29 Chapter 29

I was in the middle of a math class, trying my best to focus on the lesson, when a note was slipped onto my desk. I unfolded it discreetly, wondering what could be so urgent. The note simply read, "Principal's office - ASAP."

My heart raced as I excused myself from the class, my classmates giving me curious looks. I had no idea what this could be about, there was a chance... a slim chance that this was going to be about Tyson.

As I entered the office, I saw Principal Henderson sitting behind her desk, a serious expression on her face. But what caught my attention was the tall, buff girl standing beside her. She was unlike anyone I had ever seen before.

Her skin, a shade of green, and her eyes bright yellow. She had tangles of fiery red hair cascaded down her back, a stark contrast against her verdant complexion. Despite her towering height, she appeared malnourished, her lean frame evident beneath the tattered remnants of clothing that hung loosely from her form. The fabric, worn and frayed, seemed too large for her. 

I covered my eyes with mist to see what she looked like to principal, and saw a shorter red haired girl. I sigh as Principal Henderson cleared her throat. "Percy, this is Taylor. She'll be joining your classes from now on, and you will be responsible for helping her settle in."

"Alright, well Taylor. Nice to meet you. What brings you to Meriwether?"

Taylor remained silent, her eyes downcast. She seemed nervous, almost as if she were trying to hide something.

Principal Henderson continued, "Taylor here is homeless you know, we found her in an alleyway sleeping in a cardboard box."

Oh don't tell me that she is this worlds version of Tyson. I nodded, as I tried coming up with some idea of what I needed to do. If she was this worlds version of Tyson, then my plans will change alot, because unlike Tyson, Taylor was a ogre.. my guess ogres were part of the Japanese mythology.

Principal Henderson excused us and I left the room, Taylor following behind me her head hung low.

"Is that the only clothes you have?" I asked after a while.

"Y-yes." She responded. "I don't have alot of stuff."

"Alright, guess first thing we need to do after school is get you some new clothes." I replied.

<---------------------------- >

Taylor and I made our way through the throngs of shoppers. I could feel her unease radiating from her, her oversized and tattered clothes drawing unwanted attention. Determined to remedy the situation, I led her towards the nearest clothing store, ready to help her find a new wardrobe.

"Okay, Taylor, let's start with something simple," I suggested, scanning the racks for a basic t-shirt and jeans. "How about this?" I held up a plain white t-shirt and a pair of dark denim jeans.

Taylor eyed the clothes uncertainly before nodding hesitantly. "Yeah, that seems okay," she murmured, her voice tentative.

With a smile, I led her towards the fitting rooms, urging her to try on the clothes. As she disappeared behind the curtain, I couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement at the prospect of helping her transform her appearance.

A few minutes later, Taylor emerged from the fitting room, her face lighting up in surprise as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. The white t-shirt hugged her frame perfectly, accentuating her slender figure, while the jeans fit her like a glove.

"You look amazing, Taylor!" I exclaimed, unable to hide my excitement.

A hint of color rose to her cheeks as she shyly accepted the compliment. "Thanks, Percy," she murmured, her eyes sparkling with gratitude.

Buoyed by her newfound confidence, we continued our shopping spree, exploring the aisles in search of more stylish ensembles. From a cozy sweater to a sleek leather jacket, Taylor tried on a variety of outfits, from sweats, skirts and jeans. She tried on converse, combat boots, and swore she will never wear high heels after falling on her face. she tried on many different styles but in the end more than half of her stuff was black, mesh, having chains etc. All in all I think I payed a little over 1 thousand for everything.

By the time we left the mall, Taylor was practically glowing with confidence as she looked really happy wearing her Nu Gothic style. 

As we walked out of the mall, I noticed the sun dipping below the horizon. It was getting late, and there was no way that I would allow her to stay out in a cardboard box. Taylor started walking the other dierection and I called to her getting her attention.

"Taylor, we are going this way." I called to her as I walked to the right heading down the block. I heard her run up to catch up to me.

"Were are we going?" She asked in confusion. 

"We are going to my house, you'll be staying with my family from now on." I responded as I reached the bus stop and payed the ticket for the both of us. I could tell Taylor was nervous. When we arrived at my house. 

Last summer, we had moved and I had baught us Goose Creek, a revitalized 14 acre, Waterfront Estate. It was a nice home near the Georgica Pond and the Atlantic Ocean. All in all it had a really large open area with many trees for both Corvus and Lucifer to stretch their legs and wings. 

The living room was bathed in the soft glow of afternoon sunlight, casting a warm ambiance over the space. My mom, engrossed in a book, Paul had his newspaper. Estelle was cuddling with Lucifer and Corvus.

"Hey, Mom, Paul," I began, they turned to look up at me. "I need to talk to you about something important."

"Hey, Percy welcome home. Who is the girl with you?"

"This is Taylor, she doesn't have a home or family to go to and I was hopng she could stay here."

Paul nodded his head. "It is no problem at all, she is welcome to join our little family."

Before I could respond, Jackie, my half-hellhound sister, sauntered in from her bedroom, "What's going on, guys?" Jackie asked, her tail wagging behind her.

Taylor was standing behind me and I could tell she was triing to hide her nervousness but was failing miserably. She looked both nervous and hopeful, like a lost soul seeking refuge. "Jackie, this is Taylor. She will be living here with us from now on."

Sally kept looking at Taylor, her eyes squinting. 

"Hello, Taylor," Sally said warmly as she approached Taylor and patted her on her well-defined arms. "I'm Sally, Percy's mom. You can call me your mom as well if you want."

That simple gesture was all it took to break down Taylor's emotional barriers. She collapsed to the floor, sobbing, and hugged my mom tightly. It was a reminder that, despite her unique nature as a ogre, she was still a child in need of love and acceptance.

Paul, stroking his beard thoughtfully, regarded me and then the emotional scene unfolding before him. "Percy, why don't you explain to me what's going on? And I have to ask, knowing your track record... is Taylor part of your world?"

I nodded, Paul really was accepting of everything. Well at first he was nervous and gone crazy learning the truth but after mom letchured him he finally accepted the truth. "Yeah, Taylor is a type of ogre from Japanese mythology. She's been living alone in a alleyway in a cardboard box, I thought she deserved to have a place to call home."

Paul couldn't help but chuckle at the peculiar turn of events in our lives. "Hahaha, I never thought that my life would turn out like this. Percy, you certainly have a knack for bringing unique friends home. I hope you're not planning to form a harem. You already got Nancy and Jackie, and from what I hear your flirting with that Annabeth girl."

"What? No!" I responded, my voice cracking in shock. I glanced at Sally and she smirked at my flustered face.

Paul's laughter filled the room. "Relax, Percy. I'm just joking. Any other friend of yours is welcome here. Our family is a little... different, and that's what makes it special."

"Speaking of, I was thinking of asking you if Nancy-"

"Like I said, she will be more than welcomed, we have enough room for her. And speaking of, you better apologize to her for leaving her stranded."

"Oh crap... I totally forgot about that."