Adore

Chapter Two

    I'm a What?

I barged outside, intent on cornering Mr. Brunner and Grover. They knew what was going on, else why would they hand me the pen that turns into a sword? Why would they even follow me inside with Mrs. Dodds, unless they knew what was happening?

It was drizzling when I reached the steps.

Grover was still sitting on the fountain's edge, a museum map shielding him from the light rain. Dear little Nancy was still standing where we left her, soaked to the bone, still grumbling to her friends. When she saw me, she marched over to me, grumbling lowly. "I hope Mrs. Kerr whipped your butt."

I looked at her, incredulous.

"Who are you talking about?" I said, wary of her. I mean, a few minutes earlier, I just saw our Pre-Algebra teacher turn into some monster straight out from a video game. And here she was, acting like there was a Mrs. Kerr that existed. Would you really blame me if I was wary?

"Our Pre-Algebra teacher, duh," she rolled her eyes at me and stomped off, grumbling about my spaz tendencies.

What the heck just happened?

I went over to Mr. Brunner, intent on getting my answers. When Mr. Brunner saw me, he looked directly at my eyes, as if searching for something. Well, he must've found it 'coz he signaled for Grover and me to come closer to him.

"Come. We have much to discuss," he said, as he wheeled his wheelchair down the disabled ramp of the stairs, indicating that they walk, towards the direction of the bus stop.

"Why are we going to the bus stop? Aren't we going to return to Yancy?" I asked them, thinking about our stuff that was left there.

"Ah. That's already taken care of, Percy," Mr. Brunner smiled at me, with Grover nodding at his side.

I wanted to ask them why and how, but refrained from doing so. There were more pressing questions as of now. I'll ask them later.

"Percy, you have questions?" Mr. Brunner said, looking up at my eyes, his own reflecting infallible wisdom.

"Of course, Mr. Brunner. I mean, who-what was that thing back in the museum? Why was she-it after me? What did I supposedly do?" I said, ready to tear my hair out, though the thought of bald patches on my scalp firmly stopped my arms.

"Percy, I know you're confused right now, but before I answer your questions, know that with the knowledge I impart on you will forever change your life. It will open you to another world, a world full of danger for you," Mr. Brunner said, his voice laced with concern and regret, two things that completely confused and terrified me.

"Percy, with or without us telling you what that was, you need to go to this address. It isn't safe for you now," Grover said as he handed me a calling card with fancy curved writing that was slashing at my eyes.

"Why the heck is this in fancy script, Grove? You know I have dyslexia," I groaned, my head pounding from the exertion. What I made out was this.

Grover Underwood

Keeper

Half-blood Hill

Long Island, New York

(800) 009-0009

"What?" I managed to get out, though there were a thousand questions running around my head.

"Ah. Well, that is our summer address. We apologize for the cursive script. Our director is adamant in using what he feels would highly amuse him to no end," Mr. Brunner said, shaking his head slightly.

"Why do you guys have a director? Where so you guys live? Grove, why didn't you tell me you live with Mr. Brunner?" I blurted out, feeling even more confused.

"Ah. Well, let's start at the beginning then, shall we? But first, Grover, get our transportation, please. We can talk on the way to Percy's mom," Mr. Brunner said as Grover nodded and proceeded to a nearby fountain.

"Wait, what?" I said, appalled. I mean, turning up at my Mom's apartment with no calls whatsoever with my Latin teacher and best friend in tow? What would my mom say? Heck, my bozo of a stepfather say? Oh boy, I really don't want to find out.

"We need to go to your mom, Percy. She can help us explain what's happening to you," Mr. Brunner said as a delivery van stopped right in front of us. On the outside it had the logo of "Delphi's Strawberries".

"Whoa. Grove, dude, this is your transportation?" I said, wondering if he hit his head somewhere. I mean, this is a strawberry delivery van, not a cab!

"Perce, this'll do just fine. Mr. Brunner can't get out of his wheelchair," Grover said, already opening the back of the van.

"Percy, it's alright. Come, let us go," Mr. Brunner said as he wheeled towards the ramp that Grover was setting up for him. I just stared at them, wondering if I went and got myself involved with escaped people from the mental institution.

"Perce, you want answers, right? Come on," Grover said, gesturing for me to get on.

I sighed. Well, if this was what it took, I'll happily go along.

Grover smiled at me encouragingly when I walked towards him.

"Thanks for believing, Percy," he said, smiling happily.

"Hey, you've never led me wrong, Hircum," I smiled at him, using his own nickname, though I have no idea why someone would willingly name themselves "goat". Grover's weird like that.

"That's true, Mare," he said as he ushered me in. Before he closed the door, I caught sight of a few crates of strawberries at way at the front, so it more or less gave the three of us comfortable legroom. As soon as Grover closed the door, the van started moving. Now, it left the three of us in the dark. I sat down so that I wouldn't have to fall over. I hope Grover sat down, too. Those crutches of his aren't good for balancing.

"Percy, you still have the pen I gave to you, right?" Mr. Brunner's voice flitted out to me in the darkness.

"Yeah, it's in my jeans pocket," I said, feeling for the pen s***h sword. I don't know why, but feeling the pen in my pocket, I was suddenly enveloped in comfort, like when my mom hugs me. Maybe that was part of its magic?

"Can you get it out and uncap it? I'd like to see you when I explain things," Mr. Brunner said as I reached inside my pocket and took out the pen. When I uncapped it, it let out a faint shimmery glow, like it was submerged underwater while the sun was hitting it. It was beautiful.

With the light the magic sword gave us, I could see Mr. Brunner's calm expression, and Grover's encouraging one. Well, here goes nothing.

"Sir, what's going on?" I asked, asking the question that was the root of all the questions I want to ask.

"For that question Percy, I'll answer with a question of my own. Percy, what do you know of Ancient Greece?" Mr. Brunner asked, his expression hinting on patience.

"Well, they existed thousands of years ago. They were responsible for the Renaissance, and their religion is considered our mythology today," Percy said, feeling out of depth. What the heck does Ancient Greece have to do with anything that's happening to me?

"Ah! Their mythology, Percy. What do you know about it?" Mr. Brunner's eyes were twinkling now.

"Well, they had many gods. Many monsters, too. Anyway, they had major and minor gods. The most important were the Twelve Olympians," I said, looking at Mr. Brunner questioningly. Where was he going with this?

"Would you believe me that their mythology, the gods, monsters, were still alive and influencing our lives today?" Mr. Brunner said, smiling at me.

I stared at him, my mouth pretty much imitating a fish's. Was he serious? Was this really Mr. Brunner?

"Mr. Brunner, you're joking aren't you? Or is this some kind of cult?" I asked, my mind trying to wrap itself on the words Mr. Brunner uttered. I mean, this was a sick joke.

"No, Percy, I am not joking. Open your mind, and remember all the things that happened to you in your young life," he said, his calm expression preventing me from panicking.

What happened to me? Well, what happened? There were lots of things, weird things, that happened in my life. For instance, "Uhm, well, there was this one time, a man in a trench coat tried to kidnap me, but my teachers noticed him. No one would believe me when I told them he had- one eye," I said, stumbling at the last part. I felt my eyes widen unconsciously. No freaking way. This had to be a freaking dream.

"Yes, that's one example. I believe you know who that man is now, though I must ask you not to speak their names carelessly. Names have power in our world," Mr. Brunner said, his face solemn.

"No way. There must be some kind of mistake!" I said, trying to deny it. I mean, this, this was straight out of a comic book! No way this was real. I mean, a Cyclops?

"I'm afraid that it is the truth, my dear. Grover, I believe it's time to reveal yourself to young Percy," Mr. Brunner said, nodding at Grover. Wait, what? What reveal? Is Grover supposed to be something straight out of a myth, too? I think I'm getting a headache.

"Of course. Percy, don't panic, okay?" Grover said as he set aside his crutches. He then took one of his sneakers and yanked it out of his foot. Well, his supposed foot. Why did I say that? Because where his feet should be, there were cloven hooves.

I looked at his feet, or rather hooves, as if they were out of this world.

"Hircum, tell me those are fake," I said, my voice squeaking at the end. I mean, those can't be real, right? RIGHT?

"Sorry, Mare, they're real. Here, touch my leg," he said, yanking his jeans upwards, revealing furry legs.

"Uhm, no thanks," I said faintly. I'm really feeling light-headed now. Half man, half something with hooves and furry legs that walk on two feet. Yeah. I know what he is. But, he's supposed to be a myth, right? Yet, he's here, AND, my best friend. Okay. I SO need a breather.

"Mare? Perce? You okay there?" Grover asked, scooting closer to me.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm okay. It's just a shock to discover my best friend's half goat, even if your nickname's 'goat'. Can we take it slow? I'm overloading here," I said softly, my erratic breathing echoing softly inside the van.

"I'm sorry about lying to you. But, about us being best friends, I wasn't lying. I really consider you as my best friend," he said, smiling at me.

Somehow, whether it was his support, or the sense of normalcy he exuded, it calmed my emotions down enough to realize that, yeah, this was true. I wasn't dreaming. My best friend's really a satyr. Everything that happened to me, it was real.

"Thanks, Hircum," I said, smiling at him.

"No problem, Perce. Just be glad I was the one sent to you. Others of my kind are not very, well, sensitive to girls, even though we can read your emotions," he said sheepishly.

"I'll keep that in mind," I said, as I turned my focus on Mr. Brunner, whose eyes were twinkling happily.

"So, Mr. Brunner, are you a minor god?" I asked, curious about my Latin teacher. I mean, if Grover was a satyr, what could he be?

"Ah. For that, let me show you my real form," he said as he slowly started to rise up, far from his stature of an incapacitated man. Instead, as he rose up, a white fetlock revealed itself from the wheelchair, followed by a beautiful palomino body. "Now, my dear, can you recognize me?"

"A centaur," I said in awe. I mean, I know centaurs were hailed by myths as wise and noble creatures. To think that I had one as a teacher was astounding.

"Yes, my dear. In our world, I am known as Chiron," he smiled benevolently.

"The Trainer of Heroes?" I asked, feeling excited. I mean, if he was here, then-! No! No. I won't believe it until they tell me so. Until then, he can rot somewhere far away.

"Yes, Percy. Though I'm truly surprised that you took this so well. You also know much of our world already," Mr. Brunner, or Chiron, said, as he settled down on the van's floor.

"My mother taught me mythology ever since I was a small kid. Every night she'd tell me a different myth for my bedtime story. I guess, after that, in my heart, I wanted everything she told me to be real, to exist," I recalled wistfully. Those were the days when there wasn't any Smelly Gabe to worry about. Those were the days. Oh, who was Smelly Gabe? My good-for-nothing stepfather. Why do I call him 'Smelly'? 'Coz he smells, period. I mean, what normal person would everyday smell like moldy socks and garlic pizza? Yuck.

"Ah. Well, that explains it. Though it is a wonder on how you were never spotted by monsters. Now, Percy, you know about our world, but do you know why you belong in it?" Chiron said, watching me with his thousand year old eyes.

"Well, I'm human, Chiron. I don't have any extra appendages for me to qualify as a satyr or a centaur," I said, smiling happily at him. I was feeling so giddy to find my dream, my one wish, to come true!

Yet, I know something else is making me feel like this. Making me hope. Damn it! I swore to myself I would hate him for leaving Mom. And yet, with all of this, with every piece of the puzzle Chiron hands me, I find my hate, my frustrations leaking out of me. I find myself understanding his intentions. Damn. If I'm right, I'd really have to apologize to him. Mom taught me that much.

"Yes, Percy, you're human, but not entirely human," Chiron said calmly.

"What do you mean? I'm half-human? If so, what is the other half of me?" I asked, my mind whispering that I already knew the answer. Heck, I knew I knew it, but I needed to hear confirmation, to hear why my real father wasn't present for almost my entire life. I needed to hear it from their own lips, their own voice, that my father didn't leave out of neglect, out of spite. That he left out of duty.

"I think you know, Perce," Grover suddenly pipped up, looking at me meaningfully. Damn. He read my emotions.

"Yes, Persis. You are an extraordinarily smart girl. Though you have none of the typical stereotype characteristics of being her daughter, you have the mind of one. You must have pieced it together by now." Chiron's words shocked me past my denial. It was really true!

"God. Half-god." I was ecstatic. All the resentment I felt for my real father melted away and a sudden rush of relief filled me to the core. My father had a reason for not being at our side all these years, a valid reason. He may care for us after all. He wasn't the direct reason why we have Smelly Gabe, after all.

Grover was smiling at me, no doubt reading my emotions and correctly guessing why I'm feeling them.

"Yes, Percy. Though the technical term we use are half-bloods. And know, Percy, that you are not the only half-blood alive. And that is where you are going. You are going to a place, a camp, for young half-bloods such as yourself. There, you will learn to fight. To survive this world. For, Percy, this world is not kind to your species. Monsters lurk everywhere. You must be prepared," Chiron said as he smiled at me kindly.

"To challenge us, right? Monsters approach us to challenge us so they could affirm their strengths?" I'm on a roll, baby! I'm so glad Mom taught me all of this.

"Yes. Percy, you must be wondering why no monster has attacked you ever since you were born, am I correct?" he asked as I felt that the van was getting slower by the second. Heck yeah. I mean, why weren't there any attacks? I mean, I'm glad and all, but that does seem strange.

"Now that you mention it, yeah, why don't monsters attack me? Am I a weak half-blood? Is that why they only attacked now?" Now, if I was a weak half-blood, my father would have been a minor god. Maybe Morpheus? But I'm not sleepy all the time. Aeolus? Hmm.

"No, Mare, you're not. Actually, Chiron isn't supposed to be here. Usually, it's the satyrs that get the half-bloods to Camp. But when we feel a strong aura, a strong smell off of a half-blood, we contact Chiron because, usually more powerful monsters attack you," Grover said as he reached for his crutches.

"Really? Then why have they attacked only now? What was the monster that attacked me awhile ago?" I only knew of a couple of monsters with Mrs. Dodds' description, and it wasn't making me happy.

"I think that was Alecto, Percy. Do you recognize her name?" Chiron said as he stood up and went back to his wheelchair, easing his half-horse body down the small box. It must've been enchanted. But then the name shocked my half-wandering mind into focusing. I knew that name. Damn. Why is he angry with me?

"I do. One of the Torturers of the Lord of the Dead," I said grimly. Wow. I was that powerful.

Chiron nodded and smiled at me as the van went to a total stop. "Yes. Good to see you have taken my words seriously." But then his smile disappeared, his face and body language retaining a somber air.

"And that means that you and your family are in danger more than usual of being attacked. For that, I'm afraid that you must decide on what you must do on your own. Percy, I will now take my leave on you. It is required that only the half-blood and the satyr who is protecting them be the only ones who strive for them to be able to reach Camp Half-blood. It is always the first test, to see if the half-blood can measure up. My duty is to only explain about the bare minimum you must know if you are to survive. Grover will answer your remaining questions. Now, depart, Persis Jackson, and may the gods be with you."

I nodded as Grover opened the van's door. Light suddenly flooded in, temporarily blinding me. When my eyes adjusted to the extra light, I saw Chiron with his clenched right hand on his chest, right where his heart was supposed to be. A form of salute, I guess. I nodded to him and followed Grover outside. When I stepped foot on firm pavement, the van's door magically closed by itself and the van tore away.

"Nice transportation," I commented, intent on ignoring that my best friend and I were standing outside my mom's apartment.

"Argus is very handy in New York traffic, especially since he has a hundred eyes keeping lookout," Grover said, looking at me sideways as if asking my permission for him to speak.

"Hera's creation, right? And yeah, now we go in. I just hope my mom's home." I muttered the last part, hoping against all hope that she really was home. I just can't handle it if Smelly Gabe just booted us out.

Okay. Here's the explanation on my dysfunctional family. My mom's name is Sally Jackson, and she's the BEST mother in the world, which just proves that good people get all the bad luck. You see, her parents died when she was just a little girl. She was shipped off to her uncle who didn't care much about her, though he changed his tune when he got cancer and my mom was forced to drop out of her senior year of high school just to find a job so she could pay off their expenses. Sadly, though, he also died, thus leaving my mom alone, with no money and no diploma.

The only bright thing that happened was when he met my dad. I really don't have any memories of him. I don't even know who he is, but judging on his occupation, I'll let it slide just this once.

Anyway, back to my mom. She's very hardworking, always working for odd jobs here and there. Then, she also found the time to finish her highschool diploma and raise me at the same time! I mean, I know I'm not an easy kid, and that's saying something. Conclusion? Yeah, she's one heck of a supermom.

But then, she married Gabe Ugliano, who on the first thirty seconds of the marriage was your absolute perfect husband and stepfather, and then showed off his wonderful plumage. Read, he's a complete bozo.

Between the two of us, I know we made Mom's life pretty hard. Well, a perfect example was when I opened the door with Grover in tow.

Instead of my mom, we saw Smelly Gabe in the living room, playing poker with his buddies. And what do you know, ESPN was blaring on the TV and the living room looked like a complete pigsty.

Hardly looking up from his cards, he greeted me with his cigar bobbing up and down while he spoke. "Well, you're home early, Babe."

I ignored his jab. "Where's my mom?"

"Working," he said. "Give me your money, Babe."

That's it. No 'Welcome home! Why are you home early? Did you get expelled? Next time you're gonna complete the grade! Don't you worry!' Honestly.

As impossible as this sounds, my walrus of a stepfather had gained some more weight. Now, instead of a walrus, he looks like a whale. Neat. Oh, what did the stupid man do? He manages the Electronics Mega-Mart in Queens. And I don't know how he does it 'coz I've ever only seen him here in our living room, playing poker. But I know he's working 'coz he picks up his paycheck every end of the month. Unfortunately, instead of helping my mom with the expenses, he spends it on gambling and beer. Typical.

The worst part? He's a perv. I can testify to that. Don't worry. He didn't do anything to me. But I can tell he watches me, checking me out. It's utterly disgusting. Oh, and there was this time I was in the bathroom. I can tell he's peeking. I discovered that there were little peepholes in the tiles of the walls when I unintentionally turned off the lights in my fumbling for a towel to wipe off the soap from my face. Yeah. And he knows that I know. And he calls it 'our little secret'. Meaning that if I tell someone, I get beaten. Great life, huh?

"I don't have cash," I ground out.

He raised a greasy eyebrow. EWW.

Gabe could smell out money better than a bloodhound, which, in my opinion, is supposed to be impossible since his own filthy smell should've covered up his nostrils.

"You honestly believe that I'd buy that? Someone expects to live under this roof, then she should carry her own weight. Am I right, Eddie?"

Eddie, the super of our apartment, looked at me with a suffering expression. "Gabe, give the girl a break."

"Am I right, Eddie?" he repeated.

Eddie just scowled into his pretzels. Thankfully, it was at that moment when the front door opened and a voice floated out to me, a voice I've missed for so long. "Percy?"

When I turned around, immediately, my fears melted as I took in her kind smile.

My mother could make me feel good just by being in the same room with me, with her smile that's as warm as a quilt, her eyes that are ever changing their color, her hair that has a few gray streaks, everything. She sees every good thing in me, none of the bad. She never raises her voice, not to me or Gabe.

"Percy!" she hugged me tightly. "You've grown since Christmas! But what are you doing here? School still going on 'till next week!"

"Mrs. Jackson, I can answer that," Grover's voice reached my ears, making me remember that he was here with me. Mom released her hold on me to greet him, only to freeze up when she looked at him properly.

"It's time?" Mom's voice was coated with worry. Does she know?

"Yes, Mrs. Jackson. It's time."