PERCY
"One year" I consoled myself. One more year of school and you can work in camp. I was going to a public school in New York called –Goode High School. It meant new friends, new campus and a new cycle of being loner, mysterious geek Percy Jackson.
I was shook out of my thoughts when I remembered that I was in sword practice. It was my last sword fight of the summer. I wanted to enjoy it because I didn't know whether I would get practice after that.
"'bout time Kelp head!" Nico said grinning.
"Let us get started young Padawan!" I said fake-bowing.
We circled each other for a good five minutes until ADHD got the better of me. I lunged. We were holding up well. I was determined to be the last demigod standing. We were in the middle of it, when I was interrupted by Chiron. "Percy! Nico! Leave! You are still here and that is bad for your well-being." He started.
"What is the time?"
"A little after six. It is better if we go before your mother comes back."
"Got it." I said and we shadow travelled to the apartment and crashed. I did not regret not telling anyone before leaving because we had a party that afternoon. I slept thinking of camp and how it was my home.
"PERSEUS JACKSON, SON OF POSEIDON, SAVIOUR OF OLYMPUS, GET UP AND LEAVE FOR SCHOOL!"
I jumped up, showered, changed into worn out converse that Thalia and Nico bought me after the labyrinth incident, torn jeans, blue T-shirt and a hoodie. I walked down the stairs practicing how I was going to walk in school –slouch, head low and drag. Nico and my mother were sitting there eating.
"Where is my boy?" Mom asked me. I guess I disguised myself well.
"Under this hoodie somewhere." I said
"Well, I miss my old son. He is pretty cool." She grinned," I could say he looked like a hero"
"Oh. I would like to meet him sometime. "
"You can see him after school, during his practice in his room."
"I look forward to it."
"Go to school Percy, Paul is already waiting downstairs." She said with finality.
I stuffed in my blue pancakes and head out the door with Nico following.
After an awkward ride with Paul where he asked me whether I was prepared, I was standing in front of Goode High School.
We walked in as practiced got my schedule, locker and key as practiced and went to our adjacent lockers. I opened mine and started to shove my things in when I was approached by a brunette. She just looked at my back for a few minutes as if to check me out.
"You guys have lockers among the five popular kids." She said.
"Oh." I said turning to see her. She was very familiar with her kaleidoscope eyes and choppy hair.
"They do not like it." She finished.
"Thanks for the advice." Nico said giving her a small smile. I realized she was Piper McLean, counselor of Cabin 10 and the Charm speaker of camp.
"Anyone else here?"
"Praetor of New Rome and counselor of Ares cabin when in New York, Counselors of Hephaestus and Demeter."
"Can't wait to meet them."
ANNABETH
I am Annabeth Chase, daughter of Frederick Chase, one of the top businessmen in the city. I go to Goode High School because my father is too busy for the transfer process. My friends are Jason, Drew, Hazel, Calypso and Will. We are the Pop Six – Goode High's most popular kids.
Jason is a blonde with a scarred upper lip and hand and is a very curt and right person. It takes a lot for him to open up.
Drew is the most beautiful girl in the entire campus. Every one listens to her no matter what.
Hazel is too kind for her own good. She is kind even to the looser group except for Frank.
Will is the swimming, basketball and track teams' captain. He is very bubbly and cheerful to everyone except the looser.
Calypso is the teachers' pet. She is pretty composed all the time and rarely lashes out.
We are the most athletic, smart, popular and cool group.
We were catching up on our summer vacation incidents when we entered home-room. We were also planning for the weekend considering today is a Wednesday. Our first business when we entered was to tease the losers. They were Piper, Frank, Leo and Katie. They were sitting today in a corner with a new kid in a hoodie and a Goth kid. Needless to say, they fit right in. But the losers seemed to chat with them like they were old friends.
They were talking to them seriously while they were giving the hoodie guy looks of pity. We walked up to them. I caught only a few words – after school, safe house.
"Found two new losers eh?" Drew asked.
"Go away Drew!" Piper started. The nerve was bad enough but this earned a high five from Leo.
"No" I said.
"Fine. Stay and join what you perceive as the loser group." Frank said. I could see the Goth kid give a grin and the hoodie guy's shoulders shake. I was so sure he was laughing.
We walked off, went to the back corner and talked about the weekend.
PERCY
I entered home-room with Nico and Piper. I met Leo, Frank and Katie officially. I just see people around in camp. After introductions, we all switched to Ancient Greek and I asked them to meet me for a short discussion on their status outside camp. We were rudely interrupted by the 'Pop six' – the bullies of the school.
I got to commend Frank. The comment was priceless. The bullies just sulked to a corner. We were busy discussing how to be inconspicuous during the school year that included play weakling during gym and tone down the show off during Greek and your elective.
After home room, the first half of school went pretty smoothly where all of us had the same classes and slept in all of them. During lunch I had many people staring at me but I guess it is normal for a new student. I sat with my friends.
We were in a heated discussion of fighting schedules for the game. I needed the alliances as it was going to be a tight game this time. Athena cabin was out for revenge. We were negotiating with Frank when there was a tap on my shoulder. I nearly judo flipped the person but I was stopped by Piper. It was the Pop six.
"What are your names new guys?" One of the bullies asked. She was pretty cute and looked dangerous. She had blonde hair and calculative stormy gray eyes. It made me wonder whether she could ever love.
"Percy Jackson and Nico di Angelo"
"What are you talking about? How do you know the losers?" a blonde girl asked
"They are not losers and we are talking about things that do not concern thy big heads." I countered. I was about to get up and give them a piece of my curse when Piper charmspoke me to sit down. They just frowned at me and walked away.
"Since lunch is almost over and we haven't yet finished negotiations, shall we meet in the café?" I asked everyone.
They nodded grinning. It was there that I should have known that the high school bullies were listening in to everything.
Greek class was saddening; the teacher got half the things wrong. He gave us a pop quiz on how much we knew which I wrote to 80% of my capability and made a few deliberate mistakes. The same thing was happening with the others and we generally shared looks, laughs and snorts.
JASON
Gym was basically everyone drooling over our flat stomachs and four packs. I just waited for the coach. He loves us. The losers came in last again in deep discussions. They seemed to look around the gym with a hint amusement.
"All right Cupcakes!" the coach yelled.
"Coach Hedge?" Percy asked while his friends laughed their heads off.
"Jackson?" He yelled with a smile. He never smiles at us. He came up to him and patted his back saying," What are you doing here? Why are you in the Gym? You don't need to be here. And Nico, you too, how are you kiddo? How's Reyna?"
Why would he say that? Percy seemed skinny in his hoodie. Am I wrong in assuming that? Percy just grumbled and glared at the coach. I didn't see him glare but it must have explained everything and scared the coach because he shrunk, flinched and then went back to us. Nico just blushed and said," I'm fine coach. So is Reyna." Reyna must be a crush.
During dodge ball the losers just got out in the first try as usual and the Coach just grinned at them and shouted orders at us. Why would they grin at the losers and remember their names? That thought struck me for the first time. After the class, we all stayed back for our discussion with coach to see him signal the losers.
"Get lost. Go home. Be free" He said shooing us.
We nodded and hid behind the bleachers within earshot.
"What are Mr. Camp Hotshot and Ghost King doing here? Why are you both in the Gym? You can teach the kids here. Why did you two get out in the first round? I know their reason for acting like geeks. Why you guys?" Coach said.
"I need to survive my last year of school at least a semester if I want to work in camp. I have already got my work cut out for me and experience in abundance." Percy replied.
"My father forced me here. Apparently, Reyna is also insistent I finish some education. So I came." Nico said
"You can just skip Gym and go early and go to the safe house this weekend. Cabin 9 just made an all-terrain simulator since you guys are counselors and are the most powerful in your respective fields. Here are the keys for the simulator and house." Coach replied.
"No need. My Cabin built it with a Biometric lock system that has everyone in camp currently coded in. I can guide them. I am after all Commander Tool belt!" Leo said with the smirk evident in his voice.
There was groaning and a smack.
"Thanks coach and Leo and your Cabin. How are Mellie and Chuck? I am still disappointed that you named Clarisse her godmother." Frank said
"They are fine. I named Clarisse her godmother because I believe that she is a Cabin 5. You are so cute and babyish outside the battlefield that I doubt that you are a one and let alone a praetor." Coach replied.
"Yeah, you could be a Cabin 7. Your skills fit perfectly. You also hate rock music that blares in your cabin." Nico said.
"Okay! Guys! Let's go. Alliances are to be formed for Capture the Flag. We also have to inform our Cabins for preparations." Percy said with finality.
"Yes. Our camp leader speaks sense." Coach said.
"I am not the Camp leader." Percy said
"You are." Katie said.
"You know that Cabin 10 has a competition on who will win you over first right?" Piper said.
"No. I didn't know. I have to stop talking to your cabin. I might consider you as dangerous as Cabin 15." Percy said.
"Cabin 15 tops it all man." Leo said.
"Yeah" everyone said.
"Remind me to secure Cabin 15's alliance. If Clovis is in the room everyone will want to sleep and I am willing to put him in the enemy base and run." Frank said
"Wow. Good strategy." Percy said.
"Strategy is a gift which you have in abundance." Coach said.
"I have new opponent now. Leo how would you like to try Hellfire against Fire?" Nico said.
"Sure dude! Since when can you control it? Can you also control Greek fire? Cause that would be helpful." Leo said.
"I can control its blast zone enough for everyone to get out. But I get very tired since it is relatively new." Nico said.
"Let's go. I haven't had a proper spar since morning and my muscles are sore. Frank is my new opponent. It helps that I am your great and a million more of them uncle" Percy said. What?
"Bring it on Dude. I think I can stand for 5 minutes despite your curse. When you put it like that, it is creepy." Frank said.
"I hate that curse. It just gives you a bad temper. Sure it gives me an advantage on the field but when I am not in combat or sparring, all I want to do is sleep." Percy whined.
"Quit your whining. It is cheating. Not an advantage for your information." Katie scoffed.
"You try bathing in that acid pool of a river without searing your face off and dying! I deserved it for that stunt! Nico was right by the way, the pollution in the river is suffocating." Percy said.
"Quit your bickering. Bye guys. See you this weekend during the games. Chuck must be crying for me." Coach said.
A chorus of byes was heard. After we heard the footsteps fade we came out. My head was reeling. Cabins? Camp Hotshot? Ghost King? No gym? Spar? Capture the flag? Safe House? Curse?...The list went on.
"What the hell just happened?" Hazel said voicing our opinions.
"No clue. But we have to keep an eye on the losers if we should make sense out of what they just said." Annabeth said
We all nodded and we went home. We were too surprised to follow them. That night I was thinking about the conversation. There were many things I didn't understand and the need to understand them was welling inside me.
