The Library Book

#41 - College Applications

Chapter 41 - College Applications
published: Wednesday, 5 August 2020

"Hello, sir," Percy said uncertainly as he hovered in the doorway. Did he enter or wait to be called in?

The man sitting at the desk looked up, and Percy was met with friendly, kind features. "Please, come in, Perseus."

Percy blinked. Okay, so it made sense that the school guidance counsellor would know his name, but it was still jarring to here it after years of going as 'Percy'.

His gaze flickered to the name plague on the table. The letters swam before his eyes, but a Percy managed to make out 'Chiron'.

"No last name?" he said without thinking. "Like...Madonna."

"Or Beyoncé," Chiron chuckled.

Percy blushed embarrassedly. "Sorry. I do that sometimes. Didn't mean to offend you."

"You didn't," Chiron assured him. "Sit, Perseus."

"Percy," he corrected.

"Percy," Chiron amended. There was a tan-coloured file on the desk by his left hand, but Chiron made no move to purse through it. Percy appreciated that; he hated feeling like a case.

"So, Percy, college applications are due in this week. Could you tell me which ones you've filled out or sent in already?"

Percy nodded. "Well, my aspiration to become a police detective. The police academy only starts after college though, so I've applied for a few Marine Biology courses, mostly in New York."

He counted off the colleges on one hand, "Adelphi University, Queens College, Northwestern and NYU." When he received Chiron's raised eyebrows, Percy hastily added, "Northwestern was a shot in the dark. Piper — Piper McLean — kind of roped me and Hazel into it. She said there was technically no harm in trying."

"Ms McLean would be right," Chiron said. "Assuming you received all four offers, which would be your top choice?"

"Unlikely," Percy snorted. "But, um, NYU, I guess."

"You guess?"

"I know," Percy amended. "It's a good program, an interesting course, they offer good extra-curriculars and it's still in the state."

"I'm surprised you didn't apply to the colleges in other states," Chiron noted. "They can be easier to get into, and they have good results."

"Can't leave my mum. Not after everything," Percy admitted. "And New York will always be my home."

A small thought in the back of his mind tugged uncomfortably; but would it still be, after everyone left? Namely, Annabeth. Percy knew that Annabeth was destined for greatness — she was the smartest person he knew and was probably going to become the President one day. But it still hurt knowing that he was probably going to be left behind in the process.

"Manhattan would be a big change," Chiron reminded. "But we'll get to that when the time comes. We should focus on the smaller steps now; have you sent in the applications yet?"

Percy paused. "Um."

Chiron clasped his hands together, propping his elbows on the table as he regarded Percy seriously. "You have...filled in your application forms?"

Percy awkwardly scratched at the back of his neck. See, Christmas break had been so much to take in. He and his mother had revelled greatly in their first holidays without Gabe.

Then school restarted, and somehow, word had gotten out about the whole situation. Percy received pitying looks, which only ticked him off more, and people like Matt Sloan had the audacity to tell him he was "weak" and should've "just taken it like a man".