A/N: I came up with this idea after Blood of Olympus came out. As usual, I refused to accept that it was the last Percy Jackson book Rick Riordan would make. Then he announced he was writing a new book about Apollo who was turned human after royally messing up. As I waited for Trials of Apollo to come out, I began writing about a demigod named Elysia who can spin the future in any way she wanted if she believed hard enough. I hope you give this new demigod a chance and that you like my own spin on stories containing CHB and Percy. Thank you for reading, as always I love you guys and appreciate you. Enjoy!
Chapter 1
The bell rang and the school day was over. I looked over my shoulder and made my way out through the side exit. Teenagers gathered talking in groups about how their day had gone. I tightened my grip on my backpack and opened the door. They made it hard to get out of the school.
"Hey, Elysia Hathaway! Where ya going? Do you have a date with Goodwill? " I heard someone call from the middle of the hallway. A group of giggles arose to the left of me. Of course I immediately recognized the voice as Lily Hawkins. I grinded my teeth and kept moving. No way was I about to get into it with her today, maybe tomorrow…
I walked across the student parking lot and made my way into the city. No I didn't ride the bus. No I didn't get dropped off. No I didn't have my own car so I could get to school. I walked. I walked everywhere. Why you might ask? Because I didn't have enough money, duh. For a car, I mean. I was old enough to drive—I was seventeen—but I still didn't have my driver's license. I didn't ride the bus or get dropped off because, well, I was homeless. Actually, I had a little apartment, I was an orphan. My parents were nowhere to be found, and I had been on my own since long before I could actually remember. I survived on my wits—I barely had any—and luck. Such as, I'm lucky the school hasn't decided to look into my personal file and see that I have no parental contact or a real physical address. I'm lucky the other five schools I've been to aren't still searching for me. Oh well. I don't need anyone.
I crossed the street when the traffic light turned red and made my way down Perkins St N. I see a few men greedily look at my bag but step back when they see the glare in my eyes. I narrowed my eyes and tensed my jaw. I ever so slightly shook my head and they turned away. I stopped walking and watched them retreat. I counted to ten and resumed walking. I rounded a corner and came to a battered door. There was a dumpster next to the door, filled with smelly garbage. I wrinkled my nose and looked behind it. There was usually a homeless kid or two trying to shield themselves from the elements. There was no one today. I sighed in relief, if there was a kid I would be consciously forced to feed them.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVED helping kids in need. Heck, I was a kid in need. But trying to balance monthly bills on top of feeding myself was a struggle. I looked up when I heard the crinkle of plastic bag. I gripped my back pack in front of me, ready to use it as a shield or just throw it. It was a small kitten. A little tiny kitten, orange and white, maybe about a month old. It looked at me for a second before coming towards me and rubbing against my foot.
It purred and I picked it up.
"Hey, little one, where did you come from?" I said, rubbing its fluffy face on my cheek. It playfully pawed my black hair. "I guess I have to keep you now, don't I? Let's see, what will your name be?" I thought for a moment but came up with nothing. I shrugged and opened the battered door. I looked around to make sure no one had followed me and entered the building. I stepped inside and sighed at the rundown building. Spider webs hung from the ceiling and stair case, it was all dusty and you could see the dust particles floating in the air, curtesy of the small window six feet up on the wall. I begin the climb up to my small rundown apartment and began thinking about the homework I had. Chemistry, Calculus, World History, AP English. So much homework. Why do they assign so much homework? Seriously, it was proven that homework did nothing to help your grades. But it did feed anxiety.
'Get eight hours of sleep.'
'Join a sport or club.'
'Don't forget your homework.'
Did they really expect kids to keep up with all of that? I reach the third floor and turned right, the kitten was asleep in my arms. I ran a hand across its tiny furry head. I wish I was a cat. I stopped in front of my door and see my mail neatly stacked up. NOTICE, UTILITY BILL DUE IMMEDIATELY. Shit, I forgot that bills were due yesterday. I fished my key out of my pocket and unlocked the door. The old door creaked and I saw a puff of dust fly into the air.
My apartment was old and outdated. The living room had an old green beat up couch, a worn out coffee table with water rings on the wood, a side table with a yellow lamp and a blue carpet. The two windows had worn out curtains, once white and lacy, now yellow and starting to tear. No TV. I couldn't yet afford cable.
To my right was the small kitchen which barely fitted a small one person table. It had all of the necessities, a microwave, a fridge, a gas stove. They all came with the apartment. The kitchen window allowed me to look at another building, red and brown bricks, and an air conditioner sticking out of the opposite window across from me. The fire escape wasn't much of an escape, I'm pretty sure it had lost the ladder before I was even born, that's how old the building was. I dropped my backpack onto the dining table and took out my books. I remembered the bills and opened each one.
The land lord was a nice old man, greedy, but nice. Rent was about two hundred a month, gas, light, and water equaled to about one fifty. 'There goes three hundred and fifty dollars,' I thought while walking to my bedroom and opening up the secret panel under the bed, inside was a tiny fire proof safe, it held every dollar I had. I carefully counted out the amount due and shut it tightly. I heard a noise coming from the kitchen and stopped what I was doing. I froze for a good minute before I remembered the kitten I found.
"Stop being so paranoid." I scolded myself out loud. I saw the kitten sniffing around in the kitchen. I walked back to the table and sealed the money inside an envelope. I would drop it off later that evening on my way to work. I began changing into my work outfit and stuck my arms into the dark blue shirt. I pulled on my form fitting khaki pants and put my old leather belt on.
I heard a knock on the door and I walked over to see who it was. I looked through the peep hole and saw a headful of black hair and green eyes. I grinned as I opened the door.
"Pericles." I said slightly blushing and brushing aside some hair that was in my face.
"Hey, El. I came to see how you were." Pericles greeted me with a hug. He smelled like cologne. Pericles was a rich white boy. His mom was an accountant for a billion dollar company. Pericles and I became friends when I first showed up at New York. Today he was dressed in khaki pants with a green polo shirt. His mother arranged for him to have his own private tutor and he was homeschooled.
"I'm good. I was about to do some homework before I left for work." I said stepping aside so he could come in. I walked into the kitchen and offered him a Coke. It was all I had, and honestly all I drink. He took the can and popped it open, took a long swig and stared at me.
"Do you need a lift? I'm going that way and I could drop you off." He nonchalantly offered. I smile at him gratefully. He was the sweetest guy ever.
"That would be great."
He grinned. "So, what kind of homework do you have? I could help." He was always wanting to help with my homework. He was very smart, don't get me wrong, but sometimes he misspelled words. I tended to misspell words too, which is why I would do most of my research papers on a computer. Thank goodness for spellcheck. But I found out that I obtained bad luck when I used technology.
"You can help me with chemistry. All of these formulas are really hard to remember." He and I sat down and spent the next forty minutes working on chemistry homework. He would joke around and bang his head on the table, pretending to be stumped. Before I knew it, it was almost time for me to be at work. I shut the chemistry textbook and stuck it back into my backpack. He stood up yawning and stretched. He took his keys out of his pocket. I already had on my work uniform on.
"Let's roll out."
"Alright, let me get my nametag." I said while walking into my room and picking it up where I had last left it. I clipped it on and walked back to the kitchen. "Okay, now we can roll out."
We made our way out of the building and I saw that the sun was setting. I worked at a small children's arcade store. I distributed the prizes when kids brought their tickets to the claim counter. I had been working there for about seven months and had gotten used to the routine. Clock in, refill token machine, set out new prizes, make sure the tables are clean, and repeat. Same old, same old.
We made it to Pericles's car, what kind, I have no idea. I know nothing of cars. All I knew was that it was new, red, and very shiny. It was a sports car if that makes any difference. He clicked the unlock button on his keys and the car did a happy little chirp as it unlocked. The inside of his car was grey leather, and by the look of it was genuine. Of course it was, his mother wouldn't allow him to have anything but the best. She only bought him name brand clothes. Aeropostale, American Eagle, some snobby man's clothes line from Paris. He looked good in them but you could always tell when he felt uncomfortable. His eyebrows would scrunch up and his lips would be set in a tight stony line. He once told me he would rather wear ratty old sweatpants and a black muscle shirt. He would look good either way.
He sped up and before I knew it, he had the passenger side door open for me. I blushed and thanked him. He got in and started pulling out of the parking area.
"So, how's everything going at home school?" I asked, pulling my hair in low ponytail. My bangs fell forward, they were too short to be pulled back. My navy blue shirt and my khaki pants were wrinkle free. The managers didn't like it when the employees came in all mussed up.
He shrugged and shifted gears, "It's ok, and we have exams next week for winter break. I've been trying to study but I've been distracted." He stopped at an intersection and waited. He was a very cautious driver, always looking both ways at four way stops, driving thirty under the speed limit. It was very boring. I played with some strands of my hair as he drove along in the busy streets. "You know, I was thinking that maybe tomorrow after school, we could you know—go on a date?" He froze with a hopeful look on his face.
"Oh, um, what?" I asked him, he wanted to date me?
"Yeah, we could like go get an ice cream, or some coffee."
"Um, I'm lactose intolerant, and coffee gives me anxiety." I said wincing. "But, maybe we can do something else, we could go see a movie, I hear the new Robert Downey Jr. movie is playing. If you want."
"Oh sure!" he said brightening up. His green eyes lit up and his lopsided smile grew. "Let's say I pick you up around seven? Please tell me you don't have to work tomorrow?" his hopeful look faded a bit.
"Fortunately, I am off tomorrow. Seven would be great." He pulled into the parking lot and turned to me.
"What time do you get off today?"
"Eleven, I already want it to be over." I said sighing loudly. Don't get me wrong, I was thankful I had a job.
"Okay, I'll pick you up at eleven." He said.
"What? No, you don't have to do that." I blushed. I would just walk home. No, I couldn't let him give me a ride home.
"Why not?" He frowned. Then he paled, "do you not…like me?" Did I not—what? I didn't know how I felt. I did like him, as a friend. But as something more—I didn't know.
"Of course I do." I said nervously. Oh my goodness, was this really happening? My face felt hot and cold at the same time, was it possible that this insanely cute rich guy liked me?
He relaxed a bit and then smiled. "Okay, well, I'll pick you up at eleven." It was a done deal. I got out of the car and walked into work feeling dizzy and confused. I puzzled over his spontaneous dating offer for the rest of the night. I decided against going out with him. I had school to focus on, work to go to. I didn't have enough time to spend over frivolous outings. Besides, who knew when the schools might report my mysterious appearances and leavings? I had to be ready to be on the run at any given notice. And what would happen if we got into a serious relationship? It wouldn't be fair to him. I bit my lip as I was wiping down a table.
Would I ever be able to have a normal life? Would I always have to be watching my back? Running away wouldn't work forever. I was still a minor, I had another few months before I was technically considered an 'adult'. I just had to stay off the radar until then. I picked up some dirty dishes and placed them in the washing bin. I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and continued cleaning tables.
"Elysia? Will you take care of that big table in the corner by the rainbow slide? We just got a reservation for the biggest table. Some little boys' birthday. We need it cleaned, please." My manager Al Minoski asked. I said yes and hurried over to the table he needed cleaned. As I was walking over to the table I looked up and saw a girl with blonde hair and gray eyes staring at me. She was about my age, maybe slightly older. She saw me looking and immediately looked away. She had half a slice of pizza in front of her. She unconvincingly picked it up and took a bite. What a weirdo. I finished cleaning the table just in time.
A minute later, the party showed up and Al showed them to their table. I stepped into the bathroom for moment to tighten my belt. I re-tucked my shirt and redid my loose ponytail. I checked to see if the restroom was stocked with enough toiletries and found it needed more toilet paper. After I was done stocking the restroom with toilet paper I washed my hands. The blonde headed girl walked into the restroom and seemed surprise to see me. She stared at me for a moment before she spoke.
"It's true. You're the one we're looking for." I backed away nervously. I put the bottle of toilet cleaner between us as if that were enough to protect me.
"Um, excuse me." I pushed past the girl who protested my departure. I heard her yell wait and walked over to the prize counter. They had found me. The schools had warned the authorities and now they were going to send me to some sort of jacked up protection agency. How had they found me? I had made sure I covered ever track, every single disappearance. I cursed silently and blindly handed a little boy a stuffed bear in exchange for his tokens. I saw the girl walk out of the restroom, pay, and leave. She gave me one last stare and left. My shift went by sluggishly, as if knowing I had no time for time. I had to leave the area. I had to leave town. At exactly eleven I clocked out and left.
I felt bad about leaving without any notice but I didn't have any time for that. Pericles was waiting outside for me when I walked out. He was wearing an orange shirt and some khaki shorts with white Reeboks. His hair was tussled up more than usual. He looked up when he saw me and gave me a small smile.
"Hey." I said nervously giving him a halfhearted smile. He looked puzzled and cleared his throat.
"Hi?" his voice was different. Just slightly.
"Are you ready? My shift is over now." He backed away. I saw his hand go to his right pocket.
"Do I know you?" he asked suspiciously. He seemed to have gotten over his confusion and was now staring at me.
"Is this some kind of joke, Pericles? Because, it's really not funny if it is." I snapped angrily. Why was he acting this way? He narrowed his eyes and took a cheap ballpoint pen out of his pocket.
"I don't know a Pericles. My name is—what?" He suddenly looked behind me. I turned and saw—Pericles. In the same outfit he had dropped me off earlier. I looked at both boys and saw a striking resemblance. They could be twins. Pericles looked at Not Pericles and stopped walking towards me. All of a sudden I saw the blonde girl walk up to Not Pericles and I saw her stiffen.
"Percy, we have to go. I'll explain all of this later." She said to Not Pericles. Percy took his eyes off of Pericles to take a quick glance at the girl. Her eyes told him something because I saw him light up in curiosity. He looked at me and studied me. "It's her, the one the gods have been looking for. She's the legacy." She turned toward us with a crazed look. "Come with us."
Pericles walked over to me and tugged on my arm. When he found I could easily be pulled along he did just that. He seemed to want to get away from that bizarre meeting.
"El, we have to go." I let him pull me to his car and barely noticed when he pulled out of the parking lot.
"Did you know that guy, Pericles? Or that girl?" I asked.
"No, that was so strange. He looked exactly like me." he pondered over that, troubled. He paid barely any attention to the traffic lights and almost ran a red light. He slammed hard on his breaks and I rushed forward to slam my head on the dashboard. I moaned and grabbed my head in pain. He glanced my way and saw me cradling my head. "Oh shoot, are you okay? I'm sorry."
I gritted my teeth and gave him a hard smile, "Fine, just fine. Be a little more careful, please." The light turned green. He apologized again and continued driving. Eight minutes later he pulled up to the apartment building where I lived and we got out. I let him in and went over to the greeting desk.
"Is the landlord here? I have the payments for this month." I said, trying to sound older than what I really was. False documents went a long way. The receptionist shook her head but assured me she would give him the payments. After a moment of asking her to please, please, please, give him the envelope—I said it loud enough to where the cameras watching would pick up the conversation—I left the money with her. Pericles followed me with his hands in his pockets. His expression was distracted and confused. He was clearly not all here, just as he was in the car. I rubbed the side of my head and tried to ignore the pain. I needed some aspirin. I fished the keys out of my pocket and unlocked my door.
"Well, thanks for the ride to work." I tried to sound thankful and not tearful. I wouldn't be able to see him after tonight. Even if the authorities weren't after me I still couldn't stay here. I had to move and start all over. People had found me, people I didn't know. I'd feel much better if some old school was searching for me. But it wasn't, it was strangers. I wondered if 'gods' was a code name for a group. And what was a legacy? Pericles stared at me for a moment.
"I'll see you tomorrow, right? I know it's Friday but since you don't have school the next day, we don't have to worry about homework…" he trailed off. I gave him a tight lipped smile and nodded what I hope was enthusiastically.
"Yeah, sure. See you at seven." I said quickly, gently shoving him out the door. I shut the door in his face and tried not to cry.
I went into my bedroom and packed up my things in the boxes, this time had lasted longer. Seven months without someone getting suspicious. That was a new record. Tears streamed down my face. Hey I was used to it. Besides, I liked being alone.