Warning for references to suicide.

Chapter 1:

I've always wished to turn back the clock, to have a second chance. From when i was child, thinking if i could start from the start again, and fix my mistakes. These thoughts grew with me and every mistake i made, both big and small. I never thought of how i would fix things, just that i would, if only i was given a second chance. Eventually these thoughts caught up with me, i was drinking at my mates house, walking across a nearby bridge, and i remember myself thinking, what if i did it, what if i just jumped. Normally when i have these thoughts i think of a meme or joke and then continue on, this time i didn't. Maybe i got too drunk, maybe i finally built up the courage, or maybe my own thoughts finally caught up with me. Either way i did it, it happened. 17 and dead, whatever.

I didn't expect to come back. I was 9 a second time when it started, it was slow at first, but in dreams and whispers i came. First it was the thought that something was off, My body didn't feel right, short and disproportionate, eye, hair and skin just shades off what i felt they should be.

I was 12 by the time it fully hit me. I was on my way back to boarding school, something i had never experienced in my past life. Probably for the best though considering my mother, new mother that is. Turns out my (new) father's some rich CEO or something and he was having an affair with my mother, got her pregnant then disappeared. He still sends her enough money to keep quiet but besides that we haven't heard from him. Far cry from my past life wherein my dad was always a core part of my life. Anyway my mother, on her good days she's fine, as loving and caring as any mother should be, on her bad ones though, she sees me as a living reminder of my father, she becomes lethargic, depressed, or even angry. It wasn't a smooth transition between "me" and i guess we can call other me Jack, because that's my name now i guess. Anyway it wasn't in anyway smooth as me and jacks consciousness hit each other like two anime characters firing off their special moves. That lasted for a couple days, and let me tell you, it isn't fun having a massive headache at the same time as you start at a new school.

Eventually me and Jack thought it out, we coalesced into something new, not quite "me" but not quite Jack. By then as it were my school reputation was already tarnished. No one really liked the weird kid who never seemed to be paying attention. Even after my mind settled i honestly didn't care about going through school again, last time i didn't really care and nothing seemed to have changed. I ended up falling in with two kids called Percy and Grover. Something made me feel drawn to them, a tickling in my mind as if they were somewhat familiar. After a time i dealt with my grief over my past life and settled into a Rhythm. Life was alright, though one of my main hobbies was unavailable this time around. Turns out i'm dyslexic now, which i thought of as a way for whoever gave me a second chance to hint that i should read less.

But like any good story everything changed on a certain fateful day. We were heading to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a field trip. I was talking with Percy and Grover as i usually did these days, for once being the mature one of my friend group. Then out of nowhere the school bitch Nancy Bobofit started throwing bits of her sandwich at my mate Grover, Now in my past life i wasn't the confrontational sort and this time around nothing changed. So i sat there and watched as one of my good mates got picked on. Percy on the other hand looked ready to punt Nancy. Grover managed to calm him down, mentioning that he liked peanut butter, as if that mattered. Still better than what i did, sitting there as a coward. We managed to make it too the museum without Percy killing Nancy at least.

The tour was alright, i was a fan of ancient history in my past life and this time it was the same. I was so enraptured by the artifacts that i wasn't even paying attention until Percy said, "Will you shut up?" once i heard that i turned around quick. Infact everyone on the tour did.

Mr Brunner proceeded to dig into percy then, asking him a question in front of the whole class. As they spoke of an ancient god Titan guy called Kronos i had a stirring in my gut, the feeling that this was important. I listened in as Mr Brunner went over Kronos' kid eating adventures. I bet that guy wished he figured out the magic of abortions. Percy trailed behind a bit as we all headed to lunch, talking with Mr Brunner before catching up to us.

…

Here i was, sitting with my friends as we talked by the fountain. I finished off my lunch quick, my appetite gone as something settled in my gut, something was off. I started pacing, going back and forth as i chatted away when Nancy and her cronies came over, the gall of her to just walk over and dump her lunch right over Grover. Next thing i know water reached out of fountain and pulled her into it. I was freaking out, that sorta stuff only happens in movies, logically it made sense, if i could be reincarnated then other weird stuff could start happening. Still, it was my first time seeing anything like that and I was too busy freaking out to notice Ms Dodds come over and walk off with Percy. Infact, by the time i had calmed down both Percy and Ms Dodds had disappeared into the museum. Grover was over by Mr Brunner probably trying to plead Percies case and take the blame as he usually did. It took me another moment to realize this was really bad, Percy was on thin ice as is, and if he got in another trouble he might end up suspended, or worse.

This was it, i was wracked with indecision on what to do, but i finally decided, 'screw it, i wasn't brought back so i could sit on the sidelines.' and with my resolve hardened i entered the museum. My plan was that i would claim i pushed Nancy, since i was in Ms Dodds' good books for some reason hopefully this would get me and Percy both off.

'Alright Jack this is go time, now let's go find Miss Dodds.' I was trying to psyche myself up as i walked into the museum, my gut was rolling at this point, i wasn't sure whether something was really off or i was just getting Anxious. I turned the corner and i didn't expect what i saw at all. Percy, a bronze sword in his hand as Miss Dodds, or what i assume must've been her, was turned into some sort of monstrous hag demon harpy. I was nearly paralyzed with fear. The thing was turning back around toward Percy for another pass. 'I was done being a coward' went through my head as i reacted.

Reacting fast, faster than i ever had before, i grabbed an urn off a table and rushed toward the thing. As i ran i swung the urn around, throwing it as i shouted. "PERCY, MOVE!" The urn flew right into Ms Dodds, knocking her off course as she flew toward my best friend. Then percy moved, just not in the way i thought he would, he swung the sword in his hands at Ms Dodds as she flew past. The sword cut through her like butter and she exploded, spilling gold dust everywhere.

I nearly had a panic attack as the adrenaline wore off. Percy wasn't faring much better, his face white and his knuckles clenched around the sword turned pen in his hand. It was only when an alarm went off that i was shaken out of my stupor. Probably a bad idea to smash that urn. Well as the saying goes, in for a penny, in for a pound. "Percy man, we gotta go!"

He looked at me for a moment before i grabbed his arm and sprinted past him toward the entrance of the museum. A moment later he replied with a quiet "yeah" before following along.

We ran out of the building, it was strangely devoid of people as we made our exit. Outside we found it had started to rain. Grover was back to sitting by the fountain, though now with a museum map hat. I was about to ask Percy what that thing was in the museum when Nancy noticed us, she was still wet from her little swim. She turned toward Percy and said, "I hope Mrs. Kerr whipped your butt."

Percy responded slowly with "Who?" while i stood by, confused as to who the hell Mrs. Kerr was.

Nancy responded straight away, with no visible hesitation. "Our teacher. Duh!" She waited a moment for a response before losing interest and going back to her friends.

"Any idea what she was talking about? Infact while we're at it, what the HELL was that thing in there?" my voice emphasized as i asked Percy.

He looked at me for a moment, startled a little by my raise voice before responding, "I don't know, Ms. Dodds just turned into that thing and tried to attack me, good thing Mr Brunner threw me this pen sword thing."

"Wait, Mr Brunner was there? I don't remember seeing him when i walked into your fight with the wicked witch." was my response, trying to calm myself down with a joke. If Percy saw Mr Brunner there he must know something, but at the same time he might be working with Ms. Dodds, either way i'm not letting that lead go.

"Yeah, he threw me the pen-sword and shouted something. He must've disappeared while we were fighting off that thing." said Percy.

"Well in that case he should know something, anyway we should keep a tight lip on this whole event, if there are more like her around we don't want to tip them off." Percy shudders a little when i say that. "Either way you should keep that pen on you, it might come in handy if we run into anything else like her, considering it went through her like butter."

Percy nodded in agreement before turning to look at our friend Grover, who has now begun to walk over to us.

Percy proceeded to near instantly give it away by asking Grover where Ms Dodds was.

Grovers response was the same as Percy a few minutes ago. "Who?" though even a fool could tell by the way he shuffled his feet and how he wouldn't look right at percy when he said it that he was lying.

Percy looked ready to continue but i put a hand on his shoulder which seemed to silence him.

I quickly switched the topic to talking about our plans for school holidays, breaking the awkward silence.