Percabeth: A New Beginning

The First Day of Preschool

Annabeth's POV

"Luke, did you get your backpack?" I asked my four year old son, I couldn't believe it, he was going to his first day of preschool! It seems like only yesterday that Percy and I carried him home from the hospital.

Percy and I had debated last year whether we wanted him to start preschool last September or this year. We decided to wait because even after the twins were born, he and Zoe were still inseparable, they did everything together. They tried to match their outfits everyday, and played together all the time. Also, keeping two year old Zoe busy, made my job as a mom a whole lot easier with the twins.

Last night was hard though, Zoe has been pretty upset over the last couple days. Backpack shopping was not fun for her, the other day and she was pretty quiet at the dinner table last night which is not like her at all. Even Percy had trouble lightening her mood.

Yesterday I took Luke, Zoe, and my nine month old twins Charlie and Silena on a walk to the park, took them to the beach, then ice cream, and Percy and I took them out to dinner. That night, Zoe refused to go to sleep. Because she knew that the next morning she would have to say goodbye to her best friend for the day. Little did she know that I had set up a play date with Piper and Elliot and Elliot's baby sister Penny; who was a month younger than the twins. My goal for today was to keep her mind off Luke. Calypso and I had also coordinated for Troy and Luke to go to the same preschool to make it easier on them and ourselves. Our little boys were growing up too fast.

"I got my backpack mommy, can we go?" Luke asked, proudly shouldering his Cars themed backpack.

"Yes Luke, put your shoes on and grab your lunchbox, go get in the car and I'll get the others." I instructed, tossing a chopped up apple into his lunch bag and zipping it up.

"Ok, come on Zoe! Let's get into the car!" Luke announced, all excited for school.

Zoe was not easily persuaded by her brother today, "no. You no go to school." She crossed her arms, blocking the doorway.

"Zoe, I wanna go to school. Please get out of the way." Luke asked.

"No, you stay." Zoe insisted.

"Why don't you have your backpack? You get to go with me. You, me and Troy are going to school together." Luke mentioned, he was such a smart boy, it was mean that he was tricking her, but it was working.

"I go too?" Zoe asked, softening her eyes.

"Yeah! I won't go to school without you. Get your backpack, come on let's go." I could hear the excitement in Luke's voice. But it seemed too innocent, oh no. He actually thought she was going with him. How could I be so stupid, Luke never lies, he doesn't even know what it is. Oh gods, this is not going to go well.

Zoe grabbed a blue backpack from the mud room. "Ready to go mommy!" Zoe cheered and she and Luke skipped to the car.

I carried my twins into the car, on the way I said, "get ready for the saddest goodbye you'll ever see. Thank the gods it won't be like this with you two."

On the car ride there, I resisted the urge to tell my two very excited kids in the backseat that only one was going to school today. But it was hard to kill their mood when they sang to Taylor Swift throughout the whole ride to Sunnyside Preschool.

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The building was very small, it was definitely a one room school house. The building was painted and bright yellow with white shutters. I parked the car and Luke helped Zoe unbuckle her car seat. Then the two of them happily sprinted towards the playground. I checked Luke in for school with his teacher Mrs. Roberts, who was about six feet tall, with brunette hair tied back into a loose bun. She had kind brown eyes and loved kids, I was sure Luke would love her. I found the two of them playing on the slide, their favorite part of any playground.