In the heat of August, with so little time to spare, Percy ran. Crossing campus, he had exactly two more minutes before his English lecture. It wasn't his fault he was running late. When his alarm sounded, he got out of bed. He brushed his teeth, drank some coffee (that did not taste good mixed with the sweet mint of his toothpaste), and had breakfast. Everything was on track for him to arrive promptly at 9:20. Unfortunately, Mrs. O'Leary chose that exact moment to vomit all over his shoes. The Great Dane puppy tended to eat things she wasn't supposed to and Percy had to deal with the repercussions. After all was said and done, Percy had no hope.
9:10
That's what glared at him from his watch as he made his way to the door for the second time that morning.
Great, he thought, late on the first day of class. Way to make an impression.
When he arrived at room 121 of Pallas Hall at 9:25, sweating through every layer and breathing worse than Mrs. O'Leary, his tardiness was not the only thing making him stand out. Sitting through the lecture hall, every single student in front of him was a woman.
Most men in that situation would likely react similarly to Percy; because his brain quit working, his reaction may have been decidedly worse.
First, he froze. The door he had just aggressively shoved through swung back and nearly smacked him in the face. Still, his daze continued as he scanned aisle by aisle, waiting for his brain to fill in the gaps. When his eyes reached the front, they locked with another set. Everyone was staring at him, but this gaze was enchanting. Maybe it was the scrutiny behind them or the general malice they held, but something would not let him look away.
That is until he heard a throat clear to his left.
"Hi," was the greeting from the professor. "Can I help you with something?"
Weeks before classes started, Percy had walked around campus finding every single one of his classes and memorizing his schedule so he wouldn't have to reread and re-decipher the mixing letters every day. He remembers repeating Pallas 121 in his head over and over as he took the path to this very room. He knew he was where he was supposed to be. Now he questioned everything.
Instead of answering, he slowly backed out, stumbling when he hit the door. Only then did he break contact with the girl with the scary eyes.
Out of the room he frantically searched for the room number.
121
He closed his eyes and inhaled slowly.
In for four, out for four.
After a beat, he peeled his eyes open. The plaque still read 121.
Okay, Percy. Don't panic. It's just a room full of girls. No biggie. You got this.
It felt like an eternity had passed, but in reality was more likely only seconds. When he opened the door again, everyone was still staring at the door. Looking to assuage the room, he decided to explain himself upon reentry.
"Okay look, I know you all think I'm lost, but my schedule says Pallas room 121 for English 101. I know because I walked to every one of my classes and this was one of them." At this point, out of fear or necessity, his head was down; his arms were still flailing. "I don't know what's going on or if this is a huge prank but I'm so sorry I was late. I-it's just that my dog ate something bad and then she threw up on my shoes and then I had to run and I know I'm late but I'm here now and I'm just-" he breathed deeply again to calm himself. He didn't like making a fool of himself but he undoubtedly felt that way now. Slower, and more tranquil, he stated with finality: "I'm just so confused and so sorry."
Nobody immediately responded. He didn't know what to think. As time drew on he shrunk more and more in on himself.
He heard the professor speak again.
"Okay, uh...thank you for that explanation. I hope your dog is okay. I believe you are in the right class, but I'm not sure you know what you signed up for. Each English 101 section has a different topic of study. For example: down the hall you find Dr.D teaching a concentration on video games. Dr. Kim teaches with a focus on American history. I, Dr. Finch, instruct my class with women's literature."
Oh.
He did not pay that much attention to the description. With his swimming schedule, he was only allowed to take classes at certain times and this one fit the best into his schedule.
"Thank you, doctor. I had no idea the English classes had differences to them. Now that I think about it, my advisor did have a strange look on his face when I chose this class. Though I feel it's a failure on his part not explaining this to me. You know, considering it's his job."
A couple of girls giggled, but most seemed to be annoyed now, eager to start the lesson. Percy had finally looked up and met her eyes again.
Oh, she is pissed.
"Well, if you want to switch out, I'm sure you can set another meeting with your advisor to find a class better suited to your interests."
"If it's alright ma'am, I would like to stay. I just have one question."
"Yeah, go ahead."
Percy dropped his voice to a whisper, though it sounded more like a stage whisper.
"Um, are we going to read Little Women?"
This time, the professor laughed.
"Yes, we will discuss Little Women. Now, would you please have a seat so we can get started?"
"Yes, ma'am. Sorry again about the disruption." With a red face and his head ducked down again, Percy quickly made his way to the first open seat. In the front row. Next to Angry Eyes. Who was still glaring at him. Wisely, Percy kept his eyes on the lesson, hoping Angry Eyes would spare him mercy. Still, he heard her mutely state:
"Next time you want to be late, please do so quietly so the rest of us can learn."
Ouch.
The rest of the class went by fast. He tried to pay attention. He truly did. It's just— every time he would finally lock into the lecture, Angry Eyes would move ever-so-slightly and he would think about how her eyelashes framed the bold arches of her waterline. Or how the blush on her cheeks really complimented her dark skin. Or how her braids framed her face in a way that accented every feature. If he didn't know better, he'd say he just stumbled upon a goddess. She also smelled like lemons. Not that he was inhaling deeply on purpose. He would never.
He wanted to introduce himself at the end of class but she was gone before he even realized they had been dismissed.
Next time, he thought.
He did not talk to her next time. In fact, he didn't even sit next to her until weeks later. The class was very engaging and Percy looked forward to Tuesdays and Thursdays. Each week, they read a different book and had to write a one-page analysis of the book. They could discuss the cultural or significant impact, discuss the struggles of the author, or even criticize the book. Percy didn't realize how much more work he was doing until he compared the load to his roommate. Jason's class had him writing an essay every other week. Granted, those had to be at least two pages, but they also focused on one book in two weeks. Still, Percy didn't mind the workload. He actually enjoyed learning and writing about the different stories. They wouldn't be doing Little Women until closer to the end of the semester, but he had other books he looked forward to reading.
The week before midterms, Percy managed to make it to class fifteen minutes early. He woke up early from a nightmare and couldn't find it in him to go back to sleep. To get his mind off things, he took a late-night stroll. At five in the morning, campus was quiet. He made his way to the courtyard while staring at the stars so often hidden in the business of the city. Out here, where there were fewer lights and more trees, they were shining brightly.
"You're going to break your neck if you keep walking like that."
The voice was unexpected and his head snapped quick enough that he felt a twinge of whiplash. Raising his hand to massage his neck he searched for the voice.
Angry Eyes
"Excuse me?!" Oh sh*t, he said that out loud. Her face had quickly morphed into annoyance, which was said. He much preferred her face when it wasn't scrunched up like that. Though, he thought all of her faces were cute."
"No!" Panic laced his voice. "I-I'm sorry! That first day of class you were so mad at me and I still don't know your name so that's the name I gave you in my head."
She still looked annoyed but some of the lines smoothed out. Lips pursed she now gave him a once-over. Her scrutinizing gaze was unsettling but he didn't know what else to do other than stand there.
Eventually, she spoke again.
"I honestly didn't think you were going to last. That class is known for being rigorous and feminist-centric. I've read some of your discussion posts. Not all of your thoughts are half bad."
"...thanks?"
"You're welcome. Now, lay down in the grass so you can properly see the stars." The command was strange to him but who was he to deny her? They say in silence for a while admiring the different constellations.
"My name is Percy, by the way."
"Annabeth." She didn't provide anything else. He was too afraid to break the unbalanced sanctity of their stargazing so he remained silent. His normal alarm sounded and jerked them both out of their reverie.
"I gotta go get ready, but I'll see you in class?" Her only response was a nod as she walked in the opposite direction, hands in her pockets. Percy stood watching her a bit, mesmerized once again.
Arriving fifteen minutes early meant he didn't expect anyone to be in the classroom yet. To his surprise (though maybe not) he found Annabeth already sitting in her same front-row seat. Hoping to sit beside her quietly, he made his way over. Instead, he tripped over seemingly nothing and fell into the chair. Somehow, Annabeth didn't even react but slowly rotated her head toward him, a question locked in her eyes.
"I'm okay, thanks for asking," he grunted as he corrected his position beside her. She smirked at him slightly.
"Oh, I wasn't worried."
"Wow thanks for the concern, I could've died or something."
"Hmm. I don't see any blood or broken bones. Do you think you'll survive the one-foot fall?"
"Alright, haha. And here I thought you cared." She rolled her eyes.
"All I care about is getting good grades and graduating early with honors."
"Wow," he looked at her in a new light. " You really have everything planned out, huh?"
"I do. Which is why I pointedly made sure to avoid you after that spectacle you pulled on the first day. I cannot afford to get distracted by anything."
"I distract you?"
"That's what you got out of that?! I'm not saying that at all. I don't talk to anyone I sit next to because everything is a distraction."
"Oh c'mon, lighten up a bit. College is supposed to be fun. Live your life, go to parties, look at cute guys. Or girls. The point is to find yourself."
"I know myself. I will graduate early with honors and become the youngest intern at Pallas Architecture, which will then lead to being the youngest partner and youngest CEO."
Damn. Percy didn't even know what he was going to have for lunch after this. "Do you even know what you're majoring in?" She continued.
"Of course I do. I'm going to school for marine biology but I want to go into teaching. That's as far as I have planned and I'm just hoping to pass my classes. I have dyslexia so I get tutored in most classes just to keep me on track. I'm just happy I even got into a decent school. Though that may be more for my swimming than my academics."
"You swim?"
"And that's what you got from all of that?" He gave her a look to which she shrugged indifferently. "Yes, I swim for the school. I've been competing since elementary school and figured it would help me get through college. It's just a fun thing to get my mind off of school, honestly."
"That's... surprisingly pretty cool. I've never done much outside of academics or intellectually stimulating clubs like mock trial or student council."
Their conversation continued and soon the rest of the class trickled in. When the professor entered, they reluctantly stopped talking and tuned in.
Dr. Finch opened the slide deck to this week's book and Percy instantly sat straighter, beaming. He could feel Annabeth's curious look, as he had never shown this much interest in the lessons.
"This week, we will be discussing the wonderfully written book titled 'Surviving the Sea,' a memoir about a woman's journey through abandonment, abuse, and motherhood. She resiliently grew through her trauma and is a testament to the women's experience. With a raise of hands, who has already read this?" About half the room showed their hands. "That's great! So I'm sure one of you can tell me who the author is and an overview of the contents."
Only a few hands remained in the air and Annabeth was called on to speak.
"The memoir, written by award-winning author Sally Jackson, follows her life roughly from her late teens to her late thirties. Her parents died when she was young, so she went to live with her uncle. Just as she was starting school to be a writer, she had to drop out to take care of him after his cancer diagnosis. At 23, she became pregnant, but the father left before the birth of the child. Soon after, to make ends meet, she married a man who ended up being abusive to her.
She only managed to escape the torment after he was arrested from an anonymous tip that exposed the laundering he was doing within his business. Unfortunately, she still struggled to find enough money to get out of that apartment. After years of working at a candy store, she managed to save enough money to go back to school, during which time she wrote the memoir."
"Wow. Beautifully told Annabeth. Now, we're going to touch more specifically on what resources women in these situations have." She clicked to the next slide. "For women in abuse situations, it can be very tricky to--" Dr. Finch had finally noticed Percy's hand remaining in the air. "Yes, Percy?"
"I think Annabeth missed a few of the details toward the end. It's okay though, it was only briefly mentioned that she found love again with her son's English teacher. I'm sure that made him quite uncomfortable at first, but I like to think he just wanted his mom to be happy again. Oh! And I think I saw somewhere recently that she had a daughter a few years ago. I just bring that up to say that being in a sh*tty situation doesn't mean the end of the world and women like Sally Jackson are equivalent to modern-day superheroes. They deserve to be worshiped like goddesses for all they have to go through."
"Thank you for the additional insight, Percy! It is important to focus on the positives and hope that every woman in this situation sees that side of it."
Percy was more than happy to listen to Dr. Finch discuss the book and its literary merit for the remaining time in class. When it ended, he quickly made his way to the podium to ask her a quick question.
"Absolutely! Percy, if you can do that, that would be amazing!"
Heading toward the door, Percy was surprised to see Annabeth waiting for him.
"What was that about?" She asked.
"You'll see on Thursday." He was not going to tell her and ruin the chance to see her caught off guard for once.
"Ugh, whatever, fine, don't tell me." She rolled her eyes. "Hey, you seem to know a lot about Sally Jackson. Is she, like, your favorite author or something?"
"Mmm, something like that. I may have a mutual connection."
"Shut up! No, you do not! You have to tell me! Sally Jackson is the Jane Austen of our time! Seriously Percy, how do you have that connection?!"
"Sorry, can't. It's a safety thing. That is all the information you're getting from me." He walked off, leaving her in the middle of the sidewalk still yelling after him.
On Thursday, Percy was practically vibrating in his seat, he was so excited.
"Ok." Annabeth took note of his appearance. "This is a new level of unhinged from you and I'm concerned. Did you have an energy drink or something? What is wrong with you?"
"I'm just really excited for class." His face was hurting but he couldn't stop smiling. He'd arranged the whole thing last night.
"Mom, will you please do me a huge favor?"
"No, Percy, I will not come do your laundry just because you don't feel like it."
"No, mom." He rolled his eyes. He'd only asked her to do that a few times during the semester. Definitely not once a week. "This is actually something related to class."
"Alright, son, what is it?"
"Okay, so you know how I signed up for a women's lit class, right? So, Dr. Finch pulls up the slides for this week and the featured book for the week is your memoir!! Mom, I was so happy to see it up there! We had so many great discussions and I'm just so proud of you. But, anyway, the point is this: I asked my teacher if it would be possible for you to come in and speak about the memoir and maybe give some more depth to what you went through."
"Oh Percy, that sounds like a wonderful idea! I'm proud of you for becoming the man you are. Just tell me the day and time and I'll be there!"
"Can you bring Estelle, too? I miss her." "Sure, Percy."
"Okay, I'll see you then. I love you!"
"I love you too, Percy."
Now, Percy was just waiting for the moment when his mom would walk in, his sister in tow. First, Dr. Finch approached the podium.
"Alright, today we have a little bit of a different approach to class. Thanks to Percy, we have with us today a special guest. Please welcome Sally Jackson, author of 'Surviving the Sea'"
Unbeknownst to Percy, his mom was already in the room. He expected her to walk through the doors dramatically, but instead, he saw her rise from a seat at the opposite end of his row. She found him and sent a quick wave.
"Thank you all so much for having me! I was very surprised but very excited to be called here today. Thank you so much to Dr. Finch for including my memoir in your literary lineup. I never could've imagined being here when I first started writing this. I'm so glad my story could be put to paper to help women everywhere find the strength they need to survive their own seas."
Sally continued, adding details that didn't make it into the book. With ten minutes left in class, she opened up the floor to questions. Beside Percy, Annabeth enthusiastically raised her hand but waited patiently until it was her turn.
"Ms. Jackson, it is an honor to be in the same room as you. You've inspired me so much through all of your novels. What was one of your biggest motivators to get you through all of the hardships? I know you touch a little bit on it in the book, but I'm curious to know where 'brave the storm' came from."
"Well, as many of you know, I became a single mother at 23, with no parental support. I truly felt hopeless. But I knew I wanted my son to have a better life than me. That didn't seem possible at first and we really did struggle. But every day I would look at him and see the adoration in his eyes and think 'You have to keep going. Brave the storm.' It became our motto; a way to communicate to each other when things got tough." Sally's eyes had traveled to Percy's at some point and welled with tears as she continued. "My son was my anchor for the longest time. He still is. As you see here beside me, I have my daughter. She is not mentioned in the book because she wasn't born at the time of publication." The audience chuckled along with Sally. "But my son is a huge part of the story. To protect his identity, and most of the people in the book, I changed his name to Theseus. What that name has in common with my son's is the Greek origin. I gave my son his name because his namesake was a hero with a happy ending. I wanted that for him." She paused to ask a silent question. With a nod, Percy gave her the go-ahead. "I named my son Perseus in the hopes that he would have the same fate as the slayer of Medusa."
Percy made his way to his mom, landing against her with a hug.
"Thank you again to Percy for bringing in such a special guest. At this time, class is over, but if you have further questions or maybe just want to give a personal thank you, I'm sure Sally won't mind hanging around a bit?"
"Of course, Dr Finch." Percy let go and made his way to Estelle. "Percy!" She reached her arms and Percy picked her up with ease. "Oh, Estelle! I missed you so much! It's been too long."
"Perrrcy. You saw me last week for dinner."
"I know, I know. I just can't stand to be away from you. I love you too much"
Percy felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, he saw Annabeth looking at him in a way he had never seen before. He couldn't quite make out what it was though.
"Oh hey, Annabeth. Did you like the surprise?"
Her jaw dropped. She couldn't seem to find the words for a second, sputtering a few syllables.
"Spit it out, wise girl." He had a smug smirk on his face; it shifted to a frown as she punched him in the arm not holding Estelle.
"You jerk, why didn't you tell me Sally Jackson is your mom?" "You didn't ask?"
"Yes. I. Did." She spoke through gritted teeth. "Is your head full of seaweed or something?" Estelle giggled at that statement.
"Hehe. Percy, she called you a seaweed brain!" Annabeth smiled at that.
"Yeah, seaweed brain, was answering my question two days ago so hard?" Percy sighed dramatically.
"I thought it would be fun to see your reaction. Which, by the way, I missed because I was listening so intently to my mom because she is the most amazing human on the planet."
"Oh I 100% agree but that does not excuse your deception."
"Would I be able to make it up to you by inviting you to dinner with us?" "With you?"
"Mhm."
"And your mom?"
"Mhm."
"Your mom, as in Sally Jackson."
"Now who's the one with seaweed for brains?"
"Okay, okay. On one condition."
"What is it?"
"You let her tell me one embarrassing story about you."
"Oh come on! No! I don't care that much. We'll go eat at Olive Garden ourselves and you can just sit and wonder what could've been."
"I am not budging on this."
"Why are you negotiating? She's my mom."
"Because. I think you respect me and your mom too much to deprive us of intellectual opportunities." At that, Percy let out a big sigh.
"Ugh, I hate it when you're right. You're not going to make this easy are you?" "Nothing in life is easy, Percy, get used to it."
