Soulmates

Chapter 19

 Percy couldn't keep up with the theorems and properties and equations that had to do with geometry. There were just so many. Ms. Dodds was decent enough to give her class a sheet filled with the information that Percy had to memorize by the next test.

The problems with this:

1- Percy Jackson has ADHD

2- Percy Jackson has anxiety

3- Percy Jackson has dyslexia

4- Percy Jackson is a terrible test-taker

5- The test was on Friday

It didn't help that his upstairs neighbors were arguing and stomping around. The banter was entertaining when Percy and his parents first moved in; now, all he wanted to do was scream.

It took all of him to not look out the window. If he saw something, he'd get distracted and fail this fucking test. But, if he didn't indulge his ADHD in some way, he'd fail.

Damned if you don't, damned if you do. Percy supposed that was the story of his miserable life.

"Fine," he said as he began to tap his pencil to a beat. That should keep him distracted for a moment.

He analyzed the word problem in front of him:

Gabe had a triangle...

Percy didn't look at the rest. He just stared at that name, Gabe.

Gabe. Gabe. Gabe.

He remembered when he asked Gabe for help on his math homework when he was younger.

"You fucking idiot," Gabe had said. "I pay for your expensive school and you don't even know your fucking times tables?" Gabe leaned in, and as he threw the paper Percy had passed him a moment before. The scent of beer and Axe filled his nose.

Percy was a dumbass kid. Hell, he's a dumbass teenager. But fourth-grade Percy was as dumb as dumb could get. He had no filter and didn't understand that alcohol had different effects on different people. For his mother, she just got a bit tired with a few glasses of wine. He didn't know that Gabe could get angry at any little thing.

Percy gained that knowledge when he blurted, "Do you even know multiplication?"

Percy knew what happened. Next, Gabe would try to come at him, but mom came home. She saved him from the pain for the next few years and taught him what 7x8 was.

That wasn't what he saw.

Gabe lunged at him, grabbing his collar.

He punched him once.

Twice.

Three times.

Gabe's disgusting scent was replaced with blood as the red liquid fell from his nose.

Gabe slapped him again. Now Percy had a black eye.

Mrs. O'Leary whined and barked. She licked his face and snapped Percy out of his trance.

"It isn't real," Percy said. "It isn't fucking real."

He put away his study guide.

His mind strived to go back to that fake memory of what could've happened. Percy wanted to fucking murder his mind because he knew it wasn't fucking real.

It isn't real.

He needed to calm down.

Okay, what can he see? Mrs. O'Leary, his mom's spider plant, a picture of Paul on the walls...