Beginning of a Bromance

A/N: I'm back! I'm so sorry for the long wait on this. I got distracted with school. I never realised how daunting and stressful Year 12 actually was. Anyways, here is my new story! Beginning of a Bromance is a ridiculously cliché story about two feuding boys having to work together and figuring out the other isn't as bad as they thought they were and then everything turns to shit but eventually it all works out fine… or is it? Mwahahahahaha…. But no seriously it is a cliché story. There is a tad bit of romance in here but it is mainly focusing on the epic bromance that is Jercy. Or Jacey. Whichever you prefer. I'm rambling so I'll finish this here and let's get on with the story! I hereby present, chapter one.

Chapter 1

Olympus High is a normal high school, but to about 1400 students, it is the biggest part of their life. It is how it is, the one constant in the ever changing lives for these teens that are close, but not yet ready to embark into the big wide world.

In this school, like many other schools, there are separate groups. There are the nerds, the geeks, the stoners, the skaters, the losers, the jocks and many more. Just like school, these groups are an important part of these young people's lives. Sometimes these lines blur and when they do great things happen.

Or everything turns to shit and people are forced to choose.

This is a story about a mixture of both I guess. Two students, blurring the lines, temporarily ruining their lives before everything is resolved. But hopefully this will be more interesting than that.

"Percy, pay attention!" The old woman at the front of the class snapped, causing my head to whip up from the sheet I was concentrating on, only to see her glaring at me. When she saw she had my attention she went back to lecturing the class on whatever was written on the board.

I heard snickering coming from behind me and twisted a little in my seat to see the Golden Boy sniggering at me with his friends. He caught my eye and smirked at me for a second before his face turned angelic and he raised his hand, answering the unheard question from the teacher.

I just glared at him with as much hostility as I could manage. Jason Grace is the A+ student who is the best in the school at sport. He is tall, blonde, muscular and the one that all the girls fawn over. He is also the kindest person in the school. Well, to everyone except me. We have this… thing going on where we just hate each other.

Ok, maybe I'm lying. We would probably get along great if I didn't hate him for no apparent reason. He has tried to become friends with me but I just won't have it and eventually he gave up and started to hate me back.

And our feud isn't just a little personal thing. No, the whole school knows about it and has taken sides. Although I think 'taken sides' is the wrong term seeing as it is basically the whole school against me.

Yeah I know, it's hard to believe someone as amazing and devilishly handsome as me is on the outs.

"Percy Jackson! Since you seem to already know everything, can you please tell me the answer to the question on the board?" The old witch at the front of the class raised her voice, shocking me out of my thoughts.

Looking back at the board, I squinted before sighing.

"I don't know." I muttered. The snickering intensified and the teacher looked over my head, her expression softening.

"Mr. Grace, can you tell me?"

"The presents in the tree clearly represent Arthur Radley's craving for company from Jem and Scout. It could also represent his suppressed childhood." Mr. I'm-So-Perfect responded, earning a nod of approval from Mrs. Bitch and forcing me to slide down in my seat to avoid her glare.

Once the class from hell was over, lunch started. I stood in front of my locker, opening it slowly, not really paying attention until a shoulder slammed into my back, ramming me into the locker.

I glared at the unnamed students over my shoulder as they laughed and hi-fived. I kept my head low as I put my books back and headed towards the cafeteria. The worst part about being on the outs with Grace, is I'm on the outs with the whole school and sometimes I find myself on the receiving end of a fist or a foot or a mouth full of hurtful words and, frankly, it gets annoying, not to mention that it actually hurts.

I took my usual seat at the back of the cafeteria and begun my people watching. And by people watching I meant Annabeth watching. Not that I have a crush or anything.

I snorted out loud at that. You know it's bad when you can't even lie to yourself anymore.

She walked in with her friends, animatedly talking with Piper, the unconventional beauty, and Leo, the elfish tinkerer. Her blonde curls bounced as she walked and her grey eyes sparkled with whatever she was talking about.

You have no idea how badly I wanted to just go up and talk to her and have her looking at me with those startling grey eyes with the same excitement and tenderness she held in them now.

But that would never happen. I thought to myself as Grace came up behind Piper, wrapping his arm around her waist and joining in the conversation easily. His sister trailed behind him with their cousin Nico, both dressed in their punk styled clothes and both suppressing laughter at Annabeth's animated movements attributed to her conversation. Hazel and Bianca, Nico's sisters, were talking softly to each other while Frank, Hazel's boyfriend, held onto Hazel's hand, occasionally throwing in his two cents. Behind them all, Grover hobbled in on his crutches and, as if on instinct, all of them slowed down for him to join them.

They all seemed to fall into a line as Jason led them through the tables and found one for all of them all the way across the room from where I sat.

I scowled as they gravitated around him, all laughing now at something he said in response to Annabeth.

I looked back at her sadly, knowing in my head and my heart that I could never be friends with her let alone more. She is one of Grace's best friends and one of the people who hate me most in this school. The rest of them sit around the same table.

My concentration faltered when a bunch of giggling girls sat down on the closest table to me.

My hearing was impaired significantly after that. Seriously, they don't shut up.

I turned to my lunch and tried to tune them out as much as possible. It's not that easy though.

"Do we have assembly after lunch?" One of them asked at the top of her lungs, turning to the girl beside her.

"Yeah. Something went down last week that the principal wants cleared up. Also, I think they are announcing something." The next girl seemed to screech.

The rest of lunch was spent listening to a torturous amount of noise, but I guess I was thankful for them sitting there. If they hadn't I would never have known if there was an assembly or not. Not that I ever want to go to an assembly.

Nevertheless, I filed in with the rest of the students and spread out in the amphitheatre. I then listened to an hour long lecture on how 'bullying is wrong' and how it should be eradicated from the halls of Olympus High. When asked what brought this on, I was revealed that someone had made a comment about Grover and his crutches and someone *cough* Grace *cough* overheard it and turned the people in. Looking around you could see a few extremely guilty looking faces. They actually looked ashamed of themselves.

As much as I hated people like them picking on people like Grover, or anyone as a matter of fact, and as much as I was glad someone was doing something about it, even if that person is Grace, I just wished that someone would do it for me.

"… and I never want to hear about anything like this happening in our halls again." Mr. Greenbank, the principal, concluded. "Now, onto something more positive. I have results back for the leadership camp that many of you students applied for! As many of you know, everyone who applied had to send in a resume and the camp director then came to our school and observed the students. Only the best of the best can go." An excited murmur began through the crowd. I could hear people whispering behind me.

"Jason and Annabeth have it for sure."

"Yeah, it has got to be them."

Mr. Greenbank raised his hands in a 'shush' gesture and, after a few moments, everyone settled down again.

"To those who didn't get in, this is in no way a slight against your ability to lead or your intelligence or your strength as a person. Everyone who applied deserves to be congratulated." He continued and waiting for the polite applause for those who didn't make it.

I leaned my head back on my seat, fully intending to fall asleep for the rest of the assembly, partially because I was bored, partially because I didn't want to see Grace get another award.

Mr. Greenbank's voice buzzed away in my head as he went about his usual long winded build up to the winners.

I vaguely heard Jason's name and I most definitely heard the roar of students cheering for their 'leader'.

I heard Mr. Greenbank laugh as he half-heartedly settled down the crowd, also overwhelmed with pride for his favourite student.

"And now the second student…" He yelled over the noise and it died down to a dull roar. I opened my eyes, and sat back up, watching for Annabeth's inevitable trip down the stairs and through the crowd, looking immensely proud, not at all surprised and more honoured than embarrassed about the cheers. I wanted to see her proud grey eyes flitter among the crowd and her blonde curls bouncing with her step…

"Percy Jackson."

Wait. What?