FRIDAY
Will haven't even closed the door completely before his mother came running down the stairs.
"Will!"
He stopped his action and waited for her.
"What? Do you want me to keep the door open?"
"Oh, no, you can close it."
He did it, suspicion growing.
"... so why all the rush?"
"Oh. I wanted to talk to you."
This can't be a good sign.
Let me guess, her boyfriend.
I think so?
I KNOW so.
"What did you want to talk to me about, mommy?"
She started to wriggle her fingers.
"Hum, why don't we go to the kitchen. I did grocery today, bought some pudding."
Should we push her now?
Nah, free pudding.
***
Mommy never let me ate three puddings. I know have zero doubts about what she wants to talk about.
"So..."
Will encouraged her.
"So...?"
"You remember I told you about Hal, right?"
"Your boyfriend, yes."
His mother gulped.
Wow, she's really nervous.
I wonder what she's gonna ask.
"I was wondering... about inviting him for dinner, tomorrow night. If that's okay with you!"
What do you say?
Do I have a say in this?
If I say yes and you don't agree, you'll sing enough Beyoncé to give me a headache.
Lady Gaga is more efficient.
So?
Three puddings. I wouldn't have accepted them if I wasn't planning to agree with this.
"Sure, mommy."
He was engulfed in a hug.
"Oh, thank you so much, Will! I'm sure you'll gonna love his kids."
What!?
Wait a second! No one said anything about children! How old? How much? How does she dare to run away after dropping this bomb on my hands? Great mother...
SATURDAY
No.
Come on, it looks good.
No, it doesn't. Take it off and put on something decent. You've been renting my body without paying...
I wish I could evict myself.
... for two months. How haven't you learned anything about fashion? Go for my white pants and pink blouse, I look amazing in those.
Will reached for the white fabric.
These white pants, really?
Well, you refuse skirts and dresses. If you insist on wearing pants, at least choose a cute one.
But the white one is so tight. I feel it stops the blood flowing. Besides, it's WHITE.
His mother opened the door.
"Will, are you ready?"
She took on his outfit.
"Aren't gonna change? The guests will be here soon. Oh, the white pants. You look lovely on those, excellent choice."
HA!
Not another word.
***
Remind me next time she says 'soon', that it means an hour.
Usually her 'soon' is fifteen minutes, tops.
The problem is not the waiting, is this smell of food. And we can't eat anything!
The door bell rang.
"Will, they're here!"
Finally!
It was about time.
A family of three came through the door, taking off their coats.
Oh. Bald. I did not know mommy like the bald ones.
I'm more worried about the short one.
The boy was glaring at him, and ignoring the little girl pushing at his sleeve. Will's mother smiled brightly.
"Hal, this is my daughter Will. Will, this is Hal and his kids, Bruno, who is ten? Eleven years old and Alice, who just turned three. Come say hi."
Will took a step in their direction.
How about after this, we stay clear of this boy?
I agree with you.
I don't like the way he's eyeing my pants.
The small girl looked up at Will and grinned with just a dozen of teeth.
"Hi!"
Ooooowwwnnnn, look at this cutie! Isn't she adorable?
"Up!"
Does she really want me to pick her up?
No, she is saying up because she wants you to let her down.
Ha ha ha. What does she want me to do now?
You don't look comfortable.
I am not.
Don't you like children?
I have nothing against them, but I'm a year-round camper and we don't have toddlers there, so I don't spend much time around them.
His mother cooed.
"Oh, Will, it's so nice to see you already getting along!"
"Uhum, sure."
Ow, the little bastard is trying to get to our earrings.
Avoid her, we can't let her rip my ear apart!
Will moved his head out of her reach.
Oh, finally she stopped.
Wait, what is she doing?
Alice pouted for a total of three seconds, before letting a loud scream.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH"
OW, my eardrums!
CAREFUL, DONT DROP HER!!
OW, my MENTAL eardrums!
Hal was quick to snatch his daughter back and try to calm her down while they all walked to the dining room.
Great, even the little angel is a demon!
This is going to be a long night.
"Bruno, why don't you sit next to Will? She can help you with whatever you need."
The boy turned to stare at you, before smiling mischievously.
"Sure."
This can't be good.
We're trying to avoid him, but obviously mommy is not on the same page as us!
***
Will avoided out of instinct the fifth pea Alice tried to throw in his hair, which he even had moisturized thanks to his host's insistence. Hal was trying to make small talk, but with his youngest demon playing target on Will's head and his oldest demon trying to drop something on the white pants, he wasn't really paying attention.
I feel like Cinderella being attacked by the stepsisters, don't you?
"So, Will, what do you do in school?"
Will poked Bruno's arm in a nerve, making him drop the spoon of food on the floor between their chairs, and not on his lap, like it was planned.
"Study."
Hal chuckled awkward.
"Besides studying."
"I help at the infirmary."
"Really?"
Alice threw a carrot this time, and Will barely avoided.
She's perfecting her aim.
Yeah. On my hair!
"That's really interesting!"
"Thank you."
"Do you plan to follow career in the medical field?"
"Yes."
Bruno smiled smugly at him.
"You watch people vomiting."
Will leaned and whispered so only the little beast would hear him.
"Yes. And I also learned how to stab someone with needles and saw bones. And if you try to ruin my pants again, I'll demonstrate my knowledge with my fork and my knife. On YOU."
Creepy.
You learn something or two about threats with Nico.
Bruno didn't seem too sure about believing Will, but decided not to risk it. Will almost felt triumph, when a pea landed on his hair.
HOW DOES SHE DARE?
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually missing the days where you were my only nightmare.
***
After a shower, Will finally landed on his pink bed, tired.
I honestly think this was the longest night in my entire life. What about you?
Long, but not the longest.
You went through LONGER nights?
I went through BATTLE and WAR nights. Does that answer your question?
Was it that bad? But you said you are mostly a healer, right?
We were short on demigods, to plenty of monsters. Anyone who could fight, didn't matter how, was in the field. Even children of Aphrodite engaged the war.
Really?
Uhum. Percy assigned each cabin for a street, or bridge, and we had the mission to stop the monsters coming that way.
What then?
Do you really want to know?
You never told me about the war.
You never asked.
Touché. If I ask, will you answer?
Most likely.
You said more than once that you're head counselor. It's like the leader, right?
Leader of the cabin, but yeah.
Why were you chosen then?
Will paused for almost a minute.
Will?
I wasn't chosen, not directly, at least.
No?
No. I was the next in line for having a combination of being older and experienced.
Next in line...?
When my brother died in the battle, I became head counselor.
... I'm sorry. I thought you were voted or something.
We voted for Lee, then he died. Michael was next, and when he died, it was on me.
How old were they when they died?
Not older than we are now.
Wow.
Yeah, now you get it.
Were you close to them?
You really want to know the whole history?
Yes, please.