The Hate Between Us (Percabeth&Solangelo)

Chapter Seventeen: At the Shelter

Percy POV:

"Okay, you ready?" I called out.

"Show me!" My Mom replied.

Straightening my sleeves, I walked out of the changing room to where my Mom was waiting for me, sitting in a chair with a forgotten magazine on her lap. When she saw me I gave her a twirl and presented my arms to her as if to say, 'what do you think?'

She smiled, hesitated, and then burst out laughing. My face dropped.

"What? Is it really that bad?"

"What's with the white? You look like you're on the cover of Saturday Night Fever!" She grinned.

"I was going for more of a Daniel Craig James Bond kind of look," I complained.

She tilted her head to the side. "Daniel Craig? More like Dame Judi Dench."

I scoffed. "Rude."

She smiled at me affectionately. "I'm sorry, Honey, but this is a lot. You're supposed to be finding a suit for Homecoming, not... an ABBA themed disco. How about you try on the blue one instead?"

I stuck out my tongue at her before walking back into the changing room. Five minutes later I came back out, this time dressed head-to-toe in a dark navy suit.

When my Mom saw me she smiled from ear to ear and held her hands over her heart. "Awh, Sweetie, you look so handsome! This is much better!"

She tried to kiss me on the cheek, but I dodged her with a laugh. "So should I get this one?" I asked.

She nodded excitedly. "Definitely! Oh, look at you – my handsome boy. You look so much like your Father. I wish he were here to see how handsome his precious little boy turned out!"

I avoided making eye contact with her, trying not to blush. I hated the way she talked about Dad, as if she still loved him the same way she did when they were together. Not that I could blame her much... look at me, my Dad abandoned me when I was six years old, and I still love him. But it wasn't fair on her – the way I kept it from her that I still talked to him, still saw him all the time, still acted like his son.

"Here, let me take a photo! I want to post it on the Instagram," She smiled, tears forming in her eyes. I frowned, pushing her phone away.

"Mom, not now! First off, it's just Instagram, not 'the Instagram'. Secondly, take a photo on Homecoming night instead," I sighed. She nodded and put her phone back in her bag. Gently, I reached forwards and wiped away a tear from her cheek.

"And will you be taking someone with you to Homecoming? You need to make sure your suit doesn't clash with what they wear," she said softly.

I shrugged. "I spoke to Mr Blofis, and he said I could bring someone from outside of Goode, so I've asked Calypso to-"

"-Are you two dating yet?" She asked eagerly.

"What? No, gross, we're just friends, Mom, gods... What do you mean, 'yet'?"

Her eyes glinted knowingly. I scowled at her and walked back to the changing room, wanting to get out of my suit.

"How is Paul, anyway?" She called out to me behind the changing room curtain. I frowned.

"Paul?"

"Mr Blofis!"

I pretended to gag. "Paul... His name isn't 'Paul'. His first name is either Professor or Principal, not Paul... How do you even know his name is Paul?"