Ilios High School - The Iliad but its a highschool drama

VII. Returning Home

TW/CW: homophobia (and insults), internalized homophobia, coarse language.

"Are you ready?" Anticlea asked as she stopped the car in the parking spot. She looked over at her son. 

Odysseus didn't answer, instead, looking out of the window where Sisyphus's house was. It seemed like a normal house, that mirrored all of the other houses in their neighbourhood. This sort of reassured him. 

"Odysseus?" 

"Huh?" He turned to face his mom. "Right, yes. I am," he nodded.

"Alright. I'll be right here in the car doing some work," Anticlea said, taking out her laptop from her bag. "If you need anything I'll be here," 

"Okay. Thank you," Odysseus smiled and opened the door. Taking a breath, he stepped out and closed the door.

It's time.

He walked up the driveway and knocked on the door. He was greeted with another boy, a little older than him.

"Um- hi, I'm Odysseus?" he looked at him. 

With a judgy look, he replied, "Oh, right. I'm Glaucus, your...stepbrother,"

"Oh," Odysseus nodded. "Right, nice to meet you,"

"Mm," Glaucus didn't say much. "Come in. Dad's in the dining room,"

He led Odysseus inside. The inside of the house was very different from the very presentable outside of the house. There was an odd lingering smell and the floorboards creaked.

"Dad, that Laertes kid is here," Glaucus said in a monotonic voice. 

Then Odysseus met his biological father. Sisyphus turned around, facing him. Sisyphus had dark rusty brown hair and looked as if he hadn't shaved or changed clothes for a week. 

"You must be Odysseus," he said, with a toothy grin. Before Odysseus could speak, Sisyphus called to Glaucus. "Stay and join your family." he scolded Glaucus, who had tried to sneak into his room.

Family. Odysseus stopped himself from frowning. "Um, hi,"

"Sit down," Sisyphus sat back down on a chair, putting down the beer bottle in his hand. 

Odysseus joined him on the table. Glaucus reluctantly did too. 

"So, Odysseus, are you a good kid? Do well in school?" Sisyphus asked, his eyes flickering about as he inspected him.

The question usually annoyed Odysseus as it usually was the only question adults asked kids, but now, he didn't know quite how to answer; does he just say 'oh, it's fine,' like any other unamused student? "Uh, yes, uh I'm top of my year," Odysseus replied.

"See? You can do better," Sisyphus rolled his eyes at Glaucus, who didn't make an amused reaction. "At least one of my son's has something to be proud of,"

Odysseus felt a flicker of annoyance. He wasn't a stranger to being used as a level of expectation to others, but usually, it wasn't as harsh as Sisyphus was directing it to be. "It's not very important," he found himself saying, hoping Glaucus wouldn't blame him on his father's accusations. He didn't need more enemies. 

"Of course it is," Sisyphus dismissed him. "Anyway, what do your...moms do?" 

Odysseus noted the delay in saying 'moms'. "Oh, well, Anticlea is a lawyer and Daphne is a nurse," 

"How is having two moms? How much of a man are you?" Glaucus smirked. Sisyphus didn't tell him off.

Odysseus was surprised at the comment. "I-I don't know what you mean," He did.