Idiots Meet Demigods

Hugo Worfilu

"Okay, class, we are starting a project for 80% of your semester grade."

The class immediately perked up to listen. Even me.

"This project will be done in pairs." Mr. Brunner continued, "You are doing it on the Greek Gods. I will hand out your rubric after I'm done explaining. You will make a model of how you personally imagine the Greek God that you and your partner agreed on. Whether it be drawn, painted, or sculpted. It must be appropriate. There will be one section where you share your opinion on the Greek God that you chose. Another section where you share a story about your God. A love story, a war story, anything. You must say what you think life must be like for a God. You will be presenting this in front of the class."

Everyone locked eyes with who they wanted to be partners with.

"And! I will be choosing your partners."

I saw the girls that had been looking hopefully in Percy Jackson's direction slump and look away. 

"Clary and Jace. Adam and Eve. Peter and Annabelle. Harry and Ginny. And finally, last but not least, Percy and Hugo."

I wasn't sure how I felt about that. On one hand, Percy almost always got A+ in this class. On the other, he was also really stupid.

Just then the bell rang. That was the last class of the day.

I got Percy's number on my way to Bus #50. No, there were not 50 buses, they just gave the buses random numbers for no reason. 

[~<^>~]

As soon as I got off the bus and on the WIFI I started texting Percy.

Me: Yo, percy 

Percy: ??? Hugo???

Me: ya, y?

Percy: making sure nobody was messing with me phone 🤪

Me: haha nah just me

Percy: anyway, whatchya need? ? ?

Me: can we call bout the project 2 work on it 2gether???

Percy: sure, ig 

RING RING RING

RING RING RING

RING RING RIN— 

Percy picked up the call just as it was about to go to voicemail.

"Hey, Hugo!" He said, he was sitting at a table with a notebook in front of him. 

He was going to do the writing?....but he's dyslexic isn't he?

"Hi, Percy. I think we need to decide what god we're gonna do."

"Yep." He said popping the P, "I was thinking we do Poseidon."

I blinked, "And he is...?"

Percy laughed, "God of the seas."

"Ohhhhhhh, okay."

The rest of that was him saying stuff and me nodding like I was listening. 

We finished in an hour. Which was good since it was due in 2 days.

[~<^>~] (If u wonder y I do that for a time skip it's cuz I can do those symbols on both my computer and IPad)

I was SO nervous. I mean, I wasn't actually paying attention to Percy and now he's presenting. Oh my god, what if he wrote down something stupid and my grade plummets. 

I need this grade. Or else the 20% of the semester grade will give me a 20%. I cannot have that. Mom would be so angry.

Percy walked up. He had a huge canvas.

He propped it up on Mr. Brunner's desk. On the canvas was a man with a black beard, green eyes, in a floral shirt and Bermuda shorts.

"The Greek God that me and Hugo agreed on was Poseidon." He picked up his notebook and squinted at the writing.

"We think that he was the most powerful despite Zeus being the God King thingy, because his domain was water and there is water nearly everywhere. I like to think that Poseidon was sassy and fun to be around."

He continued to tell a story about a war. Poseidon was defending his territory when one of his sons was telling him how everyone was dying. Poseidon left his territory undefended and vulnerable, just to save the world. It was kinda cool.

"We think that it must have been kind of difficult to be a god. Never dying. Never having necessities to know the value of things."

 Mr. Brunner nodded, "Excellent, Percy, 100% for you." 

He gave me a sort of side glance, "As for you, Hugo, you'll get an 50."

"What? Why?"

"Remind me, my boy, when did you exactly lend a helping hand?"

I paused, "I— I— I mean— I did...— um..."

Mr Brunner nodded solemnly.

[~<^>~] 

Mom was mad. 

So, so, so, so, so, so, so, so mad that she stormed over to parent teacher conference's dragging me by the ear. 

I was worried. What was she going to do about my 45%?

She stomped all the way into Mr. Brunner's office and gave him a sour smile.

"Hello, Mr. Brunner, I was wondering about my son's 45%?" Before Mr. Brunner could respond a woman with brown hair and some grey streaks and color-changing eyes followed by a boy— Percy?

He waved at me, confused. I was confused, too.

"Hello, Mr. Brunner," the woman with brown hair said cheerfully. 

"Hello, Sally." He answered. 

Mr. Brunner wheeled his wheelchair over, "Hello, Evelyn, I believe you got the times wrong. Come back in one hour please."

My mom sniffed, "I'm already here, I'm not leaving just to come back."

Mr. Brunner smiled, "Well, you can sit on that bench for an hour then."

She sat down and yanked my arm so I had to, too.

Mr. Brunner rolled back towards Percy and Sally.

I zoned out eventually. It was boring. Sally droned on about how happy she was that her son got a 100% for his class, but was not surprised. Mr Burnner nodded along.

FINALLY it ended.

As Percy and Sally were leaving my Mom stopped them. 

"I'm sorry, but my intelligent son got a 45% for the semester! Your son and mine were partners for the project that flunked him! He said that Mr. Brunner said that he hadn't participated so he got a 50%!"

Sally nodded, "Yes, I believe Percy told me that, what about it?"

"I think that your son told Mr. Brunner something! My son would never sit back and let someone else do all of his own work!"

I cleared my throat, "M— Mom? Percy did do all of it."

Mom looked at me in shock, then turned back to Sally, "And your boy has poisoned his mind!"

Sally frowned, "I believe you have it wrong. My son was in the kitchen on the phone with your son. I was listening. Percy was doing all of it and your son was ignoring him."

My Mom let them through shouting, "The truth is always revealed!"

Welp, 1070 words is a lot but y'all deserve it cuz you gave me 800 READS 🥳🎉