KEEFE’s POV

“Well?” Cassius scowled, “are you even listening to me Keefe?”

Keefe pushed his neon vegetables around his plate. He hated the day this happened—Dreaded it.

Temper edged his father’s voice, “Where were you during these classes? Your teachers are furious, and Dame Alaina tells me you were in detention the first week of the semester. Explain this to me.”

Keefe clenched his teeth, forcing an even stare at his father, “I didn’t feel like going to those classes—"

“So you sluffed?! Is this really what you think is acceptable as a Sencen?!”

Keefe cringed. He wished he were at the Vackers dinner table. They never yelled.

“If you are incompetent in your classes, take the blow. At least that would be less disappointing than a son who skips his classes.”

Cassius’ eyes were dark with anger. Keefe felt like he was drowning in them. He wished he could run away—far away.

“I wish you would take this all more seriously. You could boost the Sencen name—take us even higher in society—but instead you choose to waste your life. I expect to see you in all your classes in the future, receiving top grades. Do you understand?”

Keefe clenched his teeth.

“Do you understand, Keefe?!”

This wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair—and he couldn’t go through with it!

“I don’t want to be an ’acceptable Sencen’, Dad,” Keefe looked at his trembling hands, “I just—I just—I don’t care about your stupid trophies, or your stupid crest, or your stupid family name! Father, why can’t we just—why can’t we be like—like the Vackers?!”

“The… Vackers?”

“They care about each other—whether they're doing their worst or not! Why can’t you just—just—just—“ Keefe wiped away the tears he’d been trying to keep in, “why can’t you just… Love me?”

Cassius’ scowl deepened. “Love must be earned, Keefe.”

He stood and left the dinner table.

Keefe slouched against the table trying to banish his violent trembling.

He felt someone smoothen his hair.

“He's right, Keefe. As soon as you learn that’s how our world works, the better off you’ll be.”

Gisella patted his head and stood.

He listened to his mother’s heels on the marble until they faded away.

And Keefe was alone at the Sencen family dinner.

A Percy Jackson Fanfic

Written by yours truly.

I took two pieces of bread and tossed it in the toaster, humming along to the tune that was in my head. Breakfast. The most important meal of the day—or at least that’s what they say. I myself hadn’t had real breakfast since last summer at camp.

Toast was the closest thing I could get to a meal that good.

Annabeth came in with an arm-load of groceries. “We're back.”

“Did Mom get more bread? We’re out.”

“I don’t think so. Just a lot of snacks for the ride to camp,” She smiled, “your Mom is so cool.”

I eyed the bounty of bags hanging from her arms, “It doesn’t take that long to get to camp.”

“You ought to thank your mom instead of complaining. I’ve seen how many cookies you can eat, seaweed-brain.” She smirked, “now go help her carry them in.”

I rolled my eyes, opening the door, “Yeah, Yeah. Pick on the ‘seaweed brain’. At least I have good taste in snacks.”

Taking the steps three at a time, I ran down to my car. “Hey mom,”

“There aren’t any more bags, Annabeth took most of them. But would you shut the trunk?”

I nodded, slamming the trunk, and taking the three grocery bags from my mother. So Annabeth already grabbed all of them huh?

Show off.

Mom smiled, her eyes crinkling at the edges, “I’m going to miss my muscly boy when you leave. Can’t you stay home this summer?”

I smiled. The only thing I ever missed about home was my mom, and that warm smile she gave me like she was always proud. That, and her blue jelly beans she had grown accustomed to stashing in the cupboard.

She opened the door for me and I placed the burden on the counter. “So show-off why don’t you—What are you doing?”

Annabeth set down the knife with strawberry jam dripping from it. She took a bite of toast, “What, is this your—“

“You used strawberry jam on your toast?!”

“Well yeah I—“

He slapped it out of her hand, smearing it on the floor, “BUT STRAWBERRIES ARE RED!”

“uh…yeah an—“

“YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO USE THE JAM I SPECIFICALLY DYED BLUE FOR TOAST!!!”

“I’m sor—“

“Now it’s ruined!” I sobbed. “That was the last piece of toast!”

“There’s one more piece left. You toasted two.”

“Yes but that’s the heel!” I wiped my nose on my shirt, “The heel Annabeth! No one eats the heel. It’s toasted only to honor the whole loaf of bread, don’t you know anything?!”

She stared.

“The last piece of beautiful toast, ruined.”

T^T