Chapter Text
Being surrounded by government officials was not how I expected to grieve my brother death. They stood in front of me in their freshly steamed black suits and dark sunglasses which didn’t display any emotion. My brother was the driving force in my life. He picked me up when I was at my lowest, gave me advice with my friendship and was always there for me. He had a goofy slime which seemed to light up room, and a killer sense of humor.
I remember when time when we were little, and mom had just been made state governor for California. Edris knew mom was supposed to give a televised speech about public health and whatnot. To make it more bearable for us , Edris hid a frog in her coat pocket. I don’t know how and where he got it from, but that made it more special. I remember the utter shock on my mom face when she pulled out this green slimly frog and instinctually flung it across the newsroom. It made me and him laugh, but she was absolutely mortified.
“Edris Charlie Zhang and Lilbitina Emily Zhang,” she exclaimed after that very speech “don’t every do anything like that every again.”
The punishment for me wasn’t bad, but for Edris it was. No more hanging out with friends for a week. Which doesn’t seem that bad, but then you remember he doesn’t have any way to communicate with his friends outside of school. Because, you know, demigods and phones and all that.
The happiest memory of my brother was soon interrupted by a hearty sob let out by my mother. Hazel Levesque, first female and black president of the United States of America. She sat all dressed in black, with her head in her hands. She black suit jacket and trousers made her stand out against the white marble of the white house floor. She was a strong woman, was my mother. Facing prejudice for her skin colour, her gender, her marriage, and more recently the conspire theories around her age. Her dying and coming back to life is true, but it isn’t linked to lizard and other anti-Semitic views.
My father stood behind her, rubbing her back. He had an equally sullen look on his face. He blamed him self for Edris death, getting him involved in the army, allowing him to explore his interest into investigation.
My brother Edris Zhang was killed while undercover for the FBI. Well, that what’s being told to the public. My brother was caught off guard by a Darkon. Killed in the middle of Manhattan after we had just visited the Jackson-Chase household. Another thing not being told to the public, I was the one who found him and held him until his last breath, the one who called 911 and the one who watched him die.To the pulic he was stabbed by some spy or criminal.
I watched as my mother gathered herself and took a long stride towards me.
“Ready?” she spoke Shakely.
I simply nodded. I took my time. This for some reason was a second too long for some officer who grabbed by my arm and hung up. Luckily, dad swiftly took me away.
“What was their problem,” I said while shaking off their touch.
Dad simply shook his head
“No idea, I’ll get them gone if you want.”
I just slimed thinly.
That’s when I saw the coffin for the first time.
It was in a small room. Only lit by candles and the small light which seeped through the windows. The small amount of light casted a purple haze over my vison. The lid was lifted show my bother pale and lifeless face. His hair looked tufted. I knew that whatever funeral home director did this didn’t know how to deal with his hair. My brother never had his natural hair out, he always had it styled in some way. I walked up with my father and just looked. Whatever I was looking at I didn’t process. I couldn’t process that thing that lay was my older brother.
My mom grabbed on to my arm. Her grip was suffocating, digging into my arm. I tried to pull away. The more I did the more lifeless she looked. I pulled her into a hug. She crumpled into my chest and just sobbed. Her cries drowned out any thought I had in my head, and they were just focused on her. I was brought back to reality, when dad wrapped his arms around both of us. I was taller than my mom but smaller than my dad, even only by an inch.
“Come on, we need to go.”
He kissed top both of our head and took my mom arm and led us to the service.
Walking into the chapel felt weird. A bunch of pagans, saying goodbye to a boy who raised pagan, in a church. My mom saw it for political reason and something to do with Ireland, I saw it a straight up blastomas. My brother was dating a son of two powerful demigods who was an archaeologist, while he was also a son of two powerful demigods. It felt strange and the ceremony even weirder.
How is your supposed to grieve your brother when A) you’re not in the right religious space and B) there are cameras watching your every move. Why did very family matter have to be published, I just wanted a moment to myself. I don’t want to share it with thousands of other people across the globe, who see my brother as the American princess Diana. This was due to him just simply being nice to everyone he saw and talking to everyone he met, nothing groundbreaking.
It went by fast luckily. It was all a blur. I went through “Your brother was so special.” From people I had never seen before, then found myself laying on my bed crying my eyes out. I missed my brother; he was the one who made me laugh every day. There was Edris shaped hole in my heart.
I could hear my mother have a heated discussion with uncle about why they weren’t allowed to attend.
“I don’t know Nico!” my mum exclaimed “I asked, and I tried.”
There was silence on the other side.
“I get it,” My uncle answered. From what I hear Nico never had an Italian accent growing up, but it soon came back after he moved there for uni. He found quickly it was cheaper than the US and UK and got in easily, and it helped he knew the language. “Here how about you guys come over some time, take a vacation and just chill.”
That’s when I stopped listening. As much I as love my uncles, my cousin?? Posh asshole. Ok I take that back. Elio wasn’t an ass because he was posh, he was more artistic pretentious. He was nice, but you could only be around him for so long. But that was idea of 15-year-old Elio, the last time I saw and spoke to him. He’s now 17 and just finished his finale year in school. Also, I had to stop mine and Selena get together due my brother funeral.
I wasn’t going to miss it again.
Me and Selena had been friends since were six, when dad had to work in New York for a while. We spent a lot of the time with Percy and Annabeth. Due to me and Selena being born a few months apart we became best friends instantly. It was also due to us being forced together and becoming friends the way, you do when you’re younger. Just attaching yourself to that one person and knowing everything about them, even if it was for a day. Its also where Edris and Luke met. Insurable childhood best friends turned lovers; I was sick of it. But me and Selena made sure that our brother never had a moment them self and we just constantly made of them from their lovey – dovey relationship. We were glued to the hip. When we moved away from New York, back to cail, me and Selena would meet every summer, before camp. Then spend very moment together when camp half blood and Jupiter met, hanging out. And right now, I missed her deeply.
My dad nocked on my door. He popped his head through and gave me a weak smile.
“How are you feeling.”
I flopped over on to my pillow
“I’m not going to fucking Italy, I’ve already missed me and Selena hanging out”
Dad sat at the end on my bed. He shifted his weight, getting ready to ask me a question.
“How about Selena comes to Italy with us?”
I turned over and gave my dad strange look. And flopped on to my back.
“Like Percy would allow that.”
My dad simply slimed.
“They would all be coming. The whole of the Jackson-Chase family. Some people you haven’t met before. You’ll get to make new friends.”
I thought to myself maybe having Selena around would make my cousin long talks about how Van Gough is a great misunderstood man easier to listen too. Then I remember it’s Selena were talking about. Her panties would fall off the moment she saw him.
I love Selena but she is, how you put it? a whore.
“Do you think I’m easy?” Selena asked me one night after a house party in new Rome. Her arm was wrapped around mine, our steps in sync.
“What do you mean?”
Selena huffed and looked at the sky. I got scared if she looked higher, she would topple over due to how drunk she was. She had her dad sea green eyes and deep brown skin. Her hair shined like the sea at night and she simply beautiful. She swayed her head backwards and forwards.
“I got with 3 guys in there, all because they were charming and made me feel special.”
Obviously not enough special for her to lose interest and move on within the space of a few minutes. But I didn’t dear say that out loud.
“But your also drunk, and many people make out with many people while drunk.”
Swaying her head again she hummed.
“But also, when I’m sober.”
I simply shrugged by shoulder and kept on walking. I wasn’t going to entrain this conversation. It hurt too much.
“I’m guessing I don’t have a choice.”
“Nope. Plus, you love Italy and its food.”
“Yeah, it’s only redeeming qualities”
My dad laughed. He stood up from his seat and walked to the door.
“Yeah, pack your bags though. We are leaving tomorrow.”
And that he left me in my dark and damp room. I sat from my bead and got up. I started to get ready for my trip to Italy.