Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Chapter 14: Chris Rodriguez

The teacher was glaring at him again. Chris met the glare full on, not flinching once before the teacher backed down. He was used to it by now. All the teachers knew that he was a supposed 'dangerous' kid. But he wasn't. Not really.

Just... In a gang... But it wasn't as all cracked up as they made it to be. It wasn't anything special they did- just hang out, and yeah, do some graffiti because freedom was so limited, and the raging cops were hilarious until they were thrown in jail or had to do some community service.

So, Chris ignored the teachers and started to doodle on his papers, because the lesson was excruciatingly painful- half the class weren't even listening. He doodled some wildstyle word, arrows coming out of the letters and serifs and connections everywhere, before he felt someone staring at it.

"Not bad, Chris," one of the members of his crew said. "But unfortunately... I'm out of paper, and the teacher is so boring..."

Chris quickly grabbed his paper and shoved it in his scruffy backpack. "Use someone else's paper for spitballs, man. Here." He handed his friend some paper and watched as it got torn into small pieces.

"Thanks, C. I wasn't actually going to use your piece, just saying."

Chris waved him off, disgruntled at his friend.

"Mr. Rodriguez!" the teacher bellowed in such a cliché manner, said person wasn't terrified at all. "Are you listening?"

"More than half the class isn't, you old geezer!" His friend called out, and snickers rang out like the bell that rang just after.

All of the students instantly clamored to the door, as their backpacks were all packed ten minutes earlier.

Chris met his friend at the door, and they walked together.

"You gonna use that piece for the walls later on?"

"I don't know AJ..."

AJ grinned. "You really should. Someone's been messing around with our turf, and we need to show them that it's ours. You can use yours to cross their tags out."

"Mmhh," Chris said, uncertainly. "I'm not sure, man..."

His friend faltered in his step, his eyes lighting up with realization. "Oh... Yeah, your mom. Family comes first."

Chris nodded, glad he was understanding. "Though you know. Only family I got is my mama. Papa is who knows where..."

"I got you. Anyways, see ya."

AJ left, turning a corner as Chris turned the other one. He hated the thought of anyone tagging the walls of his turf that was their special place, but family always came first.

Especially since his mom was in the hospital with only a few more weeks to live. Until then, he made a plan to be with her till the day the disease he didn't know the name of would take her and she would be lifeless, and he would have no place to stay except maybe his grandma's whose vision was failing and death was coming.

Once he arrived in the dreary, white, though the paint was peeling off as it was rundown and underfunded. The government didn't care about their community at all. Chris looked at it, and frowned that the fact that his mom had to die in such a depressing place.

He walked inside, turning though corners and hallways until he came to a door which he opened, before greeting his mother.

She smiled when she saw him. She always did.

He took the unoccupied guest chair and held her hand. "Mama..."

"Hijo..." His mother breathed, smiling widely like she had yesterday. "How was your day?"

It was painful. Seeing his mother talk normally and smile normally and hold his hand normally yet inside, there was some disease raging inside her, threatening to kill her anytime.

But for now, he would bear with it, because she was still alive. "It was good. Someone was apparently tagging on our turf, but..."

She stroked his hand, and Chris appreciated the gesture. He liked how his mom was chill with everything- how she didn't mind how he went around with 'dangerous' people or if he always carried a few cans of spray paint everywhere he went.

She was the best single parent he could ever have, he knew. Except that was the problem, the question he had for her- why his father went away, because hands down, she was perfect.

Maybe, in her last few days, she would brood over it, but, he needed to know.

"Mama, where is papa?"

The smile froze, but her eyes twinkled mischievously as if she was planning an actual surprise in her meatloaf. Or a few extra jalapeños in her tacos.

"Your papa is the funniest person I ever knew, and also the fastest. Living here... Well you know what it's like. He offered me money to move, but I refused, because how could I take it? Anyways..."

His mother's eyes sparkled, as if she was telling a magnificent story. "So there was a gang right? Always looking for talent and such. So he was forced to join them. They used to just travel around the neighborhood but they used your papa's money, so now they travel around the country. However they're probably staying in New York since they like it so much. And we simply don't have the money to go there... I'm sorry mijo."

"Oh." He said, like it was no big deal- like the biggest question revolving in his mind was nothing.

"He really did want to stay you know? He said he was extremely sorry..." His mother rolled her eyes. "All that. But he loves you, and was always so, so sorry that he couldn't stay."

Chris found himself cursing the gang and hearing the overhead lightning.

And he realized, how could someone who said something so deep not stay true to his word and stay?

(Because if his father had stayed, maybe he wouldn't have to be sent to the orphanage because his mother had died.)

A/N: So how was The Blood of Olympus? Any spoilers? (Since I'll probably not read it in a very long time...) Anyways, thanks for all the support!

wyvern97: Ah. But I haven't read the books (from the HOO series), so...

HoOisawesome: Thank you!