Disclaimer: I do not own PJO.

[A/N:] Okay, I haven't opened my email account in a really long time, so imagine my surprise seeing all the alerts I got from this website about this fanfiction. I wasn't expecting this much people to know about this story until I reached like, at least 10 chapters or so. I've only posted two chapters so far! How the heck did you guys find out about this? O_O

But seriously, I would like to thank all of you for your positive feedback and advice. And yes, I think we all know who Lilah's godly parent is by now. Way to make it obvious, Marionetto. /bangs head on table.

Anyways, story won't follow canon. I would be mixing things up a bit here. And special shout-out again to my lovely, GaleSynch, for reading this. O w O

Anyways, on to the story!

CHAPTER 3

Bullies And The Whatnot

"Lilah, you have got to at least have one friend in school."

"But the kids in my school are icky! All of them look like they have cooties!"

"You're supposed to say that about boys, not girls!"

"Maddie Parker picked her nose a while ago at school and ate it! Isn't that gross enough for you?"

Ah, a wonderful conversation with my mom. Family bonding, am I right?

A few months have passed ever since my first day at school. While I was trying my best to overcome my dyslexia, mom thought that it was best for me to start acting like the regular 7 years old I was and start making friends.

Cue my look of horror right here.

I get it, I get it. I know my mom wanted the best for me and start socializing with other people, but I really don't think that socializing with 1st graders who eat glue and who thows spitballs at each other will be a good idea.

But of course, mom just HAD to tell Miss Phillips about this.

Since then, all the lessons had some sort of group or partner related activity. I was pretty much against the whole thing, but seeing as the class could be divided evenly in groups of twos and threes, I couldn't outwardly complain.

Each time there was that kind of activity, I would partner up with this girl named Abby. She was the regular Dora look-a-like; she had the hairstyle, she was Mexican, and she pretty much carried her backpack with her every time.

The only reason why I put up with her is because she's the least annoying of all the people in my class. The Most Annoying Girl award obviously belongs to Maddie Parker.

Ah. I think you're starting to get confused on who Maddie is. You know that girl I met in my first day at class? The one who I bumped into and had the audacity to call me short? Yeah. That's her. She was my mortal enemy. Honestly.

And no, it wasn't childish for a grown adult who was stuck in a child's body to develop a huge dislike towards another child because she called me short. Not childish at all.

Not. At. All.

I often find myself verbally assaulting Maddie and sometimes physically assaulting her. Although I mostly wind the verbal fights, Maddie most definitely winsthe physical ones. I was a sore loser back then, and I hated it whenever Maddie won. I would even resort to pranks just to see her suffer.

So I was a bit sadistic back then. Big deal.

Maddie was the type of kid you would definitely hate. She was that bully-to-be, and in a few years I could see her and her equally ugly cronies marching behind her in this school as if she owned the place.

I hated that type of arrogance more than anything, and I was a very open-minded person and loved to outwardly insult Maddie. And to her, making my life as miserable was an enjoyable sport.

In short, we both loathed each other so much we were willing to get broken noses just to see each other cry.

Mom didn't like that at all. I don't think my mom had ever been picked on by a bully before, because she insisted I make peace with her and that she was just playing like normal 7 year olds do.

Uh, no. I was not befriending that monkey faced loser.

Maybe it was pride or mere arrogance, I never was able to accept the fact that I can't win against Maddie all the time. And since she was lacking in common sense (she was still 7, duh), I wasn't able to make references or verbally attack her as much as I could to adults or teenagers, which made me think that I only had a lose-lose situation.

Finally, I was called to the principal's office along with Maddie.

The principal sigh and took off his glasses, giving both of us the adult look. You know, that look you get from your mom when she found out about your secret stash of unfinished Math homework under your bed or the fact that you purposely took some sweets from the counter last night?

Yep. That look.

"This has been going on ever since the second month you both have been attending this school." he said.

"Actually, it started when we first saw each other." I corrected bluntly.

"Lilah." my mother warned.

The principal shook his head. "Either way, both of your behavior is unreasonable. Maddie Parker, we've received numerous complaints about bullying."

Beside me, Maddie huffed.

"And Lilah. Just because you have dyslexia and ADHD does not give you the right to bully her as well."

I crossed my arms.

Maddie's mom, Marielle, laughed.

"Oh come now. My darling Maddie wouldn't dare do such a thing." Marielle said. "But on the other hand, this Lilah girl could be lying. She's only been in school this year, am I right? Besides, I could repair all the damage that dear Maddie has made to the school, such as replacing the broken equipment and such. What you do, Cassandra?"

I gaped. How dare that woman try to bribe the principal?! That was totally cliché and obviously not going to work!

I looked at the principal and gasped silently when I saw him considering Marielle's offer. So this is how Maddie always got away with all the parents complaints! She was bribing them with the money!

My mom, instead of reacting, stood up from her seat and sigh.

"Well, seeing as how this school is only run by a money-deprived principal and a lowly scum like you, Marielle, I would like to find a more fit environment for my daughter. One that is at least 1,000 yards away from the stinky stench of someone like you." she said coolly.

My mom stood up from her seat and gave the principal a sheet of paper.

"Here, a reply to your letter about Lilah being kicked out of this school." she said blankly before placing it on the table.

My jaw dropped. The principal had already issued my expulsion already?!

Mom looked at me and sent me a smile; no, it wasn't the Mom smile that you would run away seeing because you know you would end up cleaning the house toilets for being a bad kid and no, it wasn't the smile that was obviously sad and would totally guilt trip you.

It was just a simple smile. As if she had totally expected this and acknowledged it.

"O-oh." the principal said.

I saw Marielle sent a knowing glance at him and Maddie sent me a smirk. I glared at her and so wanted to sock her in the nose for that.

But before I could so much as take one step near Maddie, mom grabbed my arm and lead me out the room.

…

I walked beside mom, clutching her hand in mind. A feeling of guilt and remorse spread through my chest, making it hard to breathe.

I heard her sigh.

"Honestly," she said.

I bit my lower lip and inhaled a few times.

"Mom?"

"Mm-hm?"

"I... I..." I stuttered out. I wasn't used to admitting I was wrong. I had too much pride, and that I can easily admit. Even in my previous life, I'd rather eat a shoe than admit that I was wrong and that someone else aside from me was right.

"I'm sorry." I said.

Mom looked at me for a few moments before laughing.

"You are definitely like your father!" she said. "Loves making trouble and letting me handle it. Also the fact that you refuse to admit that you're wrong."

I felt heat spread through my cheeks.

"So cute!"

"M-mom!" I cried out in embarrassment.

"Ah!" she said. "I remember the time you wet your bed! Oh how cute you were, crying and-"

"MOM!"

When we got home that day, I sort of expected mom to go bananas about the fact that I was kicked out of my very first school in my very first year of studying. Surprisingly, she just acted as if nothing happened. In fact, she told me that I could have a few days of rest before she'll find a new school for me.

I was grateful for having to sleep in every morning for five days, but my happy mood went plummeting down as soon as she told me that she found a new school for me. I'd rather be homeschooled.

No wait... if I was homeschooled... mom would most definitely find new ways to ground me and would hide the TV from me every day unless it's a weekend...

So I guess it was good that she found a new school for me. But the sad news was, I didn't last until the end of the school year. I pretty much got kicked out of that school too.

And for what reason exactly?

The same reason as before. Bullies.

Sort of annoying how that cycle repeated. I thought that this time my mom would really get mad at me. But instead she reacted just like how she reacted before; as if she completely expected this and that this was as normal as Justin Bieber wearing a pink dress.

And that was how my school life was; either I get kicked out of school in the middle of the school year or I finish one complete year but get kicked out anyways.

This went on until I was 10 years old. Finally, mom ran out of school to place me. I thought I would finally be homeschooled, but then she found this last place; Yancy Academy, a private school for mental- I mean, trouble kids in New York.

Ugh. Thanks mom. Because I want to be in a private school filled with more annoying kids.

First day started as usual; a crowded hallway filled with all sorts of kids around me. The only difference was that this time, I kept on bumping into people's backs and the lockers. I wouldn't be surprised if I had a sign that says 'Kick Me' in the back of my hoodie by the end of the day.

My classroom was supposed to be at the end of this hallway, which made it four times harder to pass through. The classrooms near the end of the hallway were for 6th graders. Just my luck that the 4th graders' classroom was near the 5th and the 6th.

Hoorah. Trouble kids with puberty issues. This should be fun!

I wiggled my way through the corridor and was about to enter my classroom when two people near me suddenly backed away, causing me to stumble back and fall on my face. Again.

Way to go Lilah! Kissing the floor already!

I looked up from my place to see a couple of people snickering and laughing around me. My face felt hot and I quickly tried my best to regain my composure. Surprisingly, one of the kids who accidentally pushed me back turned around and gave me a hand.

"Sorry about that. You okay?"

I looked up and was about to say I didn't need his help before I saw his face.

He was the same boy I saw from my visions before! The black hair, the green eyes- except for the fact that he wasn't wearing the orange shirt, it was him!

It took me a few moments to come back to earth and realize the situation I was still in. I pushed the boy's hand away and stood up.

"Uh..." I heard him mutter unsurely, glancing at his friend. His friend sent me a surprised and nervous glance before gulping and urging the boy to get inside the classroom.

The day went by without another hitch, but I couldn't get myself to stop thinking about that green eyed boy.

When it was time for recess, I went outside the school for a bit, searching for that boy. I didn't know why, but I had the small urge to become friends with him.

Friends...

Since when had I actually talked to someone asides from my mom in this lifetime?

I saw him eating with his friend, sitting near the fountains. I was about to go and talk to him when I saw a red headed girl and a bunch of other girls approach them. Immediately did I see the change in the boy's face from happy to 'ew-why-are-you-here?'.

Curious, I walked towards them.

"Oops." the red headed girl said carelessly, taking the lunch boxes away from both of them and tossing them in the fountain.

"Hey!" the green eyed boy said, annoyed. "Quit it!"

"And what are you going to do?" the girl taunted. "Rant on me to Mr. I-got-no-legs? Then what? He'll lecture me to death? Ha!"

I noticed that she was oddly close enough to the fountain to fall in if someone accidentally pushed her.

I grinned evilly.

"Hey redhead!" I called loudly.

She turned to me and scowled. "Huh? What do you want, shorty-"

I smirked and pushed her in the fountain. The splash wasn't that loud, but redhead's crones definitely looked as if a ghost had just appeared when I pushed redhead in the fountain.

"You're lame." I said. "Taking others' lunches? Seriously, afford a tuition but no food? What are ya, a beggar?"

I turned to my side and found a teacher heading this way. I inwardly shuddered. She looked about fifty, but she wore a leather jacket as if she owned the look. Speaking of looks, the one she was giving me back then totally sent shivers down my spine because she looked at me as if she was ready to turn me into a Lilah-kebab.

"And what happened here?" she asked as she neared me.

"She fell into the fountain." I said. "I was just about to talk to these guys before she tripped and fell."

"T-that's not true!" redhead said as she tried to sit up from the fountain, but ended up splashing some more inside.

"You can ask them." I said, pointing to the boys beside me. "They'll confirm that she tripped. Right guys?"

Both of them looked at me in disbelief. But then the green eyed boy grinned and nodded.

"Yep. Nancy here tripped in the fountain." he said.

The teacher looked at both of us as if deciding how to skewer us and fry us alive but then she looked at the redhead. "Come on Nancy. Get to the nurse's office." she said.

Redhead, or Nancy, stumbled out of the water, soaked from head to toe. She glared at me and the boy beside me but I just smirked at her and casually waved bye as she left to go to the nurse's office.

"You're pretty cool."

I looked at the green eyed boy.

"... you're the idiot who pushed me earlier." I stated bluntly.

He looked nervous when I stated that out loud.

"That was an accident. Sorry." he said.

I looked at the fountain and saw the soggy food from the lunch bags Nancy threw in it. After contemplating for a few seconds, I took out a sandwich from my bag and handed it to him.

"Here." I said, giving him the sandwich.

He stared at me for a while.

"It's not poisoned or anything, geez." I said as I stuffed the bread in his mouth against his will.

He started yelling through the bread in protest but all that came out were incoherent words. His friend beside him started laughing as he struggled and... well, I had to admit, he was pretty funny.

"What was that for?!" he said irritably.

"Oh lighten up." I said. "At least I didn't push Nancy against your earlier. You too would've ended up in an awkward position, plus soaking wet."

He looked at me, still ticked off.

"I'm Lilah." I said, hoping to change the subject.

"... I'm Percy. And this guy over here is Grover." he pointed to his friend beside him. Grover waved hello.

I smiled.

"Cool."

[A/N:] Urk... school.

Even though Chistmas Break started way earlier this year, I had no time to type this. Just... URK.

So finally Lilah meets the one and only Percy Jackson! /claps

I know Percy over here is just a normal 12 year old kid, despite the fact that he's a demigod. I mean, I act like a 12 year old, so I think I'll be able to write his character nicely.

Anyways, see ya guys in the next update!