I hope this will do. "
Tara looked at the pen. " it will, thanks mr. Brunner. " she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion on how to use it.
He nodded as he pushed the wheels to role off, heading away and into the crowd.
Tara looked at Grover as he looked between the pin and tara, noticing her confusion, a flash of amusement crossing his face.
She held the pen close to her face. " you know how to use one of these babys? " she tilted her head, grinning just a little, her dimples popping.
Grover chuckled a little, noticing the way her dimples made her face look adorable. " yes I do, let's continue. " he smiled, a light blush spreading across his face.
Percy was no where to be seen while they were studying, Tara and Grover chattering along.
FEW HOURS LATER
They had finally found percy as they all sat at the fountain, eating their lunch while Grover and Percy was yapping about schools and bullying.. Tara just listened, stuffing her face silently.
Grover looked at percy. " there are childhood trauma that drives that type of bullying. " he simply said, raising his eyebrows a little.
Percy sighed, annoyed. " look, I get that Nancy has issues. I'm just getting tired of her taking them out on me and Tara. " he glanced at Tara, watching her eat for a second before looking at Grover again.
Tara looked over at Percy, swallowing her food. " don't worry bud, me too. " she sarcastically said, before going back to stuffing her face again.
Percy nodded, a light bulb basically flickering above his head. " I feel like.. maybe it's time to do something about it. "
Grover quickly looked up, pointing at percy. " you could make an appointment to see Mr Kane. He's really good at talking— "
Tara interrupted Grover. " I'm sorry for interrupting you but I think he was thinking more like shoving Nancy in the nearest dumpster.. maybe the both of us was. "
Percy pointed at her and nodded quickly.
Grover raised his eyebrows as he spoke. " oh. " he paused before stopping their thoughts. " oh, no, no, no. No, if there's one thing I know about bullies, is that you should never, ever stand up to them. " he stared at Tara, blinking quickly.
Percy and Tara said in sync. " that doesn't sound right. " They both looked at each other confused.
Grover looked at them. " look.. I know this place is hard for people like us. But we're not gonna be here forever. There are better places out there. "
Tara and Percy smiled, making Grover smile.
Suddenly a half-eaten peanut butter sandwich was chucked at Grover's face.
Nancy giggled. " oops. " her little friends giggled as well, making Tara annoyed.
Tara glared at Nancy as she watched the red head girl crunch up her bag and walk away, her annoyance slowly shimmering into anger.
Grover looked at Tara. " Tara.. "
Tara ignored Grover and stood up as she quickly walked over to Nancy, raising her hands to push Nancy but instead Nancy flew in the air, landing in the fountain hard. Tara paused, not expecting her to float like that especially from her own doings.
Nancy quickly sat up, breathing heavily from the cold water as Tara looked at her hands, in complete confusion.
Nancy gasped. " Tara pushed me! " whining like a baby she was.
Students were yelling.
- " Nancy are you okay?! "
- " she just pushed Nancy! "
- " it's like the air just took her! "
Tara looked around, something shaking in her pocket as she pulled out the fountain pen.
It shook in her hands like a volcanic eruption, Tara trying to keep a hold on it.
Suddenly a voice rang out from behind her. " there you are.. "
Tara snapped her head up as mrs. Dodds was looking at her with an evil gaze, that freaked Tara out.. she knew Mrs. Dodds was mean but that stare was complete evil. " we're not fools, Tara Raven. "
Tara backed up a little, stumbling just a tad. " mrs. Dodds, you okay? " she hesitantly said, trying to act calmly.
Mrs. Dodds kept walking towards her, the evil gaze only getting hungrier each second she looked at dodds.
Dodds voice still spoke. " it was only a matter of time before we found you and percy. " found her and percy, what does that mean?
Suddenly her leather jacket turned into leather wings, pushing other kids out of the way.
Tara kept backing up and stumbling as dodds growled. " where is it, half-blood? Where is it?! " dodds basically shouted, her gaze angry and hungry.
Suddenly the winged women flapped her wings, flying in the air as Tara fell on her back, letting out a sharp gasp.
Dodds landed on Tara, her long nails almost touching Tara's face, Tara's head moving to the side.
The shaking in her hands from the pen started again as a metal ringing sound erupted, dodds gasped as a golden light pierced her side, Tara suddenly held a golden sword.
Somehow the pierce had made dodds turn to ash and slowly fade away as she screeched, leaving tara utterly flabbergasted.
That was all Tara remembered, it was like a wave over the beach, her memory was wiped.
FEW MINUTES LATER
Tara woke up to Grover, percy and a few other students looking over her as she jumped up, straining her back just a little while doing that.
Grover grabbed her, his hands gentle. " easy! You don't wanna hurt yourself! " he stared at her, a soft look in his eyes as his thumb ghosted over her shoulder like the touch of a feather.
Tara gasped for breaths as the other students looked at her, her face flushed in slight embarrassment.
Suddenly mr. Brunner came up to Tara. " give her some room, please. "
The children backed up except Grover who helped her up.
Tara rubbed her eyes. " what happened? " she looked around scared at first until her scared gaze turned to confusion. " where's mrs. Dodds? "
Nancy yelled in the background, her eyes narrowed. " I didn't do anything to her! "
Mr, Brunner ignored nancy as he looked at her intently before looking around. " everyone, go back to your lunches. It's all right. Tara just needs a moment. That's all. "
Tara was so confused as she kept asking if anyone had seen what had happened and where mrs. Dodds was until mr. Brunner answered her question. " Tara, there's no one here by that name. "
Tara looked at Grover as Grover looked at her with a sad gaze.
Tara sighed as she walked off, annoyed and embarrassed. She needed a break.
Grover yelled for her. " Tara! Wait! "
She had already walked off.
WITH TARA
She sat on a bench around the city, watching the cars pass by and the rain fall.
She sighed, overthinking of what she saw, how could it not have been real?
It was freaking her out, especially what dodds called her. ' half-blood. ' what is a half-blood and what does it have to do with her?
Suddenly footsteps came behind her as she jumped.
It was grover
She cleared her throat. " what are you doing here? " her face flushing again, she didn't really need Grover's sympathy at the moment even though the fluttering in her stomach said otherwise.
Grover looked at her, sighing. " I came to talk to you. " his eyes still soft.
Tara shook her head. " there's nothing to talk about. " she coughed a little, wiping the rain away from her face.
Grover looked at her. " are you sure? Cause I know you were gasping for breath when you woke up. "
Tara looked at him as he sat down, raising hee eyebrows slightly when he said. " you can talk to me. "
She sighed. " I saw.. something. Something that attacked me, something no one else saw. Grover I feel like I'm going insane. "
Grover played with his jacket tassels as he spoke. " I don't think you're insane, I'm sure it's nothing, really Tara. You're fine now. "
Tara looked at the people walking by as she spoke. " i don't know anymore, it's getting worse. It's like it walked out of a fairy tale my dad always told me. "
Grover patted Tara's back. " maybe you should listen to what Mr. Brunner says, anyways we have to get back because the district is questioning us and other students, just know it's okay, me and Percy is here for you. "
Tara nodded, smiling a little and standing up as Grover stood up as well, giving a small smile back in reassurance.
They both started heading back for the school grounds, the silent.. comfortable.
PRINCIPALS OFFICE
Tara sat in between percy and Grover as the school's district questioned them.
The headmaster looked at Tara. " Ms. Raven, a number of your classmates saw you, Mr. Underwood and Mr. Jackson arguing with Ms. Bobofit. Yet you have offered no explanation for how she ended up in that fountain other than, uh.. ' I didn't touch nancy. ' now, isnt there anything else you'd like to say for yourself? "
Tara looked down for a minute before shrugging a little. " I didn't touch nancy. " her tone of voice genuine.
The headmaster sighed. " okay. Mr. Underwood? Do you have anything to add? "
Grover quickly looked up, swallowing. " yes.. " he blinked a few times.
Tara and percy quickly looked at him as he continued. " I do. Percy and Tara had told me earlier in the day that they wanted to get back at Nancy for all she'd done to us. "
Tara's voice cracked as she spoke, she couldn't really believe what she was hearing.. especially after what he said to her on the bench in the city. " Grover? "
Grover ignored her as he kept going, keeping his gaze away from hers. " and she isn't being truthful about what happened at the fountain. "
Tara spoke louder this time, her voice not cracking. " Grover. " her voice was slightly firm.
Headmaster spoke. " excuse me are you saying you saw Ms. Raven assault Ms. Bobofit? "
Grover hesitated, looking at Tara for a minute before turning to look at headmaster. " yes, percy has tried to as well. "
Tara and percy looked at Grover, a betrayed look in their eyes.. she couldn't believe him.. nor could Percy.
Tara rolled her eyes as she looked at headmaster, her jaw slightly clenched.
Percy narrowed his eyes at Grover, if looks could kill.. Grover would already be dead.
FEW MINUTES LATER
Tara and percy sat outside yancy together, a quiet moment before Tara spoke up.
Tara turned to percy. " hey can I come to your house? My dad is out of town and I don't wanna be alone tonight. "
Percy nodded. " sure, my mom loves when you come over. " he sadly grinned.
She chuckled quietly, nodding softly.
Suddenly a voice came from beside them. " none of this is easy. "
It was mr. Brunner, they both knew that.
Brunner went on. " not for you two, not for any of us. I'm very concerned for you both, Percy and Tara. I saw what happened at the museum. "
Tara growled out, narrowing her eyes. " I didn't touch nancy. " she huffed, she had attitude.
Brunner raised his eyebrows, his voice slightly firm. " I know you didn't. "
Tara turned her head towards Brunner before he continued. " at least. I know you think you didn't. "
Tara sighed, shaking her head, of course he didn't believe her either.
Brunner looked at her. " do you wanna tell me what you think did happen? You can tell me. I might just understand. "
Tara looked at Brunner again. " I've already told Grover, look where this got me. I'm expelled. I've been held back 5 years. I can't handle it anymore so please just leave it be. "
Brunner nodded as he looked at percy. " and percy. You have had the difficult journey of all, I believe out of all these kids. Your most special. "
Percy sighed, fed up with brunner's stuff as well. " please stop, this stories about me being special, they aren't helping either of us. "
Suddenly a car pulled up as Tara and Percy stood up, percy told Brunner. " this is our ride, we're going home. "
They both walked over and hopped in the car as it drove off.
AT THE APARTMENTS
It was very stormy as they made it to Percy's apartment.
They both rounded the corner as they heard an argument outside the door, of course they did.
As they walked to the door, a plumber came out, both of them immediately recognizing him.
He sighed as he closed the door, turning around he saw Percy and Tara. " oh, hello percy, Tara. " he nodded at the both of them.
Tara lifted her hand in a little wave as Percy spoke up. " hey, eddie, sorry about that. " both Percy and Tara had their shoulders slouched a little.
Eddie looked at the door. " I'm walking out, you're walking in. I should be apologizing to the both of you. " he said sadly as he walked away.
Tara and Percy stood still as they slowly looked at each other, they both knew they were gonna regret this.
Percy widened his eyes in a sarcastic movement before heading to open the door, sighing.
He hesitated before finally opening the door as he heard the door click open, both of them needing peace.
They both walked in, Percy's shoulders still slouched, so was Tara's.
Gabe looked at them, a narcissistic glint in his eyes. " well hello. "
Gabe looked towards Tara, before looking at Percy again. " welcome home genius, you brought Tara too! Wow. "
Percy sighed, shaking his head slightly. " is my mom home from work? "
Gabe raised his eyebrows. " oh, is that all you got to say to me? Huh? After failing out of school? "
Tara stepped towards Gabe a little, defending them both. She disliked Gabe. " he didn't fail out of school, we both didn't! "
Gabe looked at her, raising his eyebrows at her suddenly speaking up. " your principal called and that's what he said! Said you two got kicked out. "
Percy looked at Gabe. " they called mom's cell. You answer mom's cell? "
- " I answer whatever's ringing. "
Gabe paused, before speaking again. " so, what'd two get kicked out for? "
Percy answered for Tara. " he said Tara attacked a kid on a field trip and that I've tried to attack the kid in the past. "
Gabe nodded, his eyebrows raised.
They talked about rules and jobs until Tara interrupted them. " where's mrs. Jackson? "
Gabe looked at her. " I don't know. I don't know where she is. I'm not Nostradamus. what are we doing, percy and Tara. Every time! "
Tara sneered at him. " your not my dad so dont act like it. "
Gabe raised his hands as the two kids began to walk off.
They could hear him yelling something as percy looked at Tara, tara looking back at him with her eyebrows raised.
As they looked forward they saw sally, crouching in the rain, an Olivia Rodrigo song played in the background.
As they got closer, percy called out. " mom.. "
Sally turned around, quickly getting out of the rain and drying herself off with a towel.
Percy started apologizing. " I'm really sorry. I tried this time. You know how hard I've been trying, but this time, it really wasn't my fault or Tara's fault. " his voice was sad.
Sally pulled percy and Tara into a hug, Sally jackson was like a mom to Tara, a mom she never had. She loved her.
Percy whispered. " I'm all wet now. " he laid his head on his mom's chest anyway.
Tara was glad to be hugged, after what happened with Grover and Nancy and the school trip, she didn't care if she was wet.
Sally slowly let go. " I'm sorry. I'm just very glad to see you both. " she looked at Tara with a smile.
She continued speaking as she dried herself off more. " I found Gabe on the phone with the headmaster, he told me what he thinks happened with Nancy bobofit. I told him I believe my kids. It was a real short call. "
Tara smiled a little. ' she called me her kid. ' she thought, her heart melting.
Sally looked at the two. " hey, all that matters is that you two are here, okay? "
Tara patted Percy's back as he nodded, smiling at Tara
Percy's mom turned around. " and that I had enough time.. " she grabbed something for the both of them. " to pick up both of your welcome home gifts. "
She shook the bag in front of them as Tara looked at her. " Sally you didn't have to. "
Sally looked at her. " oh no I don't mind at all! You're like a daughter to me, and plus I love you, both of you. "
Percy smiled as he grabbed his bag, it was blue candy. He stuffed it in his pocket.
Tara did the same, hers was a purple and black candy.. her favorite colors.
Sally sighed, a look of sadness on her face. " mr. Brunner called me, too. He told me about Grover. " she looked at Tara and percy, her head tilted. " do you guys wanna talk about it? "
They both stayed silent as Sally nodded. " is there something else you two wanna talk about? "
Tara sighed, speaking up. " something happened to me. Something has been happening to me and percy. " she said, her voice calm but slightly quiet.
Sally looked intent while listening as Tara continued. " more then just our minds wandering and it got worse and.. I'm scared.. we're scared. "
Sally looked at Tara as she suddenly yelled. " Gabe! "
Percy looked at her. " mom? " his gaze slightly panicked, Tara paused as well.
Sally looked at Gabe as he walked out. " me, percy and tara are leaving for montauk. I'll.. have the car back by Sunday morning. "
-
Gabe and Sally argued for a few minutes about how he's supposed to agree with this and how they both don't like watching the tipoff alone.
Sally walked off as Gabe looked at them. " both of you take your shoes off before you get in my car. You understand me? "
Percy and Tara looked at eachother with a confused look as they tried not to giggle.
Suddenly Sally spoke, to the both of them. " we have alot to talk about, but uh, that storm out there, it's getting angrier, so let's get ahead of it. We'll all talk at the beach? Okay? Pack your bag percy and get Tara some clothes too. "
Tara and percy looked at each other, shrugging.
Percy spoke up. " do you know why we're going to montauk? " he questioned quietly, heading towards his room.
Tara shook her head slowly, following after him with quiet footsteps. " nope.. " she kept her voice as quiet as his.
-
Hi author here!! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, sorry if there's any spelling mistakes. Please vote and comment some ideas for next chapter!