Percy rushed with the broom to sweep the dead leaves out of the way again, collecting them to a tray before throwing them away to a nearby bin. He knew he only had very little time before it's over and Oliver gets here, so he had to be quick. Sweep left, sweep left, sweep down. He can't leave a spot uncleaned, his mother's wrath yesterday was bad enough for causing unnecessary trip and wasting unnecessary energy. He couldn't afford any more beatings from her.

Percy laid the broom to the wall, thinking that it's clean enough as he again grabbed the hem of his red-and-black checkered button-up shirt, fluttering it dry. Oliver will be here at any time and he better look decent. He stopped, thinking his shirt was dry enough as he wore his backpack from the ground, rushing to the gates. His smile grew wide as he sees his best friend's brown hair, but was confused when he sees a tall blonde woman trailing behind him.

"Hey, Perce!" Oliver called. "Ready to go?"

"Sure!" Percy answered as he joined Oliver to the pavement, glancing at the woman who he recognises as Oliver's mother. "Hi, Katherine."

"Hello, Percy." Percy awkwardly smiled as he nodded. "Where's your mother, Percy?"

"Am I supposed to bring my mother with me?"

"Didn't Ms Songchuya tell us yesterday in Homeroom?" Oliver interrupted. When Percy didn't elaborate, Oliver did. "We're supposed to bring our mothers with us and we're supposed to wear something formal."

"Must've escaped me-" Percy shook his head. "I'll have to beg for the school's mercy, use my fainting yesterday as a reason why I didn't know."

"Percival Rosier, taking advantage of past circumstances to break the rules?" Oliver laughed. "Who are you and what have you done to my best friend?"

"Ok, let's not get ahead of ourselves-" Percy chuckled as they entered the school, going to the hall. Percy notices that there are two strongholds of chairs, one for students and one for adults.

"Ol, Perce, over here!" Percy heard Audrey called, sitting next to Penelope. Again, Percy felt so underdressed as Audrey is wearing such a beautiful orange knee-length dress with her hair in braids, but it's not his fault he missed the memo.

"Why aren't you wearing a suit, Perce?" Penelope asked, wearing a strap light blue dress with a white shirt underneath. "I thought we have to wear something formal."

"He missed the memo, he also forgot to bring his mother-" Oliver rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry, Perce-" Audrey shoved Percy's shoulder playfully. "I didn't bring my mother too."

"Good morning to dearest students and their mothers!" The principal, Mr Moore, appeared on the stage. "On this day of 14th March, that is Mother's Day, we celebrate our mothers. We thank our mothers for taking care of us from when we were babies. We thank our mothers for loving us, for feeding us, for clothing us, for letting us have a house, for teaching us, for telling us stories to bed, for kissing us goodnight, and so many more!"

"This is going to be a long day," Audrey joked. Percy smiled weakly at that, but his stomach churned with fear of what'll happen. He didn't prepare anything for his mother, can he prepare anything? Can't it be about his father instead?

Percy remembered about his father, how he was an angel and how he misses him. Percy hoped that wherever his father is, may he be happy there, and Percy prays that he may join him there. It seems so much better than here. He doesn't hate his mother- he can't hate his mother- but she's not as good as he is to him. He's so hungry, he misses the lemon pie that his father always got for him.

He misses the bright sun of the beach and the sand and tackling his father in the salty ocean water. He misses his stories, how they always involve Scabbers somehow. He doesn't know where Scabbers came from, but oh does he love him so dearly, and Rhys knew that. He wishes he can bring dolls to his school, now he feels he's in dire need of Scabbers' comfort. He misses him.

"That's such a heartbreaking poem, give a round of applause for Audrey Quinn!" Principal Moore said to the audience as Audrey jumps down the stage, earning a round of applause from the crowd. "Now, who's next? Percival Rosier! Percy?"

"Come on, Percy!" Oliver and Penelope cheered.

"It's your turn!"

"But I-" Percy can feel his heart racing.

"Come on, Percy!"

"I- umm-"

"Come on up, dear-" Principal Moore smiled at him, extending his arm.

"I- ok," Percy smiled thinly as he gets off his two best friends' hold, slowly heading to the stage. He told himself to tell a poem about his mother, that shouldn't be too hard. He's good at making something up.

"Umm-" Percy took a deep breath in. "I-"

"Take a deep breath," Principal Moore suggested from afar. Percy nodded as he took a deep breath, realising that he still can't make the lie about his mother.

"I have a stuffed rat, his name is Scabbers," Percy started, keeping his head down low as to not see the audience. "I don't know where he came from, I don't know if he has a mother. I have him since I was a baby, he appeared beside me without me asking and has never left my side. And that's probably why I love him, as we share that reason."

"I don't have a mum, but I had a dad," Percy continued, not noticing as he started crying. "His name was Daddy Rhys. Daddy Rhys used to love playing with me, but Daddy Rhys is gone, leaving me and Scabbers completely alone. I miss Daddy Rhys. Daddy Rhys used to love taking me to the beach and play with me-" Percy's sobs can be heard through the mic. "I really miss Daddy Rhys and I'd really love to meet him again."

Percy leaves the mic at the stand, running from the stage in tears he can't contain anymore as he lets them run freely. Percy reached the closest classroom where he leans on the wall, letting himself fall as he cries freely. He truly misses his father, so much it hurts his heart. Why must the dead one be him?

"Percy?" Percy hears a creak on the door, telling him the door was being opened, but he doesn't care to look up. He wouldn't be able to see anyway, he has taken off his glasses and the image will just be a blur. But from the sound of the voice, it sounds like it's Oliver.

"Yeah?" Percy sobbed, wiping away his tears.

"We can share a mum, right Mum?" Percy wears his glasses to see Oliver and his mother. Katherine nodded as she offered herself to be hugged by Percy, an offer Percy doesn't pass as he hugs Katherine tight, sobbing once again. Katherine rested a hand on his back, trying to soothe him as she whispered things like 'let it all out' and 'it's ok'.

Deep down, Percy knew it's not ok.