Through the children spilling out of the front doors of Alexander's School for Misbehavers, a pair of blue trainers emerged, looking out of place in the sea of black shoes and tight stockings or ugly brown pants.
As the blue shoes skipped their way out of the schoolyard, people noticed, bursting into giggles and whispers over the blonde-haired girl who always wore a hoodie. Slowly, the girl's skips were slowed until they matched the mournful march of the other students in uniform, lugging dull backpacks heavy with homework in either the right or the left.
But the girl stopped at the entrance of of her school, waiting until the students had milled away in either direction before quickly, cautiously, running forward before she reached another street and sidewalk. She continued to walk briskly through the neighborhood of large houses and expensive cars before she came across what she was looking for.
The sea.
It's glittering, beautiful shades of blue, rippling with every wave that brought it closer to the sandy shore. On a cold and stormy day like that one, the sea was cold iron grey, its waves roaring so wildly the girl could almost close her eyes and see a god from one of her mother's tales of Greek myths.
Zoe Jackson ran her way down the sandy shores and to the roaring waves.
She threw off her hood, letting her curly, shoulder length blonde hair fly in the salty sprays of the sea. Her sea green eyes, so light they were almost blue, glittered happily and she kicked off her trainers, cuffing her jeans and walking ankle deep into the water.
She was home.
After a long day, she was at her home by the sea, feeling the sand under her feet, the wind between her hair, the water against her skin. She closed her eyes half way, scanning the sand for any shells or rocks worthy of her attention.
It was one of her luckier days; from the corner of her eye, she found a perfectly smooth, oval shaped rock, grey but shot with strands of blue and gold. She cleaned off the water by wiping it on her jeans and stuffed it in her pocket.
By the time she felt it was time she should be getting home, she'd collected five seashells and three rocks. As she put her hands in her pockets for the journey home, she felt the rocks and shells moving between her fingers, surprisingly warm and comforting as she walked up to one of the biggest and fanciest houses in the neighborhood.
She pulled a key off the chain around her neck and unlocked the door, stepping in and calling, "Mom, I'm home!" Naturally, there was no answer.
Zoe sighed, cursing her mom's job as CEO of Athena's Architecture; even though she earned a lot of money, it meant she was barely ever home, and it wasn't like there was anyone in the area to take care of her.
As Zoe was taking off her shoes, her eyes were drawn to a picture on a wall that brought a lump to her throat and tears into her eyes. It showed a pretty, blonde woman with princess curls and tan skin holding a bundle of blankets, her stormy grey eyes filled with tears, and a tan, raven haired man with bright, sea green eyes, a grin on his face as he wrapped an arm around the blonde woman.
Zoe wiped away her tears quickly and walked into the living room, dropping her bag on a couch and making a beeline for the kitchen, where she found the telephone and punched in a number. As the phone tried for any signal, Zoe noticed a note like many others resting on the kitchen counter. She picked it up.
Zoe,
Sorry, but I'm coming home late again; there's a bit of trouble brewing here at the workplace. I know there's no one to look after you, but I know well enough that you can take care of yourself; you're my strong girl.
Love, Mom.
P.S: chicken wings are in freezer.
Zoe had finished the letter just as she was greeted by voicemail for the fifth time that week. She slammed the phone back in its holder, fuming, but was quickly overrun by the tears she had been trying to keep hidden.
The past two months events hit her with full force; her father's disappearance, her breakdown in her last school, having to leave her friends, having her mother work overtime, moving, not fitting in with the other students of her school.
Zoe sat on the cold stone floor, tucking her knees under her chin as she sobbed, slowly reaching for the chain around her neck. She took out the hooks and spread the necklace in front of her with trembling hands, looking at each charm and remembering their meanings.
The first one was a pearl, one side pinkish white and the other a sort of inky black. It represented her and her brother who she lost at birth; one sibling pearly white and gleaming, the other faded black and dull.
The second was a stone shape of two T's molded together, with two horn like structures sprouting out the top. Zoe didn't know the meaning of this one, but she had a strong guess that it was related to something Greek, much like many other things in her life.
The third was something from her friend in her last school; a simple, painted charm in the shape of a bead, colours like the sea and a stormy sky blending together, words reading 'the sky and the sea; two things connected' in small, neat handwriting. Zoe smiled softly as she read the words.
The fourth was her house key. She knew it may seem plain and normal to others, but Zoe thought of it as a constant reminder of home; it unlocked the door to endless safety and comfort.
The fifth and final one was a seashell her father had handed to her. Zoe felt more tears flood her eyes as she saw her dad's grinning, tan face, his eyes sparkling as he handed her the pale shell. It didn't have any sort of meaning except, I love you, dad. Please come home.
For how long Zoe sat in the same spot, staring at the necklace and memorizing their meanings, she didn't know. But when she finally tore her eyes away from the necklace and tied it around her neck, standing up to wash away the tears, she saw the darkening sky outside.
Zoe wiped the water away with the sleeve of her blue hoodie, making a promise with herself that she wouldn't have another breakdown like that one again. It was as she was doing this that the doorbell rang, the ring echoing constantly in an eerie way in the almost abandoned house.
Zoe stumbled her way to the door, not even bothering to check who it was before she opened the door and was facing a tall, darkly clothed woman with short, choppy brown hair and piercing blue eyes which stared at Zoe with so much intensity the younger girl feared she would be reduced to ashes within seconds.
"Er, hello," Zoe squeaked at the stranger, shrinking back into the house. "Can I help you?"
The stranger's gaze wandered before she asked, in a surprisingly kind voice, "Are you Zoe Jackson?" Carefully, slowly, Zoe nodded her head, going through possibilities in her head. Was this woman a kidnapper? Assassin? Or perhaps a distant relative?
"Do you know where Percy Jackson is? I have to talk to him," the woman went on hurriedly. Zoe felt her insides freeze as she heard her father's name. Turning her eyes to the floor, she muttered, "He isn't here."
"Sorry, I couldn't hear that," the woman went on pleasantly, a bright sparkle now in her eyes. Zoe grit her teeth and desperately tried to stop her shoulders from shaking as she repeated, in a louder voice, "He isn't here."
