Hey, Selene Akai here! I've gotten so really good reviews, and I feel good about that, so here's the next chapter. I'm going to put up the next one too, just in case this feels like filler. Thanks Rick Riordan, for your inspirational characters!
Recap: Monster at the school Percy teaches at and Grover is coming to sniff out the half-blood he was after
Slaying Mr. Dupree turned out to be really easy. But his replacement teacher was hot. Miss Green was a brand new teacher who made her freshmen drool. She was a long-legged, dark haired, classic American beauty. I wouldn't have minded her being my assistant teacher. Alas, Grover showed up with her and informed me that she was a naiad in disguise. "Sorry Percy."
"It's whatever G-man. There are plenty more like her- and mortal. Now it's time for you to be an assistant teacher. You get to talk about those nature spirits you love so much. Hey," I added on in a lower voice, "where are your horns?"
"Wig," he replied quietly.
"Oh. It's a good wig." He sat on a desktop in the front of the room. I sat on my stool. "How are things back at camp, Lord of the Wild?"
"Peaceful. I mean, the Ares kids still love hurting people and Capture the Flag is always fun, but it's kinda boring without all the action."
"Boring is a nice change of pace. I've almost died enough times, I think. But don't worry, Apollo and Ares will get in a fight and the demigods will have to do the footwork, and it'll be exciting again." Grover laughed. "I wasn't kidding."
"I know, but nothing beats saving the world. You have to admit, it was a lot of fun."
"I'm sorry, you enjoyed the Labryinth?"
"You know what I mean!" I sighed. He was right.
"Slaying Dupree was the most exciting thing I've done in awhile. I don't really get attacked that much anymore- I haven't been since the break-up." There was no need to clarify, I'd only been in one relationship. "And don't ask what happened. If one more person asks me that…" the bell rang and students came pouring in the room.
"Who's curly top?" Matt, one of my odder students, asked.
"This is Mr. Grover Underwood. He's my teacher assistant, he's going to be observing and teaching you kids." Grover waved.
"Can't wait to teach you some mythology!"
"He'll be teaching you about all sorts of creatures. Ready, set, go!"
"What?!" I was grinning in spite of myself. "Now?"
"Yes, they need to learn about satyrs who couldn't get a naiad girlfriend for their lives!" He glared at me.
"Just toss me into the minotaur's mouth why don't you?" He muttered and all the kids raised their eyebrows. "Little bit of mythology humor…children." He glared at me one more time and I winked. "Okay, uh, satyrs-or fauns in latin, for those of you who read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; naiads, minotaurs, Pegasus, unicorns, dragons, they are all what?" I watched as Grover struggled through first period trying not to laugh. "Students are evil!" I shrugged.
"They're just kids man. If I recall correctly, we were worse."
"But we were trying!"
"Alright, alright, I'll do next period and show you how it's done." Second period filed in slowly, talking and laughing and not paying much attention to Grover. The bell signaling the start of class rang. "Good morning 2nd period!" They gave me jumbled responses. "This is Mr. Underwood, he's my teacher assistant," Johnny raised his hand, "hold on Johnny. He'll be observing class for the rest of the semester,"
"I thought they only gave old teachers TAs?" Johnny spoke anyway.
"I guess I'm just lucky. Today he'll just be observing as I teach you about mythical creatures."
"You taught us that last semester." Smart ass.
"What's a satyr?"
"A who?"
"Exactly. Since most of you slept through first semester, and any movies with mythology in them, apparently, I have to teach it again." I clicked my SmartBoard.
"Why don't you give us a textbook to study?"
"One- you try to find a decent mythology textbook and two- I give you notes and copies of the power points are available to you and three- you wouldn't use them and I can't stand them. Now, shh. I'm teaching. Take notes, write down what's underlined and underline everything in red." Fifty minutes of doodling later… "There's an open-note quiz on what you wrote down tomorrow! Power point is in the school files if you want to take notes in your dorms." I added on when they groaned. "Hint: the power point is the quiz! If you use your notes you will get a one hundred!" The bell rang and 2nd period left. "I'll have about four one hundreds and five failures- just watch."
"Is it really that bad?"
"Yes. They can retake anything, challenge their grades, prove me wrong, take verbal quizzes- every kid should have an A."
"Wow. Even you could've aced this class," Grover laughed.
"I know. I designed it that way but whatever. No one is failing." During 4th period, my planning, I worked on Grover's teaching skills while we talked. "So…have you talked to Annabeth lately?" He laughed.
"I thought you didn't want to talk about her."
"It, not her." I said in reference to the break-up. "And that's because I'm sick of other people talking about it."
"It's pretty big around camp. That last summer everyone thought you guys were just in a rough patch, not…over. No one expected that. But, I haven't seen her in awhile. She's crazy busy with her business. That's going great. She's actually designing some city that wants a revamp. Yeah, apparently the old buildings are going to get torn down and some new, Utopia-type thing is going up."
"What about the people that live there?"
"Gradual process."
"Ah. Well good for her." The bell rang. "The kid who skateboards in is Austin." I took my seat on my stool.
"Huh?" Right on cue, my favorite student rolled in.
"Hey Mr. J! Who's the new dude?" Austin stopped in front of Grover.
"I'm Mr. Underwood, I'm the TA."
"Oh. Cool. Hey Mr. J," Austin walked over to me, "do you think you could help me out in English? We're reading the Odyssey and…regular English is hard enough to read."
"You already know that story!"
"I know, but, we have to read out loud and, could you just um, read it with me so I kinda know what to say? I don't wanna look stupid." I laughed.
"Been there. I can't help you though. I'm dyslexic."
"What? No way! You're like, the smartest dude I know!"
"You don't have to be stupid to be dyslexic."
"What's that like?" This was the question I'd been shooting for.
"The letters come up off the page and switch around or look backwards, they go fuzzy."
"I think I'm dyslexic. I mean, my mom always thought so, but she didn't want people to think I was stupid."
"Hm, I got a challenge for you," I went over to my desk and wrote my name in ancient Greek. "Read this."
"Dude it's Greek!" I didn't reply. "Okay, okay. Perseus?"
"Impressive. We need to talk after class," I told him once the bell rang. "Alright kids, this is Mr. Underwood, he's going to teacher you about mythical creatures. Warning Grover, Bella will probably interject, it's what she does but she's usually right. Go for it Grover." I sat back and let him teach, Bella interjecting when I would've. So instead I thought about Austin. How was I going to get him to camp?
"Wassup Mr. J?" Austin stayed behind.
"I can't help you with the reading, but, there's this great summer camp,"
"Oh no!"
"I went there, Grover went, Bella and Jessica go there, it's a camp for…for people like us. It's not a study camp or anything like that. You learn sword fighting and archery- it's a camp to learn how to be a demigod and it's only for kids who have what we call 'the demigod disease'. That's dyslexia that allows you to read ancient Greek and ADHD in one package."
"Are- are you serious?"
"Dead serious. I stopped going a year ago. I'm taking Bella and Jess up there, personal favor to the director, and there's room for one more. It's free. Come on, at least think about it."
"Why should I?"
"You know how you think school doesn't apply to life? Well this will apply to your life. It'll explain Mr. Dupree's disappearance,"
"So I'm not crazy!"
"Not even a little bit. Everything in your life that's been strange, that you couldn't explain, that seemed impossible or crazy- all the answers are there."
"Wow. What's it called?"
"Camp Half-Blood."
"Okay, I'll talk to my Mom. Thanks Mr. Jackson!" Austin rolled away.
"Percy, what's wrong with you?! Why are you stirring him? Do you know how much stronger his scent got?"
"That monster was after him Grover. I'd drag him to camp because if he doesn't get there soon, he'll die. There are other protectors here, which means there are half-bloods, but Dupree went after him, specifically. Two known half bloods didn't even catch his nose." Jessica came running into the room.
"Hi Mr. Jackson! Hey Grover!" She hugged Grover. "What cha doin' here?"
"He's here for Austin. Oh, by the way, Chiron asked me to drive you and Bella to camp. Cool?"
"Yeah! Totally! OMG, Percy Jackson is driving me to camp!" Gods help me.
Would you have guessed?! So, now we're going back to camp, but wait! There's more... and Annabeth comes soon guys, I swear
