I was used to the occasional freaky experience, but they were typically over quickly. This twenty-four/seven hallucination was more than I could handle. For the rest of the school year, the entire campus seemed to be playing some kind of trick on me. The students acted as if they were completely and totally convinced that Mrs. Kerr — a perky blond woman whom I'd never seen in my life until she got on our bus at the end of the field trip — had been our pre-algebra teacher since Christmas.

Every so often I would spring a Dodds reference on somebody, just to see if I could trip them up, but they would stare at me like I was psycho or something like that. It got very annoying after a while.

It got so I almost believed them — Dodds had never existed.

Almost.

Aside from Itachi's constant reassurances that, yes, what I had seen was real, Grover couldn't fool me. When I mentioned the name Dodds to him, he would hesitate, then claim she didn't exist — or, instead of hesitating, stutter the whole way through his answer. But I knew he was lying.

Something was going on. Something had happened at the museum. But I had no answers as to what that was, nor did Itachi for that matter.

I didn't have much time to think about it during the days, but at night, visions of Dodds with talons and leathery wings would wake me up in a cold sweat.

Of course, that was when I wasn't learning with Itachi. We reviewed everything I was taught in class in addition to more textbook-oriented stuff that he learned when he was in school — or, as he called it, 'the Academy.'

Something that soured my mood was Itachi's reluctance to teach me how to use the Sharingan. I was still at the first level of it, which meant that all I could do — to my knowledge — was see things in slow-motion. Itachi said that there were other levels, but he also said that there was no point in teaching me how to unlock them.

The freak weather continued, which didn't help my disposition at all. One night, a thunderstorm blew out the windows in my dorm room. A few days later, the biggest tornado ever spotted in the Hudson Valley touched down only fifty miles from Yancy Academy. One of the current events we studied in social studies class was the unusual number of small planes that had gone down in sudden and violent winds in the Atlantic this year.

I started feeling cranky and irritable most of the time. Despite my best efforts, my grades slipped from Ds to Fs. I got into more fights with Bobofit and her friends. I was sent out into the hallway in almost every class.

Finally, when our English teacher, Mr. Nicoll, asked me for the millionth time why I was too lazy to study for spelling tests, I snapped. I called him an old sot. I wasn't even sure what it meant, but it sounded good. Itachi told me that it meant 'a fool or a stupid person.' He also told me that I had made a mistake in saying that, but that's beside the point.

The headmaster at Yancy Academy sent my mom a letter the following week, making it official — I would not be invited back next year to Yancy Academy.

"Fine," I told myself. "Just fine."

I was homesick.

I wanted to be with my mom in our little apartment on the Upper East Side, even if I had to go to public school and put up with my obnoxious stepfather and his stupid poker parties.

And yet... there were things I'd miss at Yancy. The view of the woods out my dorm window. The Hudson River in the distance. The smell of pine trees. I'd miss Grover, who'd been a good friend, even if he was a little strange. I worried about how he'd survive next year without me.

I'd miss Latin class, too — Mr. Brunner's crazy tournament days and his faith that I could do well were some of my happiest memories of this school year.

Itachi began to almost force knowledge into my head, and, soon, I knew more about math, science, and language than I ever thought I would. I was almost able to read English perfectly without my Sharingan thanks to it, which wasn't how I thought dyslexia worked. Itachi told me that I was right, which leads me to believe that it isn't dyslexia at all. But that's all meaningless for now.

As exam week got closer, Latin was the only test I studied for. I hadn't forgotten what Mr. Brunner had told me about this subject being of life-and-death for me. I wasn't sure why, but I'd started to believe him.

The evening before my final, I got so frustrated I threw the Cambridge Guide to Greek Mythology across my dorm room. Words had started swimming off the page, circling my head, the letters doing one-eighties as if they were riding skateboards. There was no way I was going to remember the difference between Chiron and Charon, or Polydictes and Polydeuces. And conjugating those Latin verbs? Forget it. Even with Itachi's help in conquering in English language, Latin was still a mystery.

I paced the room, feeling like ants were crawling around inside my shirt.

I remembered Mr. Brunner's serious expression, his thousand-year-old eyes. "I will accept only the best from you, Percy Jackson," he had said.

"Why don't we ask him for help?" Itachi asked.

I paused mid-stride. "What are you saying?"

Itachi sighed. "What I mean is that you should go to your teacher and ask him for assistance with your Latin studying. I've done all that I can do to assist you."

It wasn't a bad idea.

I took a deep breath and picked up the mythology book.

I'd never asked a teacher for help before. Maybe if I talked to Mr. Brunner, he could give me some pointers. At least I could apologize for the big fat F I was about to score on his exam. I didn't want to leave Yancy Academy with him thinking I hadn't tried.

"Your sarcasm shines from within," Itachi deadpanned.

I ignored him and walked downstairs to the faculty offices. Most of the cubicles were dark and empty, but Mr. Brunner's door was ajar, light from his window stretching across the hallway floor.

I was three steps away from the door handle when I heard voices inside the office. Mr. Brunner asked a question. A voice that was definitely Grover's said "... worried about Percy, sir."

I froze solid. Why was he talking about me? And to Mr. Brunner?

I'm not usually an eavesdropper, but I dare you to try not listening if you hear your best friend talking about you to an adult.

I inched closer.

"... alone this summer," Grover was saying. "I mean, a Kindly One in the school! Now that we know for sure, and they know too —"

"We would only make matters worse by rushing him," Mr. Brunner said. "We need the boy to mature more."

What were they talking about?

"Hush, Perseus," Itachi said, making me flinch. I obliged.

"... may not have time. The summer solstice deadline —"

"Will have to be resolved without him, Grover. Let him enjoy his ignorance while he still can."

"Sir, he saw her... ."

"His imagination," Mr. Brunner insisted. "The Mist over the students and staff will be enough to convince him of that."

"Sir, I... I can't fail in my duties again." Grover's voice was choked with emotion. "You know what that would mean."

"You haven't failed, Grover," Mr. Brunner said kindly. "I should have seen her for what she was. Now let's just worry about keeping Percy alive until next fall —"

The mythology book dropped out of my hand and hit the floor with a thud. Keep me alive?!

Mr. Brunner went silent.

My heart hammering, I picked up the book and backed down the hall.

A shadow slid across the lighted glass of Brunner's office door, the shadow of something much taller than my wheelchair-bound teacher, holding something that looked suspiciously like an archer's bow.

I opened the nearest door and slipped inside.

A few seconds later I heard a slow clopping noise, much like muffled wood blocks, then a sound like an animal snuffling right outside my door. A large, dark shape paused in front of the glass, then moved on. A bead of sweat trickled down my neck.

"Do not make a single sound, Perseus Jackson," Itachi said worriedly. I couldn't even bring myself to nod.

Somewhere in the hallway, Mr. Brunner spoke. "Nothing," he murmured. "My nerves haven't been right since the winter solstice."

"Mine neither," Grover agreed. "But I could have sworn…"

"Go back to the dorm," Mr. Brunner told him. "You've got a long day of exams tomorrow."

Grover groaned. "Don't remind me."

The lights went out in Mr. Brunner's office.

I waited in the dark for what seemed like forever.

Finally, I slipped out into the hallway and made my way back up to the dorm.

Grover was lying on his bed, studying his Latin exam notes like he'd been there all night.

"Hey," he said, bleary-eyed. "You going to be ready for this test?"

I didn't answer. How could I?

"You look awful." He frowned. "Is everything okay?"

"Just... tired."

I turned so he couldn't read my expression, and started getting ready for bed.

I didn't understand what I'd heard downstairs. I wanted to believe I'd imagined the whole thing.

But one thing was clear: Grover and Mr. Brunner were talking about me behind my back. They thought I was in some kind of danger.

"We've already figured that out, Percy," Itachi said. I could tell that he had rolled his eyes. "We need to prepare. It sounds like your friend and your teacher don't want you to know about the danger you are in."

I nodded tiredly. Grover didn't notice. "Are you going to start my physical training yet?"

"Yes, and soon," Itachi said. "But first, we will need to pick a weapon for you to use."

That night, like most nights, Itachi and I studied what I had learned that day. Unlike most nights, however, there was a major focus on Latin. I needed to have as much knowledge of it as I could — Mr. Brunner thought so, Itachi thought so, I thought so. I needed to pass the exam. That was the first step. The first step to what? I wasn't sure.

The next afternoon, as I was leaving the three-hour Latin exam, my eyes swimming with all the Greek and Roman names I'd misspelled, Mr. Brunner called me back inside.

For a moment, I was worried he'd found out about my eavesdropping the night before, but that didn't seem to be the problem.

"Percy," he said. "Don't be discouraged about leaving Yancy. It's... it's for the best."

His tone was kind, but the words still embarrassed me. Even though he was speaking quietly, the other kids finishing the test could hear. Nancy Bobofit smirked at me and made sarcastic little kissing motions with her lips.

I mumbled, "Okay, sir."

"I mean…" Mr. Brunner wheeled his chair back and forth like he wasn't sure what to say. "This isn't the right place for you. It was only a matter of time."

My eyes stung.

Here was my favorite teacher, in front of the class, telling me I couldn't handle it. After saying he
believed in me all year, now he was telling me I was destined to get kicked out.

"Right," I said, trembling.

"No, no," Mr. Brunner said. "Oh, confound it all. What I'm trying to say... you're not normal, Percy. That's nothing to be —"

How dare he? How dare he?!

"Thanks," I blurted angrily. "Thanks a lot, sir, for reminding me."

"Percy —"

But I was already gone. I pushed past people in the hallways, going so far as to almost pick a really little kid up and nearly throw him out of my way. Itachi tried to calm me down, but I would have nothing to do with it.

"Perseus Jackson!" Itachi yelled once I was back in my room. I winced at the tone. It sounded like a chainsaw was next to my ear — but it had the sound range of the loudest Tyrannosaurus Rex.

"Yes, Itachi?" I thought bitingly. I wasn't in a good mood at all.

"Listen to me! That teacher of yours was trying to tell you that different doesn't always mean bad! He was trying to tell you that you're Percy — you could never be someone else. You are who you are, and there's no changing that. No matter how much you want to."

I paused before sighing. "You're right, Itachi, like you always are. Thank you."

"Don't mention it, Percy," Itachi said, brushing my complement off like it was nothing. "Now get some rest and come in here, you still have much to learn."

On the last day of the term, I shoved my clothes into my suitcase.

The other guys were joking around, talking about their vacation plans. One of them was going on a hiking trip to Switzerland. Another was cruising the Caribbean for a month.

They were juvenile delinquents, like me, but they were rich juvenile delinquents. Their fathers were executives, ambassadors, or celebrities. I was a nobody, from a family of nobodies — or, at least, that's what they thought. I wasn't tempted to change their minds, either. Who'd believe the fact that I was from a clan older than civilization itself?

They asked me what I'd be doing this summer. I told them I was going back to the city — what I didn't tell them was that I'd have to get a summer job walking dogs or selling magazine subscriptions, and spend my free time worrying about where I'd go to school in the fall.

"Oh," one of the guys said. "That's cool."

Then they went back to their conversation as if I'd never existed.

The only person I dreaded saying goodbye to was Grover, but as it turned out, I didn't have to. He'd booked a ticket to Manhattan on the same Greyhound as I had, so there we were, together again, heading into the city.

During the whole bus ride, Grover kept glancing nervously down the aisle, watching the other passengers. It occurred to me that he'd always acted nervous and fidgety when we left Yancy — as if he expected something bad to happen. Before, I'd always assumed he was worried about getting teased. But there was nobody around to do that on the Greyhound.

Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore.

"Looking for Kindly Ones?" I said innocuously.

Grover nearly jumped out of his seat. "Wha-what do you mean?"

I confessed about eavesdropping on him and Mr. Brunner the night before the exam. I realize that it was a stupid thing to do in hindsight, but it seemed like the right course of action at the time.

Grover's eye twitched. "How much did you hear?"

"Oh... not much. What's the summer solstice deadline?"

He winced. "Look, Percy... I was just worried about you, see? I mean, hallucinating about demon math teachers…"

"Grover —"

"And I was telling Mr. Brunner that maybe you were overstressed or something because there was no such person as Mrs. Dodds, and…"

"Grover, you're a really, really bad liar."

His ears turned pink.

From his shirt pocket, he fished out a grubby business card. "Just take this, okay? In case you need me this summer.

The card was in a fancy script, which was murder on my 'not'-dyslexic eyes, but I finally made out something like:

Grover Underwood

Keeper

Half-Blood Hill

Long Island, New York

(800) 009-0009

"What's Half —"

"Don't say it aloud!" he yelped. "That's my, um... summer address."

My heart sank. Grover had a summer home. I'd never considered that his family might be as rich as the others at Yancy.

"Okay," I said glumly. "So, like, if I want to come and visit your mansion."

He nodded. "Or... or if you need me."

"Why would I need you?"

It came out far harsher than I had meant it to.

"Perseus!" Itachi scolded, and I immediately knew that my physical training was going to be much harsher than I had ever hoped it would be.

Grover blushed right down to his Adam's apple. "Look, Percy, the truth is, I-I kind of have to protect you."

I stared at him.

All year long, I'd gotten in fights, keeping bullies away from him. I'd lost sleep worrying that he'd get beaten up next year without me. And here he was acting like he was the one who defended me.

"Grover," I said, "what exactly are you protecting me from?"

Suddenly, there was a huge grinding noise under our feet. Black smoke poured from the dashboard and the whole bus filled with a smell like rotten eggs. The driver cursed and limped the Greyhound over to the side of the highway.

After a few minutes clanking around in the engine compartment, the driver announced that we'd all have to get off. Grover and I filed outside with everybody else.

We were on a stretch of country road — no place you'd notice if you didn't break down there. On our side of the highway was nothing but maple trees and litter from passing cars. On the other side, across four lanes of asphalt shimmering with afternoon heat, was an old-fashioned fruit stand.

A/N II:

Does this look like CJShikage's second chapter? No, not at all, right? Definitely not. I decided to forgo his formula for the second chapter of "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief" by fleshing out story elements. It was difficult, but here I am.

Speaking of CJShikage, he has graciously allowed me to continue this story. That doesn't mean that the admins might not try, but I believe that my story is now significantly different from CJ's.

My original plan of breaking off at the "Titan's Curse" may not come to pass, but you gremlins need not worry; It'll work itself out.

Go visit my profile for updates on my stories! I also have a little link-like thing to share there, so PM me if you see that.

Another disclaimer:

Naruto is a property of Masashi Kishimoto and Percy Jackson is owned by Rick Riordan. I do not own either series in any way, nor do I attempt to make claims of the said ownership. This is all in good fun, after all, and to hone my writing skills.

I will see you in the next chapter.

Tychon.