Chapter 2: Girl Disasters, School Disasters

Percy settled down next to Tyson who he hadn't talked to in a while. Tyson's response was to cheer and strangle him in a hug as Annabeth settled in next to Ella. Chris and Clarisse were nearby and Percy glanced at them both worriedly. A lot would come up for the daughter of Ares in the next few days. He was interrupted by his thoughts by Grover. "Can we sit?"

"Yeah man," said Percy grinning as Juniper sat down next to Annabeth and Ella. "Come on."

Grover sat with him and Percy looked around the room. Over the past few days he'd made a lot of new friends and everyone here had really gotten to know each other. With so many friends he felt like he wasn't making as much time for each of them. That was another thing for him to work on.

Percy sat in the car in front of a large building with his mom. She smiled at him kindly telling him to relax, it was an orientation tour but it was Paul's school. She asked him to try not to destroy it.

"Recap please?" Jaz asked.

"Easy," Rachel told her. "Percy's mom has a boyfriend named Paul Blofis who teaches at Goode High School. He got Percy in and this is his orientation day. Way in the beginning of June. Paul doesn't know he's a demigod."

"What school number is this?" asked Leo. He'd never met anyone who beat his record. Until Percy.

"Eight. Though I graduated from the last one without doing anything too bad," Percy smiled. "Mom was really proud of that. I'm not at Goode any more though. Several months of absence will do that. AHS now."

"So nine schools?" Chris asked. "Dude, not even half of my siblings have been through that many and we had the camp record."

"Key word being had," Percy told him.

Percy asked her if she'd told Paul the truth about him. She said she thought they should wait. Percy said so it wasn't that they scared him away. Sally told him orientation would be fine it was only a morning. Percy frowned saying he'd be expelled before he even started.

"I really think you do have some prophecy," Rachel told him.

"No," Percy disagreed. "That's just me knowing myself and how my life works."

Sally told him to think positive. He would be at camp tomorrow and he had a date after orientation. Percy protested it wasn't a date. It was just Annabeth.

Every single person started laughing as Percy blushed. "Fine. My mom was right. She usually is. Like Annabeth."

"Piper says you were still in denial and even your mom was shipping you two," Jason said as Piper continued to tell him what she wanted to say. "She loves Sally."

Percy rolled his eyes at her.

Sally pointed out Annabeth was coming out from camp to see him. Percy agreed not seeing the point. She continued saying they were going to the movies. Just the two of them.

Percy blushed harder as everyone wolf whistled. Annabeth just laughed at him.

He protested. She held up her hands and told him to go inside she'd see him tonight. Percy opened the door then paled and climbed back inside looking at his mom. His mom asked what was wrong. He told her nothing asking for the side entrance to the school. He told her it was down the block to right. Then he got out of the car and ran.

"Why are you running from Rachel?" Jason asked.

"I mean you saw what happened at the dam," Percy excused himself. "She scared me and I didn't want demigods being exposed, did I?"

Percy walked into the side entrance where two cheerleaders smiled at him. Both said hi. Then the blonde one welcomed him to Goode saying he was going to love it.

"I hate people like that," Sadie groaned. "They sound like the plastic bags at school."

Percy didn't answer. He was gripping Riptide and glaring at the hologram ahead of him. Annabeth was shaking and grabbing for his hand. Grover looked at both of them concerned and Percy took a deep breath nodding he was fine.

Percy squirmed. She asked what his name was calling him fish. He asked what she meant. She explained a freshman. Percy told them his name. The girls looked at each other saying they'd been waiting for him.

"Run," Hazel advised. "Monsters. Cheerleading monsters."

Percy was still frozen in a state of shock. Everyone stared at him confused. He shook it off.

Percy put his hand in his pocket then Paul came up calling his name. Percy kneed Kelli by accident as he passed. There was a hollow clanging as se made a pretend ow telling him to watch it. Paul pulled him away then welcoming to Goode. Then he said Percy looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"He can't see through the mist. Can he?" asked Carter.

"No," Percy agreed. "But he believes it. And when it's big enough Mortals still notice. Mom still can tell. I'm not sure if that passes down and my sister will be that way."

At that thought he got a goofy grin on his face. Annabeth was still clutching his hand and he was pulled back into reality.

Percy agreed. Paul said he understood the nerves. They had lots of kids with ADHD and dyslexia. Percy smiled weakly. Then he looked down the hall and his eyes met Rachel's. Her eyes widened and Percy quickly asked Paul where orientation was. Paul said the gym pointing the direction. Percy yelled by running off as Paul called his name.

"You know running off like that just made you more obvious and me more determined," Rachel told him.

Percy groaned. "I know."

Percy ran into the hall which was hung with banners. He looked around as the marching band started to play then Percy spun when Rachel grabbed his shoulder demanding to know what he was doing there. Percy said her name and she gaped at him before glaring saying he was Percy though she'd never gotten his last name after he tried to kill her.

"Nice!" Thalia said giving Rachel a high five. Percy glared at them both.

Percy asked what she was doing there. She replied orientation. Percy asked if she lived in New York. Rachel asked if he thought she lived in hoover dam. Percy fell silent.

"What was I supposed to think?" Percy turned to her. "It's full of tourists. I mean Leo was there."

"I actually lived near New Mexico then though," Leo said.

Percy ignored him.

Then a guy told them to shut up because the cheerleaders were talking. Tammi and Kelli introduced themselves as Rachel yelped. She turned to Percy and told him to run.

"What are they?" asked Zia. "Some horrible monster in disguise no doubt. But which?"

"Nothing that would hurt you," Rachel said. "You're a girl. And a magician. They also have fire magic. You probably don't need to worry."

Percy asked her why but she was already going through the crowd. Percy looked at her then paul. After a moment he ran after Rachel. They ended up in the band room. Rachel was hiding behind a drum. She urged him over telling him to keep his head down. She asked if he was followed. Percy asked about the cheerleaders. She nodded and he said he didn't think so asking what she'd seen. She told him he wouldn't believe her.

"I get that," Sadie agreed. "Stupid regular people and the unablitiy to see what's right in front of them."

Carter nodded thinking about the time they had been interrogated after their father blew up the Rosetta stone.

Percy told her he would. She could see through the mist. She asked what he meant. He explained what it was and that some mortals could see through it. She agreed that he'd said that at Hoover dam too, what was he if he wasn't a mortal. There was a pause of silence. She begged him to explain the things she'd seen.

Piper winced looking at her sympathetically. She got what Rachel was talking about. They were too alike sometimes.

She was telling him he didn't know how hard it had been. She thought she was going crazy. Then she asked who he really was.

"It skipped some stuff," Rachel frowned.

"Just me explaining greek myths were real. Not to important. Wait," Percy paused turning to her. "Have you ever seen anything from Egyptian or Norse myths?"

"Maybe," Rachel hesitated. "Doesn't matter now."

Percy said he wasn't a monster. She told him she'd be able to see if he was. Percy said he was a half blood, half human. Rachel asked half what when Tammi and Kelli came in smiling saying it was time for his orientation.

"That's just scary," Frank said shivering.

"It gets scarier," Percy told him.

Rachel gasped they were horrible. Percy asked what they really looked like. Tammi said to forget her and Percy just stared dumbly as Rachel called his name scared. He made a confused sound.

"It's magic," Hazel realized. "They're enchanting you. You can't fight them."

Percy nodded. "Doesn't work anymore. Not after that first time. But that's why it's really useful to have a girl around to fight with you. They're good at saving my butt."

The girls looked unsure of whether to thank him or hit him.

Rachel yelled at him to snap out of it. He drew Riptide. Tammi sneered telling him she didn't need that asking for a kiss. Rachel pinched his arms saying she wanted to bite him. Tammi said Rachel was jealous then asked Kelli for permission to continue. Kelli encouraged her saying she was doing great. Percy held her sword to her chest as Tammi sneered this was their school they could eat who they chose. Her eyes turned red and her skin became white as her teeth became fangs.

"Wait, vampires are real?" Alex asked. "Are you going to stab her with a wooden stake through the heart now?"

"She' not a vampire," Reyna said with wrinkled nose in disgust. "Look at her legs."

"What are those things?" Leo asked freaking out.

"Empousai," Annabeth growled. "And they're the worst of the worst. I hate them."

Percy yelled she was a vampire then saw her legs. He started to say a vampire with weird legs when Tammi snapped at him it was rude to make fun. She kept coming forward. Kelli was telling him those legends were based on them, the empousai. Hecate's servants.

"They work for Hecate?" asked Hazel turning to Annabeth and Percy. "Shouldn't they be on our side then?"

"Hecate wasn't on our side then though. And since the empousai have gone rogue. They care more about getting to feed then working for Hecate from what I've seen," Annabeth told her. Percy's face was dark and he was scowling. He clutched her hand as she growled.

Tammi agreed saying dark magic made them to feed on young men. She asked for a kiss again. Percy froze then Rachel through a drum at Tammi's head. The drum was swatted away and Rachel threw a xylophone and the same thing happened. Tammi said she'd make an exception about killing girls for Rachel. She lunged and Percy cut her in half with Riptide. Rachel was covered in monster dust and she yelped it was gross. Percy apologized saying Monster's did that. Kelli yelled at him that he'd killed her trainee and he need a school spirit lesson. She told him she was a senior empousa that no hero had beat for thousands of years.

"No male hero," Percy corrected her. "But you've been bested twice by the scariest and best demigod I know."

Annabeth elbowed him. "Thanks but that's not really true."

"I can say what I want," Percy told her. "Especially if it's a complement to my amazing girlfriend."

Percy said she was overdue. He jabbed at her and Kelli dodged into the trombones knocking them over. Percy stood in between Kelli and Rachel. Kelli said riptide was so pretty it was a pity it stood between them. Percy squinted at her as Kelli continued saying he didn't even know what was happening. Soon camp would be destroyed and they'd be enslaved to Kronos and they couldn't stop it. It'd be better for him to die now.

"You guessed that Luke would do that though," Will said. "We tried to prepare even before you heard that from Kelli."

"She still knew more about it than me," Percy agreed. "I was kind of clueless. I hadn't been in camp for a few months."

Then a few voices passed and Kelli smirked saying they'd have company soon. She threw a tuba at them and Percy and Rachel ducked. There was a crash as Kelli shouted asking why Percy had thrown it. She started to make a mess swiping things over as Percy yelled for her to stop. Kelli ran for the door as Percy ran after her with Riptide. Rachel yelled for her not too. Then Kelli opened the door and Paul and a bunch of other teens stared at him.

"And you were right," Will said with wide eyes. "Before the first day and you destroyed the school. You have the worst luck."

"You can say that again," Percy agreed in a bored tone.

"I would just be more worried about your mom's boyfriend thought," Sadie told him. "Dropping this all on regular people isn't very easy. For us or them."

"Paul's cool," Percy grinned with a dopey look on his face. "I'm giving something away but he's just kept going with it. He's the best. I'm lucky mom met him. And now I'm getting a little sister anytime in the next few weeks in the deal."

His face fell then. He hadn't been home for days though he was sure no time had passed in the mortal world, or less than a few minutes at least. But he could still worry about his mom looking, or what the stress would do about her pregnancy. He couldn't miss his sister being born. Not even if it was something of the Fates decree. Annabeth seemed to realize what he was thinking and put a reassuring hand on his arm.

Paul asked what he did as the fire alarms blared and the water sprinklers started on the ceiling. Rachel tugged on his sleeve telling him to get out and Percy jumped through the broken window and ran through the alley exiting it onto the street where he bumped into Annabeth.

"I'm guessing no date then," Thalia asked with an eyebrow raised.

"It wasn't a date!" Both of them were protesting in exasperation. Everyone rolled their eyes and laughed in amusement.

"Sure…" Leo said. "And Nico here isn't all doom and gloom all the time. That's not how it work…"

He stopped midsentence when he saw Nico's gaze turned on him. He gulped and closed his mouth leaving Percy and Annabeth satisfied. Nico still sent them a glance saying really? making them both annoyed again.

She grabbed his shoulders as he fell forward and stood him up straight laughing he was out early and to watch where he was going. Percy just stared at her dumbly for a second before Rachel ran out yelling for Percy to wait.

Rachel winced looking at Annabeth. "Sorry."

"Don't," Annabeth told her. "We've been over that for a long time and we kind of needed that to happen if you don't remember later that summer."

Rachel's eyes twinkled as she grinned in response.

Annabeth frowned and she looked from Percy to Rachel to the school. She frowned at him asking who Rachel was and what he did this time. Percy rubbed the back of his head introducing them saying he guessed Rachel was a friend. Rachel said hi to Annabeth then turned on Percy saying he still owed her an explanation. Then police sirens started and Annabeth told him they should go. Rachel grabbed him as he started to run after Annabeth saying he needed to explain more about mythology and Percy was going to call her to explain. She wrote out her number on his arm.

"So you're the reason I had to wait a whole more summer for these idiots to get together?" Clarisse growled.

"There were other reasons!" Percy yelled as she put an arm in front of Rachel. "Like I wasn't sure if I was going to die because of some prophecy and didn't want to date until I was sure."

"Uh huh," Annabeth and Rachel said together.

"Not helping," Percy groaned looking at them both. Why did everyone have to team up against him?

Percy protested and Rachel told him she'd make up an excuse for him then told him to run as she ran back. Percy and Annabeth were left staring at each other.

"Annabeth's going to be mad," Magnus winced. "Good luck dude. Actually never mind. I'm not defending you against her."

"Thank you so much Magnus," Percy said sarcastically as Annabeth rolled her eyes telling them both she was right here.

Piper looked at Jason. "Tell Percy Magnus is right though. I don't want to be on the wrong side of Annabeth's jealousy."

Jason sighed. "Piper says Magnus is right and she wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of Annabeth's jealousy. Neither would I to be honest."

Calypso, Reyna and Rachel all looked away as Percy blushed and Annabeth growled in annoyance. "Are we done yet?"