AN: All rights go to Rick Riordan, I own nothing of this.


"I will. And knowing Apollo and Hermes, they're probably starving at the moment, so we'll eat after this chapter" Says Artemis

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 Mrs. Dodds reference on somebody, just to see if I could trip them up, but they would stare at me like I was psycho.

"Where would we be if you weren't a psycho?" Clarisse said.

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

"Let me guess, it's all Grover's fault." Thalia said.

Almost.

But Grover couldn't fool me.

"He really is a bad liar." Annabeth said.

When I mentioned the name Dodds to him, he would hesitate, and then claim she didn't exist. But I knew he was lying.

"He really needs to learn to lie better, could you teach him Travis, I'll pay you five drachmas." Annabeth said.

"Make it ten and you've got you self a deal."

"Fine,"

Something was going on. Something had happened at the museum.

"Yeah my uncle, who is king of the underworld sent one of the Fury's after me and I kicked her butt." Percy said. Everyone watched to see if the ground would swallow him up, but it didn't.

"Why didn't it swallow you up?" Hades asked.

"They don't like Riptide one bit," Percy said with a smirk.

"I don't think any monster does," Chris said.

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

"I hate it when that happens," The demigods groaned.

The freak weather continued, which didn't help my mood. One night, a thunderstorm blew out the windows in my dorm room.

I started feeling cranky and irritable most of the time. My grades slipped from Ds to Fs.

Both Athena and Annabeth rolled their eyes and Annabeth smacked Percy upside the head. "OW Wise-girl what was that for?" Percy asked.

"For being a Seaweed Brain, sorry Nico." Annabeth said.

"Ow that one hurt and we all know my grades are better now so no need to smack me."

"It's fine Annabeth, plus he deserved it," Nico said with a smirk.

"Why isn't anyone on my side," Percy whined.

"Sorry, but you still deserved it," Nico and Annabeth said together.

I got into more fights with Nancy Bobofit and her friends. I was sent out into the hallway in almost every class.

"Kelp Head." Nico said. Putting his head onto Percy's shoulder without anyone noticing.

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.

Athena and both Annabeths laughed softly. Everyone looked at them. "It means old drunk." The said together.

"So Mr. D?" Conner asked.

"Yes Mr. D." Chiron said.

"HEY!" Dionysus said.

"Sorry but true."

He just glared.

I wasn't even sure what it meant, but it sounded good.

The headmaster 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.

"Paul doesn't seem like the type to gamble?" Nico said.

"That's because this is before Paul." Percy said looking down, while scaring a lot of people. For something that's so cute and sweet, he sure can be scary. Though it was like he was also dreading and hiding something.

And yet... there were things I'd miss at Yancy. The view of the woods outside 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 wonder how Grover will react to that, huh Percy?" Thalia said.

"Don't even think about it, I don't want to get trampled," Percy replied.

I worried 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. As exam week got closer, Latin was the only test I studied for.

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,

"I do know and not telling you how." Percy said.

"Why?" Poseidon asked paling. "You'll find out later."

or Polydictes and Polydeuces. And conjugating those Latin verbs? Forget it.

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

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

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

I was three steps 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."

"Oh no." Chiron sighed.

I froze.

I'm not usually an eavesdropper,

"I am" Said Hermes, Chris, Travis and Connor Stoll.

"We all know that," Athena said while rolling her eyes.

but I dare you to try not listening if you hear your best friend talking about you to an adult.

"He does have a good point." Demeter said. Everyone nodded in agreement.

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."

"Way more." Clarisse said.

The demigods nodded in agreement.

"But he may not have time. The summer solstice dead line— "

"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."

"I swear when I see that goat boy..." Thalia said letting the threat hanging.

"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.

Oh boy." Hermes and his three sons said.

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.

Chiron whistled innocently.

I opened the nearest door and slipped inside.

A few seconds later I heard a slow clop-clop-clop, 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, and then moved on.

A bead of sweat trickled down my neck.

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

"Mine neither," Grover said. "But I could have sworn ..."

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

Percy just groaned at the reminder.

While earning a few snickers from the demigods.

"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?"

"Nope." Percy said.

I didn't answer.

"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.

"Won't work," Hera muttered.

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.

"I was," muttered Percy.

The next afternoon, as I was leaving the three-hour Latin exam,

"T-three hours!" The demigods yelled.

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."

"Great, now's Barnacle Beard's son is going to think you're saying he's destined to be kicked out." Said Athena

"I really need to get better at that." Chiron said sighing.

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.

"Oh I think she likes you." Silena said.

"Please don't make me sick." Percy said baring his face in Nico's head.

Which made Aphrodite and Silena smile.

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—"

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

"Ouch, that must have hurt," Travis said.

"I really need to get better." Chiron sighed.

"Percy—"

But I was already gone.

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 daddies were executives, or ambassadors, or celebrities. I was a nobody, from a family of nobodies.

"Nobodies huh." Zeus said.

"Definitely not a nobody now, ever since I knew I was a demigod," Percy explained.

They asked me what I'd be doing this summer and 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."

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

Nico glared at the book.

"How cruel," Demeter said.

The only person I dreaded saying good-bye 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.

"Well that definitely wasn't a coincidence," Clarisse muttered.

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 to tease him on the Greyhound.

Finally I couldn't stand it anymore.

I said, "Looking for Kindly Ones?"

"Oh that had to definitely scare him out of his skin," Apollo said.

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.

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

"Oh about all of it." Chris said.

"Oh ... not much. What's the summer solstice dead-line?"

He winced. "Look, Percy ... I was just worried for 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 lair." Thalia said before Artemis smirked.

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

"AHHH NOW I THINK LIKE SEAWEED BRAIN!" Thalia yelled.

Percy just pouted.

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 fancy script, which was murder on my dyslexic eyes, but I finally made out something like:

"Fancy script?" Zeus asked.

"It's fun to watch them struggle to read them," Dionysus said.

The demigods groaned, 'of course Mr D wanted them to suffer.'

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 visit your mansion."

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

"Why would I need you?"

"That was a bit harsh," Hera scolded.

It came out harsher than I meant it to.

"At least you knew," Hera commented.

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?"

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 steered 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.

Poseidon began to pale, having an idea what exactly was happening.

"An apple would be good anyone else want one?" Demeter asked. Athena and Poseidon raised their hands. Apples appeared in our hands and we started to eat them.

The stuff on sale looked really good: heaping boxes of blood red cherries and apples, walnuts and apricots, jugs of cider in a claw-foot tub full of ice. There were no customers, just three old ladies sitting in rocking chairs in the shade of a maple tree, knitting the biggest pair of socks I'd ever seen.

"Why does that sound like I know who they are?" Apollo asked. Athena gasped and said

"The fates." Everyone paled and looked at Percy.

"Ha-ha I'm in so much trouble." Percy said nerveless. And didn't dare to look at Nico.

I mean these socks were the size of sweaters, but they were clearly socks. The lady on the right knitted one of them. The lady on the left knitted the other. The lady in the middle held an enormous basket of electric-blue yarn.

All three women looked ancient, with pale faces wrinkled like fruit leather, silver hair tied back in white bandannas, bony arms sticking out of bleached cotton dresses.

The weirdest thing was, they seemed to be looking right at me.

"Oh no." Poseidon said paling and threw his apple at Hades. "Ow what I do?"

"I can't throw it at the fates so you were the best person." I said.

"Poseidon you son's right here I'm sure' he's going to be fine." Hestia said while giving him a hug and trying to comfort him.

I looked over at Grover to say something about this and saw that the blood had drained from his face. His nose was twitching.

"Grover?" I said. "Hey, man—"

"Tell me they're not looking at you. They are, aren't they?"

"Yeah. Weird, huh? You think those socks would fit me?"

"Dude no time to joke." Travis said.

"OI I was trying to light the mood." Percy said

While Nico paled even more.

Percy then whispered to him. "Don't worry, it not mine"

Nico then sighed in relief.

"Not funny, Percy. Not funny at all."

The old lady in the middle took out a huge pair of scissors—gold and silver, long-bladed, like shears. I heard Grover catch his breath.

Nico then started to repeatedly mutter. "It's not his"

Percy grabbed his hand to tell him, he was still there. But not without the attention of Aphrodite when he did grab Nico's hand.

Their dad's oblivious to it all.

"We're getting on the bus," he told me. "Come on."

"What?" I said. "It's a thousand degrees in there."

"Come on!'" He pried open the door and climbed inside, but I stayed back.

Across the road, the old ladies were still watching me. The middle one cut the yarn, and I swear I could hear that snip across four lanes of traffic.

"H-how are you still alive?" Demeter asked.

"It wasn't my life line that's all I'm saying." Percy said.

Nico and Poseidon breathed in relief.

At the rear of the bus, the driver wrenched a big chunk of smoking metal out of the engine compartment. The bus shuddered, and the engine roared back to life.

The passengers cheered.

"Darn right!" yelled the driver. He slapped the bus with his hat. "Everybody back on board!"

Once we got going, I started feeling feverish, as if I'd caught the flu.

Grover didn't look much better. He was shivering and his teeth were chattering.

"Grover?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you not telling me?"

"Everything." Chris and Clarisse said together.

He dabbed his forehead with his shirt sleeve. "Percy, what did you see back at the fruit stand?"

"You mean the old ladies? What is it about them, man? They're not like ... Mrs. Dodds, are they?"

"A lot worse." Hades said.

His expression was hard to read, but I got the feeling that the fruit-stand ladies were something much, much worse than Mrs. Dodds. He said, "Just tell me what you saw."

"The middle one took out her scissors, and she cut the yarn."

He closed his eyes and made a gesture with his fingers that might've been crossing himself, but it wasn't. It was something else, something almost—older.

"Observant." Athena said

He said, "You saw her snip the cord."

"Yeah. So?" But even as I said it, I knew it was a big deal.

"This is not happening," Grover mumbled. He started chewing at his thumb. "I don't want this to be like the last time."

Thalia looked down.

"What last time?"

"Always sixth grade. They never get past sixth."

"Grover," I said, because he was really starting to scare me. "What are you talking about?"

"Let me walk you home from the bus station. Promise me."

"And that didn't work out." Percy mumbled but nobody heard him.

This seemed like a strange request to me, but I promised he could.

"Wished it worked." Percy mumbled.

"Is this like a superstition or something?" I asked.

No answer.

"Grover—that snipping of the yarn. Does that mean somebody is going to die?"

He looked at me mournfully, like he was already picking the kind of flowers I'd like best on my coffin.

"That's it." Artemis said marking the page and closing the book.

"I'm surprised you weren't whining about food, Apollo." Artemis said.

"I usually get hungry when someone mentions food." Apollo replied

"Why don't we go in the kitchen to for lunch" Zeus said.

"Before we eat, I wish to speak to Nico and Percy, it won't take long" Aphrodite said

Everyone agreed and headed for the kitchen, while Nico and Percy were starting to look very nervous all of a sudden.