Paul Blofis

I was a nervous wreck.

Oh, hi. My name is Paul, I'm an English teacher at Goode High School and going to school for my master's degree in creative writing. Which is what put me where I am now.

I met a woman in my creative writing course as we had been seated next to each other, her name was Sally Jackson and she was beautiful, ladies and gentlemen; she was beautiful. We started discussing a few different things and when we first met I was fresh out of a divorce I've wanted for 3 years prior and was ready to get to know some people and I was in one relationship prior to meeting Sally with one of my co-workers, actually. The photography professor, Chris Patrick, him and I dated for like a month and it ended horribly but whatever, right?

Eventually Sally and I started hanging out after class and it was a mutual respect thing. Leave class, get a coffee and discuss whatever the other doesn't understand and what not, and it took me a few months to realize how disappointed I would be when she fell ill or something along the lines of she couldn't go and last Tuesday I didn't have the nerves, but she was the one who actually asked me out.

Before you ask, I'm aware she has a kid but I've never met him. He doesn't seem to be home when I'm around so I have yet to meet him.

Now I stand outside of their apartment, awaiting the door to be answered.

I waited roughly 45 seconds before Sally opened the door looking just stunning. This was my first fancy date in years. Well, aside the one with Chris but like I said earlier, that ended horribly.

(Sally's Outfit ↑)

"Oh, God, sorry Paul," Sally told me," let me just grab something quick and I'll be ready. You can come on in."

"It's alright," I assured her as I walked inside their apartment and once again. She seemed to be home alone, until she started walking down the hall and a boy about 14 came out with jet black hair and eyes like the ocean.

He came out into the kitchen area and started looking in the cupboards and whatnot food and he decided on something small apparently because he grabbed it and went the the living room and picked up a sketchbook and worked on something as he ate his food and did whatever he was doing on that sketchbook.

Eventually he just put it down and sighed.

This is when he noticed me and jumped, although not saying anything or giving off any intention he actually saw me. But it almost seemed like he purposely tried not to see me.

When Sally came back out she didn't notice it and we left.

The date was great, and afterwards we went back to her place, seeing it had only been 8 PM when we got back, in which her son whose name I have yet to know, was still in his sketchbook and after maybe five minutes he put it down and walked over to the window and sat on the large sill, looking out.

"Hold on a second," Sally told me and walked over to her son and it was a little rude, yes, but I listened in.

"Percy, looking out the window won't bring him back," she tells her son, Percy was his name apparently, " you can't be so worried all the time."

"How can't I be?" He asked him mom," he's out there and for all... For all I know he's dead."

"He's not dead," Sally insisted but Percy didn't seem so convinced," and hey, if he's dead, at least he's not alone, right? He'll come back. They always do. C'mon, I have someone I want you to meet."

He willingly came over to where I was standing, waiting with no idea how he'd respond to me.

Percy gave off this sort of troublemaker vibe and being a teacher... I was trying to ignore that but it wasn't easy.

"Percy, this is Paul," Sally introduced us," Paul, this is my son, Percy."

Sally left the room and I could tell instantly.

"You don't trust me."

I did have a Bud Light Lime in my hand at the time, it was my first drink of the night. It’s not like I was wasted or even tipsy.

He went from looking at me to looking at the beer, sitting down by the counter on the stool they had placed there.

"Have you never seen a Bud Light?" I asked him,"do you not trust it?"

He gave me this look like asking if I was joking.

"Just trying to lighten the atmosphere," I defended my remark.

"Just a forewarning," he told me," if you plan to stick around, there is no alcohol, there is no smoking, there is no gambling."

"Seriously?" I asked," I mean, that's totally fine. I've never smoked and I hate gambling, I drink like once a year. But why? Just because?"

He didn't comment on that.

So I changed the topic.

"Well, Percy," I said, sitting across from him as he looked up at me and I noticed him wearing a beaded necklace with 2 beads on it. One having a blue Trident on black, and the other having something like yellow over green. He had a small scar on the left side of his jaw. A pretty good tan and a good build for his age," what do you like to do for fun? I saw your drawing earlier."

"Yeah, I draw," the remark was almost defensive, obviously he didn't like me and if it was because I was with his mom or if I had a beer on me, I wasn't sure but who knows," Swim, do a bit of sword fighting."

"Nice," I comment off of that," I fenced in college but it's been years since then."

We had some small talk, I figured Sally had passed out probably after an hour of not coming out of her room, and I was stupid because there was tons of photos of just him and his mom.

My dumbass asked about his dad.

"My who?" He had zoned for a minute, it happens.

"Your dad," I said," I know you don't like me, Percy. It's obvious, trust me. And if it's because you think I'm trying to take over your dad's spot: I'm not."

"I never thought that anyways," he assured me.

"Where is your dad anyways?" I thought it was a safe topic, and soon learned it wasn't.

He looked for a moment and I noticed he seemed angry by that.

"He's a topic we don't discuss."

"Why not?"

It was an honest question just so I knew for further reference.

And he snapped.

"Because he's an asshole who never wanted a kid and left, that's why!"

I'm sorry, I've always been a curious person and one day it probably will kill me.

"Oh, I'm sorry, you don't know him..."

"No, I know him, he just..." The teenager told me and stopped himself," he never wanted me is all. He wanted my two brothers, but never me. But whatever, right? Why should I care that he doesn't."

I've heard a lot of messed up things. But that... That was probably top five messed up depressing things I've heard and I work at a high school. It smells like depression and hormones, they say.

Because I've seen so many kids in the past 10 years I've worked there say things like that and the signs are obvious. But they say they're fine and nothing's wrong and then you find out three days after they graduated they killed themselves.

At least one student every year. After they graduate.

Why I assumed Sally was aware and everything I don't know.

Because after a few times Percy warmed up to me and explained the first day we met he was just in a shit mood, which was fine.

So after about 4 months I moved in and a few weeks after moving in Percy hadn't realized I was home apparently and I went to use the bathroom and he was in there, standing by the sink with a Blade in his hand and he...

His forearms and his thighs were just terrible, they were covered with scars and I started to recall little things he had said like that remark about why should he care the first time we met.

He's 14. He's still so young and he cuts.

And this obviously wasn't the first time.

He saw me after maybe 15 to 30 seconds and freaked out because I saw it, he knew I saw it.

He threw down the razor blade into the blood infested sink and his breathing turned heavier and panic overtook him as he begged and pleaded and asked me to say nothing to his mom about it. He didn't want her to know. He didn't want anyone to know.

"Here. Let's clean you up and talk," I suggest. And grab a rag and wet it down, cleaning the slashes for him as for a few minutes he kept quiet, seeming embarrassed.

Once I finished bandaging them, the sink had been washed out and cleaned. I threw out the razor blade and we went out to the living room.

As much as I'm not his dad, I still consider that one day he will be my responsibility. And you could tell he just didn't want to talk about it, he wanted me to ignore it.

"Percy, I..." I didn't get far before he snapped about it. He was on the verge of tears, trying so hard to not cry, to not let it out.

"What?" He asked me. "Why did I do it? Is that what you're going to ask? Why did I feel like I had to do it? Why did I sink that low? Because if you're going to don't even open your mouth, I don't have the answer for you, okay? I don't know why I hate myself. I don't know why I want to die. But I do. Maybe it's because a friend of mine ran away and might be dead and maybe it's because I was abused for 12 years. I have no idea, okay? But I do."

For a moment he was silent.

"Was kind of hoping nobody would notice or really care. As it is, I'll never graduate, I'll never move out, never get my licence, never got to college, I'll never have my own family. I'm just going to die anyways."

"I...' I was at a loss of words right now," Percy. Don't say that, you-"

"No, I  won't, Paul." He explained," because when I turn sixteen I'm supposed to make this huge decision and good or bad either way it'll kill me. You think I don't want to graduate and move on with my life and make my mom proud? I want to, I want her to be happy and with her parents and her uncle dead... We're all the other really has and I don't..."

Percy stopped himself and looked at me.

"Paul, I trust you," Percy told me," I know I'm not an easy kid. I've never been easy and I know with you being a teacher and all I just seem like trouble and maybe I am. But I don't try to be. I know I'm not the smartest kid out there, especially with my ADHD and my Dyslexia I don't understand Math or English as easy as the next kid, but I try, and that should be worth something, right? I do trust you with my mom as much as you might not believe it at times. It wasn't the easiest things I've done, trusting somebody with my mom again. But I do and I know you care about her and just... When I die. Even if it's not when I turn sixteen I'm almost guaranteed a young death, before my mom. Just take care of her. She's had to face a lot of things and she deserves so much better in her life. She deserves a nice place and a nice job and for her parents to be around. I know I scare her. I know she constantly worries about me. And I don't blame her, I would, too. With who my dad is I'm surprised she doesn't worry more. Just keep her happy. She seemed sort of miserable until you came around. When she told me about you she knew I'd be pissed and I was because I found out over a call and just..."

Suddenly how I perceived him took a 180°.

I always viewed Percy as a classic troublemaker teenager. Not really caring, just did whatever because why not.

But that wasn't him. He was told he was going to die and he worries about his mom. And then I recall something he said.

Trusting her with somebody again.

"Again?" I asked," what did your dad do to you guys?"

"The only thing my dad did was leave us," Percy told us," it wasn't him I referred to. When I was little my mom started seeing this guy and he was really nice, I was like 3, I didn't understand a whole lot so I had taken to calling him my dad because he was with my mom so why can't he be Dad? And they got married and as soon as they returned from the honeymoon the light drinking turned into heavy drinking every day to the point of he couldn't live without it, he constantly smoked cigars and if he was desperate a cigarette, he always seemed to have his buddies up here, playing poker and watching ESPN or something about cars. He was just this asshole and that was fine. We could live with that. It's not like Mom could afford a divorce at the time. We barely were able to pay our bills and it's only because every weekend I was walking dogs or mowing the lawn or something to make extra money to go to food and the bills because all of his money went to the beer and the cigars and gambling. And after maybe 6 months I came home from school and we always argued, butted heads constantly because when he started drinking he had changed that much and he hit me for the first time and it continues. Sometimes he did it with a belt or a bottle or with his hand or he would kick or strangle me. But he never cared and he threatened that if I ever told Mom or anybody he would punch my lights out. So I listened and was a good little soldier to him. And sixth grade I went to boarding school, came home. Expelled. I almost made it. Almost. But my mind blanked out and my math teacher did this weird thing and just... In the end it got me expelled so end of the year I got home, Gabe and I bickered as usual before I went to my room and Mom came in and asked how I had liked the school and what happened the six months she hadn't gotten to see me of what I couldn't put down in the letters and I told her everything and we figured we could go to a cabin we rent here and there for the weekend and so we went and that night a friend of mine showed up in a freak storm, Mom was shoving us and telling us to get into the car which was insanity but we had to and we went to this place and... How familiar of the Greek myths are you?"

"We just finished studying it in class, why?"

"As insane as you're going to call me," my potentially could be step-son told me," the Minotaur started to chase us. The car rolled and didn't explode but felt like it did. We got everyone out and ran up the hill and my friend passed out so me and Mom were dragging him up trying to avoid this thing and Mom insisted we split up to throw it off track and we got towards the top. I put down my friend and it went towards my mom and it took her and she disappeared in a golden light so I tricked it to ram itself into a tree nearby and it knocked out its horn and I killed it with the horn. I still have it in my room, I passed out for two days after that. When I woke up my Latin teacher was there and my best friend was half goat and I was freaking out and it didn't help when they told me I was a god's child. They didn't know what one. But one of them. I was brought there because Zeus was pissed and thought I had stolen his Master Bolt and I didn't believe any of it. I was a 12 year old kid that got lucky with a bull horn, how am I going to steal the most powerful weapon in the world? So they showed me around the place and I stayed in the most packed cabin there for a while until a game of Capture the Flag. A hellhound attacked and was killed. That's how they found out my dad was Poseidon. Which explained a lot. I mean, when I stepped into the water in that game it healed me, at one of the schools I attended it was debated if I pushed this girl or if the water had actually grabbed her. I didn't remember what even happened. So I mean... The Bolt was returned. I didn't steal it, but I returned it. That was when I met my dad. That was when he called me a wrongdoing and stated he wished I never had been born. So. I went home and Mom was back, Zeus pulled through with his word and Gabe was there. Seem pissed by both of us being back. And I had gone on a quest and in that time the three of us on it fight Medusa and our prize was her head. Which was in a box on my bed and it didn't happen that day but Mom sold her first statue: The Poker Player. Enough for a term tuition at NYU, a nice spot in a school she thought I'd like, and a down payment for this place. He was gone forever. That's why there's no alcohol here. There's no form of smoking or gambling. Because the last time it was around both of us were left abuse victims and just didn't want to go through it again. That's why I'll seem like a troublemaker, I get the look from my dad. Look like my dad, think like my mom."

I considered that for a minute.

I mean, it sounds insane, he's right.

But it kind of made sense.