Percy

I woke up an hour later, and due to me moving, Nico also woke up. Mom wasn't home quite yet. The grocery store was a 30 minute drive and it always takes like an hour in there. We had a half hour to do stuff. At least.

"Hey," Nico said, giving me a smile that I could tell he was half asleep. "What time is it?"

"6:30," I told him. "Don't worry, mom's not home yet."

Suddenly I hear the door close downstairs, and that confused me. She couldn't be back yet.

"Percy, I'm coming up!" Paul yelled from downstairs, not sounding very happy and I shot up. "You better be decent!"

"Shit," I said under my breath, rushing to grab my clothes as Nico sat there confused.

"What are you doing?" I asked him, now panicked because I know Paul will freak if somebody else is here that he doesn't know, especially a guy. He doesn't know that I'm gay, but he doesn't like me making friends at all. "Paul's going to kill us if he finds out you're here."

Bare naked, he hid under my bed (it's a miracle he fit) and pulled his clothes under with him. I was able to throw on sweats and a shirt when he opened the door.

He was drunk. Had the bottle in his hand. Nothing hard, just nasty.

"What are you doing?" He demanded, as if I was like smoking or something. Trust me, he doesn't know I smoke weed. Mom does, but he doesn't. Trust me, I keep the smell off.

"I was going to take a shower," I told him, because that honestly was my plan. "Relax."

"Really?" Paul questioned, starting to get in my face a bit. "Your expression doesn't say that. Don't lie to me, Percy. What're you trying to hide, huh? Who's the girl? When she due?"

"There isn't—"

I felt the bottle hit the side of my head and shatter. Something I used to be so numb to. Used to.

"Don't lie to me," he snapped and my hand went the side of my head and he slapped it away. "I know you're up to something, Percy. You can't hide from me. I know everything."

Apparently you don't.

"I don't have a girlfriend." I insisted. "Okay? I don't even have friends. I have a friend."

"Yeah, your little freak, Grover?" Paul didn't sound happy about Grover. "You think he cares about you? You're fucking useless, all you do is blast your dumb music and complain about everything."

Knowing he wouldn't like anything I said, I didn't say anything. Which was just as much of a mistake, because he slapped me. Twice.

"Respond when I ask you a question." My step-ass was back. "Are you really that dumb? I knew you were stupid, but shit. You really are dumb. Sally might have to take you in to get your ears checked."

"I can hear just fine."

He shoved me up against the wall, and I really don't know what he said. I zoned out, trying to not let him get the best of me.

I knew he punched me a few times, and then gave me one good one to a rib. And I know that Paul threatened that if I told my mom, he'd like beat me to death before he threw me on the floor, somehow breaking my favorite fucking glass as he did so that I had on my desk, and then he left.

Grabbed something from their room, and he left.

I don't know how Nico managed to do it under the bed, but he came out with underwear and pants on.

"Are you okay?" Nico asked me, actually sounding like he cared. I wasn't sure if I shouldn't believe him or not. And I just nodded my head.

What was I going to do? I can't go to the cops. Trust me, I've tried. I tried with Gabe, too. They don't believe me because I'm a kid looking for attention. Because they knew Gabe, and Gabe was on their good side. Paul's best friend and his brother is on the NYPD force that operates around our neighborhood.

It just doesn't happen.

"Um... My mom is going to be back any minute." I said, feeling kind of bad, but knowing it was a bad idea if he stuck around because Mom will bring him up to Paul. "You should probably go."

"Are... Are you sure?"

I nodded my head.

"If word gets to Paul about you being here, it'll get worse." I didn't know if that would actually happen, but I wouldn't be surprised. "So uh... Yeah. Sorry. I'll text you later or something."

"Okay," he said, grabbing his shirt and helping me up, giving me a hug before putting it on. It was nice. "I'll see you later?"

I nodded my head and he left through the window. It went to our backyard, so Mom wouldn't see him.

And it's a good thing I suggested it, because she got home not 5 minutes later.

"Percy!" Her voice sounded nicer. "Are you still home?"

"Yeah!" I yelled down the stairs and looked in the mirror. "I'll be down in a minute!"

I had no way to hide this from her. She knows it's not a monster. But she won't know it's him. I don't think I could even do this to myself. I can't pull this off.

So I grabbed a sweater, despite that helping like nothing. Because most of the damage was to my face.

After a minute, I headed to the kitchen and tried to keep my head down. She brought in the last bag of groceries as I started putting the first one away and when I went to get more, from the counter, she noticed. She had been putting the next bag down.

"Percy?" Mom asked, caught off guard by a lot. "Hey, don't move."

"Wh—"

She pulled down my hood and put her finger under my chin, which didn't feel ideal. He got me good.

I looked down. Kind of ashamed.

It's not like it's the first time he's done this to me. It's just that Mom never caught it before. I'd leave or find something to cover it up. He never went for the face.

Today was different, though.

"Honey, what on Earth happened to you?" My mother questioned. "Did you leave the house?"

I shook my head. Which actually was the truth. I stayed home the entire time.

"You're not lying because you went somewhere I don't want you to go?"

That wouldn't be a first.

"I stayed home," I insisted. "I swear."

"Monsters?"

I shook my head.

"You couldn't manage this on your own," my mom wasn't that dumb. Kind of brainwashed by her husband, sure. But she had common sense. "And either way, you don't self harm anymore."

She thought about it for a minute.

"Who did it?"

"I shouldn't—"

"Percy, I am your mother." Mom said, her hands now on my shoulders. She's pregnant with his kid. "You can tell me."

I didn't say anything.

"Percy," she repeated, worried. Of course she was, she's my mom. Now that she, you know, made time for it today. I already washed my face so they can't get his DNA if she brings me in. "who is it?"

"It's not a big deal, Mom," I insisted, even though I guess it kind of was. To her, it would be. "I'm fine. Shit happens."

She didn't even say anything about me swearing.

"Yes, it is," Mom corrected me. "If someone hurt you—"

"I'll be fine."

"Percy, why do you think you can't tell me what happened?" She asked me, and I felt s little guilted. A little. "I'm your mother. No matter what, I will take your side."

I highly doubt that, but okay.

Perfect fucking timing, her phone rang. It was her oh so perfect husband.

She answered and I just started dinner. What's the point? Things are different today, but tomorrow won't be. This will only last for a day. Maybe two. Just until he gets back.

Of course, she was all sweet with him and I did my best to ignore it. He uh... He told her that I had a girlfriend that's pregnant.

Well, then she sat down with me at dinner.

"What's her name?"

That caught me off guard and I looked up, confused.

"Whose?"

"Your girlfriend," mom clarified, and suddenly I got scared. "Paul told me that he heard you on the phone this morning with her. She's pregnant."

"I don't..."

"Percy, you're 16—"

"I don't—"

"And I understand that you're a teenager and you don't want to take us seriously," she didn't let me finish, though. "But hiding a relationship? Sneaking out? Getting her pregnant? I can't believe you!"

"Yeah, well I can't believe you!" I snapped back, which was probably a bad idea. "Do you not trust me? Do you have that little faith in me? I don't even have friends!"

"That doesn't mean you don't have a girlfriend. If you think this is okay—"

"He's making it up!" I insisted, having a feeling she was going to kick me out and I'd be homeless. "I didn't even talk to anyone in my phone this morning until he left!"

"You don't have to lie about this, Percy." But she wouldn't believe me. Because I'm a teenager. "I know—"

"No," I wasn't taking that shit from her, because she was like 20 and her family was dead when she got pregnant. She was young, but it was planned. "You don't. You didn't have parents to know what it's like for them to not trust you."

I didn't care anymore. This was a hopeless fight and I was tired of trying to think fighting would get me anywhere. I was just... I was tired. I didn't even care that Paul was home now. Because I guess he was going to lecture me about something that never happened.

"So don't tell me that you understand what it's like," I went on, pissed off. "Because your dad never hated you. You never had a step dad, and your uncle sure as hell never did anything just to fuck you over. Your mom didn't get to see you old enough to make your own decisions. Much less to lose trust in you."

"Percy—"

"What?" I asked, now on the verge of tears because after this, I can't stay. Paul will kill me. "I don't even want to hear it anymore, Mom. Talk to your husband about it. I'm done."

I didn't even look back. I went upstairs, threw some things in my duffle bag, and went back down.

"Percy—"

I left.

AN: hahahaha I'm back to this depressed piece of shit :))))))))