(Friday Evening )

"Tyson!" I yelled as my brother attacked me with a great deal of affection. I hugged the 6-year-old back tightly.

"So nice to see you brother!" he screamed, jumping up and down. I laughed, "you too Ty"

Tyson began telling me about his day, how excited he was about me staying with them, and something about a human pony show he was watching. I nodded along, carefully paying attention to the story of his the human pony defeated the evil jam king and became the ruler of the peanut butter land.

But sadly, while I was being told about the princess pencil sharpener, we were interrupted by a man clearing his throat.

I turned around to face my dad. Poseidon. People always said we looked alike, but I never saw the resemblance. Sure we both had the same eye color, but he had a huge white beard, one which I didn't have and wouldn't ever have.

From behind him emerged my stepmother, Amphitrite. She gave me a polite hello and a smile. I copied her action.
Amphitrite was good. We had a decent relationship and she sometimes brought me cookies and such.

Dad looked at me up and down. "You've grown, son," he remarked.

"So have you, dad"

He chuckled and ordered the butler to take my bags to my room. He indicated to follow him. After waving to my brother and stepmom, I followed him to his office.

He sat me down on the chair adjacent to his. I let my eyes roam around the office. It was huge, with blue walls and wooden furniture.
Dad snapped his fingers, regaining my attention.

"I'm sure your mother told you I called you here for a reason," he asked.

I nodded.

"And I'm sure she didn't tell you the reason"

I nodded again.

"Well you see Percy, I'd like you to join my meeting next week. It's important"

"Okay," I agreed. I honestly didn't pay much attention to what he said, I was more focused on the weird cow serpent statue in the corner of the room. What was that thing? It looked like a Bessie.

"Also, Perseus" he snapped his fingers in front of my face again, regaining my attention.
"That's an Ophiotaurus," he said, indicating the statue.

"Oh! And before I forget" Dad got up from his chair, and returned with two boxes, "gifts for your 18th birthday" he smiled.

I thanked him. I opened them there, cause I'm impatient and the first one was a beautiful silver pen and a note, "thank you for the pen" I said. It had the words Riptide engraved on it for some reason.

I tore open the note. and looked at my father in disbelief. He chuckled.
"Dad! No, I can't accept this" I said. He had given me a cheque for a million dollars.

"Oh nonsense Perseus!" he laughed," it's a tradition that boys in our family get a million dollars in their 18th birthday"

"wow we're rich" I muttered under my breath.

"We are" dad agreed. "Amphitrite also decorated your new room. I hope you find it to your liking" he said.

"I'll go check it out then. Nice house by the way, much better than the one you had before"
Dad nodded with a smile and motioned me to leave. I gladly did.

I walked through the mansion. It was much better than my father's other house. This one was made completely of marble, decorated with statues and shells everywhere.

I kept walking, taking it all in until I found my room. How could I tell it was a room? There was a huge sign above it which said Perseus.

I pushed the door and entered. Dad was right, it was well decorated. Just my style, simple and blue.

As I unpacked, I heard a knock at the door. I yelled at them to enter, assuming it was Tyson.

It wasn't, it was Amphitrite. She walked into my room and asked me if I liked it. I told her I did.

She walked towards me and politely extended her hands.

"Your mom and I wanted to give you this on your birthday, but it came late" she explained, indicating the gift-wrapped box in her hands.

I thanked her as I slowly took the gift from her.

This explained why mom just gave me a basket of blue cookies for my birthday, promising me a better gift.

Excited, I opened the gift, extracting a silver trident chain I looped the chain along my neck.
I turned to her, "Thank you!" I exclaimed.
She smiled and asked me what the other thing I had around my neck was.

"Oh!" I said, clutching my bead necklace, "I made it as summer camp a few years ago with my friend. We promised never to take it off"

Amphitrite smiled. We video called my mother, showing off my chain and applauding her choice.
After we hung up, there was another knock at the door. Tyson emerged.

"I think it's brother time," Amphitrite said as she exited the room, ruffling her son's hair on the way.

Tyson plopped onto my bed and began rambling about how he just found out that Queen Pillow Puff was evil.
I nodded, trying to follow along.

"So what have you been doing, Ty?" I asked once he was done venting.

He turned upside down on my bed, "Tv" he made a face," and school, they make me go to school"

"Mee too" I huffed. "I'm going to be with you a whole year tho" I told him enthusiastically.

He sat up straight, jumping up and down on my bed clapping his hands in joy.

I laughed and gave him the presents my mom bought for him. I helped her choose tho!
They were mainly some toys and video games, he seemed to like them.

"Can you help me carry them to my room?" He asked, scooping most of the gifts in his hands.

I nodded, scooping some things in my hands as well. I followed behind as he marched with purpose to his room, which was two doors next to mine.
Once he opened the door, I choked on my own spit.

His room was legit awesome!! For a six-year-old at least.

He threw the gifts onto his bed and hugged me. I stumbled and accidentally dropped my handful of Tyson pleasers onto the ground.

He stuck his tongue out to me and began picking them up. I copied both of his actions.
While we were cleaning up his room, throwing away wrapping paper, there was a knock at the door.

Dam! At my mom's place, we just yell out our entry and barge into the rooms in our house.

Dad popped his head in and greeted us.
"Tyson, your mother told me to tell you it's time for you to go to bed"

Tyson groaned but got into his bed.
Dad stared at me until I left the room, turning off the lights.
We both waited outside his room for 5 minutes, I don't know why.

"So why are we just standing here?" I asked him, confused.

He motioned me to "shhh".

We stood in silence for like 5 more minutes.
Why was I still here? Couldn't I just leave? Wait! Of course, I can

I turned around to leave when I patted my shoulder. He motioned me to come look as he opened Tysons room carefully.
The boy was fast asleep

"That's how I hoped you would sleep when you were a kid," he said with a slight smirk.

"Your hopes of me haunted my dreams, making it hard for me to sleep" I smirked.

He rolled his eyes and I walked off. Props to Amphitre to get Tyson sleep trained like that!

I returned to my room and looked at the mess I made. I didn't unpack that well. My clothes were strewn everywhere, even tho I told myself to put them in the closet like a civilized human being.

I groaned, I'd do it tomorrow I justified

It was my first day at Goode High tomorrow. On the bright side, I knew a bunch of people!
I was excited to see them

I plopped onto my bed, brushing some things aside. I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep, cause, unlike Tyson I was never taught to sleep on command.