I was used to the occasional odd experience, but they were usually over quickly. This 24/7 hallucination was more than I could handle. For the rest of the school year, the entire campus seemed to be playing a trick on me.

Orion winced. He could sympathize. He could swear Apollo was always playing tricks on him.

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.

"Weird huh?" Thalia teased Percy who flushed, while the past demigods and gods were confused as to why this was. "Well I didn't know back then okay?" Athena frowned "Know what?" Nico spoke up "It'll explain."

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.

Athena looked as if she was going to explode if she didn't get any answers soon.

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

Almost.

"I'm going to guess Grover?" Perseus asked surprising the futures. Percy nodded slowly.

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

Perseus grinned. It was fun being right.

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

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.

"Monster dreams." Hercules grit out, remembering his own.

The freak weather continued, which didn't help my mood. 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 squalls in the Atlantic that year.

Cue the looks at Zeus, who tried his best to hold out against the many stares, but still relatively new to the whole ruling business, he couldn't stop a tiny shiver from going down his spine. That made everyone smirk.

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

Thesues and Athena looked horrified "Let me guess," Theseus spoke in a strained voice, "that is an even worse thing than a C-?" Thalia held back a snicker "Yup!" Theseus groaned.

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.

"It means an old drunk." Thalia told them laughing at Athena's questioning look. Apollo grinned "So basically D." Dionysus glared at Apollo for the two obvious reasons until Ariadne smilingly rested her hand on his arm.

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.

"Aww." All the goddesses excluding Artemis and Athena cooed. Hera glanced at her numerous step-children and two actual children "A proper son," she muttered. "A proper mother," they muttered back making Hera bite back a scathing retort.

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 how he'd survive next year without me.

Hermes looked at Percy "You're a good kid." Percy shrugged "Um, thanks?"

I'd miss Latin class, too. With Mr. Brunner's crazy tournament days and his faith that I could do well.

Athena smiled "That is a very good teacher."

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 life-and-death for me. I wasn't sure why, but I'd started to believe him.

Theseus and Perseus (who had taken a liking to his namesake) muttered "Good."

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,

Athena looked at Percy incredulously, "How, sea spawn?" Percy shook his head "When it says that, not the actual people. Just the spellings. I mean it's pretty easy Charon: ferry guy, and Chiron: centaur trainer." "It's a simple definition." Percy snapped when the other demigods and Zoë stared at him.

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

"Same concept." Hercules perked up "What's Latin?" Percy responded "Stuff you'll learn in about a thousand years." At blank looks Thalia added "A language."

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.

I took a deep breath. I 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 going to score on his exam.

"Cough 'teacher's pet' Cough" Thalia and Orion put in when Theseus nodded proudly at Percy.

I didn't want to leave Yancy Academy with him thinking I hadn't tried.

"Teacher's pet." Perseus told his namesake and Percy in a robotic voice. Percy shook his head at Perseus' teasing tone.

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 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.

I'm not usually an eavesdropper,

Nico scoffed "Yeah sure. I completely believe you on that matter Percy."

Percy huffed "Yeah well, if you people didn't always keep stuff from me I wouldn't have to."

Nico raised a brow but let it go… for now.

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

"He's got a point." Hermes agreed, making everyone scoff.

"Hermes you'd agree with eavesdropping no matter what the reason." Persephone told him, making Hermes shrug indifferently.

I inched closer.

"Hey!" Apollo exclaimed turning to Hermes "I bet you 45 drachmas he'll get caught." Hermes grinned "Deal." They shook on it.

Orion looked at Hercules "Same deal?" He asked mischievously. Hercules scoffed "Get ready to loose."

Percy looked at the two bets in interest already knowing who would win and who would loose.

"…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."

Thalia and Nico snickered "Good luck with that." Percy pouted "So mean…" he said shaking his head disappointedly.

"But he 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."

"What's the Mist?" Zoë asked curiously and Thalia answered uncertainly

"I'm pretty sure there will be a good explanation about it in the upcoming chapters." Zoë nodded in understanding.

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

Hermes looked worried "What would happen?" The futures looked at each other and said a word they were dying to say "Spoilers."

The three grinned sheepishly they had watched way too much Doctor Who, but that's a story for another time. The rest groaned in annoyance.

"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 fell out of my hand and hit the floor with a thud.

Apollo and Hercules grinned at Orion and Hermes, who had begun to look a bit worried.

Mr. Brunner went silent.

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

Hermes sighed in relief "Good, never leave evidence."

A shadow slid across the lighted glass of Mr. 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 clop-clop-clop, like muffled word blocks,

"Hey! That's Chiron!" Apollo said as if he just realized it. Artemis groaned "Yes, we already knew that Apollo."

Apollo blinked innocently "We did?" But he shut up when he saw Artemis' evil glare.

then a sound that sounded like an animal snuffling right outside my door. A large dark shape paused right outside my door, and then moved on.

A bead of sweat trickled down my neck.

They all leaned forward wanting to find out what would happen.

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

"Mine either." Grover agreed. "But I could've sworn…"

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

"Don't remind me."

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

"HAH!" Orion and Hermes shouted and stuck out their hand to their respective gambling partner "Pay up!"

Apollo and Hercules grumbled but did as told.

Percy grinned "Sorry Apollo, probably should've warned you not to bet, huh?"

Hercules glared and Apollo pouted then shrugged "Yeah! Next though okay cuz?"

Percy grinned wider "You bet!"

I waited in the dark for what felt 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.

"Now he's a good liar?" Nico asked incredulously. Thalia shrugged "He did get some training for this type of situation."

Athena and Theseus groaned "Don't suppose you'll tell us anything will you?" The three futures grinned "Nope!"

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

I didn't answer.

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

"Just… tired."

I turned so he couldn't read my expression,

"Satyrs can read your emotions sea spawn." Athena told Percy in an annoying voice that said 'You are such an idiot' which was really starting to annoy Percy.

"I didn't know he was a satyr." Percy bit out trying to not loose his temper.

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.

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

"Ugh." Orion said "If that exam thing is anything like Theseus making sure we know stuff, I feel really bad for you."

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."

Triton frowned "Isn't Chiron supposed to be the thoughtful one out of the three?" he asked remembering his own teachers Aphros and Bythos.

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.

Aphrodite rose a brow "The girl likes you Percy."

Percy looked like he had been electrocuted a hundred times "You're kidding." He gasped out horror surfacing on his features.

Aphrodite shrugged "Sorry."

Zoë and Artemis frowned, yes that girl was a bit rude but it was just like a boy to act that immature and disrespectful.

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.

Persephone winced "Chiron really needs to learn some more tact."

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.

"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.

"HEY!" They all protested. Percy shrugged "Didn't know you back then. Don't think that anymore though." He offered as consolation. "Much." He muttered lowly.

They asked me what I'd be doing this summer and I told them I was going back to the city.

Hestia smiled "That was nice of them. Including you in their conversation."

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.

Hestia lost her smile "Never mind."

Demeter shook her head "They need more bread." Of course that made Hades groan in annoyance and Persephone patted his arm comfortingly.

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.

Nico smiled a creepy smile sharing a disturbing look with Apollo "Coincidence? I think not." They whispered in a creepy tone.

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?"

Suddenly a huge gap opened up in the throne room and three bat-like creatures appeared.

Hades and Persephone stood up in complete surprise. "Alecto? Megaera? Tisiphone?" Hades asked "Why are the three of you here?"

Alecto bowed "My Lord, we heard our name and came to see what had happened.

Hades sighed "I didn't call you. Anyhow now that you're here might as well stay."

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.

Hermes groaned "You aren't supposed to confess!"

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

"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 …"

Thalia rolled her eyes "Grover is a really, really bad liar."

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

Percy and Thalia looked at each other in shock "Don't copy me Kelp Head/Pinecone Face!"

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 fancy script, which was murder on my 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 visit your mansion."

"Not a mansion." Nico stated shaking his head. Percy grinned "Nope! Way better." Thalia nodded "No place like it."

No one saw Nico fidget uncomfortably.

He nodded. "Or … or if you need me."

"Why would I need you?"

Ariadne frowned "He's your friend isn't he?" Theseus tried to not look guilty.

Percy nodded "Yeah." Ariadne smiled softly "Well, then of course you'd need him."

Percy smiled "I know. It's just I was a bit annoyed and upset and… it's hard to explain.

It came out harsher than I meant it to.

Percy looked as if the line proved it "See." Dionysus rolled his eyes, he did not want his wife to start feeling sorry for another on of Poseidon's brats.

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.

Aphrodite, Persephone, Demeter, Ariadne, Hestia and Hera cooed. This hero was definitely a good one.

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 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.

The stuff on sale looked really good: heaping boxes of bloodred cherries and apples, walnuts and apricots, jugs of cider in a claw-foot tub full of ice.

"That fruit sounds really tasty." Apollo said dreamily, waving a hand for the food appear in front of everyone. Everyone took a bit, and since it was godly the taste was divine.

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.

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.

Hades and the Furies realized first and they all looked at Percy as if he were a ghost.

Nico and Persephone realized at the same time and they grew pale. And Nico was already unnaturally pale.

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

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

That was when everyone else realized. Thalia glared at Percy wishing desperately that she could shock him. Worry and fear were evident in her and Nico's faces.

"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?"

"Not funny Percy. Not funny at all." Hermes said.

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

No one even cracked a smile at Hermes saying the same thing as Grover.

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.

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

"Go, go, go." Poseidon found himself muttering under his breath which shocked him and he looked beside him to see Amphitrite, Triton and everyone in the entire throne room doing the exact same thing. Even Zoë and Artemis and they hated the male gender.

Well excluding the Furies, everyone was chanting for Percy to go in the bus.

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

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

"Can you ever listen?" Numerous people snapped. Even though they didn't know Percy too well, none of them wanted him to die for no reason whatsoever.

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. Her two friends balled up the electric-blue socks, leaving me wondering who they could possibly be for-Sasquatch or Godzilla.

"How are you alive?" Triton asked Percy not understanding. If the Fates cut his cord then either he would die sometime soon or should already be dead.

Percy shrugged "Spoilers."

Thalia and Nico came out of their stupor and frowned "Hey! You can't do that without us!"

Percy sighed "Fine."

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!"

"Yeah, now it works." Apollo said bitterly. He had also not chanted for Percy to go in the bus, since he knew that if the Fates wanted to show him something, Percy would see it.

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

The nervous faces were back and it didn't help that Nico and Thalia looked close to hyperventilating.

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

"Grover?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you not telling me?"

"Everything." Everyone muttered a bit annoyed at the Fates. Well excluding Percy obviously.

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?"

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.

Athena and Artemis' eyes widened. He was observant.

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."

"What last time?"

Thalia groaned "That stupid insufferable satyr." She murmured affectionately.

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

Thalia turned to Percy and Nico "When we get back remind me to beat him up for blaming himself."

The two nodded wholeheartedly.

"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."

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

"10 drachmas he doesn't keep it." Hercules said. Nico narrowed his eyes at him "Done." Apollo and Hermes grinned at each other "I'm with Percy this time!/I'm against him this time!

Percy privately thought that for the god of prophecy, Apollo was a horrible gambler. He just felt bad for Nico. That was a waste of drachmas.

"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 was the end of the chapter." Theseus said snapping the book shut.

Athena took the book from him "I'll read next." She opened up the book and straightening up in her throne began... Grover Unexpectedly Loses His Pants

Done! Can I just say rewriting all of this is extremely hard? And I just can't find enough time. Sorry about the long wait. Thank you to everyone who has followed, favourited and reviewed. You are what got me to finish this chapter so big thanks and a shout out to everyone's encouraging words. I love you all! 5 more chapters and then weekly updates are guaranteed!

~Sakuya~