Grover Unexpectantly Loses His Pants, Scaring The Shit Out Of Them
or
Things Go Wrong Very, Very Fast
third person omniscient
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PERCY COULD ADMIT that leaving Grover behind was really rude, but could you blame him? The guy was acting like a total weirdo, griping on about some 'last time' and 'cutting the yarn'.
He would like to say that he had qualms about leaving his other best friend in the dust, but no. Percy had nothing more to say to Grover. He was outta there faster than Usain Bolt on the race track.
Estella wrinkled her nose at him when he whisked her away and into a taxi. "You're terrible."
Whenever he got upset, Grover's bladder acted up, so Percy wasn't surprised when, as soon as they got off the bus, he made them promise to wait for him, then made a beeline for the restroom. Percy took advantage of that.
Instead of waiting, they got their suitcases, slipped outside, and caught the first taxi uptown, much to Stelle's exasperation.
"We're the worst friends ever." She pointed out on the trip to Percy's apartment. He didn't regret it one bit.
Percy grumbled, slumping in his seat and dropping his head into Stelle's shoulder. "At least I'll see my mom."
Estella brightened. She adored Sally Jackson. She was beautiful and kind, in addition to just being the best person ever.
Percy had told her about her past, and theorized that the best people had the worst luck. Her own parents died in a plane crash when she was five, and she was raised by an uncle who didn't care much about her.
She wanted to be a novelist, so she spent high school working to save enough money for a college with a good creative-writing program. Then her uncle got cancer, and she had to quit school her senior year to take care of him. After he died, she was left with no money, no family, and no diploma.
The least Stelle could do was keep her son company after hearing a story like that.
Now, Smelly Gabe on the other hand...
Percy's step-father was a complete and total jackass. He had examined her up and down, grinned, and promptly said, "That's a good-looking friend you got there. Sally, bring me another beer."
She cussed him out right there and then, for both Percy's and Sally's benefit. Sally had warned her to stop, but Stelle had seen her mouth twitch, while Percy laughed blatantly.
As they arrived, she and Percy agreed that they would hang out in his room before she left to walk to her own apartment, which was two blocks away.
As they walked into Percy's little apartment, hoping his mom would be home from work. Instead, Smelly Gabe was in the living room, playing poker with his buddies. The television blared ESPN. Chips and beer cans were strewn all over the carpet.
"Ugh." Stelle wrinkled her nose at the sight and the sheer smell. Percy couldn't blame her.
Hardly looking up, he said around his cigar, "So, you're home. And you brought the damned vixen with you."
"Where's my mom?" Percy said, ignoring the insult coolly, though his temper flared with just a few words from his step-father.
"Working." Gabe grunted, "Got any cash?"
That was it. No 'Welcome back. Good to see you. How has your life been the last six months?'
Stelle had to bite her tongue.
Gabe had put on weight. He looked like a tuskless walrus in thrift-store clothes. He had about three hairs on his head, all combed over his bald scalp, as if that made him handsome or something.
Estella could attest to the fact that the seeming effort made it all the more pathetic and ugly. She didn't know how someone as nice and compassionate as Sally deserved this torture.
"I don't have any cash." Percy said shortly.
He raised a (greasy) eyebrow.
Gabe could sniff out money like a bloodhound, which was surprising, since his own smell should've covered up everything else.
"You took a taxi from the bus station. Probably paid with a 20, got six, seven bucks in change. Somebody expects to live under this roof, he ought to carry his own weight. Am I right, Eddie?"
Stelle glared murderously at this 'Eddie'. She didn't really need to, though, because he looked at the two with sympathy. "C'mon, Gabe. The kids just got here."
"Am I right?"
Eddie scowled into his bowl of pretzels. The other two guys passed gas in harmony.
"Fine." Percy said, digging a few dollars out of his pocket. "I hope you lose." He turned heel and went straight for the door to his room, pulling Stelle with him.
"Your report card came, brain boy!" Gabe shouted after them. "I wouldn't act so snooty!" Percy slammed the door to his room, which really wasn't his room.
During school months, it was Gabe's 'study'. He didn't study anything in there except old car magazines, but he loved shoving Percy's stuff in the closet, leaving his muddy boots on the windowsill, and doing his best to make the place smell like his nasty cologne and cigars and stale beer.
Percy dropped his suitcase on his bed, wishing he could disappear. Stelle had seen his place before, but it didn't stop him from feeling ashamed. The first time she was here, he was sure she would leave entirely, but she had sat on the floor and offered to play board games with him.
Estella put her suitcase and the bag on the boards, zipping a compartment open and pulling out a tangerine.
"He reeks." She said amiably, peeling her tangerine.
Percy sighed. "Tell me about it." Gabe's smell was almost worse than the nightmares about Mrs. Dodds, or the sound of that old fruit lady's shears snipping the yarn.
But as soon as he thought that, his legs felt weak. Percy remembered Grover's look of panic- how he'd made me promise they wouldn't go home without him.
A sudden chill rolled through Percy. He felt like someone- something- was looking for them right now, maybe pounding its way up the stairs, growing long, horrible talons.
But then, Sally Jackson walked through the door and all his fears melted. "Percy?"
Sally can make anyone feel good just by walking into the room. Her eyes sparkle and change color in the light. Her smile is as warm as a quilt. She's got a few gray streaks mixed in with her long brown hair, but Percy would never think of her as old.
When she looks at them, it's like she's seeing all the good things about them, none of the bad. Perce had never heard her raise her voice or say an unkind word to anyone, not even him or Gabe.
"Oh, and Estelle! It's good to see you."
When Percy's mom first heard Estella's name, she had liked it a lot. Apparently, Estelle had been the name of her late mom. She began to call Estella, Estelle, which worked just fine with the Chinese girl.
"Thanks, Ms. Sally." Stelle smiled widely at Percy's mom, making his heart lighter than it had been in days.
"And Percy, I can't believe it. You've grown since Christmas!" She hugged him tightly, and Percy hugged her back. He missed her so much.
Her red-white-and-blue Sweet on America uniform smelled like the best things in the world: chocolate, licorice, and all the other stuff she sold at the candy shop in Grand Central. She'd brought him a huge bag of 'free samples'.
They sat together on the edge of the bed. While Percy attacked the blueberry sour strings and Estella picked through the chocolate, she ran her hand through his hair and demanded to know everything he hadn't put in his letters.
She didn't mention anything about him getting expelled. She didn't seem to care about that. But was he okay? Was he and Estelle doing all right?
Percy told her she was smothering him, and to lay off and all that, but secretly, he was really, really glad to see her. Stelle laughed, handing him a blueberry chocolate, so he relented and let his mom fawn over them.
From the other room, Gabe yelled, "Hey, Sally! How 'bout that bean dip, huh?"
Percy's jaw tensed.
For her sake, he tried to sound upbeat about their last days at Yancy Academy. He told her he wasn't too down about the expulsion. They'd lasted almost the whole year this time. They'd made some new friends. Percy had done pretty well in Latin.
And honestly, the fights hadn't been as bad as the headmaster said. Percy liked Yancy Academy. He really did. Estella helped put such a good spin on the year, he almost convinced himself. He started choking up, thinking about Grover and Mr. Brunner.
Even Nancy Bobofit suddenly didn't seem so bad... nah. She still sucked.
Until the museum trip...
"What?" my mom asked. Her eyes tugged at his conscience, trying to pull out the secrets. "Did something scare you?"
Percy nearly flinched. It had been scary. He thought his best friend was going to be sliced like parmesan cheese. He was so close to telling her the truth.
Stelle, however, smiled flippantly. "Nothing of interest, Ms. Sally."
"Yeah, it was just kinda boring."
Percy felt bad lying. He wanted to tell her about Mrs. Dodds and the three old ladies with the yarn, but he thought it would sound stupid.
Stelle searched Sally's eyes. 'Ah. She doesn't believe us.' But she didn't push it, much to her relief.
"I have a surprise." Sally said instead, "We're going to the beach!"
Percy's face broke into something hopeful. "Really? Stelle! Stelle, you've gotta ask your dad about it."
Percy's mom smiled and nodded. "We would love to have you."
Stelle considered. "How long is it gonna be?" In all honesty, she didn't expect to be able to go, but if she begged hard enough...
"Three nights." Sally informed. "It's really short notice, so if you could run over and ask your dad... if he says yes, give us a ring and we'll pick you up."
Gabe appeared in the doorway and growled, "Bean dip, Sally? Didn't you hear me?"
That was Stelle's cue to leave. She grabbed her stuff, waving a quick goodbye and squeezing past Gabe with some difficulty. "Bye, Perce. Hopefully, I'll see you in a few."
Stelle hated family matters.
Estella wasn't looking forward to going home. As she took out her key and pushed open the door to their apartment, the smell of spices entered her nose.
She tentatively set her backpack and suitcase in her room, peeking into the kitchen for her father.
Andy Guan was a short-tempered man. He was jovial enough when people met him, but to Estella, he was strict and yelled too loud and expected too much.
"Ah! Li Li!" She nodded at the sound of her Chinese nickname. Her father came walking over, smiling toothily. It didn't reach his icy eyes. He pulled her into an awkward hug.
"Baba." She greeted. "Did you see my report card?"
"Of course! Not as good as I expected... but acceptable." He said, his tone dropping a few tones. Stelle shivered.
Acceptable was good enough. "I've been wondering... if I could go to the beach for three days with my friend and his family." She blurted. She never knew how to act in front of her father.
Her father stared at her. "When?"
"...Now." She muttered, flushing.
"Now? Tell them I said no. The notice is too short." He scoffed as Stelle's desperation spiked.
"Wait! Please, Baba!" She cried, stopping him from turning away. "I've known them a long time! It'll be incredibly rude if I say no!"
He paused. "You look like a mess. Your hair is everywhere. You look homeless, and rather dimwitted. You can't go anywhere."
"I can fix that!" She said, looking up at her father. "I'll clean up before they arrive!"
He heaved a heavy sigh. "Fine. Consider it a reward for the good marks. You better work hard when you come back, though." That meant math. Lots and lots of English. Too much science.
"Thank you." She said, relieved. "I'll remember that."
Speeding to her room, she up-ended her travel bag. She packed her makeup bag, accessories, four days worth of clothes, and a few books. Obviously, in the smallest compartment of her bag, lay some blue candy.
She changed into a fresh set of clothes, in which she decided on a cream, slightly oversized knitted pullover, along with some high-waisted jeans and standard sneakers. Adding a silver heart charm, she glanced at her reflection.
It would have to do for now.
Racing to use her father's phone, she dialed Percy's landline.
Someone picked up on the first ring. Percy's voice came, optimistic, "So? What's the news?"
"I can go. Pick me up, I'll be out in front." She said breathlessly.
"Nice! Hold on, lemme just..." A faraway, 'mom, she can go', and Percy returned. "I'll see you, hold on!"
He hung up. As Stelle went out the door, she yelled a goodbye through the apartment. No response. A twinge of disappointment entered her, though she pushed it away. It was her that was leaving, not her father.
Sally waved to her in a '78 Camaro. Stelle sitting beside Percy, they went on their way.
The rental cabin was on the south shore, way out at the tip of Long Island. Apparently, it was a little pastel box with faded curtains, half sunken into the dunes. There was always sand in the sheets and spiders in the cabinets, and most of the time the sea was too cold to swim in.
Percy loved the place, therefore, she would like it too.
As we got closer to Montauk, Sally seemed to grow younger, years of worry and work disappearing from her face. Her eyes turned the color of the sea.
They got there at sunset, opened all the cabin's windows, and went through the Jacksons' usual cleaning routine, which went by much quicker with Stelle, who did half the work, much to Sally's delight.
They walked on the beach, fed blue corn chips to the seagulls (Estella ate some as well, insisting that they were perfectly good chips), and munched on blue jelly beans, blue saltwater taffy, and all the other free samples Percy's mom had brought from work.
Sally gasped, "Oh, Estelle! Do you know why we eat so much blue food?"
No. She didn't know. Stelle honestly just thought that it was a strong preference, so she always brought Percy blue food when she could. "Uh... no."
Turns out, Gabe Ugliano and Sally had a big fight on how blue food didn't exist. Sally ended up holding him to his words and going out of her way to eat the blue food he insisted didn't exist. She mixed blueberry smoothies, blue popsicles, and tortilla chips.
It reminded her that Sally was a lot like Percy.
When it got dark, they made a fire. They roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Sally told them stories about when she was a kid, back before her parents died in the plane crash. She told them about the books she wanted to write someday, when she had enough money to quit the candy shop.
Stelle got a little awkward when they began talking about Percy's dad. She never asked about her own mom, and her dad never talked about her. The only thing she knew was gossip from relatives, and that she was as beautiful as a goddess.
The girl ate the non-blue candy from the Jackson's candy bag and roasted marshmallows, feeling like an odd-one-out. Poking smiley faces and drawing hearts in the sand, she was trying to block out the heaviness of the conversation that was obviously between family.
She didn't realize that the reason that she was even here.
Stelle pulled another perfect golden-brown marshmallow off her stick. Percy made an irked face at the fire as he burned another one of his, turning immediately to Stelle.
Handing her marshmallow to him, Stelle decided to turn the topic to school. "Ms. Sally, are you gonna send Percy to another boarding school?"
"I don't know, Estelle... we'll have to do something." It was clear she was trying to act lighthearted for Stelle's sake, but her voice was laden with weight.
"Do you not want me here?" Percy said, frowning. Stelle nudged him in the ribs (not very stealthily, but Sally didn't seem to notice) and Percy already regret the words that came out of his mouth.
Percy's mom's eyes welled with tears. She took his hand, squeezed it tight. "Oh, Percy, no... I have to, honey. For your own good. I have to send you away."
"Because I'm not normal." He said blankly, with an undertone of hurt.
"You say that as if it's a bad thing, Percy. I thought Yancy Academy would be far enough away. I thought you'd finally be safe." She muttered.
Percy demanded, "Safe from what? Mom, safe from what?" If something was after him, and Stelle was there too...
Sally met Percy's eyes, and a brief series of memories entered his mind. Each school, something strange and scary happened that caused them to move.
Percy knew he should tell his mom about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds at the art museum, about the weird hallucination that he had skewered his math teacher into gold dust with a sword.
But he didn't want to, because he had a feeling that would end his trip to Montauk. Looking at Stelle, they held a silent vote.
Tell?
Don't tell?
Don't tell.
Don't tell it was.
(Looking back, this was by far the worst idea they could've had.)
"I've tried to keep you as close to me as I could." Sally said sadly, "They told me it was a mistake. But there's only one other option, Percy- the place your father wanted to send you. And I just... I just can't stand to do it."
Stelle tilted her head. "Like, some sort of special school? One where Percy would be safe?"
"A summer camp." Sally said grimly, as if it were the worst thing in the world.
"Excuse me?" Percy said. His dad hadn't even stuck around for his birth, so why would he talk about a summer camp?
"I'm sorry, Percy." She said, seeing the look on his face, "I couldn't send you to that place. It might mean saying good-bye to you for good."
"It's only a summer camp. It's in the name. It's for summer. Why for good?" Percy crossed his arms.
She turned toward the fire, and Stelle knew from her expression that if they asked her any more questions she would start to cry. So, she shook her head at Percy, signaling him to stop talking.
"Let's go back," Estella suggested instead, standing up.
As they walked back to the cabin, Stelle wondered what everyone was hiding that was so vital to their supposed safety. Mr. Brunner, Grover, and now Ms. Sally...
She could wait for and answer.
That night, as she slept in the old sheets, she had fleeting dream, one she only remembered flashes of.
A woman, shifting and changing shape, as beautiful as delicate flowers.
Her father, his usual stern frown melting away.
A bright-eyed girl, clutching a silver scythe charm, eyes brimming with fear and courage alike.
And Percy, face full of heartbreak.
Stelle startled awake. The Jacksons were awake as well, and Sally was hurrying towards the door. She pulled the door open, which slammed violently with a bang, revealing... Grover.
Well, it was Grover, but not quite.
"O Zeu kai alloi theoi!" He yelled, "It's right behind me! Didn't you guys tell her?! You idiots!"
Grover cussed in Ancient Greek. Stelle was surprised to find that it flowed through her brain, translating as smoothly as butter. He had said, 'by Zeus and other gods'.
"Grover, where the hell are your pants?" Percy stammered.
'Ah, good point.' Stelle blinked. Their best friend, from where his legs would be...
Something interrupted her train of thought. Ms. Sally looked at them sternly and talked in a tone she'd never used before: "Percy. Tell me now!"
He stammered something about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds, and his mom stared at then, her face deathly pale in the flashes of lightning.
She grabbed her purse, tossed Percy his rain jacket, and said, "Get to the car. The three of you. Go!"
Stelle had the sense to scoop up her bag, which was not yet unpacked. Feeling a sense of relief for the basic essentials inside, she sprinted to the Camaro. Glancing at Grover, she suddenly understood the muscular disability, and how he could walk so quickly and still limp.
Because where his feet should be, there were no feet. There were cloven hooves.