Percy was on his table at school, an open notebook in front of him, trying to figure out the poem he should write. His mother sometimes apply butterfly weed balm on his bruises if they form on obvious places, he can write that. Or he can take what his father did and change the words to 'Mother'. Percy grabbed his pencil (how he loves the muggle world- he can't live without these granite-filled wooden sticks) and starts to write the word Mother on top of his notebook.

"Your task is to feed them. Once you're done feeding them, you can have these pellets for breakfast!" Camilla smiled, a smile that feels too fake for Percy. "These pellets are very expensive, so eat them happily and don't waste any bit, ok?"

"But Mummy, these pellets are peacock food, not human food-" Percy shook his head. "I can't eat peacock food."

"I said-" Camilla twists Percy's ear. "Eat them!"

"Mummy, let go!"

Percy tore off that page from his book, crumpling the paper. He wrote the word Mother on top of his notebook again, preparing to write a poem about- maybe he can't write about his father and pass it off as about his mother, but a lie?

"You forgot to water my plants!" Camilla shrieked as she pulled Percy's hair. "One of them is wilted because of you!"

"I'm so sorry, Mummy!" Percy begged as Camilla pushed Percy away from her, making him hit the wall. "There's so much homework from school!"

"Livvy!" Camilla called, and Livvy snapped to their side, staring at Percy's pained expression with pity. "Get some fags and a lighter."

Oh no. Livvy nods as she snapped away, soon returning with a pack of cigarettes and a lighter before snapping away.

"Well, open your clothes!" Camilla ordered as she lights up a cigarette, preparing to burn Percy's freckled skin.

Once again, Percy tore off that page from his book, crumpling the paper before tossing it aside. He wrote the word Mother on top of his notebook again, preparing to write whatever poem- anything! This is for school!

"What is that on your hand?" Camilla asked, fury in her eyes as she glared at the plate of rice and anchovies in Percy's hands. Both Percy and Livvy were at loss of words as Percy seemed to freeze at sight.

"Mistress Camilla-"

"Wingardium leviosa!" With her wand pointed on Percy's plate, Percy's plate floats and navigates to a nearby bin, where it dumps its content before flying back. "Livvy, clean the plate. Come inside, Percy."

Percy closed the whole notebook, salty tears leaking down his eyes. He can't do this. He can't do this. He can't pretend all the things his father did was his mother's doing, he can't fabricate a lie and say his mother is a great woman, he can't. Even if it's for school and he's generally a good liar, he can't. Percy can hear the squeaky door swung open and he immediately dries away his tears, grabbing his water bottle and drink it.

"Hey, Perce," Oliver started, sitting next to him. Audrey and Penelope sat in front of him, but with their chairs facing him. All of them open their lunch boxes. "Have you eaten yet?"

"I've had breakfast at home," Percy answered, smiling at Oliver. "Just eat."

"That's breakfast, this is lunch!" Audrey exclaimed, getting some food on the lid of her lunch box. "Come on, eat. You can have some of mine, my dad cooked fried rice."

"You can have mine too!" Penelope exclaimed, getting some food on the lid of her lunch box. "My mum cooked pasta, it's really good."

"You can have mine!" Oliver offered, handing Percy a sandwich.

"No, thanks," Percy rejected, pushing away every one of their meal offers. "You'll be hungry."

"Percy, my dad cooked so much fried rice, it's ok!" Audrey tried to assure him. "You need the energy."

"Have you eaten the chocolate I gave you?" Penelope asked. "I remember seeing Oliver throwing away the wrapper, but not you."

"I must've forgotten-" Percy shook his head as he looked under his table. True to his words, the chocolate Penelope gave him was still there.

"Well-" Penelope looked at him expectantly. "Eat it!"

Percy flinched at first but then smiled as he obediently unwrapped the chocolate and eats it. Somehow she reminds him of his mother for a split second there, luckily she didn't force him to eat white peacock pellets. He revelled in the taste of the chocolate, how sweet it is and how it seems to melt in his mouth, he finished it so quickly.

"Just throw the wrapper later, Percy," Oliver said. "You need to eat first."

"Alright-" Percy nodded obediently as Audrey handed him a spare spoon from her bag, pushing forth his share of fried rice to Percy's direction. Percy takes the spoon and eats the fried rice, pushing away the memories of the gutted feeling as he watches his mother throws away his rice with anchovies in front of him, following with beatings. He won't get beaten here, no one would beat him.

"Are you still hungry, Percy?" Penelope asked, pushing forth the lid of her lunch box. Percy looked down at Audrey's lid, now empty of fried rice. "Just eat the pasta, it's napolitana!"

"It's alright," Percy smiled at his friend. "I'm already full."

"Are you sure?" Penelope asked and Percy nodded. Penelope shoves the spaghetti back to her lunch box, closing the box. "Ok then, I'll just bring it home."

"Hey, do you want to go out the field?" Oliver asked.

"Sure!" Audrey said, standing up. Both Penelope and Percy followed their lead as they left for the field, chilling under the tree.

"So, about the competition-" Audrey shrugged. "What are you going to write about?"

"My mum is a police, I'll write that she makes the world safer for me," Oliver answered so easily like he always had an answer in his head. "What about you, Pen?"

"My mum is a great cook!" Penelope exclaimed. "I love her cooking, I'll write about that. What about you, Percy?"

In a moment of panic, Percy chuckled as he took off his glasses to clean them before wearing them again, feeling unease in his stomach, constraint in his chest. "Uhh, maybe Audrey should go first."

"Uhh, my mother is dead," Audrey reminded. Percy closed his eyes as he bit his lips, right. Audrey's mother died giving birth to her. "I'll just probably write about how she sacrificed her life for mine and how I'm so thankful for it."

"Right, I forgot." Percy bit his fist. "I'm so sorry."

"What are you going to write, Perce?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, what are you going to write?" Penelope joined.

"I-" Percy's breath quickened, looking at his three best friends. He shook his head, not knowing what to answer. He looked around so quickly.

"Percy?" Audrey called. "Calm down, it's ok."

It's not ok, as Percy passed out already. Good thing for Oliver, as he quickly catches Percy's back to protect his head from hitting the ground. Audrey straightened Percy's legs and elevate them so more blood can reach Percy's brain.

"Get Mrs Clyde!"