A/N: hey all, so this chapter going to be from Luke Jackson's POV. This is also a three year time skip, Luke is 10 now, Zoe is almost 8, the twins are 6 1/2 and Taylor is 5, but she will start school next fall. (FYI, none of the demigod children have been claimed yet) I've had this idea in my head for a few weeks and I just had to write it down, I hope you guys like it.
Luke's POV
The early morning May air was cool and bright. The blacktop looked like an ocean of kids as my sister Zoe and I stepped off the bus, my little sister was in second grade. She and I rode the bus everyday to school, along with Charlie and Silena who are in first grade.
"Bye Luke!" Silena waved as she vanished into the crowd of kids.
"See you after school Luke!" Charlie ran off to find his best friend Noah.
"Hey! There's Elliot and Sammy, see you later Luke!" Zoe took off towards the boys playing four square.
I scanned the playground for my friends: Troy, David, Ruth, Christopher and Lauren. They were usually by the basketball court, that's what we did everyday during recess, either basketball, four square or some version of tag.
"Luke! Over here!" Troy called out, I waved to him, then dropped my forest green backpack on top of their pile of backpacks and joined my friends on he court.
"Hey guys. Has Lauren showed up yet?" I asked my friends after giving them high fives.
"No, she's not here yet. She's been gone she since Monday, you live on her street, what's going on?" Ruth asked, her legs were quivering from the cold air, she wore dark blue jeans, a red sweater and red sneakers.
"No, I haven't seen her at all lately. I hope she's ok, this is the most school she's ever missed." I said, now more worried than ever about my best friend. Lauren and I have known each other since the first day of kindergarten, and even though people make fun of me for being friends with two girls, it would never change how I felt about her. Ever since the first day of kindergarten, I knew we'd be best friends and I'll never forget it either.
Over a year ago, our teacher Ms. Mack announced that we had a new student this year, who had come all the way from Las Vegas. She introduced Lauren Winters, Lauren wore a jean jacket with an ocean blue t-shirt underneath, jeans and turquoise shoes.
Her light brown hair was curled like my mother's and her eyes reflected the colors of forest green and coffee colored brown blended together perfectly. She clutched a book tightly to her chest, she looked very nervous. She introduced herself in a shy, meek voice before Ms. Mack led her to her assigned seat next to me.
"Luke, meet Lauren, can you show her around today? And let her play with you during recess and sit with you at lunch?"
"Ok, hi Lauren, I'm Luke Jackson." I greeted with a smile on my face and shook her hand.
"Hi Luke," Lauren gave me a small smile, she clutched her book tightly the second we shook hands.
"What are you reading?" I whispered, as Ms. Mack began teaching about the letters of the alphabet.
"Frog and Toad." Lauren whispered back, showing me the cover displaying a frog and a toad neatly dressed sitting on stumps.
"I love that book. Have you read the one about toad in a bathing suit?" I giggled.
Her eyes lit up, "yeah. All the animals are laughing at him because he looks funny in a bathing suit." Lauren snorted, thinking about the short story...
"Luke, come on dude, let's play!" I heard Troy's voice pull me out of la la land, the basketball bounced off the blacktop and into my hands.
"Sorry, lost in thought. Christopher, Ruth let's beat them this time." I laughed, Ruth and Christopher gathered behind me in the classic three vs three position. When Lauren was here, she played with Troy and David against us, Lauren was really good at basketball.
All too soon, the bell rang and we all dispersed towards our teachers. David and Troy were in the same class with Mr. Weaver as their teacher, he was a super funny guy. Lauren and I were in the same class, Miss Westbury was our teacher, she was very nice. Miss. Westbury was short and pudgy with frizzy black hair. My class and I raced inside to put our backpacks in our cubbies before we took our seats. "Ok class, multiplication quiz!" Miss. Westbury waved the tests in the air.
The class groaned, ugh, I hate these quizzes, they're so dumb. We get one minute to answer as many multiplication problems as we could. These were so easy, I could finish the whole test in thirty seconds. Our teacher handed them out and as soon as she started the timer I was off like a rocket answering simple questions. In no time flat, I had finished. On days like today, Lauren and I would usually race each other, we were by far the smartest kids in class.
We compared every worksheet, test and quiz to see who scored higher. She usually won, but every once in a while I would beat her, Lauren was brilliant. "Ok class, time for math book work."
We pulled out our books an began to work. I finished the division pages without a second to spare, math was so easy. I found myself gazing out the window, which gave me a perfect view of the basketball court, I sighed, it was too nice of a day to be cooped up in this classroom. I wondered where Lauren was and what she was doing, I hope she's alright, I hope she's back next week, I hope we play basketball together on Monday morning. She had blown Troy and I off the court the first time she played with us on the first day of kindergarten.
After spending the whole class time talking about books, I invited Lauren out to play basketball with Troy, because at the time it was just Troy and I. "Hey Luke! Ready to play?" Troy bounced the ball towards me.
I caught it and shot a layup, "yeah, I'm gonna beat you this time."
"No you won't." Troy teased.
"Oh and Troy, this is Lauren Winters, she just moved here from Las Vegas."
Lauren gave Troy a shy wave. But Troy had other ideas, "hi Lauren, I'm Troy, can you play ball?" He asked her with a smug look on his face.
"I've played a little, yes. Bet I can kick you butt into next week." Lauren looked him dead in the eye.
"I don think so, you, me, one on one." Troy dribbled the ball proudly.
"No, you and Luke against me." Lauren put her hands on her hips.
"You're funny. Let's play." Troy snorted. The two of us set up in formation, Troy whispered to me, "don't take it easy on her, we're gonna beat her."
"Ok, let's go." I grinned at him. We bounced the ball then I ran out wide and Troy passed to me, but the ball didn't reach me. I saw a flash of brown hair jump in front of me and I heard the sound of the ball bouncing quickly on the blacktop. I watched in awe as Lauren flawlessly maneuvered around Troy to shoot a layup.
"Luke!" Troy pouted.
"Sorry Troy. Good shot Lauren."
"One more point, no more easy play." Troy scoffed. One point turned into eight more, we only scored one basket, no matter what we did, Lauren was better. Even Troy was impressed.
"Where did you learn to play like that?" Troy asked, tying to catch is breath.
"Lots of free time in Vegas." Lauren shrugged.
"You're really good. Wanna play with us everyday?" I asked her, grinning.
"Yeah, you should play with us, teach us everything you know!" Troy demanded playfully. Then, Troy hung his head low, "oh, and I'm sorry, I was mean to you earlier. You're really good at basketball, and I was wrong to think that you weren't. You can play with us anytime."
Lauren smiled, "thank you Troy. I accept you apology, I'll teach you more next recess, how's that?"
"Great!" Troy and I barked in unison. We gave Lauren a high five before the bell dismissed us back to class...
"Luke, Luke Jackson what is the answer to number five?" I heard a voice shatter my daydream.
"Oh, uh three?" I panicked, looking at my workbook.
"Correct, class do you know how to get three?" My teacher asked.
"No." The class answered.
Oh gods this is going to be a long day.
---
It was 3:20, the bell had finally rang and I raced outside to catch the bus. I sat down in the first seat and awaited for my siblings. Zoe was the first to enter, she was wearing her jean jacket and black pants. Her ocean blue backpack gave her away, "hi Luke!" She grinned as she sat down next to me.
"Hi Zoe, did you beat everyone in four square again?"
"You don't ever have to ask, of course I did. Was Lauren here today?" Zoe looked around, she loved hanging out with Lauren almost as much as I did. Zoe is a lot like her, they're both tough as nails like my dad says. And they're both athletes, they get along great.
"No, I don't know where she's been all week." I glanced out the window, Charlie was sprinting towards the bus with Silena and Penny in his wake. "Is Penny coming over this afternoon?" I asked Zoe.
"I think so, they're having their first sleepover tonight, won't that be interesting." Zoe rolled her eyes.
"Oh gods no, girly things like braiding each other's hair, and playing with dolls? Yuck. Thank the gods you're not like that." I bumped Zoe's shoulder.
"Same here, gross, I hate dolls." Zoe pretended to gag, which made us both erupt into laughter. Charlie bounded over and sat in the seat across the aisle from us, he wore his Giants jersey loud and proud, and his black backpack with a picture of a football, a basketball, and a baseball bat.
"Lena and Penny are having a sleep over. The entire class knows about it, it's all they're talking about." Charlie rolled his eyes as the girls stepped onto the bus, chatting and giggling.
"I'm so excited!" Penny squealed.
"We should have a pillow fight." Lena giggled.
"Lets braid each other's hair." They cooed together.
"Oh let's play dress up and pretend we're pretty princesses and do makeup. Tee he." Charlie imitated a pitchy girl voice. Zoe and I snorted, trying to hide our laughter.
"You're such a jerk Charlie." Lena whacked him with her backpack.
"Then shut up about it." Charlie retorted.
"Ohh. Roasted." Zoe and I cooed.
"You two are so mean." Lena and Penny stomped off to the back of the bus.
"They're disgusting." Zoe agreed with us.
"You got that right." I smiled.
"Zoe, you and I are going to take Luke down in pool football the second we get home." Charlie bragged.
"Oh heck ya." Zoe and Charlie high fived across the aisle.
"You two have the biggest egos I've ever seen." I rolled my eyes.
"No, Troy has the biggest ego." Zoe snickered.
"Ok that's true." I agreed, Troy really did have the biggest ego ever.
The bus lurched forward and we headed home, as much as I wanted to play pool football with my egoistic siblings there was someone I needed to see first.
"Race you home Zoe!" Charlie challenged.
"You are so on." Zoe gave him an evil grin. "Luke, say ready set go when we get off the bus."
"Ok fine." I sighed, the five of us trotted off the bus. Zoe and Charlie got in the starting position. "On your mark. Get set...go!" I shouted, the two of them took off towards the house. Lena and Penny walked side by side in my wake. As we neared our brick house at the cul-da-sac, I stopped the girls behind me.
"Lena, can you take my backpack please?"
"Why?" Her grey eyes gave me an annoyed look.
"Because, Lauren hasn't been at school all week, I just wanna see if she's home. Please." I begged.
"Uh, fine. But you can't say anything mean to me or Penny for the rest of the night." She bargained.
Of course Lena never does freebies, "ok fine. Here, thank you." I handed her my bag and took off towards the brick house that housed my best friend.
The house was medium sized, it's exterior consisted of red bricks and bushes just like ours, but it wasn't as big. Lauren's room was right above the front door, she had her own porch that overlooked the whole neighborhood. Sometimes I would see her standing out there at night. There was a big tree that loomed over her porch, if I was taller I would've climbed it and knocked on her porch door. My knuckles made contact with the wooden door, "Lauren, it's me." I repeated a few times.
The door cracked open, just barely though, I saw a silver of Lauren's face and her green and brown eye peered at me. "Hey Luke." She whispered, she didn't open the door any further.
"Can I come in?" I asked.
"I guess so, but you have to promise not to look at me."
"How am I not supposed to look at you?" I asked, very confused.
"Just don't look at me, please Luke."
"Ok, I won't look."
Lauren opened the door just enough for me to squeeze inside before I was engulfed into darkness. "Why are all the lights off?" Lauren didn't answer me, she led me into her kitchen, the only light was from the glass door, but Lauren steered herself clear of its path. "You're scaring me Laur, are you ok? Should I get your parents?"
"No, they won't help." Lauren's voice cracked like glass.
"Why? They're your parents, they love you, they'd want to help."
"Luke you don't get it! They won't help, they never will!" Lauren screamed, but it sounded like she was about to cry.
"Why wouldn't they help?" I raised my voice.
"Because they're dead!" Lauren bellowed, her breathing was heavy. I bit my tongue for raising my voice at her.
"Lauren, I'm so sorry, I didn't know. How long ago?" I felt my heart crack in two, I couldn't imagine not having either one of my parents.
"My mom left me as a baby and my dad passed away when I four." Lauren was trying to bite back the tears, but I could hear them in her voice.
"I'm sorry." I had a sense of where she was in the blackness of the kitchen, it was like I could sense her presence in the darkness. I took a few steps forward and felt her jean jacket and pulled her shaking body into me. She cautiously hugged me back, she sniffled a few times, but she relaxed quickly the longer she hugged me. As if she could read my mind, we slowly pulled away but my hands held onto her forearms. The light from the windows illuminated her eyes, they looked like crystals. "Who have you been living with this whole time?"
"My aunt Tia, but she's horrible." Lauren's voice changed an octave.
"How is she horrible?" I slid my hands down her arms and held her hands in mine. Hers were warm and dry.
"She's a night club dancer, a stripper she calls it. She drinks a lot, I hate being around her when's she's drunk. She hits me sometimes." Lauren sniffled, she needed to cry I knew she had bottled this up for far to long, and she needed to let it out.
"Why have you never said anything about this?" I squeezed her hands, I felt my eyes water, how could someone ever hurt Lauren? I was going to pummel her aunt the second I saw her.
"No one has to know, because then they'll treat me differently. And it's fine, I'm fine." Lauren swallowed her tears.
"Lauren, you can't hide this, she's hurting you. This isn't something you should keep locked away. I'll tell my parents, they'd be happy to house you."
"No, no. Please don't tell them anything, I'll be sent away, I've heard horrible things about foster care, I don't want to be taken away. You can't say anything." Lauren was tearing up, I could hear it in her voice.
"Lauren, I can't not say anything, if this happens to you on a regular basis—" I was tearing up now, how could she not want me to help? How could her aunt constantly do this to her?
"Please, don't tell your parents, or your siblings, or Ruth or Troy or anyone. Please Luke, if you're my friend, you won't say anything." Now Lauren was crying, I pulled her into my arms and hugged her again.
"Lauren. I don't know if I can stand by and watch this happen to you." I whispered into her ear.
"You have to Luke, I'm sorry but you can't tell anyone. If you do I'll be sent away, I love my new life here. I love my friends, my school, and my house. I don't want that to go away. I need to be here, Tia says she won't move until I graduate."
"When did she say that?"
"The day we won the lottery to move out here."
"You guys won the lottery?" I pushed her back in shock.
"Yeah, that's how we could afford this house, that was the nicest thing she's ever said to me, that we wouldn't move again." Lauren sniffled.
I hugged her again, thank the gods she wouldn't move, neither of us said anything for a long time. We just hugged each other in the dark, but I wanted to see her face, why was she hiding it?
"Lauren."
"Yeah."
"Turn the lights on please."
"Why?"
"I want to see what your aunt did to you."
"No."
"Please."
Lauren sighed, and stepped away from me, she backed into the light from the window, slowly revealing her face that was a shade lighter than her natural color. Her usual smooth, curled brown hair was messy and unbrushed. Her cheeks where swollen and she had a cut on her nose. But the worst part was the cut under her right eye. The area around it was purple and there was a deep cut under her bottom eyelid, I knew that even when it healed, she would have a permanent scar. Just like the one on my stomach I had gotten from when I was three.
"What happened?" I bite back the tears, I couldn't stand seeing her like this.
"Tia yelled at me, she was really drunk Monday night. And she decided to take her anger out on me. She threw a beer bottle at me Luke. I spent hours taking the glass out, but the scar under my eye is permanent, I'll have that forever, I look terrible." Lauren locked her eyes on the floor.
"No you don't. You'll just have the small cut under your eye." I paused and lifted up my shirt, showing her my scar on my stomach. I heard her suck in a breath and whisper.
"Gods, where did you get that?"
"Empousa attack when I was three. I defended Zoe and I got slashed. It doesn't hurt, it's just there. And it always will be." I said, glancing from her to the floor.
"Luke, I never knew. I'm sorry."
"Hey, no need to apologize. Be thankful your scar isn't as huge as this. I mean, imagine having something this big on your face?" I cracked a weak joke but she smiled. "See? You're in better shape than I am. At least the rest of the cuts and bruises will go away. You'll still look pretty as always."
"I'm not pretty." Lauren sighed, she was still crying.
"Yes you are." I kept my eyes locked on her, the white light from the window outlined her figure.
"That's sweet Luke, but it's not true. Just, promise me you won't tell anyone about this ever." Lauren looked up, and her eyes met mine.
I wanted to tell her that she was pretty again, I wanted to tell her how I thought her eyes were cool, I wanted to hug her again, I wanted her to live the life she deserved. No one should have to go through what she's going through, it's not fair. I wanted to make her happy, but if she didn't want me to tell anyone, then I wouldn't say anything. It pained me to do so, but for now and forevermore she would be my top priority. I would always put her first and be there for her, she needed someone like that, she needed a hero. To the gods on Mount Olympus I swear I will always be there for her, and do everything in my power to make her happy.
"Ok, I promise." I sighed.
Her eyes crinkled in the way they do when she gives a small smile, "thank you."
"Do you need some ice?"
"Yes please."