The Punches

Percy POV

Algebra 2 with Ms. Dodds was my least favorite subject. The whole notion of connecting letters and numbers into one subject was too much for me. Also, Ms. Dodds is a fury. At least, she reminded me of the demon creatures from greek mythology.

If you give her some claws and bat wings, she'd be the epitome of a monster.

"MR. JACKSON," she screeched.

My head snapped towards her. Due to my ADHD, I lost my train of thought and got stuck watching some birds outside. This class is just so boring.

"Are the birds outside more important than math?" she asked. Ms. Dodds walked towards my desk in a second. Her cold gaze fixed me into my seat.

"Sorry, I got distracted," I replied quickly.

I didn't want detention today. Gabe told me to be home early, and I couldn't flake on his requests. That would lead to a disaster. Please, please, Ms. Dodds.

Her stare narrowed on my face before she leaned forward. It felt like the whole class was holding their breaths. No one liked Ms. Dodds. As a result, the students are always quiet and serious in this class.

"DETENTION, Mr. Jackson," she exclaimed. "This will be a double detention, so you will stay two hours after school."

"But, I can't. It's Friday, and I have personal obligations," I expressed even though I knew that it was useless. Ms. Dodds was an unforgiving devil.

"Don't make me add another hour," she hissed.

With that, Ms. Dodds turned around and walked back to the front of the class. She kept muttering about how she hated these kids and how they'd end up on the streets. Yup, this was the type of teacher that Goode High has.

I bet that every school has a hated teacher similar to Ms. Dodds.

My attention turned to my arms. I hadn't received a beating in a few days, and my bruises fully healed, thank the gods. However, fear bubbled in my stomach. I couldn't shake the nerves from my chest at what Gabe would do.

I decided to skip detention later. What would the school do? They'd just give me another detention on a different day. That was better than experiencing Gabe's wrath.

Fortunately, after Algebra, I have lunch.

Lunch is the best part of my day because I get to hang out with my friends. Our lunch table was always bustling with activity due to its large size and interesting characters. When you put Leo, the Stolls, and Thalia together, all hell breaks loose.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain, where did Grover and Juniper go?" Annabeth asked.

"Grover's family is visiting his grandparents. They're going on vacation over Christmas break, so Grover's family wanted to visit them beforehand. Juniper tagged along because she never met Grover's extended family," I replied while sitting next to her.

I also loved lunch because I get to see Wise Girl. We don't share any classes because she's a genius who takes all APs. Even if we were arguing or fighting, I appreciated our interactions. They felt exciting and satisfying.

"Where do they live?"

"Grover's grandparents live in Florida. They are very nice people, but they're old so they moved to the South where it's warmer."

"Do you still have grandparents?" Annabeth asked shockingly.

I wasn't expecting that question. However, that's been happening more recently. We be getting into more personal conversations, which emphasized that we were getting closer as friends.

"No, I don't. I never met my dad's side of the family. As for my mom, they both passed away when I was a kid. I didn't know them much," I replied earnestly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was just curious," Annabeth replied softly.

"It's all right. It was a fair question. How about you?"

"My dad's side of the family is great. They are all nice people, and I have a few cousins. They're normal. I lost touch with my mom's side of the family after she left," Annabeth finished quietly. She had a faraway look in her eyes.

I wanted to know more, but I also knew when to not push someone. I simply nodded and focused on my food.

However, surprisingly, Annabeth continued quietly.

"She left when I was seven years old. We were very close, but I guess that her work and freedom were more important than her daughter."

Her gray eyes sparkled as she blinked back the tears. Annabeth was not someone who cried in front of people. If anything, she was stronger than most people. I never experienced betrayal from a parent. It must've been awful for her.

Her hand shook as she padded her eyes with a tissue. She took a deep breath before pulling out her sketchbook and pencils.

I reached forward and placed my hand on top of her.

Her movements stopped as she looked at me. I didn't say anything; I didn't have to. I simply rubbed the top of her hand for a few moments until light filled her eyes again. Then, I shifted the conversation to her designs.

It felt good to comfort her.

Strangely, alleviating her pain made mine temporarily disappear.

I didn't think about Gabe or cancer for the rest of lunch. I conversed with Wise Girl and my friends, and I had a good time. My gaze kept wandering to Annabeth like she was a magnet that constantly pulled me towards her.

Maybe, Grover was right. I was glad that he wasn't here to say 'I told you so.'

My mind screamed that this wasn't a good idea. This was breaking the promise that I made myself a few years ago. I couldn't risk anything happening to her. I also didn't want to share my overabundant pain with her.

Annabeth deserved better than a broken soul who can only give pain.

She deserved so much more than me.

***

My plan to skip detention was a huge BUST.

The crazy psycho was waiting near my locker at the end of the day. She practically dragged me into the library for detention. If you hadn't guessed, I am referring to Ms. Dodds.

I was nervous as I waited in the library. Gabe had specifically told me to be home and serve his friends with food and drinks. I could only imagine what he was planning to do after I failed to fulfill his wishes. My right leg was shaking for the entirety of detention.

As soon as it was 5 o'clock, I bolted out of the library.

Maybe, you shouldn't go home. That's probably what you all are thinking.

I'm considering the same thing. However, I'd have to pay for it eventually. As long as I lived in that house and he provided money for my mom's care, I am stuck with a monster.

I resumed my jog home. I reached my apartment in record time and stood outside of the door in agony and anticipation. The door was locked, and I left my keys at home today.

I took a deep breath before knocking.

The reaction was immediate. The door flew open, and Smelly Gabe towered over me with a beer bottle in hand. Smoke blew out of his mouth and wafted my face.

"Gabe, I can explain-"

"Get your stupid ass inside, NOW," Gabe hissed. He grabbed my shirt and pulled me into the apartment, which smelled rancid.

Smoke, alcohol, and sweat created a pungent stench that made me gag. It was a good thing that Gabe had disconnected the smoke alarms. Otherwise, the entire fire department would be busting into our shitty apartment.

Gabe dragged me towards the dark living room before dropping me to the floor.

His friends were still here. They were all staring at me with wicked smiles on their faces. They were eating chicken and chips while drinking. There were already 20 empty beer bottles on the floor (for just the four of them).

"GET UP, BOY," Gabe shouted as he kicked my back.

I groaned while scrambling to my feet. This couldn't be happening right now. I hated when Gabe beat me in front of his friends. The shame felt terrible.

The other three men relaxed in their seats. They were all scruffy and bearded with large fat bellies and dirty clothes. They were smiling from the entertainment they were receiving. The entertainment was in the form of teenager abuse.

"Gabe, I didn't mean to be late. I was held back by a teacher. I tried to get out of it, but Ms. Dodds didn't let me. That's the truth," I expressed quickly.

"You listen to me, boy, and no one else," Gabe spat in my face.

His smoky spit burned against my cheek. Not from heat, but from disgust. Smelly Gabe was a gross pig and so were his friends.

"I'm back now. I'll do anything that you ask, okay? Do you need food or drinks? I can bring them and serve you and your friends. I can-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP."

The first punch of the day came to my head. The collision of his fist with my face threw me to the ground. I felt the side of my face swell. I could barely open my left eye.

My body shook as I looked up at Gabe again.

However, he wasn't alone. His buddies were standing next to him with sly smirks on their faces. One of them chugged another bottle before turning to Gabe.

The four of them towered over me with menacing expressions.

Gabe nodded with a cruel smile.

His buddies surrounded me. The smoke and shadows from the darkroom slightly covered their burly faces. The biggest of them (named Jerry) lifted me off the floor. I grabbed his wrists to loosen the grip on my shirt.

My face was aching. Every shift in my facial muscles sent bolstering pain through my head and body. I fearfully gazed at the giant man that was holding me.

"You failed me and my buddies today. This is the punishment that you deserve," Gabe's voice echoed behind me.

"Pretty boy." Smoke blew out of Jerry's mouth and hit my bruised face.

Jerry licked his lips while keeping his eyes trained on me. My eyes widened at the lust on his horrible face, and pain exploded in my head again. Jerry pushed me back against Gabe who punched my waist a few times.

Then, Jerry's mouth collided against mine.

A sick taste entered my mouth, and my body retracted against what was happening.

I immediately jerked my knees up. My leg collided with Jerry's private parts, which loosened his grip on me. I crumbled to the floor as I frantically wiped my face and mouth. That was gross. It was horrible, and I wasn't going to let that happen.

"You bastard boy," Gabe roared.

His punches came next. Several fists collided into various locations of my body. My hands covered my face as the punches and kicks and strikes kept coming.

Pain. PAIN.

I cried and shouted as they kept throwing punches and kicks. Beer bottles shattered against my hands, and something sliced my abdomen. I tried my best to protect my face. However, it was all too much pain.

I hated this. I hated them.

Jerry grabbed my broken body and threw me against the wall. Then, his fist pounded my chest and broke some ribs.

I endured their hits until they got tired. I couldn't fight back. I was outnumbered and outpowered. I tried to fight initially, but their strikes were too harsh. Blood pooled from my arms, my stomach, and my back. I was laying in a sticky puddle of blood when they finally stopped.

My body was numb, and my head felt cracked.

Broken. That's how I felt. Broken on the floor because of them.

I felt gross and violated by Jerry's attempt to kiss me. It was good that I fought back against that. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a gang beating; it would've been a gang rape.

Gabe and his buddies left the apartment after twenty minutes.

I was left alone in a fetal position on the floor. I couldn't move or breathe properly. I couldn't even lift my head. Tears flowed from my eyes. Even crying hurt my broken body.

I needed help, but I wasn't sure where to go. Grover wasn't in town. My hands shook in front of my face as I thought of my friends. My hand gently pressed against my face.

Pain exploded everywhere as I sat up. I screamed in agony.

Blood stained the wall that my shoulder was leaning against. This was too much. I wasn't sure how much more I could take.

I felt like I was dying. I wanted to die.

Groans escaped my lips as my body arched. My muscles trembled from the tension. My eyes shook from the pain and emotions. Blood seeped out of my cuts and bruises.

I needed help, but I wasn't sure where to go or who to go to.