Trouble at School

----Marcus POV----

The sun shone directly overhead as a yellow jeep made its way through the New York Streets. Heavy metal blasted through the vehicle's exterior as it swerved through traffic. Marcus was on his way to go pick up his daughter.

It was Jaya's first year of ever being in school. Both Percy and Jaya were super excited to go on the first day as they were in the same class. But after a week Jaya said she hated school and hated her teacher. And now after three weeks, she had to be picked up early.

Marcus was homeschooled as a child because his mother needed his help around the house. He felt bad for Jaya because he knew she was energetic. Desks and listening weren't her strong suit.

However, Sally convinced him and said it was important for kids to go to school to get an education. So both Marcus and Sally sat down and found the best-rated private school in the area, called Trinity Elementary School.

Now as he pulled in, he had to admit that Sally had chosen this school well. It was way nicer than anything that Marcus was used to. He had lived in a ghetto as a kid, and the school in front of him was anything but.

The building looked like it was built before the city was. It had a classical mansion feel, a similar vibe to Xavier's school for gifted learners. It was four stories tall and surrounded by a black iron-wrought gate. There was a uniform to attend as well as a hefty price, but Marcus had assured Sally that price wasn't going to be an issue.

Marcus looked at the imposing school as this was the first time he was going in person. The introduction and meet the teacher day were done by Sally, but right now she was in class.

After Marcus and Sally moved together, he pushed Sally to pursue her career for the first time. Before this, she was always too busy trying to make money. But now that Marcus owned the apartment building, and had a steady income due to the dojo, Sally had a stable life for the first time since she was a child.

After Marcus had pushed, Sally decided to pursue a creative writing degree at NYU. She had started a week after the kids had started and she was enjoying herself so far.

The makeshift family had been busy. The kids now had school. And both Sally and Marcus were busy until around 5:00 pm, one due to college and the other running the dojo.

Marcus got out of his car and put on his leather biker jacket, the weather had been windy, the buildings in New York acting as a wind tunnel while blocking the sun. He walked up the concrete steps through the imposing gates and pressed the buzzer to be let into the office area.

*Buuzzztt*

"Hello. Who are you." A sharp succinct feminine voice echoed out of the speaker.

"Name's Alejandro Marcos Gonzales, here to pick up my daughter Jaya Gonzales and Perseus Jackson."

"One minute."

Marcus waited in the cold trying to keep warm for a minute before a short stuffily dressed woman came to the door. Her pale skin seemed sickly and stuck solidly against her sweater vest. She stopped before the door and looked at Marcus with an inquisitive gaze.

"You are Aly-jawn-dro? Here to pick up Jaya?" Said the woman as she eyed him suspiciously with beady eyes,

Marcus looked through the glass with almost dead eyes, it was freezing and he just wanted to get inside.

"Yes, that's me."

The woman gave him another stare before opening the door and saying nippily, "Follow me." The nameplate displayed her name as 'Ms. Grimsby'. What a fun name to have.

Marcus just sighed before following her through the well-polished floors to the front office nearby. He saw both Percy and Jaya sitting in chairs inside another door connected to the office. The snappy woman said, "Stay here," before walking into the adjacent room and speaking to his kids.

Both of them lit up as the woman spoke before looking confused. Then Jaya alone got up and walked with Grimsby through the doors and back to Marcus.

"Here's Jaya, you may go now."

Marcus looked at Grimsby incredulously, "I am also here to pick up Perseus."

"You aren't on the pickup list for Perseus Jackson." Grimsby snappily replied.

"Sally should have signed me up for pick up for both Jaya and Percy? Am I not on the pick-up sheet?"

"You are not."

"I'm pretty sure I am. Can you please check?"

Grimsby narrowed her eyes and her lips firmed up. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave sir."

Marcus was beyond confused as he just stared at the woman in shock. "Excuse me?"

"If you don't leave I'm going to have to call security," Grimsby said as she crossed her arms with a high and mighty look on her face.

All of a sudden it clicked for Marcus. He looked from his tanned, caramel skin to Jaya's and then to Percy's pale white skin. As he made this realization he looked at the woman in front of him before saying, "I would like to speak to the principal or another staff member."

"Sir, you need to leave. Now." The woman looked at him before putting a hand on her radio.

Marcus rolled his shoulders back and drew himself up, trying to calm the fire that was building inside him. "I am not leaving without picking up my son Percy."

The woman took a step back and reached for her radio before she was interrupted by a tall man with graying hair and a smile in his eyes. He walked in from where Percy was sitting.

He was wearing a dark green suit jacket with a tie covered in dog prints. The tag on his shirt labeled him as Mr. Green, the principal.

Green looked at him and the woman before asking Marcus, "May I help yo-"

"Sir, this man is refusing to leave the premises, I was just about to call for security." The woman spoke shrilly.

Green's eyes widened before Marcus clarified, "I am just trying to pick up my son Percy from school after I got a call."

"Oh Perseus and Jaya yes? Are you Sally's significant other? She was a very polite young lady." Green said politely before turning to Grimsby and saying calmly, "Margret could you please go to Ms. White's class, she needed some help with a kid in that class."

The woman huffed before walking with sharply clacking heels out of the room and down the hallway.

Mr. Green turned to Marcus and said "Sorry about her Mr. Alejandro. Sally put down Marcus Gonzales as the pick-up name, but I recognize you. I had no idea the 'Grinning Reapers' child attended our school." Green opened the adjacent door and held it open for Marcus and Jaya to pass through.

"Mr. Alejandro can we please meet in my office, I would like to explain what happened," Green said as Marcus and Jaya rejoined Percy.

"Sure." Marcus wasn't sure how to feel about what had happened with Ms. Grimsby, but he would talk about it later.

Green led them into his office. It contained a large mahogany desk, four chairs in front of it, and a large reclining chair behind the desk. A large portrait of Jesus on the cross took up the wall behind the desk. Marcus sat in front of the desk as Green sat in his desk chair.

"Unfortunately Mr. Alejandro I have to step in and report what has been going on. Recently Jaya's teacher has had to put her in the hallway multiple times this week along with Perseus. The teacher has been complaining that Jaya and Perseus just talk with one another and never pay attention to whatever she is trying to say. Furthermore, Jaya has wrestled with Perseus on the playground multiple times, which is not allowed at this school. We have had several talks with them about this, but nothing has changed." Green sighed before continuing, "and today there was an incident at recess. Perseus apparently punched another kid in the face an-"

Percy interrupted, "But he sai-"

Marcus stopped Percy with a hand on his shoulder and said in a low voice, "Percy, we will talk in the car."

Green continued, "The kid tried to punch Percy back, missed, and Jaya kicked the kid in the face."

Marcus cast a glance at Jaya before taking a deep breath and saying, "I was not aware of what was going on at school. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, it will be addressed at home. Is the other kid alright?"

Mr. Green winced before saying, "Unfortunately, The other kid got a broken nose from the scuffle today. His parents are able to pursue a case against you as your charge hurt their child. If they pursue this line of punishment, they can ask for hefty financial compensation."

Both Percy and Jaya looked shocked at this. They seemed to want to say something but Marcus stopped them as the principal continued.

"Furthermore, both Jaya and Percy are going to be suspended for a week due to repeated offenses. After a week they are expected to return."

Marcus nodded before saying in a low voice, "I understand. It will not happen again." Marcus cast a look at his two kids before looking back at Green, "If that is all, I will take these two troublemakers out of your hair for the next week."

At these words, Marcus stood up and walked out followed closely by a very quiet Percy and Jaya. They all walked quietly out of the school and got into the car. Without saying a word Marcus started the car and they all drove away.

As Marcus looked back in the review mirror, the kids were staring into their laps not saying a word. 'How in the hell do I talk about this.' Marcus mentally sighed, 'No one told me being a dad is so hard.'

Marcus without a word pulled into an Applebee's parking lot, "Come on let's go in."

-----Jaya POV------

Jaya was on a rollercoaster of emotions today.

First, she was mad because she had to go to school again. Then she was excited because recess started and that meant she could play. Then she was irritated when a kid in an older grade approached Percy and said mean things. Now in front of her upset father, she was scared.

Earlier, the other kid called her and Percy poor. Said they wore bad clothes and ate home-made lunch instead of school lunch. Then the kid said that someone like Jaya didn't belong there and Percy punched the kid. When the kid tried to punch Percy back, Jaya high-kicked him in the face and made him cry.

Jaya expected him to continue to fight back, but instead, the kid just rolled on the ground screaming and crying.

Then she was called to the front office with Percy and her Dad came to pick them up. She was initially excited to see him, cause he could fix it. He could fix anything.

But instead of being happy to see her like normal, her dad had a look on his face like she had never seen.

Dad was always smiling and joking. Even when he taught her how to fight he always had a happy vibe to him. Whenever she did something she wasn't supposed to he had a sad face on. But now his face was expressionless. His face was terse and serious, something hadn't seen before.

The teacher had called Jaya dumb before, but Jaya wasn't. She knew when to stop talking in front of others, so she did that. She stayed quiet until they pulled into her favorite restaurant.

She looked over at Percy and saw a similar confusion, before looking at her Dad's gruff face who just opened the door for them.

His deep voice had a serious quality to it. "Come on. Jaya. Percy. Let's go get some food. We will talk but on full stomachs."

Both Jaya and Percy quietly got out and followed Marcus to a table inside.

Jaya and Percy looked across the table at their father. He sat there silently as he looked at them.

"Let's talk."