Author's Note: This one's for you, Foxtails0.

So, we're actually getting into Rick Riordan's fantastic world!

I would like to point out that Anthony Luck is not my character, (I'm only adding a few characters of my own to this) and if he seems a bit off, I would like some help with him. He is in Foxtails0's fanfiction, How My Personal World Imploded and it's sequel, History Tends to Repeat Itself.

I would also like to acknowledge that Gerbil, his mother, and his sisters live in New Hampshire (his dad lives alone in New York), but their location has been changed to New York IN THIS FANFICTION ONLY. If they were to live in NH for this, Gerbil wouldn't be going to the same school as Jack, Gina and Adrianna (those are Foxtails0's characters, too).

ALSO I may have accidentally switched point of views from third to first. I apologize, and if that has happened, please inform me.

EDIT: I really don't know why Gina and Jack are at school. Like, wtf, dogger. Perhaps they wanted to flaunt their relationship elsewhere? Jeez.

Classes were over, yet Gerbil was still trapped in his hell-hole of a school. Man, detention sucks, he thought. Despite his hatred towards the routine, he often camped in the boys bathroom to play on his PSP.

There he was, squatting, head next to a urinal, and sniping bots. He had no internet connection. If he did, he would be playing with either Jay, Thor, Gerg, or Jack. He quickly glanced at his phone, noting the time. Thinking, 3:3o, time to go, he stood and stretched.

A faint murmur caught his attention after exiting the blue tiled room. He assumed it was coming from the girls bathroom, but he heard Jack's voice. Curious and with extravagance, he kicked the door open, sending it bashing into a pink wall, and expected Gina and Jack all over each other. The two were conversing with concerned attitudes instead of what Gerbil assumed.

"Woah, didn't see that coming." He put a hand out to stop the door from shutting and stepped into the mundanely pink room.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Gina exclaimed, fuming.

"Jack, what was the English homework?" The girl put an arm in front of her toy, who immediately shut his mouth.

"Answer me." Her cheeks were hot enough to give anyone a third-degree burn.

"I'm not talking to you, Gina." He said her name with a peculiar mocking tone. "I'm asking Jack a question."

"Just the worksheet." Jack, annoyed with Gina, was pushing the girl's arm away. An icy glare was shot in his direction.

"Thanks," Gerbil said, smiling. With a flourish, he let the door shut and pretended to walk towards the stairwell. The door closed completely and he pressed an ear against it.

What's this half-blood stuff they're talking about?

"Ack!" He stayed too long. "Stop stalking us!" Reluctantly, Gina pushed Gerbil backwards before he had a chance to retaliate. It was obvious to the two boys that she had used all of her strength to do so. Jack, her toy, closely followed her as she strutted out of sight.

POOPIES

Surprised, he waltzed into the kitchen after his morning run.

"What are you doing up this early, Ma?"

"I'm heading to the café. I need you to watch Jessie." Gerbil slid a pink shirt on and grabbed a mug out of the cabinet, his mom dropping a breakfast bar into her bulky purse.

"You could have just left a note," he complained in an annoyed tone. He never liked talking to his mother.

"I was running late," she sternly replied. Gerbil sighed and filled his mug with hot cocoa mix and boiling water. "You are not having hot chocolate for breakfast, young man."

"But it's summer!" he pleaded. "Summer means I do what I want, including having hot chocolate at six in the morning." His mother cocked an eyebrow, but he took a huge sip anyway.

"Your father is taking you camping someplace in New York."

"Camping in the city?" Gerbil interrupted.

"Let me finish! New York is also a state, Max." He, like his mother, pulled a thick eyebrow up. "Get a bag packed, he'll pick you up at one." With that, she trotted out the door.

Groaning, Gerbil flopped onto the neat counter. The last time he stayed with his father for more than a week, he threw a pot at him. Luckily, his dad dodged the projectile and it merely put a large hole through the wall. Gerbil had to pay for the damage done.

Like a crazed missile, Jessie came speeding down the stairs and greeted Gerbil with a mischievous grin.

"Hey, missy," he exclaimed after tousling her already messy hair. "We're playing a game today. It's called 'Don't Wake Charlotte Up'."

"But I need her to braid my hair!" she giggled. Gerbil couldn't fathom why Jessie insisted on Charlotte braiding her hair when he was far better at it.

"She's sleeping. If we wake her now she'll turn into a nasty troll!" Gerbil put the mug down to explain what she would look like with his hands and face. Jessie laughed harder. "Okay, I'll give you hot cocoa if you play my game." Giving sugar to a five year-old early in the morning is often a horrid idea, but Jess was easily managed by Gerbil.

"YEAH!" she screeched, joyously jumping into the air like a football player who had just scored a touchdown. Jess then realized that she needed to be quiet, so she shut her mouth after realizing her mistake.

POOPIES

Gerbil woke up at his usual time, even without alarm. His dad was really strict when it came to camping. No electronics, despite his constant video game playing at his apartment.

After yawning and stretching, Gerbil hopped out of the little cabin to get a fire started, not noticing the empty bed beside him.

"I have bacon," the man offered. It was obvious to Gerbil that he made it in case they argued. Bacon almost always calmed the boy's nerves.

"It's not good to eat right before exercising." He wasn't in the bacon mood. He also didn't want to interrupt his schedule.

"You don't need to run today, Max. It's summer! I want to talk to you, anyways."

"Well I don't," Gerbil angrily spat after slipping on pink shoes. Turning quickly, he ignored his father's fruitless pleas.

POOPIES

Much like bacon, jogging always calmed his nerves. They both have the same effect, but Gerbil is always in the mood for a jog. If he's to be a ninja, he has to keep up his strength and endurance.

The place was beautiful, but expensive. Gerbil was surprised his father could afford a site in the campground. The lake shimmered in the morning, unlike any other he had seen. Too bad I've only seen two. Naturally, he had seen pictures of lakes and such, but pictures are misleading.

Dew chilled his burning calves as he ran. That was his favorite part about mornings; the dew. It's always there, except in winter and late fall.

POOPIES

He was mad. No, he was infuriated. Despite having time to cool off during his jog, biting anger nagged him at the back of his mind. To distract himself, he began singing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle theme song. A small pine tree came into view at the top of a hill. He ran to it, sensing it was safe. He was in the tree, still steaming from the argument, when he noticed the two; Gina and Jack. They were walking towards a strange campground.

"Hey."

"Wjeh!" He didn't realize another boy sat down below the branches he was precariously sitting on. The boy was probably about a year older than Gerbil, maybe two. He was calm. Gerbil liked him already.

"You know those two?" Stretching a short finger, the two dots merged into one.

"I go to their school," stated Gerbil after dropping out of the tree and squatting. "I'm Gerbil."

"Is that a nickname or..."

"Well, I can't tell you that." A smirk emerged from the liar's face, causing the older boy to chuckle.

"Anthony. Anthony Luck." Softly, a gentle breeze shook their long hair. Gerbil's was purple and his was a rich, chocolatey brown. Curled a bit at the ends, like most boys at Gerbil's school, it was clean-looking and seemed to never get out of hand or cause Anthony any trouble. He looked like a model from an expensive clothing store.

"That's an odd last name. Probably." Deep, almond-shaped eyes examined Gerbil's face. "Stop looking at me."

"Sorry, you just seem familiar. What are you doing here, anyways?" He hand went straight to his hair after that, adjusting it to his liking.

"I got mad at my Pa."

"Huh, I could never pull anything like this if I were mad at any of my parents." The sky began to turn a fiery red with the setting of the sun. Gerbil had been running all day and momentarily forgot his hunger. "It's getting dark, I should head back. Need a place to stay?"

"Yeah, I don't think I could spend the night under this tree." The two got up, brushed their pants, and stretched a bit. It was then Gerbil realized he left his shirt in the tree.

"Um, I should get my shirt," he quietly said, grabbing the lowest branch.

"Good idea." Anthony slowly sauntered off in the direction of a quaint area Gerbil though to be a sort of campground. After hopping out of the tree and putting his shirt on, the cat eyed boy jogged to catch up with his new acquaintance.