I don't own the Percy Jackson series.

Percy:

The sun in Greece was uncomfortable to work in, but it was one of my dad's conditions if I was to stay with him this summer. Four times a week at six thirty I would head out in his fishing boat for a few hours, and then haul in the nets that I usually half-filled with different fish. Then I would go and study, before heading back to help around the house.

Greece is a truly beautiful place. The sun reflects of the water, making it look like a shimmering fire. When it sets in the evening, it sets the sky a light as well. I've never seen water so clear in my life, and I'm so glad that I get to spend my summer here.

You see, I'm a marine biology major at Cornell in New York. It's a great school and I get to stay near my mom, but there's not really much access to sea life. We mainly work off of textbooks, so I jumped at the chance to apply for a summer apprenticeship in Greece. I'd spent hours researching it, and it involved shadowing one of the best marine biologists in the country and looking into species of marine life that I'd never even heard of.

I'd lived in this village for ten years, before my mother and I moved to New York. She was from there originally, and after she and my dad got divorced we moved away. They were on good terms, and I'd visited every summer since. Now I had a cute baby brother called Alix and an irritating stepbrother, Triton. Getting to the lab from here only took twenty minutes, and putting up with Triton was worth it to see all the people that had known me as a child.

I slung the two nets of fish over my back, ignoring the feeling of the scales slapping against my bare back. I made my way back down the pier and towards the cobblestone roads, which was more hill than flat ground.

"Good morning, Perseus." An elderly lady nodded at me from a rocking chair perched just off of her doorstep.

"Morning, Mrs Kanelos." I nodded to her and grinned as I passed by. "Have a nice day."

These people knew me better than I knew myself. As a child, I was passed around to all the women so that they could coo over me. The men had helped teach me to fish. It was the same for every child in this village. I spoke perfect Greek, but the people of the village went out of their way to make me feel comfortable by speaking to me in English as much as possible. We were like a family, and most people would never leave their life here. We were hard workers, and everybody knew everything about each other.

"Perseus." One of my father's good friends stuck their head out of a window and smiled warmly at me.

"Dorian, Καλημέρα." I said, meaning 'good morning'.

"I hear the Maheras family has taken in some students, similar to your age." He said, reaching his hand out to shake mine.

"Really? I didn't know that, I've only been here a few days myself." I explained. The Maheras family were one of the kindest and oldest lines in the village. They had been around for centuries, and I had spent a lot of time with them as a child.

"Hm, yes. I hear your homecoming party is soon. How long are you with us for, Perseus?"

"The whole summer this time, Dorian. Until the middle of September."

"Good." He smiled. "It will be nice to have you around. You had better get along now, son."

I waved one last time and carried on up the road. The fish market was only ten minutes from the pier, though lugging fish made it feel longer than that. You could fetch a good price for most fish, though we usually shipped the ones we caught off to bigger chains.

"Καλημέρα!" I greeted the merchant with a smile. After bartering for a while, we agreed on a price and I went on my way again with a few remaining fish for our dinner.

The house I grew up in was at the top of one of the steepest hills in the village. It wasn't huge, it wasn't fancy, but I didn't care. It was home.

"I'm back!" I called once I had dropped the nets outside. Being at the very top of the hill meant that we had our own mini tiled plaza outside, with amazing views and the first fishing boat my dad had ever bought resting outside.

"I'm in the kitchen!"

A few years after my parents' divorce, my father Poseidon had married Amphitrite. She had lived in the village for her whole life and had been a good friend to my father during the divorce process. Our relationship was strained sometimes, but she tried hard with me and I respected the fact that she didn't take anybody's shit.

"Hey, Amphi." I kissed her on both cheeks in greeting. "What are you up to?"

Her dark black hair was tied back away from her face, and her green eyes gleamed in determination. She wore a white apron over her jeans and blouse.

"Cooking." She replied in a thick Greek accent. "For your homecoming party tomorrow."

She was rolling a salmon through flour and some sort of herb, and the smell of baking bread filled the air.

"Need a hand?" I asked, but she only raised an eyebrow at me.

"You? In the kitchen? No. Put those fish in the fridge and go wash your hands." She instructed. I had learnt a long time ago that arguing with Amphitrite was like signing your own death warrant. So, I did as she said.

"Why do I need a homecoming party?" I asked as I opened the fridge. "I arrived three days ago, and I'm leaving again in September."

"Percy, you should not complain about people wishing to see you. We are all very happy to have you with us for more than a few week, and we wish to show you how much we care." Amphitrite explained, barely looking up from the fish.

"Is there anything you need me to do?" I asked as I ran my hands under the cold water tap.

"No, I think you are alright for now. I will call you if I need anything."

"Okay, Amphi." I started to make my way towards the staircase.

"Percy?"

I stopped and turned back towards her.

"I am glad to have you back." She smiled warmly at me. I grinned back, before climbing up the flight of stairs. My bedroom was right at the end of the upstairs hall, overlooking the fields just beyond the village. When I had arrived, I had found it exactly how I had left it. My dark blue sheets were folded neatly over my mattress, my wardrobe was exploding with clothes and shoes, and my desk was still decorated with different shells. This time, however, there was an intruder in my bedroom.

"Hey."

Jason Grace had been living in the village for two years now. His mother had moved here with him, and he had stayed after she passed away a year ago. That was all I knew- he had never told me where he came from.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked wearily. Usually, he wanted to play a game of football or go fishing. I had suggested swimming one time, and he had looked at me like I'd grown three heads.

"Bored." Jason shrugged. He was laying on my bed, tossing and catching a tennis ball. "Wanna play tennis?"

"It's one hundred and twenty degrees outside." I snorted. "No, I don't want to play tennis."

"Fine." He shrugged and sat up. "I'll go find Luke and Calypso then."

Luke Castellan was the third musketeer in our trio. He has lived here his whole life and so had Calypso, his girlfriend. I had dated her briefly one summer after my sophomore year, but she had always wanted Luke. It didn't really bother me, and we were good friends now.

"You do that." I clapped him on the shoulder as he walked past me.

"I will. See you tomorrow, at your party. I hear the Maheras family have some girls staying with them." Jason stopped at the doorway. "They could be interesting."

"How come everyone has heard this but me?" I frowned.

"Dunno." Jason shrugged, and then he was gone.