Annabeth POV

A few days ago, Percy Jackson was normal. Well, normal by Half-Blood Home standards. Now he's all anyone can talk about.

No one knows exactly what happened on Friday in the boys' bathroom, not even the most gossipy of gossips, like Silena. Most of the gossips are girls, and the boys here don't even go in their own bathroom unless they really have to go. Hell will freeze over before a girl goes in the boys' bathroom at the Half-Blood Home.

But we know enough. We know that Percy did something to get Clarisse beyond pissed. Some people think that he literally got her pissed. I'm not sure about that, but Clarisse and Percy can't be in the same room together without her giving him her deluxe death stare.

Percy Jackson has become a bit of a celebrity. Harley won't stop following him around, asking for details. Silena flirts with him. And even people who don't want to appear interested, like Luke, Thalia, and I, quietly speculate about the incident when no one's listening.

He seems uncomfortable with it, though. He still only talks to Will, and I think that's only because Will talks to him first. Sometimes he asks Luke for advice, but that's pretty rare.

Sooner or later, I know, Clarisse is going to come after him. No one disses her (or… does whatever Percy did) without paying the price.

So I decide to help him. I don't care that much about Percy individually, but I also don't like watching people getting beat up by Clarisse. We were all once that kid.

Empathy isn't the only reason I decide to help Percy. Clarisse and I are rivals. We've both got reputations of being tough, but we're on opposite sides of that. Fire and ice. Blue and red. She's the bully, and I'm the loner who the bully tries (and fails) to pick on.

Well, she tried once. I don't talk about it, not because I got beaten up, but because being the bully's target is a sign of weakness.

And I do not show weakness. Ever.

After breakfast, I approach him.

"If you're going to ask about Friday-" he starts, but I cut him off.

"Listen, Jackson. I don't know what happened, and I'm not going to ask. I'm just here to give you some advice."

He stares at me blankly.

"Clarisse won't let this slide. If she gets the chance, she will strike and she will strike hard. So here's my advice: Don't do anything stupid, Jackson. Keep your head down. Don't go looking for trouble."

"Never been very good at that." His tone has a kind of dark, self-deprecating humor that matches his expression. "Besides, I don't go looking for trouble. Trouble usually finds me."

I laugh quietly. "Most of us at the Half-Blood Home have had that experience. You're not alone. But you know what else the majority of us are good at? Hiding. So, Jackson, try to hide from trouble just this once."

He nods.

Mr. D yells, "All right, brats, it's time for morning chores! Except for Peter Johnson! He needs to see me in my office immediately!"

Percy and I laugh. "'Peter Johnson'?" he asks.

"Mr. D gets everyone's name wrong, haven't you noticed? I can't even count the number of times he's called me 'Annabelle Place'."

"Crap. I was hoping there might be someone here actually named Peter Johnson."

"Nope. You'd better go see what he wants."

A/N: Here's another chapter! I wanted to try to get it out for Annabeth's birthday on 7/12, but unfortunately, it didn't end up happening.

Shoutout to anyone who gets the reference.

What do you think Mr. D wants?

Time to respond to my reviews!

DDaughterofAthena and ExistentialPanoramicView: Thanks :)

Please review and tell me what you think!

~The88Constellations

EDIT (7/17/18): I realized Mr. D should have gotten Percy's name wrong, so I added that in.