1

Percy

I woke, which was weird, 'cos I couldn't even remember falling asleep. Someone was shaking my shoulder, "Percy! Percy, come on! Wake up already, it's break time!"

Opening my eyes, I saw a girl with dark brown hair pulled into a ponytail, and brown, chocolaty eyes. She was wearing some sort of uniform, a short red skirt and a short-sleeved white blouse with a red line on the collar. She was looking at me like a friend, but I had absolutely no idea who she was. Next to her was a guy in a similar uniform, with sandy, cropped hair and an amused smile.

"Looks like you're in demand, man."

"Umm…"

I was more than a little confused. Who were these people? Why did they sound like they knew me? I studied them carefully. They seemed my age, which was… I had no idea. Come to think of it, I had no idea who I was either; I didn't even know my own surname.

"What's wrong, Percy?" the girl asked, sounding nearly as confused as I was, "Are you feeling ok?"

I stood up, looking around me. It appeared I was in some sort of classroom. Seeing the displays, which were of the Tudors and Stuarts and other probably-important-people, I judged that it was a history class. Students were filing out through the doors at the back. A man was behind the teacher's desk, staring at me as though he'd never seen me before. Which wasn't really that odd, 'cos I knew I'd never seen him. Had I? I couldn't remember. Couldn't remember anything…

"Anna, I think he needs to go to matron, he's not looking too good."

"Percy, is he right? You're not ill, are you?"

I turned back to them, scanning their faces, trying to spark some dim form of recognition in myself.

Nothing.

"Umm, not meaning to be rude, but who in Hades are you people?"

The girl's face registered shock, and she turned to the guy, who was beginning to smile again, like he'd heard a joke.

"Nice one, Percy, but you're gonna have to try harder then that to fool us."

"Umm, Louis, I think he's serious," the girl said in a scared voice, "Percy, do you honestly not know who we are?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. I have no idea who I am either…"

I saw the pain in her eyes as I spoke, and I wondered what I'd done to upset her.

"Did you hit your head or something? Have you got amnesia?"

"Okay, let's all just calm down. Percy, I am Anna Merrell, and this is Louis Castle. You are… Well, you're Percy."

I stared at her. Why couldn't I remember her? I mean, she was real pretty, and I was sure I'd remember that, if nothing else.

"Who are my family? How do I know you guys?"

"Well, I've never actually met your family, and… well…"

"What's wrong, Annabeth-I mean, Anna?" Why did I say Annabeth? Who's that? Do I know her?

"She doesn't want to say, 'cos you don't remember her. I'm your best friend, man. Anna used to be your friend, but recently, you two have gotten… Closer."

Suddenly I understood. The hurt, the shyness, it was all because I was her boyfriend and I didn't even recognise her. I felt ashamed, but none of this was sounding right, like it wasn't quite true…

"Sorry, it's not your fault," she was putting on a brave face, but I could tell she was really upset, "Let's take him to Mr Oak, explain that Percy's l-lost his m-memory."

She and Louis grabbed my elbows and steered me towards the man behind the teacher's desk. He looked up at us, and frowned. He seemed confused to see me there, as though I'd just appeared. He had on a baseball cap, t-shirt and jogging bottoms. Around his neck was a set of wooden tubes. Reed pipes I thought, then blinked. How did I know that? I searched my mind for more information, but that was it. How come I could remember the word 'reed pipes', but not my friend's faces?

We'd reached the desk by then, and my… friends… deposited me in a student chair nearby. Anna sat next to me while Louis was talking rapidly to the man. They kept shooting worried (Louis) and suspicious (Mr Oak) glances in my direction.

I was just about to ask them just what was going on, when the wall exploded.