NEW NOTE: I have edited/redone all the chapters as well as changed Neptune's name and character. Hope you like it better now!
Taylor: Alright, here's Chapter Two!
Kaliro: Finally! Sheesh, after that long of a wait, there better be some action.
Taylor: Just look at the chapter title… Now how about the disclaimer?
Kaliro: TaylorTyper is not Rick Riordan and does not have rights to his books. She may have taken little pieces from The Lightning Thief in this chapter, but that was just to help her along. The only thing she does have rights to is the general storyline, and ME!
Taylor: Good Kaliro. Have a cookie! Oh, and thanks so much to Captain Uber-Awesome and Lisbry for reviewing! You both get cookies!
Kaliro: Now on with the action!
I Meet My First Monster
When our break was over, Grover and I split to go to our separate classes. I didn't know where Peter's next class was but I can't say that I cared all that much.
My first class after lunch was English with Mr. Blake – my worst subject. He focused on spelling and I don't know how he expected me to spell anything, but he always told me that I wasn't working hard enough. The letters moved and turned too much! One time, I got so upset at my textbook that I yelled at it "Stop moving, you stupid letters!" and I earned a one-way ticket to detention.
So while Mr. Blake droned on about the first-grade concept of 'ie' versus 'ei' thing, I was naturally daydreaming about my favorite class, History. I know history isn't the most popular subject, but Mrs. Curry made it fun. There was something about her that radiated knowledge. We mostly studied Greek mythology and our class had even joked about Mrs. Curry being Athena one day, calling her 'My Lady.' She smiled sweetly, going along with it.
I was a Greek Geek. I loved the familiar sound of the stories and myths and especially the inspiring way that the heroes fight. I could just picture the dumb monster trying to defeat the hero, but the hero is so much smarter and overcomes the beast with both his brawn and brains.
A loud noise tolled three times and I was briefly annoyed with it for interrupting my daydream, but then I realized it was the bell, signaling the last class of the day. I quickly gathered my papers and ran across the hall and through the wave of kids to Mrs. Curry's classroom. I was rewarded with an hour of tales of conquering heroes, prophecies, and all-powerful gods. Not even the headache that had recently sprung up could ruin my favorite class.
When the last bell rang, I sighed with disappointment and looked down at my page. That's odd, I thought, seeing a detailed picture of three kids in a clash with a Greek monster, I don't remember drawing this. Beginning to feel a strange sense of dread in the pit of my stomach that combined painfully with the worsening pounding in my head, I looked at the papers underneath from the rest of my classes. Each one had a picture I didn't recognize though the penmanship was clearly mine. And each one made my headache spike even more. I was about to shake it off and pack them away when Mrs. Curry stepped up to my desk, smiling warmly.
"How did you like today's lesson, Kaliro?"
I smiled authentically back at her. "It won as 'Best Class of the Day' hands down again."
She glanced down at my papers, "Is that what you were doodling on while I taught?"
I flushed and shrugged guiltily, "I guess so."
"You guess so?" She asked, confused.
"Well I don't remember drawing them," I told her honestly, letting her see them. "I just kind of looked down and there they were."
"Interesting…" Mrs. Curry looked through my drawings and I watched her intelligent gray eyes. I thought I saw shock and fear as she went through some of them, but she quickly looked back up at me, smiling once again. "They're wonderful drawings, dear," she said, though her voice sounded strained to me. I began to think that her smile was forced as well, but I passed that off as my overworking imagination. "You should run along or you'll be late getting home. You don't want your mother to worry."
"Oh, yeah!" I had almost forgotten about my overreacting mother who exploded even if I was only seven minutes late. "Bye, Mrs. Curry! See you tomorrow!" I called. I ran out the classroom door, down the hall and finally pushed the outside doors open right into a familiar black-haired boy.
Peter cursed, cupping his nose. Apparently, he was about to walk in the school just as I burst out. The end result was me smashing his nose. Oops…
"I'm sorry, Peter!" I squealed and then covered my mouth. I just squealed like a girl… Why did I have to be such an idiot? Besides, he deserved it.
"Hurry up, Kaliro! Your mom's going to be so worried!" Grover stood on the sidewalk below the steps that led up to our school, waiting for me. Honestly, it sounded like he was more worried.
"Coming!" I hollered. "Uh… Bye, Peter," I said hastily as I started to make a dash for my best friend.
"Wait," Peter said, grabbing my arm. I looked back at the mysterious new boy's face, so much like his and now – because of me – bruised. I realized that he and Grover looked a bit older than the other kids though we all were in our freshman year. Even though I skipped a few grades, Peter and Grover just looked a little rougher around the edges than my classmates. "Grover told me that you both live along the same road as I do. Would you mind if I walked with you?"
I narrowed my eyes. He was just another jerk wanting to know where I live. That would be the second stalker this month. The first one was a real creep… but he disappeared for no reason right as I was deciding to call the cops.
Peter smiled pleadingly up at me and I scowled. He looked like a damn puppy.
"Fine." I said, getting my arm free and adjusting my bag. "But you're going to have to walk fast, probably run." Otherwise I'd be so late I'd never see the end of my mother's fury.
Peter smirked, "That's no problem."
I scanned his cocky features for a moment, seeing some sort of inside joke reflecting in his sea-green eyes. His eyes were the trigger.
"Kali..." I heard a whisper from the past calling to me on the wind but I ignored it.
I turned around. "Come on, then. We've got to get moving before my mom goes into hysterics."
I jumped down the stairs, Peter right behind, and we joined Grover in a consistent jog. I wondered if Peter really could be a good friend. He didn't seem that bad… and he looked so similar… he had to be related… Even so, I could easily slug him if he tried anything funny.
After a little while I glanced back and could tell that Grover was trying his best not to slow us down, but whatever physical disability he had was preventing him from going any faster than a hurried limp. I tempered my speed slightly for my handicapped friend.
Normally, I would have been watching the beautiful Pennsylvanian countryside and trees pass, but as I ran, I discovered that my headache from earlier had started to throb terribly. My vision started going foggy. I guess I started to fall back too because the next thing I noticed, Grover was in front of me and I was falling even further behind. I saw Peter look back and slow down, so he was at my pace.
"Are you all right?" I heard Peter ask, genuinely concerned. His voice sounded muffled, like it came from underwater. I got scared. I didn't understand what was going on. Was I having a stroke or something?
The next second, my skull felt like it was going to split open. I stopped in my tracks and brought my hands up to grasp my head. For a moment, I thought I saw the same mythical Greek monster from my picture on the back of my closed lids, but the vision disappeared as soon as it had arrived. The pain worsened. I cried out and dropped to my knees, panting.
Peter and Grover had stopped as well and started back towards me. Peter lowered down on one knee in front of me and held my shoulders. I could see that he was saying something, but through the agony I couldn't tell what.
Grover yelled something to Peter and he glanced up behind me, his eyes widening. Peter started shaking me, urging me to move. Finally, after glancing up quickly once more, he pulled me to my feet and started to drag me behind him in a sprint. Grover was impossibly running out in front of us without any disability or… pants. Instead, Grover had a goat backside like the satyrs from my books. I figured my impressive headache was beginning to make me delusional. That or I fainted. Which would suck majorly.
Somewhere along this point, my headache spiked again before vanishing. Still running, I twisted my neck around to see what we were trying to get away from and gasped, pure terror flooding my system. It was the exact same monster I had drawn and just seen in my head!
"What the hell is that thing?" I screeched at Peter. I was looking at a large lion-thing,fifty feet behind us and gaining. Its head was that of a lion, but it had the body and hooves of a giant goat and a ten-foot-long diamondback serpent for a tail. I also saw a… rhinestone collar?
"It's an old friend of mine," Peter called back. "Ever heard of the Chimera?"
"And where in my textbook does it say that the Chimera wears a rhinestone collar like some prissy Chihuahua?" The Chimera roared loudly, shooting a humungous amount of blazing fire from its mouth. Even though we were a considerable distance away, the heat was so intense it felt like my back had burst into flames. I don't think it liked being called a Chihuahua, but somehow, I saw a hint of a smirk on Peter's face.
We skidded around the next bend and I saw the raging river that Grover and I crossed daily to get to our homes. The problem was, we were too far downstream. We turned too early. To get to the bridge we'd have to go back to the previous road and then travel upstream. That didn't seem like an option anymore considering the fire-breathing, sharp-toothed doom that blocked our path.
"We're trapped!" I cried as Peter released me and we backed up to the bank. I didn't understand. How could this happen? What exactly was happening? Did I faint from that headache? Was I going insane again? It always did seem that my mind would choose the worst time possible to have me go crazy…
"Well, here come more sessions with that freaky psychiatrist," I muttered to myself.
The Chimera, seeing its prey was cornered, slowly stalked toward us, what seemed to be an evil smile on its gruesome face. My eyes wide, I backed up as far as I could without plunging into the fast-moving river. I wasn't scared easily, but you'd be afraid too if you were being stalked by a fifteen-foot, fire-breathing monster! Even if it was just my crazy imagination, it sure as hell looked real to me, and I was terrified.
Peter stood to my right, crouched in a ready-position like he fought giant monsters every day. I saw him finger a pen in his pocket as if he was going to use it as a weapon, but before I could ponder Peter's IQ, I noticed that the Chimera was heating up for another Breath-O'-Fiery-Death.
Peter, seeing this as well, shoved me over to his right, near Grover. "Take her and get out of here!" Peter told him. The Chimera's mouth was really hot.
"But–" Grover protested.
"Go!" Peter yelled, pushing Grover. We ran. The Chimera was about to blow.
Grover practically dragged me to the edge of the trees into safety. Once we were under cover, I got over my shock and yanked my arm out of my best friend's grip. I dropped my bag and turned around, my full intentions to try and save the black-haired boy. I couldn't let it happen again!
"Move, Peter!" I screamed, trying to run to him, but it was too late. I watched in complete horror as flames engulfed my new-found friend.
DUN DUN DUNNN! Sorry for the cliff. I was plannin' on finishing the battle, but this seemed like a good place to stop. So as you saw, I did get a little help from The Lightning Thief to describe the Chimera, but the rest is all mine.
Kaliro: Thank goodness there was some action!
Taylor: Please read and review if you have the time! Oh, and to my Algebra teacher, Mrs. Curry, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! (It's her birthday on the 21st of the month that I updated this)
Kaliro: Can I have my cookie now?
