Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Ari stood at the bus stop in a daze. All she ever did was work, how about a little play now and then. God seventh grade never got any easier. She shoved her glasses higher on her nose and scratched her head making her untamable brownish hair stick out in all directions.

"Hey, Ari," a black haired girl wearing a shirt that sported a Chinese character said with a crooked grin.

"Hi Elliot," Ari said, she made no move to smile, but instead looked straight ahead with a calculating stare.

"There you go again," Elliot said with a shake of her head.

"What?" Ari asked turning to face her mischievous friend.

"You're doing that thinking thing again," Elliot said. "You've got your eagle hair sticking out everywhere, and your huge gray eyes goggling out at something that doesn't even exist."

"What's wrong with that?" Ari said throwing daggers with her storm like eyes.

"Nothing, nothing."

The bus arrived.

They trudged on, Ari's boots made a muffled clunking sound on the steps.

"Well, well, well if it isn't Ms. Science experiment gone wrong, and her little twisted friend," a blond haired girl in the front seat sneered.

"What's your problem, Barbie, got your underwear in a knot?" Ari bounded back, she couldn't stand to be insulted.

Ari stormed down the aisle with books in hand. Her blank T-shirt and ripped up skinny jeans were splattered with paint, though her trademark combat boots were pristine.

Suddenly she went flying.

"Oops, sorry, had my leg in the aisle," said a gum-smacking girl in the 6th row.

Elliot made a-none too polite gesture in her general direction.

The two girls made it to the back row in one piece. They sat down next to a red haired boy in baggy clothes who held some crutches to help with his muscular deficiency.

"Hey Gabe," Ari and Elliot chorused in unison.

"L, R, how yah been?" the boy said squeezing his hat onto his head.

For the rest of the bus ride the trio conversed on everything from snow to nachos.

The one thing they didn't talk about was school; it was a sore subject for both Ari and Elliot. They had moved from school to school and back again. Even though Ari had next to perfect grades she always managed to screw something up… although no one dared to say it to her face.

With a squeal the school bus slammed on the brakes.

"Everyone off," said our bus driver Mitchell.

Mitchell was weird. Nobody really talked to him much because he always looked like he hated the world around him. In Ari's opinion he also had an off-putting facial structure. If one thing was for sure it was that he was huge. Seriously, he looked more like a professional wrestler than a bus driver.

The bus was empty except for Mitchell, Elliot, Gabe, and Ari. The group of friends walked forward until suddenly a thick muscular arm stuck out and blocked their path.

"Umm… Mitchell?" Elliot said.

He turned his dark black eyes on them.

No not eyes… eye.

"You shall not pass," the Cyclopes said.

Gabe tapped Ari on the shoulder, "If we can get out of here than we should be okay… the problem is getting out."

Then Ari pulled out something that had gotten her kicked out of her last school: a 12 inch celestial bronze knife.

It was a birthday present… from her mother. Ari had never met her mother and this was her only real connection with her. A stupid knife, but, hey, it seemed to have come in handy.

Elliot and Mitchell - or the Cyclopes monster thing or whatever the heck he was - were chatting up a storm.

"I haven't had fresh half bloods in quite a while… after the war." The Cyclopes said in a grave voice all the while licking his lips.

"Well then go to a freaking Taco Barn you creepy, one eyed, bus driver," Elliot said. Trust her to make a joke out of the creepiest thing that had ever happened.

Ari stared at the monster; everyone said that her huge stormy eyes framed beneath black glasses were unsettling at best and downright scary at worst.

She ran a quick assessment of its strength.

Elliot was still taunting away, "Whoa, mister two words-' breath mints'!"

And in that moment quite a few things happened:

1. The monster swung a beefy fist at Elliot.

2. Elliot ducked and gave a very un-Elliot like scream

3. Gabe whimpered and began to bite his nails

4. Ari jumped off a bus seat, knife in hand, and grappled for a hold on the Cyclopes' shoulders.

Thankfully the monster was not very smart.

It swung its fists at the swift and light Elliot, gripped the back of her shirt, and began to raise its prey to its mouth.

At the thought of imminent dinner it forgot all about Ari. That is until she stuck 12 inches of celestial bronze through its eye. Although it really wasn't remembering anything at that point. It dropped Elliot and slowly disintegrated to dust. At that point Ari fell from the Cyclopes shoulders and landed on her feet, knife intact, looking frazzled.

Then Elliot said the weirdest thing possible. "I'm hungry."

Gabe pulled out some cash and sighed, "I'll call a cab."

Hope you liked it! More to come!