Chapter One

I guess it all started when Percy vaporised our maths teacher. Of course I assumed that he was hallucinating when he told me. I mean, who, as he so eloquently put it, accidentally vaporises their maths teacher? But when everyone else started to think he was crazy, I thought he was actually sane. After all we did definitely have a maths teacher called Mrs Dodds until after Percy 'vaporised' her. From then on we were told our maths teacher was Mrs Kerr. I would have believed it if it wasn't for our friend Grover. Grover was a scrawny, pimply teenager a few years older then us. Most people thought he was a freak as he was the only sixth grader to have a wispy beard on his chin and to have a leg condition which excused him from PE forever. So, naturally, he was mine and Percy's best friend.

It was on an excursion when it happened. We were both on probation and the day was already horrible. It was rainy and cloudy which I hated. We were on a old bus on the way to a Greco-Roman museum. The only good thing about this trip was that my favourite teacher Mr Brunner was coming along. Well, that and we got out of school for a day. Although, to be honest, this wasn't much better. Nancy Bobafit a freckly, red-headed, kleptomaniac girl was sitting behind us and as usual being a huge pain. She was chucking peanut butter sandwiches into Grovers curly hair. Where she got that many from I didn't know but they just kept coming and coming. I was so fed up with her I started to get out of my seat but Percy pulled me back.

"Don't! You're already on probation," he hissed.

"Like you don't want to kick her butt too," I scoffed glancing at his clenched hands at infuriated face.

"It's ok guys. I like peanut butter," Grover stated helpfully, "Anyway we're here now."

We headed out of the bus and filed into the museum. Mr Brunner took us through a bunch of artefacts telling us about them from his wheel chair. Nancy was talking behind us as per usual.

"Will you shut up?!" Percy whispered to her.

It came out pretty loud.

"Mr Jackson. You have a comment?" Mr Brunner asked.

"No sir," he replied his face burning red.

"Well since you feel so inclined to talk, perhaps you can tell us what this is?"

I glanced at the artefact he was pointing at. It was some image of a person eating another person. Pretty gruesome, but I didn't know what it was. To my surprise, Percy answered correctly.

"Yeah like we're gonna use this in real life. Imagine that on our job interview," Nancy smirked.

"And why, Mr Jackson," Mr Brunner said, "To answer Miss Bobafit's excellent question, would this be useful in real life?"

Percy shrugged, "I don't know, sir."

Mr Brunner sighed, "Half credit Mr Jackson. Now all of you head outside for break. Mr Jackson and Miss Everette please stay. I want a word with you."

Nervousness filled me. I couldn't think of anything I'd done wrong. Well, apart from skipping a few English classes. Oh, and vandalising Nancy Bobafit's locker. Also accidentally setting everyone's bags on fire in science class. Or maybe they discovered my illegal stash of candy I was selling from my dorm. Well, whatever it was it couldn't be that bad.

When everyone left I asked if we were in trouble.

Mr Brunner simply shook his head, "It is important that you learn the answer to my question. Both of you."

"About the Titans?" Percy asked.

"About real life," he replied, "And how your studies apply to it. I will only accept the best from you two."

I wanted to scream at him that I had never gotten above a D in my life. I had dyslexia an ADHD so I was hardly a model student. Of course my school record wasn't that great either. I had been kicked out of 9 schools in my 7 years of schooling. And half the time it wasn't even my fault! Percy had dyslexia and ADHD too. Not a bad as me though. I thought it was strange when we first met but we both passed it off as coincidence.

I mumbled something about trying harder. Mr Brunner just sighed and looked sadly at some girls stele. He sent us both outside for lunch.

"Detention?" Grover asked when we got outside.

"Nah," I said, "Not from Brunner. I just wish he didn't expect so much of me. I mean I'm hardly a genius."

Grover glanced at us thoughtfully. He opened his mouth to say what I hoped would be a highly philosophical statement to make me feel better. Instead he addressed Percy.

"Can I've you're apple?"

Percy obliged and we sat down at the edge of a fountain. It was quite peaceful until Nancy came over after getting tired of stealing from pensioners. She dropped her lunch in Grover's lap.

"Oops," she smirked.

Percy stood up with raised hands but I got there first. I wasn't really sure what happened but the next thing I knew Nancy was in the fountain with steaming red marks all over her arms. Almost like sunburn. She started screaming like a baby.

"Oops," I said right back at her.

Mrs Dodds rushed over and after making sure that dear Nancy was alright - which she was, she looked at me.

"Now, honey," she said sweetly.

"Wait!" Percy stood up, "It wasn't Ali, it was me. I pushed her."

Mrs Dodds looked to Nancy for confirmation. She nodded. Huh, I guess she hated Percy more than me. Mrs Dodds escorted Percy back into the museum. He would probably come back deaf after having his ears lectured off by Mrs Dodds horrible drawl.

"Great," I sighed, "Now I feel bad about getting Percy in trouble."

"Don't," Grover said wisely, "If you didn't do anything he would have done something anyway."

He kept glancing over at Mr Brunner as if hoping he would notice that Percy had been taken by Mrs Dodds.

"I wonder of he's going get detention. Knowing Mrs Dodds it'll probably be something worse," I muttered.

"Yeah," Grover agreed still looking at Brunner.

" I swear she's not even human."

That got his attention. He looked me straight in the eye and said, "I think you're absolutely right."

A few minutes later Percy came rushing out of the museum.

"Guys, guys! I think I just accidentally vaporised our math teacher."