A/N: Shameless excuse to post mortal POV on demigods, demigod shenanigans and masquerade revelation, which I can never get enough of.

Part 1

"New kid on the block," Chelsea commented lazily. Then she continues her essay due next class: 'On the Use of Rhetoric to Obscure the Lack of Content.'

From the shelter of friends, I watched the new kid search the cafeteria for someplace to sit. Last in line meant he was the only one standing and his shoulders seized beneath our stares. Face stormy, he marched stubbornly to the back corner.

Becca followed my gaze. "He looks lonely. Shouldn't we invite him over?"

"The guy who set the school on fire?" Okay, it wasn't the nicest thing to say. Being the new kid sucked and this guy started out with a worse rep than Matt, who set his pants on fire last year. But setting your clothing on fire is funny. Setting the school on fire is arson.

"Rumor. I got a peak at that video and it wasn't him. Fire was coming from that white cheerleader what's-her-name," said Chelsea.

Becca munched thoughtfully on a veggie fry, probably trying to recall who 'what's-her-name' was. And failing for the first time. "What grade was she in?"

I shrugged, but Becca wasn't asking me about names. I couldn't even remember New Kid's name. He was nibbling on his pizza, not the least criminal-looking. I looked away.

Becca, who was a freaking mind-reader, parroted my thoughts, "New school. Doesn't know anyone. Besides, Daniel wouldn't mind another guy in the group once he gets better."

"And I'm sure this guy was heroically stopping bullies when he got expelled from all those other schools," I shot back, flushing. Chelsea and Becca had been the ones to welcome me in their group back when I was the new kid.

"Expulsion don't mean nothing," Chelsea sneered. "I got my ass kicked out for the horrible crime of curly hair—"

I said nothing, but come on? Can you blame me for thinking the worst of a kid who got kicked out of every school he's ever been to? That does not happen with hairstyles.

"—manager almost complained about that. Oh, I didn't tell you about my new job. Guess who the manager is?"

"Voldemort," said Becca.

"Worse, Donald. You know the guy two grades above us? Total hypocritical asshat. He's always, 'your lazing on the job, blah, blah, blah' and in the next sentence it's 'got a two-hour phone conference with the boss'. Bullshit. I'm not overhearing any talk about profits or employee retention. That old saying about teachers only being bad 'till you meet your boss? Too true."

"Well, at least it's not Tomson," I pointed out.

"You don't know a person until you've worked beneath them," said Chelsea. Then she paused, "That came out wrong."

"Also true," Becca joked.

"Maybe find a janitor job. They don't have any co-workers," I suggested.

"You can work as a janitor. They couldn't pay me enough to clean up after some of these people. You'd think their mothers never taught them to wipe their asses."

"Aaaannnnd time for a topic change," Becca said, "I'd like to enjoy my lunch thank you."

"Said like an only child," Chelsea shot back.

The door banged open and a red-head still covered in paint-stains bolted through, lunch bag clutched in one multi-colored hand. She glanced around a moment, spotted New Kid and made a bee-line for him. He perked up immediately.

"There, see, he has a friend," I told Becca.

"Okay," Becca said gently. "Isn't the new Harry Potter movie coming out? Are you off this weekend Chelsea?"

"Nope. Weekends are the only time I get a full-shift. Besides, tickets sold out weeks ago and you ain't getting through the front door without one."

"Point. Sometime after school?"

"It would be so cool to be able to do magic," I said.

"It would be incredible," Becca said. "I would love to become an Animagus, especially something that could fly."

"Nah, if people were meant to fly, we would have wings," Chelsea argued. "Besides, turning into animals is nothing next to the Expecto Petroleum spell."

"Ha, ha."

"Or Howlers for my boss, send him a couple dozen for those every time he has a 'phone conference'."

"Don't know if that would change anything," Becca shot back. "But that's why I'm glad magic doesn't exist."

"Yeah, can you imagine the crap we'd get up to if we were wizards," I said. "The pranks pulled. Everyone would have switched genders at least three times. Wait. Actually that would be a good reason to have, I know a few people who could use the old switcharoo."

"No, things are crazy enough right now without throwing magic into the mix," Chelsea finished. "But I could make a Monday or Tuesday to see some magic."

"Could I see that video? The cheerleader one?" Becca asked.

"Oh not this again."

"Sure, just give me a few. A friend up-loaded it on their youtube channel."

Minutes later we were all huddled around a computer in an empty classroom, watching a blurry cheerleader—must be a cheerleader, she was wearing the right outfit—as fire blossomed by her side. New Kid rushed forward, swinging a bat so fast I could hardly make it out.

"Okay, so she started the fire, but you still want that guy sitting with us Becca?" Just as I spoke, he swung the bat one last time and the cheerleader…I squinted. Had he killed her?

"It's too blurry to tell," said Becca desperately.

Chelsea said nothing for a moment. "Well we know the school budget sure ain't going to security."

"Could the video have been manipulated?" Becca asked, "It wasn't blurry everywhere, just around the cheerleader and Jackson's…bat."

Chelsea shook her head, "You can't manipulate a video like that."

"There would be blood. If he'd…there would be a dead body. And the school wouldn't let a killer in as a student." But Becca didn't sound so sure.

The cheerleader's body blurred and vanished. I didn't know what to think.

A/N: I heard this theory that the Mist shifts with viewer expectations. Paul has met Percy personally and his colleagues have heard only glowing things, so the Mist shifts with their expectations, just like it does with Ellen, who has only heard exaggerated rumors about Percy at best. So two people who witnessed the same event might have literally seen two different things.

Hope everyone enjoyed.