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“No matter what you say, I still have a hard time picturing you as a theater kid. You’re so undramatic.”
“Anyone would look undramatic compared to your cousins.”
“Eh, fair.”
“Honestly though my biggest pull toward it was the program director. He made every exercise interesting, every reading fun. He helped me understand every writer we discussed from Shakesphere to Oscar Wilde. That they were all a genius in their own way. He could get you so absorbed in these time periods and these people that you didn’t just understand what they were thinking and feeling, you thought and felt it yourself. I’ve never had any other teacher like him.”
“Is he why you became a teacher?”
“It was already something I was interested in - English and History majors are pretty much guaranteed to end up in education somehow frankly - but he definitely solidified the idea. He helped me in a lot of other aspects of my life too, especially after I lost my dad. Don’t know where I’d be without him really.”
“That’s really something. Thanks for telling me.”
“You’re welcome.” Paul scratched his chin thoughtfully. “You know, and believe me I am not trying to influence you here, but I’ve seen you with some of the little kids in the volunteer program. You’re not such a bad teacher yourself.”
Percy blushed slightly, the way he always seemed to when his stepfather complemented him. “I’m not under any pressure with them. There’s no rigid structure, no one’s life depending on anything I show them - or worse their grades. I mostly just let them tell me how they do something and give them ideas on how it could be easier. Half the time you can get them into some sort of game and they pick up the stuff on their own.” He paused, chewing on his lip. “I’ve actually been looking into more about that. Occupational therapy kinda, focusing on sensory issues with kids. Not a full blown license. That’s like eight years and Master’s degrees and just no.”
He shuddered and Paul smiled. “I won’t say you couldn’t do it but no, I don’t see that happening.”
“But there’s assistant positions and other similar jobs…he stopped with a sigh. “Problem is NRU doesn’t have any real programs for that sort of thing.”
“Really? With all the neurodivergent traits demigods have? I would have thought it would be a given.”
Percy rolled his eyes. “Ah, but if you’re born in New Rome you’re required to enlist at no older than ten. That way you ‘train’ all those traits out of you. ‘The discipline of the Legion’ takes over. What?”
“I try not to judge, you know that. I understand you have to train because for some of you your life almost literally depends on that. Up until now it was the only option you thought existed. But a safe haven for demigods and their descendants should be just that. Safe. Children shouldn’t have to- From the look on your face I am not saying anything you don’t already feel.”
“Nope. But it’s nice to hear it from someone else.” Percy looked down at his fingers. He’d caught himself picking at his cuticles again. Amphitrite always chided him for that. He missed her suddenly. Telling her what he’d been thinking recently would be a no brainer. Telling Paul though? He and his mom had so much on their plates right now…
“Alright kiddo, what is it?”
A glance at the older man saw his brown eyes studying Percy closely, filled with worry and that weird teacher aura that made you want to keep talking until you’d puzzled out the answer they already knew you knew.
“I’m having serious doubts on if I want to go to New Rome after all.”
Paul didn’t gasp or frown or recoil in horror. In fact he barely blinked.
“Alright. Can you talk me through why that is?”
Three weeks later it seemed all of his stepson’s well thought out objections were about to be made redundant.
“And nothing your father said has changed his mind?”
“Nope. Dad promised he wasn’t done fighting with him about it but the fact he’s already having Amphi line up gods that owe him favors…well I can tell he’s not optimistic.” Percy shook his head. “The fact is I know Uncle Z is making this ‘requirement’ up. The roman versions of them never took the oath, there’s no way there would be a rule preventing me from attending. Even if there was, trying to enforce it is almost pointless. The amount of gods who are always wanting petty favors? Whatever number of letters he comes up with, he knows I’ll have all the opportunities I need to collect them. And that I’m stubborn enough to do it. This is nothing but another level of some sick power game and I for one am tired of playing.”
“I don’t blame you.”
“But this is so frustrating. For once in my life I thought I had a plan. Maybe I’m giving up too easily.”
He didn’t say it as a question but blessedly Paul could understand the subtext. Sitting on the couch opposite him, he placed a reassuring hand on Percy’s shoulder.
“Listen to me for a minute?
His kid nodded.
“I honestly think this phrase I’m about to say is overused. Telling people this arbitrarily certainly contributes to self-centeredness and egotism. But you are one of the least self centered people I have ever met. So I don’t think it’ll do much harm to tell you that this is a situation in which you need to do what’s best for you. What do you want for your future? You were already having doubts - valid ones - about if you belonged in this New Rome environment. Is putting blood, sweat and tears into fighting this ‘rule that suddenly appeared and for some reason only applies to Percy Jackson’ bullcrap really going to help you move in the direction you want?”
Percy looked torn between laughing and crying and it was not doing good things for Paul’s own emotional state. “Do I have any other choice?” the boy asked. “I’m not exactly star academic quality. Schools aren’t going to be tripping over themselves to get me to apply.”
“You’re well on your way to cramming two and a half years of education into fifteen months. Believe me that takes a kind of drive a lot of colleges would salivate to have in their students. There are a lot more options available to you than you think.”
“Example?”
“Well to start with there’s nothing that says you have to enroll in the first fall term. Think about it. If you want a break, to work to save some spending money or to just be a teenager for a few months there’s nothing wrong with that. I had a gap year. Your mother didn’t get her degree until long after you were in the picture.”
He held up a hand. “Yes I know circumstances were very different but the point is we have time to find the right place for you. If there’s a particular program you want, see if the offer pre-reqs you can do during the summer. So much is even online nowadays.”
Paul leaned towards him, warming to the subject. “For instance, if you decide you want to go the occupational therapy route there are at least three technical schools that offer a two year program that will give you all the certification you need for a decent job in the field.”
“Which you may or may not have already picked up brochures for?”
“One even has a top notch good environmental studies program if you want to double up. Maybe someday work with Xiye Bastida.”
Percy actually laughed at that. “Grover talked non-stop about her for a solid week. Made me watch her whale documentary. It was pretty good. Some inaccuracies, but mostly good.”
Paul gave him a soft smile. “You have so much to offer Percy. Are you an academic genius no, but why would you want to be? Your view of the world is unique and you should lean into that, not be ashamed of it.” He paused for a long minute. “I hesitate to bring this up but if all else fails, use the athletic angle. I’ve seen your meets kid. Literally no one can beat you in that pool unless you let them.”
They shared a grin and Percy finally lost some of the tension in his shoulders.
“There’s still the problem of money.”
Paul’s eye took on a mischievous twinkle. “I have it on good authority your father’s loaded.”
“I guess he does owe eighteen years of child support.”
“Twenty one years per New York state law. Sometimes extended to 22 for students.”
Percy’s smile turned more genuine. In fact it almost looked like he was suppressing a laugh. “I think he’d actually be okay with that if it means snubbing his brother. Still I’ll have to think about the right approach. How much are we talking about here?”
Paul pulled out his phone and made quick work of the calculations. Turning the screen so his stepson could see it, he enjoyed the view of the kid’s eyes bulging half out of their sockets. “This is a conservative estimate of course. I wasn’t sure about the drachma to dollar conversion rate.”
“You could put me and the baby through school on that.”
“Hmmm, the baby’s a future concern. We’re focusing on you, remember?”
“But you and Mom are going to have so much to handle. You really think she’d be okay if I changed schools? Or skipped this year? I guess I could always stay at camp, I won’t be in the way there.”
There were at least twenty people Paul wanted to punch in the face right about now.
“Percy,” he interrupted, fighting to keep his voice even. “You will never be in the way. You are - look I know you love your dad and I know very well what would happen to me if I tried to take his place - but you’re my kid too. Which means what you need and what you want are my priority. So whatever you decide, we will make it work. Whatever concerns your mother might have I will handle. So stop worrying about that and focus on yourself for once.”
“Guess I’ve earned that.” Percy muttered.
“You deserve that,” Paul countered. “You shouldn’t have to earn anything. You don’t. Not with me.”
He wasn’t an expert but seventeen years of trauma weigh on a person and even the strongest reach a breaking point. So his stepson’s quivering lip was all the inducement he needed to pull the child into his arms. Percy’s face was buried directly in his neck, not crying but something close to it, and Paul could feel the tremors that shook his too thin frame. Reaching up he ran a hand through his curls, squeezing gently.
“It’s okay bud. I love you so much. So do your mom and dad. And your brother or sister is going to grow up so proud that their big brother stands up for what is right.”
“I’m not sure I know what’s right anymore.”
“None of us do all the time. That’s why we have each other. And you have us okay? You got this. And when you don’t, we got this.”
“We got this.” Percy whispered.
“We got this.”