The silence in the room was a calm even if the students thoughts weren't.

What if I went to the library after the bell? No, he would just be more angry when I got back...

The pale boy in the front row was earnestly tapping a pencil on his desk. He wore a thick sweatshirt not all that out of place. His wrist was tucked into his sleeve as if hiding something and he winced involuntarily every time he moved. His sea green eyes weren't staring at the test in front him. He had more pressing things to think about.

Seven, fifty an hour, every day this week...that should be enough to buy dinner this weekend...right? No. Crap I'm missing my work shift, all the answers are C anyway....

Another boy with blond hair got up from the second row his, test sheet clearly labeled C. He had dark bags under his tired sky blue eyes. He placed his test in the bin on the teachers desk before grabbing his back pack and practically running towards the door.

The BMW didn't work. Maybe I could...what could I do? What if I robbed a bank? Would he notice?

The prettiest girl in the school got up from her desk she stumbled into the blond boy, they barely looked at each other. The girl averted her multi colored, gorgeous eyes, placed her test in the bin and walked back to her seat. By the time she turned around the blond boy was gone.

What does it matter? I'm not going to be here in a week anyway. Canada this time...easy.

The short small kid in the middle row continued his Dragon drawing on the test. He hadn't bothered doing the calculations. His curly hair bounced with his knees, reacting to satisfy his ADHD.

When did we even learn this? I've been too busy with my clothes to pay attention....I hate math.

The girl up front stared at the numbers. She ran her fingers through her thick curly hair. She wore a nice sundress with a dash of make up. She constantly tugged at her collar as if she was incredibly uncomfortable.

Where am I going to get my next bottle?

The girl in the back of class. Wasn't even trying. She kicked her legs up on the desk tilting her head back her eyes half way closed. Her dark hair with blue highlights stood out in the classroom.

I didn't do it. I swear I didn't do it...

The palest boy in the class sat next to her, he scrawled the answer. His hand shook and he pressed down way too hard on the paper. The pencil tip snapped in his fingers.

I have to get all of these right. Maybe then she'll stop calling me a freak...

In the farthest corner, closest to the window the gray eyed, blonde was focusing so hard she had a head ache. She would circle answers and then erase it again, circle again, then erase again. Finally she sighed and put her head on the desk.

She wouldn't want me to fail this quiz. But what if I do? I miss her so much...I'm a disgrace to her memory.

A thickly built boy sat behind her, but try as he might he couldn't answer the questions. One word after another, all numbers looked exactly like the others. He had to wipe away the tears before anyone saw.

All at once the bell rang. All of the students surged up.

"Unfinished tests go on the front desk please!" The teacher called. A pile papers flooded onto the desk. Students filed out the door with excitement of the school day finally being over. Percy Jackson placed his test on the pile last. He walked out the door last.

He was careful to keep his wrists hidden in his sleeves, the bandage out of site. His chest heaved. He carefully weaved through the people keeping his distance. He found his locker easily, his backpack cutting into a bruise on his shoulder like a knife.

He pulled out his textbook from the metal compartment and closed it. At that same moment, a popular girl with choppy brown hair walked down the hall. The other people shifted out of her way, smiling and chattering. Someone knocked into a blond girl in front of him. She stumbled backwards hitting Percy. They both hit the ground.

Percy gasped. He landed on his hip, which was still bruised from when he.... when he had run into a desk.

Right. A Desk.

The girl looked at him, her eyes held a quiet intelligence. She was beautiful. With honey blond curls. She looked sorry, her mouth open with half a silent apology that she didn't even bother finishing. She scooped up her books and papers, and hurried away.

All Percy knew, all he remembered, with a pain in his chest, is she didn't actually say sorry. She didn't say anything at all.

Percy picked himself up, wincing with every breath. He walked towards the open doors of the school to his bus. Over by the student parking lot a blond boy cursed loudly he kicked the side of his vehicle and laying his head in his hands.

Percy walked right by. He got onto the bus, his stomach churning. The bus driver didn't look up from his magazine. The air smelled like air freshener and metal. The loud obnoxious squeals rocketed in the air. Most of the seats were taken.

But Percy found a spot in the front across from a familiar broad shouldered boy.  Percy sighed, staring out the window, but not seeing anything. His sweatshirt slid up on his wrist the wrapping revealing a red stain. He hissed at the sight.

No one sat next him. He didn't look at the other passengers. The High schoolers talked almost as loud as Percy's thoughts. His mind raced to think something other than what was waiting for him at home.

To think of something other than the pain that was unavoidable as soon as he walked in the front door.

Home is a place where one feels safe. Percy snorted stepping off the yellow tank and onto the sidewalk outside his house.

Percy Jackson had no home.

He opened the front door. And faced the nightmare in front of him.

Beer bottles splinters spread the floor. The front hall had one dent in it, furnished with a brownish red splotch. The hallway into the kitchen was layered in stains and broken shards from the table and a vase. Percy toed through the glass trying not to make any sound. The stairs were just a foot away. He could escape the pain, just one night. He could skip dinner again. He'd be fine.

The stairs creaked. Percy froze.

The strangled yell nearly rocked the house.

"JACKSON!" The voice sent all of Percy's nerves on fire. He charged up the stairs, but he only made it three more steps. Something hard grabbed his backpack. The jerk nearly slit his throat. He slammed back down the stairs.

Percy yelled, he kicked. The smell of alcohol overwhelmed his senses, sharp and burning. His head slammed against the step edge. Percy screamed.

"SHUT UP YOU STUPID, WORTHLESS, SHIT!" Gabe shouted. His breath smelled sour, he radiated beer and body oder. His hair was slick with grease, his shirt stained with so many things it made Percy's eyes water. His face was screwed into a grotesquely snarl. Pure hatred leaked through his livid features.

He slammed Percy against the wall. His side burned with white hot pain.

"You were trying to skip out again, weren't you? WEREN'T YOU?!" His fist punched Percy's head back. The teenage boy knocked into the wall, an indent clearly visible in the blank slate. Stars danced like fish in the rivers, a metallic taste filled his mouth until he thought he was going to drown. Curses raged on until Percy couldn't even hear anything else.

"SHUT UP!" Gabe threw him into a mirror the shards sparkled in the light from the windows. Percy couldn't help but scream. The stars turned to dark blurs. No one was there to save him. No angel of light. No superhero to beat up the bad guy. Percy choked on his own blood.

Tears flooded down his face.

Gabe kicked Percy's stomach. The wind was knocked from his lungs.

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

Percy tried to block the attacks. His sleeves rolled back, his entire arm visible, venerable. Gabe slam his head into the wooden floor, again and again.

Percy begged for him to stop.

He bit his tongue. His head was in so much pain. Everything hurt. It felt like someone was sticking a hot iron all round him. His body was black and blue, a growing gash on his skull spit out blood.

Darkness crept up on him, devouring his senses, until he couldn't find the energy to move. Gabe's ugly face came into view, his meaty hand yanked Percy's unkempt hair upwards forcing him to look into the drunk man's eyes.

Gabe hot breath stung against Percy's cheeks the darkness clawed at his vision.

"Tell anything, to anyone, and I will kill you." He hissed into Percy's ear.

Then everything went black....for the fifth time in as many days.