Disclaimer: I don't own anything except O.C. Rick Riordan owns Percy Jackson and characters.

A/N: Thanks to two people for making this possible: a Michigan almost-ninth grader for inspiration and to a Minnesotan sixteen-year old for patiently editing.

Meetings

You'd think that a person would have the decency to shout a warning to an innocent traveller before crashing into the unsuspecting victim at twenty miles per hour. Suddenly, I was knocked off my feet and fell onto my hands and knees onto the sidewalk. Drat! Both my hands and knees were dirty and bleeding. The right knee of my jeans was torn. I angrily stood up to see who had so rudely charged into me.

She had been knocked down too, and looked worse off than me. Her dark hair pulled into a braid, I was able to catch a glimpse of her face; disoriented and dirty, before she clumsily got to her feet. She was maybe fifteen or sixteen years old: my age. "Sorry, sorry." She muttered, her voice somehow sounding both dehydrated and musical at the same time. My anger instantly faded at her apology.

She glanced behind her shoulders one more time, gaunt shadows on her face. "I have to go!" Her voice was panicky now, but still as compelling as before. I looked behind her as well. I didn't see anything unusual. Just some pedestrians on the city streets, perpetually rushing someplace or another. She sprinted down the sidewalk as if being chased. I sighed, looking at my watch. I was late for school again and bleeding on my knees. Oh well. I suppose another detention or two couldn't hurt my permanent record anymore. It's my own fault for sleeping in.

I noticed a backpack lying on the sidewalk, abandoned. The teenager who'd bumped into me (RUDE!) must have forgotten it in her rush to go wherever she was hurrying to. Okay then. I guess I could take a look and see if there's any identification in it. I hoisted up the battered blue backpack by the straps. I'd check out at its contents at school.

I'd just started walking in that direction again when I was bumped into for a second time that trip. Luckily, I didn't fall this time. "Watch where you're going!" I yelled. This time, it was a trio of teenagers weaving around pedestrians: two guys and a girl. They were all about my age as well. I didn't blame them for running. I was going to be late to school too. One of the guys, short with curly black hair and light, coffee-colored skin, called back to me, "Sorry! Sorry!" As if I haven't already heard that today.

His eyes widened when he took in the backpack I was carrying. "Wait! Jason! Annabeth!" The other two, both fair-haired and tan, turned in response to the curly-haired guy's words.

The blonde girl's eyes, the color of a lake during thunderstorms, narrowed in on the backpack. She must be 'Annabeth.' I noticed they all wore guarded demeanors, and were out of breath. She stepped forward. "Where did you get that backpack?" Her tone demanded an immediate response.

No way was I answering the questions of some random person who almost knocked me over. "None of your business." I replied as cheerfully as I could muster.

Annabeth reached for something from her pocket. I saw a glint of bronze before the curly guy spoke up, staying her hand. "Go easy, Annabeth. I'm pretty sure she's mortal." Of course I'm mortal! What's that supposed to mean? I didn't like these people one grinned at me easily. "We kinda got off on a bad foot, didn't we? Hi! My name is Leo the awesome. This is Annabeth the smart and Jason the weak." Jason, who was radiating an air of power, gave Leo a look that said, I'll get you later, but he kept his silence. "Anyways, we just need to know where you got that backpack because it's our friend's, who we need to find. Like, right now."

The backpack wasn't really mine, so I decided to tell them. But then a thought occurred to me: What if that girl had been running away from them? Leo, at least, looked trustworthy, if a little weird (I mean, calling himself "the awesome" isn't exactly original, is it?), but Annabeth was really intense and Jason was strange. And why did they call me a 'mortal' as if they weren't? "Why is your friend lost?" I asked politely, holding the backpack close.

This time, Jason answered. I could tell immediately that he was one of those people who walked with a ramrod straight back all the time, almost like a member of the military. "She…this is her first time in the big city. We got…separated and need to find her." His voice was almost pained when he talked about his friend.

Maybe they were well-meaning…my teachers always told me I was too inclined towards pessimism… But at the same time, oh, please! This 'Jason' is a really bad liar. This is making me increasingly suspicious of them. "You're tourists, then?"

"Yep!" Leo interjected, "Tourists is exactly what we are! I've always wanted to have a New York hot dog! They're the best! And go to Empire State Building and see the very top." He winked at Annabeth and Jason. "Also, that one place in Central Park where Grover fell asleep-"

"Leo!" Annabeth said warningly. She looked like she was the person in-charge here. This group of teenagers weren't just friends on their way to something as innocent as school or even sightseeing, like they seemed.

I wondered who exactly this 'Grover' person was or why his sleep patterns were relevant. Obviously they were important to Annabeth, but that was her problem. I checked my watch. Now I was really late to school. I'll just give them the information. And the backpack. It wasn't mine to keep in the first place. I don't know why I'm trying to protect this girl.

"She ran into me while I was walking along, minding my own business. Just like you." I said pointedly to them. "Maybe ten minutes ago. We both fell and she ran away before I could say anything. She forgot the backpack completely. I thought I would find her to give it back to her. It has to have an ID or something in here somewhere."

"Thank you. Would you mind giving us the backpack now?" Annabeth said, visibly attempting to be polite, but unable to hide how tense she was.

I reluctantly handed over the backpack to Annabeth. It really wasn't any of my business in the first place, but these teenagers seemed dangerous.

"We have company." Jason said tersely, looking behind me. I glanced over my shoulder, looking for another dangerous group of teenagers, but what I saw was much worse.