"Percy, Electra! Wake up!" My mom yelled from downstair. "We have to pick Annie and Thalia soon!"

As soon as those word came out from mom's mouth, Percy and I quickly sat up on our blue bed, ( Percy's was cyan while mine was turquoise) [bedroom] and got dressed as fast as we could. *outfit*

We went flying down the hallway, to the kitchen and grabbed someblue cookiesbefore leaving.

The Friday before winter break, my mom packed Percy an overnight bag and a few deadly weapons and tookusto a new boarding school. We picked upourfriends Annabeth and Thalia on the way.

It was an eight-hour drive from New York to Bar Harbor, Maine. Sleet and snow pounded the highway. Annabeth, Thalia,Percyand I hadn't seen each other in months, but between the blizzard and the thought of what we were about to do, we were too nervous to talk much."Achoo," I sneezed, it was pretty cold outside.

Except forourmom. She talks more when she's nervous. By the time we finally got to Westover Hall, it was getting dark, and she'd told Annabeth and Thalia every embarrassing baby story there was to tell aboutPercy. Thalia wiped the fog off the car window and peered outside. "Oh, yeah. This'll be fun."

Westover Hall looked like an evil knight's castle. It was all black stone, with towers and slit windows and a big set of wooden double doors. It stood on a snowy cliff overlooking this big frosty forest on one side and the gray churning ocean on the other.

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait?" my mother asked.

"No, thanks, Mom,"Percysaid. "I don't know how long it will take. We'll be okay."

"But how will you get back? I'm worried, Percy."

I hopedPercywasn't blushing. It was bad enoughhehad to depend on our mom to drive himtohisbattles.

"It's okay, Ms. Jackson." Annabeth smiled reassuringly. Her blond hair was tucked into a ski cap and her gray eyes were the same color as the ocean. "We'll keep him out of trouble."

My mom seemed to relax a little. She thinks Annabeth is the most levelheaded demigod ever to hit eighth grade. She's sure Annabeth often keepsPercyfrom getting killed. She's right, but that doesn't meanhehasto like it.

"All right, dears," my mom said. "Do you have everything you need?"

"Yes, Ms. Jackson," Thalia said. "Thanks for the ride."

"Extra sweaters? You have my cell phone number?"

"Mom—"

"Your ambrosia and nectar, Percy? And a golden drachma in case you need to contact camp?"

"Mom, seriously! We'll be fine. Come on, guys."

She looked a little hurt, andPercywas sorry about that, buthewas ready to be out of that car.

If my mom told story about how cute I looked in the bathtub when I was three years old,well, I was going to burrow into the snow and freeze myself to deathinstead.

Annabeth and Thalia followedhimoutside. The wind blew straight through my coat like ice daggers.

Once my mother's car was out of sight, Thalia said, "Your mom is so cool, Percy."

"She's pretty okay,"headmitted. "What about you? You ever get in touch with your mom?"

As soon ashesaid it, I bet that hewishedhehadn't. Thalia was great at giving evil looks, what with the punk clothes she always wears—the ripped-up army jacket, black leather pants and chain jewelry, the black eyeliner and those intense blue eyes. But the look she gavehimnow was a perfect evil "ten."

"If that was any of your business, Percy—"

"We'd better get inside," Annabeth interrupted. "Grover will be waiting."

"Bye guys! See you at the camp!" I yelled, waving at them. "Be careful, Perce!" He turned back. Glaring at his beloved sister. Me. "I'll see you at the Camp, sis!" He yelled back, following Annabeth, daughter of Athena and Thalia, daughter of Zeus to the military school.