Prologue
Annabeth
We sit at our table in the classroom. The walls are a cream color, with a marigold accent wall. I am doodling in my notebook, a little black book with no lock. I mean, who would read a notebook? Exactly. My notebook is important and special, I write a bunch of creative, imaginative words in here. I can't bare to think if it gets in the wrong hands.
I'll tell what I write in my notebook. Song lyrics. There is something about expressing yourself in lyrics, in various genres of music. My best friends walk towards me as I slip my notebook into my bag. Piper McLean, Thalia Grace, and Calypso Titan are my best friends. Other than Percy Jackson.
Piper and I have the same problem: we like our best friends. Percy and Jason Grace. Thalia likes her friends brother: Nico Di Angelo. And Calypso, she likes, for some random and odd reason, Leo Valdez. I sigh and shuffle over for Thalia, Calypso, and Piper to scoot next to me. We are awaiting our names to be called for our presentation.
"Alright, thank you. Everyone clap for Reyna, Rachel, Khione, and Drew's presentation." Miss Diana calls. There are rounds of small applause, swirling around the room. "Thank you for that insightful view of makeup." Miss Diana tells them. "Now, Thalia, Annabeth, Piper, and Calypso." Nervously, Calypso heads down, Piper and Thalia trailing after her, and I, bringing up the rear.
"Our presentation is on academics." Calypso announces, wringing her hands. A few people laugh, others snort.
"Typical for the nerds." Someone mutters, that statement earns a few snickers.
"Anyways..." Piper drones, occasionally Thalia would talk and I would, but Piper and Calypso need more participation points.
After our presentation, no one applauds. I roll my eyes and push my thick, bright red glasses up my nose. The bell rings and everyone heads to lunch. We quickly stop by our lockers, me dropping my notebook in my locker. Surprisingly, I haven't seen any of the boys. Weird. Piper and Thalia are waiting for me as I slip into my seat. Calypso walks in and heads straight for our table. Piper picks and nudges her goo. It moves a little, Piper shoves in in the middle of the table. Thalia and I mimic her movements, staring in disgust at it.
"Seriously, what do they do to the food?" Thalia demands, glaring at the lunch ladies.
"Nobody knows, or wants to know, for a matter of fact," Piper answers, shaking her head of choppy, uneven hair. I nod in agreement with Piper, Calypso is lucky. She always packs her lunch. Calypso bites into her sandwich and gulps quickly.
"Yuck. Daddy packed the bad kind." She scowls, her face contorted into a mask of disgust and rage.
"Now you know what we feel," Thalia jokes. Calypso rolls her eyes and throws her lunch away. We do the same, and plop back down into our original seats. Rachel, Reyna, Khione, and Drew walk past us, spilling their food on our heads and tops. Spaghetti drips from Thalia's head, smoothie stains splatter Calypso's shirt, soda runs down my back, and ice-cream melts on Piper's bottoms.
"Oops." Drew giggles, smiling at us sweetly. Calypso glares at her in disgust.
"What was that?" Thalia asks, placing her hands on her hips.
"We slipped." Khione answers, with a smug look on her face.
"Yeah right. That was on purpose!" I accuse, standing.
"No, it wasn't. Nerd. Back down. You and your friends are powerless against us." Rachel snarls. Piper opens and closes her mouth, once. Standing, she turns towards the group of popular people. Her head is held high, she shows dignity and courageousness.
"We are not powerless. We are not nerds. We just care more about school than you and your little posse. You might want to feel big and all, but being better than you all. I'll be the bigger person." Piper says, her voice low. "I know that was on purpose. I know you made it your mission to insult us, to accomplish making fun of the school nerds. It won't work." We all sit back down, as the girls gape at Piper.
"Listen here, brat. This is technically my kingdom, not yours, mine. I suggest that you leave or stay were you are. Either way, you are nothing, but a miserable, lifeless loser." Reyna hisses, glaring fiercely. Does she think she's scary? Yeah, right. She wishes and dreams to be.
"Whatever." Thalia replies, shaking the spaghetti out of her jet black, messy hair.
"Listen up everyone! Annabeth has a notebook were she writes songs in it! Listen to some:
Hearts beat fast
Colors and promises
I will be brave-" Rachel starts to screech. I gasp, leaping quickly to my feet. Running, I yank the notebook out of her hands and head for the door. Calypso, Piper, and Thalia follow me as we race down the corridor. I'm crying. Big, salty tears stream down my face. I wipe them away as we head for Piper's house. We decided then and there, we would become pop stars. We would forget our old, pathetic selves and head down a road no one would believe. A road where we were not made fun of, we had friends. We belonged.