A/N: Ermagehrd she updated! –Gasp- Enjoy the chapter! ~ HA
Tricks, Trials, and Tribulations
The first thought that came through my mind was Brittany. I mean she could be behind all of this. She could've hired this "Percy" and "Annabeth" (if those are their real names) to trick us. But having that goat kid, Grover and that Pegasus was convincing. She did threaten me yesterday…
"Piper? You okay?" Hazel murmured. I nodded and straightened my posture.
"How can we be sure that you're not working for Brittany?" asked Jason, voicing my exact thoughts. As much as I wanted to latch on to him and sob, I didn't. I heard a slight rumbling behind me and turned. Frank blushed and rubbed his stomach.
"Sorry about that." Frank sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. Percy grinned and gestured towards the chariot and the injured Pegasus. We all followed as Grover immediately spread a picnic blanket over the grass. The heat from the chariot helped us recover quickly.
Annabeth spread some empty plates around as we sat in a circle. Leo raised an eyebrow as the Pegasus snorted uncomfortably close to him. Percy laughed.
So boss, what's the elf lookin' at me for? Blackjack whinnied as he settled down near the chariot. He shifted his wings and laid his head on the ground and closed his eyes.
I laughed and noticed Piper lean over to Leo.
"Leo, check if the horse is a machine," Piper whispered in my ear. I shifted uncomfortably and looked into her kaleidoscopic eyes. I nodded and looked over at Percy.
"Hey, mind if I look at that chariot of yours? It's a nice piece of uh, work." I honestly did wanna examine it, so I made it as convincing as possible with a look of desperation. Percy and Annabeth exchanged knowing glances and Percy nodded. I stood up and carefully made my way over the chariot. The Pegasus looked asleep, but I wasn't sure. I lightly ran my fingers over the exterior of the chariot, but leapt back with a yelp. On to the horse. Great.
"OW, GODDAMN IT! HOW, WHAT, WHY?" I screamed as my fingers burned. The Pegasus reared up in a loud whinny and screamed shrilly as I bounced on his back trying, to hold on with my scorching hand. Percy bounded over with Annabeth at his heels. The rest of my crew were too shocked to move.
"Blackjack! It's okay, come on man, come on!" Percy yelled at the Pegasus, but that only made him crazier. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Hazel get up and walk calmly over.
I wasn't frightened really, I mean, when I was a kid, I used to go horseback riding all of the time. I knew how to handle a horse in a situation like this. Even if it was a flying horse.
"Hey there buddy. Shh, shh, it's okay. It's alright. Everything will be just fine." I smiled and gently tried to stroke his neck, but Blackjack reared again and Leo started cursing. So naturally, I tried again.
"Come on now Blackjack, it's not that bad. Come on now. Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?" He slowly calmed down as I smiled and looked into his obsidian eyes. I slowly stroked his velvety neck and he snorted. Percy grinned at me and thanked me silently. Annabeth helped Leo get off.
I like this girl boss. Can we keep her?
"Sure buddy. I think she's a keeper." I replied. Hazel smiled widely at me. After the chaos, Annabeth explained the arts of being a demigod and told them about Camp Half-Blood. Grover, Frank, Jason, Leo, and I totally pigged out as the girls listened to Annabeth intently. I felt a stab of homesickness for the camp, so I put down my blue cookie. I felt an uneasy prickle against the back of my neck. I didn't turn over to the woods, though I felt Annabeth grip her dagger tightly.
The others joked and laughed nonchalantly and I saw Leo whisper secretively to Piper again. I caught a snippet of the conversation-
"-not a machine. That thing's real as my muscles, Pipes. I swear, amiga! But that chariot? Muy caliente." Leo mumbled. Piper nodded and sighed. Her stiffness seemed to melt away as she smiled at Frank's clumsiness. I got up.
"Uh. Um. Gotta um, take Blackjack for a tiny walk. See how he's holding up." I said.
"Ooh! Percy, can I do it please?" Hazel jumped up her eyes sparkling. I reluctantly eyed Annabeth and she nodded. Hazel silently made her way over and we walked quietly.
Before we could make our way to the woods, the sky darkened. Fast. Annabeth leapt up and I yelled, steering Blackjack and Hazel roughly back towards the makeshift camp.
"Annabeth!" I heard Percy yell my name and reached out to grab his arm. He took it and held on tightly, his sword drawn. The storm raged towards us and I was prepared to fight. It was so strong, the impact made me go crazy, like I was about to delve into madness any second. Somehow, I knew this was it.
"I love you Seaweed Brain." I murmured, looking at him. He smiled his infuriating smile and drew his sword.
"Love you more." With that, we stood side by side, with the rest of the gang behind us, holding up plates like Frisbees and pieces of trash.
Mom, I love you.
Now stop. Press pause. Before you think I'm insane and a drama queen, you did not see the size of that storm. It was HUGE. And I mean it covered the sky for miles. Gigantic. I was prepared to go down. Okay, you can press play now.
Suddenly, it all stopped with a whoosh of snow. In front of us, a large man stood. Watery eyes and almost bald? A big nose that looked like it was stuck on?
"Mr. D?" I heard myself cry in astonishment.
"Stand down, Anne Beck. Put that thing away." He flicked his wrist and my dagger flew itself into my pocket. "I've come to assist you as the will of the gods, blah blah, blah. Watch out for the Daughters of Magic. La dee da. You know this, correct?" He flopped down and grapevines wrapped themselves into a chair. I felt sorry for them. He popped open a Diet Coke and sipped, sighing.
"Whatever happened to the Merlot?" He complained. Percy snorted. Mr. D eyed him momentarily and shrugged. "This school," He accentuated school sarcastically and continued, "Is not in the grounds of the gods. In order to rescue these half-bloods you have found, you must stay and find the Crown of Zeus." He raised his eyebrows as thunder rumbled overhead. "Anywho, when you find it, you will be rewarded with great glory and blah blah blah, you get the point. Find it, you go. Don't find it, you die."
A long silence stretched.
"Alrighty then. Let's get started." He giggled maniacally and the purple fire blazed in his eyes. He snapped his fingers and my mind broke. I screamed so loud, my eyes rolled into my head, and I couldn't control anything. My breaths were short and I couldn't breathe. My body twisted in ways I didn't know was possible. I could hear distant screams and shouts. Suddenly, it all stopped.
"Wha-?"
"Annabeth! Annabeth? Are you okay?" Piper groaned. I was comfortable. How odd…
"Fine." I replied, panting. My mind hurt, though my body felt fine. I looked around warily. We were in a room with three four-poster beds, about twelve windows, and large desks beside our bedside tables and lamps. They each faced one window. We also had wardrobes. The whole room was adorned by bookshelves upon bookshelves of books. We each had a window seat in our sections. Large curtains separated our beds, which was a relief. I didn't want anyone to see me like this.
"We're back in the dorm," gasped Hazel. She gripped her head and that's when I noticed she was in purple pajamas with silver horseshoes on them. Piper was wearing emerald green ones with pink bunnies and I was wearing red ones with gray owls. I sighed.
"What's this?" Piper had gotten out of bed and was staring at a pamphlet on her desk. She handed it to me as I read aloud:
"Welcome to Westover Hall, where we are dedicated to excellence. This is your senior year Welcome notice and schedule. There are two terms, here in our grand school. We have a well-rounded curriculum backed by certified teachers and a safe environment."
"Yeah right." Piper huffed. I smiled and continued reading.
"Your schedule consists of eight classes, each approximately 50 minutes long. You will be required to attend each and every class. If you fail to do so, your parents will be contacted, and you will be required to take a week of detention after school. Education is taken very seriously at Westover Hall. Rules can be found in our manual (also mailed to you with this letter) and any failure to follow these regulations will result in expulsion. We hope you enjoy your high school experience in Westover Hall, where we are dedicated to excellence."
"Wow." Hazel summed it all up. Piper took the paper from me and gestured to my desk.
"You have one, too."
I sat down at the oak table and grabbed my gigantic envelope, tearing it open. The manual was large and dusty with 446 pages to read. I grabbed my schedule and discussed it with Piper.
"Period 1 7:30-8:20 AP World History Mrs. Imam A3
Period 2 8:25-9:17 Calculus BC Mrs. Cable A8
(Includes five minutes for announcements)
Period 3 9:22-10:12 AP English & Poetry Mrs. Thomas A16
Period 4 10:17-11:07 Physical Education Mr. Walker AXGYM
A Lunch 11:07-11:37 Cafeteria 1
Period 5 11:40-12:30
(The period timings above are only for students with A Lunch)
Period 5 11:12-12:02 AP Biology Mr. Fox A9
B Lunch 12:02-12:32 Cafeteria 2
Period 6 12:35-1:25 AP Ancient Greek Mr. Carmen B3
Period 7 1:30-2:20 Study Hall Mrs. Jones Auditorium 1
Period 8 2:25-3:15 AP Modern Architecture Mr. Shircliff Studio 4
All after school activities will not be available on the first week of school.
You will be able to sign up at the Activities Fair on Saturday in Cafeteria 1 from 6:30 to 9:30 PM. Any questions about your schedule? Contact your counselors on the school website.
We wish you good luck in the new school year!"
"Well, we have every class together except Modern Architecture and Calculus BC." Smiled Piper. I sighed and flopped on to my bed.
"I don't have any classes with you, Annabeth." Frowned Hazel.
"Probably 'cause you're still a junior." Remarked Piper. I flipped on to my side. I saw my backpack with my dagger gleaming inside of it on the swivel chair by my desk. I grinned at the sight and looked back around the room. So many books! I got up and scoured around each and every title fascinating me and beckoning me into its dusty folds of parchment. I licked my lips in anticipation, looking for architectural books.
"Piper?"
"Yeah?" I called to Hazel.
"Can I borrow one of your rubber bands?"
"Sure." I nodded, wrapping up my blueprints. I shot one at Hazel and she caught it with inhuman speed, grinning. She tied up her hair and continued sewing. I guess we are demigods after all.
"Thanks."
"Nice." Annabeth was staring at my blueprints from her perch on the window seat. Already, she had found a book and was curled up with it. "I like the green dress." She smiled. I grinned and continued sketching, laying out the fabric and adding sequins in my mind.
Annabeth's section of the room was clean and simple. Her desk was neat, with all her textbooks and supplies in drawers and a simple NYIT poster was stuck to the wall behind her bed.
Hazel's side was cozy, with hand-made pillows on velvet armchairs and a tiny fireplace Frank had installed for her (though he was mad scared of fire). Her desk was clean, but she rarely used it. My side was the messiest. My desk was strewn with fabric, beads, and tins upon tins of tiny knick-knacks for the dresses I was designing. My wardrobe was full to the brim of comfy clothes and my bed was a mess of pillows with posters of my dad everywhere. I felt right at home.
"Hey, Annabeth, what do you think?" Hazel called me and I looked up from the book called Illustrating & Designing: A Guide to Modern Architecture. I smiled lightly at the pillow Hazel was making. It had a gray owl on it.
"It's beautiful."
Hazel smiled at the compliment and kept working, encouraged like a cute little kid. I set down the book on my window seat. I unpacked my dagger, hat, and a couple of books. I set the hat and my dagger into the top shelf of my wardrobe and hung up my clothes with hangers. I put my schedule, textbooks and binders into my empty backpack and added my pencil bag for good measure. Unzipping the front pocket, I took out a flat object and stared at it.
It was a picture frame, and the picture inside was adorable. To the middle right, Seaweed Brain had his arms wrapped around a laughing me (to the middle left) and Thalia was holding up bunny ears behind him with her tongue out. Nico managed a small smile in the bottom left corner at the antics and Grover and Juniper stood behind us, their arms around one another. The Stoll brothers whispered with goofy grins behind Thalia on the top right and Clarisse and Chris had their hands in the air on the top left. All of our friends, gone.
A knock came from the door and a lady burst in. She was tall, yet large and pompous like an opera singer. She was wearing an orange sundress (in Maine, no idea why) and had on a pink boa scarf. Her red hair was did up in a bun and she breathed in deeply, as if she were about to sing a solo.
"LAAAADIES! Lights out please! Tomorrow is the first day of school and no one and I mean no one wants to be late!" she practically sang. Her voice was high and full and I cringed at the volume.
"Yes, Mrs. Crikowitz." Piper and Hazel rolled their eyes. The opera singer hustled Piper away from her desk and into her bed, while Hazel shyly made her way over to her four-poster. Mrs. Crikowitz gave me a look with a raised eyebrow as if saying, "You're going to be a challenge." I gave her my best glare and she melted momentarily. Regaining her composure, she waited as I slowly lowered myself into the warm sheets, watching me with wary blue eyes. She turned out the lights, drew the scarlet curtains to each of our sections, and closed the door slowly, leaving us alone.
"Good night and sleept TIIIIGHT!" she sang on her way out. The door echoed shut.
"Mrs. Crikowitz. Housekeeper, married to the Assistant Principal and retired opera singer." Sighed Hazel.
"Get used to it every day." Murmured Piper. The curtains were closed around my area, so their voices were muffled and I felt snug, yet I couldn't sleep.
"Good night guys." Said Piper with a small yawn. Hazel echoed. I murmured a quick good night and the room fell into silence. Hazel snored lightly within five minutes and I thought it was cute. Piper was breathing heavily too, so I figured they were both asleep. I switched on my bedside lamp and stared at the picture again.
I held Percy's image to my lips and kissed it lightly. I set it down on the table and switched off the lamp.
"Good night Seaweed Brain."
Awww! R&R everybody! Remember to share, too! Word of mouth is the fastest way to get a story around and this ain't an exception! I did use some Harry Potter references here with the four-posters and such, but haters, chill. I'm not "Trying to steal Rowling's identity" or "Copying Harry Potter", the plot of this story is solely mine, but the characters aren't. I know that. So chill and eat some blue cookies with me! Anyways, I hope you all had a lovely break from my story (I know I did), but now I'm back! No more writer's block and updates every Sunday. Remember to check in! (So many exclamation marks :P). Love you all! Lady Artemis wishes you a good night!
~ Hunting Artemis