First fic! Please Review.

THIS CHAPTER IS A BRIEF OVERVIEW (a very badly written one, my apologies) OF THE GENERAL SITUATION
PERCY IS IN. THE REAL STORY STARTS IN CHAPTER TWO. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.

CHAPTER TWO IS WORTH IT, PROMISE!
FRAEIA

Percy shook the sand off his hair and went over to the group of people who had clumped together. They've excluded him yet again for the final tallying of the scores, seeing as he would be on top anyway. 2nd and 3rd places were always the ones up for grabs.

"Do we even have to announce first place?" The announcer asked, dejectedly. By this time, everyone was leaving with sad and happy smiles. Nobody even cared to comment. 1st place was basically nonexistent for them anymore. No announcements came, Percy was simply handed a blue ribbon and a check for a hundred dollars. Not even a congratulations.

Not that he cared. He was only in it for the prize.

He remembered to politely thank the announcer though.

Grover, his neighbor and best friend since time immemorial, walked over from where the pier ended. He had a sundae cone on one hand, Percy's t-shirt on the other, and a big smile covering his whole face. As far as Percy knows, Grover was probably the only fan that he ever had.

"Dude that was sick!" Grover said, throwing the shirt straight to Percy's face. Naturally, with the reflexes of an athlete, Percy caught it. "You're really something, Percy Jackson. You know that?"

Percy kind of dazed out as Grover started talking on and on about his surfing skills. Yeah, right. As if that would work. Apparently, no one at his school wanted to be friends with a person who's been winning surfboard competitions all over the area, without even getting wet. Everything just came naturally, honest. But people couldn't admit that he was winning on merit alone.

"How do you do it?" Grover asked, right when Percy snapped out of his inner thoughts.

"What?"

"Stay dry"

"I don't know, man" Percy shrugged as he placed his surfboard back into his bag. Probably the only prized possession that he had. Not that his family had lots to begin with. "I'm just glad I got the cash. Maybe I'll take Mom out to the diner."

Grover sort of anchored an arm all over Percy's shoulders and dragged down his best friend with his own weight. "You do that."

"You don't do that"

"Gotcha"

The bell to Olympus High rang ten minutes after Percy and Grover arrived. Most of the people drove to school, so Percy and Grover had about a few minutes of silence before the driveway to the school became chaotic with all the honking, screeching and speeding cars.

With years of experience in being target roadkill, the two decided to play it safe and sit on the large lawn that was definitely road free. Here, they were invisible, unless, of course somebody decided to walk over them.

"Whoops" Clarisse La Rue said, as she 'accidentally' kicked Percy's backpack. It moved a yard before getting stopped. Percy just honestly hoped the sandwich his mom made him wasn't included in the squished part under the boot of Octavian, one of Clarisse's minions, because that would mean he would skip out on lunch again.

Grover ran, leaving Percy to deal with the monsters on his own.

This was a natural sight in Olympus High. People continued to move like it was nothing. Percy didn't look up, mainly because the only way to hasten Clarisse's departure would be to not respond. She usually got bored before long and would leave him alone.

Another voice entered the commotion. "C'mon, Clarisse. Leave him be"

"Aw. We were just having a little fun"

"Not in detention, I assume?"

Percy slowly looked up. It was Annabeth Chase, their student council representative. She walked over to grab Percy's bag, and initiated a stare down with Clarisse until the bully gave a 'hmph' and walked away.

Annabeth walked over and held out his bag. "Y'know, you could take her down yourself."

"I know." Percy shrugged and gingerly took the bag from Annabeth. He would've gladly taken Clarisse down had he the opportunity. But their principal, Mr. Dionysus, for some reason, never really liked Percy. And he wasn't about to give the principal the satisfaction of kicking him out of school over something as simple as standing up for himself.

"I can't always save everyone from Clarisse. Try to do your part, eh Jackson?" Annabeth said, crossing her arms as she watched the boy stand up. She couldn't believe it. For someone taller than her, and definitely more muscular, Percy was a… wuss.

Hey, he often stood up for those who can't themselves. Tyson, Grover. Even Rachel, when she got a bit carried away by her eccentricities. Wasn't that enough?

"Not a problem, I'll stay out of trouble" He finally said, setting down his skateboard and getting ready to skate to class. It was nearly bell time. "But hey, thanks for the save."

"Anytime, you wuss."

Annabeth watched as Percy took off with a small smile on her face. Until she heard her name.

"Hey Annabeth!" Luke Castellan called, coming from the parking lot. "I'll walk you to your class!"