Half-Blood High

Chapter 12

So, I'm replacing the author's note with this chapter.

~0O0~

Annabeth drew her jacket closer to her shivering body, her boots squishing through the muddy ground as she stumbled along the trail, clutching the plant in her hand safely toward her chest. Next to her Leo had abandoned his own plant so he could hold his text book over his head to avoid the drizzle that had crept upon them right after they had wandered a good mile or so from the nearest green house.

"I hate this bloody weather." Leo cursed, as he almost slipped upon a patch of wet rock "Its times like these that I really miss Houston-giant mosquitoes or not."

"Yeah, and you've really made all this suffering worth it, by throwing away that plant." Annabeth rolled her eyes, slowing down when she spotted the clearing where Professor Merryweather stood with most of their classmates a few meters ahead. "Because, you know, that was the literaly the reason why we had to go into the woods and get drenched in all this rain instead of working in the greenhouse. He won't give you any extra credit now, Leo."

Leo snorted and was promptly smacked in the face by a low lying branch. Cursing darkly in what sounded like Spanish, he replied sarcastically "Yeah, because I'm dying to get extra credit in botany. Fat load of good that would do me when I open my own repair shop. The only thing I'm concerned about is catching a cold. You know its football tryouts tomorrow, Annie, and I just know that bastard Charring is after my position. That good for nothing fucking…toad!"

Annabeth hummed in agreement, because really, now that Leo pointed it out, it really was rather unfortunately obvious . "Relax Leo, you've been playing goalie for years. Jason isn't going to kick you out that fast."

"I'd be happy if Jason actually did anything these days." Leo muttered darkly but the blonde didn't have a chance to enquire further as they both emerged out into the clearing, where all her classmates stood, squinting in the light drizzle.

"And Miss. Chase has found it! Occinum sanctum!" Professor Merry weather said delightedly surprised, clapping enthusiastically and a few of her classmates joined half-heartedly, only to appease the professor so that they could get back into the warmth of the greenhouse. "And the only one to do so! Marvelous!"

Embarrassed, Annabeth looked around and realized that no one else carried anything but hostile looks and soaked text books. It seemed as though she was the only one who had actually spent the whole lesson scouring the woods for the elusive plant. Her and Leo, who was now shooting her an exaggeratedly patronizing look, which she studiously pretended to ignore even thought he was standing just next to her.

"Now, the Ocimum sanctum is a great medicinal plant, often used to cure sore throats." The professor good naturedly ignored the groans from the students, his few dark wisps of hair completely plastered onto his forward "It is a huge part in the ayurvedic science in India. Now, who can tell me, what it is commonly referred to as in this particular healing science?"

Annabeth scowled when almost all her classmates turned to look at her with bored expressions. She grit her teeth and stared right ahead, determined to not give an answer, even though it was jumping at the tip of her tongue. Professor Merry weather too looked at her expectantly and unable to stomach the Professor's twinkling eyes, she relented.

"Tulsi, Professor. It's from the order Lamiales and is often fragrant."Annabeth decided to get the whole lot of her chest. "Also called Ocimum tenuiflorum or Holy Basil."

"Well said!" And the Professor excused the class. "And Miss. Chase, do leave the plant in the greenhouse. I'll pop into the infirmary in the evening and hand it over to Bea-uh Madam Brown."

Most of the teenagers smirked at the Professor's lapse even thought the damage had already been done last week when Darcy Higgins, a second year from the North, had went to the infirmary with a head ache and caught the two teachers in a rather compromising position. He'd been very severely sworn into secrecy before he left the infirmary with Aspirin, so naturally the whole school knew about it by next morning.

Annabeth turned to Leo as they neared the green house "I'll-"

"Meet you back in cafeteria? Deal ! I'll get you that French soup you like so much." Leo cut in cheerfully and added supposedly as an afterthought "After all, all that trudging around for that useless plant has left me starving."

Annabeth, who'd been about to suggest a rendezvous at the library to work on their calculus homework, rolled her eyes at his poor attempt at subtlety, before pushing open the creaky door of the greenhouse.

She breathed in the heady scent of wet soil and dampness as she headed over to the table to deposit the tulsi. She spotted another one on the table, probably taken by the class before, and was idly wondering which student must have actually went looking for it, when someone cleared their throat behind her.

She whirled around, expecting to see dark green eyes, because Jackson had a habit of cornering her in empty places and positively devouring her. A habit, much frequently occurring and not exactly opposed by her, though it always left her feeling as though she'd just run a sprint. Which, she supposed, was natural. Because some of the things that boy did to her, gods, it left her quivering like a leaf in a storm, completely unaware of anything but him, and the feel and taste of him, the way he would-

"Chase?"

Annabeth was broken out of her wayward spell and looked at the East side boy standing in front of her, glancing at her oddly.

"Uh, hi Ethan. Did you want anything?"Annabeth asked politely, pushing aside the whole fantasy of Jackson which she could venture into in the shower that night. Or maybe right now. Didn't he have a free period right now? All she had to do was stand in his line of vision and bite her lips or something. That for some reason, always made him extra mad, and the resulting encounter in the closet left her with no choice but to run back to the West Tower for a fresh pair of knickers.

"I was wondering if you would like to go with me to the village tomorrow." Ethan brandished a smirk in her direction.

Annabeth, completely stunned, ran her tongue over her lips, oblivious to the dark eyes following the motion intently. She tasted apple from the lip balm and absently recollected that Jackson preferred it much more than the cherry one. Hmmmm.

"Annabeth?" Ethan was looking a lot less confident than earlier.

"Oh right. I was just…thinking-about tomorrow."Annabeth tried for a nonchalant smile. "And I just remembered I'd promised to go shopping for shoes with Piper and Hazel."

She quickly mumbled out an apology before slipping out the door and jogging back to the castle, as thunder reverberated over the fields. She had honestly no idea why she had turned Ethan down in such a graceless manner. He had, after all, been relatively nicely to her compared to the other East siders- that is to say, he did positively nothing to her, good or bad, and was rather attractive in a messy kind of way. But for some unfathomable reason her tongue had decided it had a brain of its own. Then of course, was the whole secret torrid…affair with Jackson.

She shivered in spite of herself in the almost empty corridor. Affair. She hadn't actually put a name to their broom closet shenanigans for the past one month. But then again, that was what they were doing, wasn't it? Hiding around from their friends and lying to the whole school about their torrid, dirty meetings. Affair. There. No need to sugarcoat it. And now with that little matter of Ethan…

…It made her once again question the rules and boundaries of their relationship. It seemed as though Jackson didn't really expect anything from her expect illicit passionate encounters. There weren't any restrictions on them pursuing other people, though that would probably mean the end of whatever they have, and that thought made her feel all funny and cold. After all, she wasn't the cheating type and Jackson…well, he wasn't exactly the committing type, so that chances of him actually going out with a girl was next to impossible. That left the whole future of them in her hands, unless of course he decided he didn't want to see her anymore.

Frustrated beyond belief why that thought left her feeling so cold and…alone, she squashed the ever increasing and confusing feelings for her enemy into the bottom of her stomach before going onto find Leo. He'd better have that soup ready.

~0O0~

"It's okay to look, you know, Sunshine? I admit it myself, I am rather spicy." He grinned at her broadly, pulling out a chair in front of her, and flopping down without an invitation.

"Sunshine?" her gritted response could have frozen over the Great Lake, but the boy only grinned wider, which unsettled her beyond belief.

"Yeah, 'cause I figured, since you seemed like such a happy and all around warm person-"

Calypso stared in shock at the boy in front of her, who now had his scruffy trainers upon the table as he rambled on about something positively ridiculous. The nerve of him! Calypso, in all her sheltered life, had only come across two types of boys in her life- the ones who would flirt with her and the others who'd cower for their lives at the receiving end of her icy glare. This boy though. Fucking ridiculous.

"You broke my pen." She whispered dangerously. It had been a really expensive one, though that wasn't exactly why she was so worked up about it. She's been stewing for about a month and just needed a release to her anger, and this dunderhead who'd stepped on her pen when it had rolled down the table seemed the perfect candidate.

"And a very good pen it was too." he agreed amiably as he bent down low to pick up the pieces. His eyes were warm and brown, like toffee. She immediately pushed that thought aside. "I'm really sorry about that by the way, I honestly had no idea it was the-"

"Fuck off." She snapped shortly, gathering her satchel and getting onto her feet.

"Hey, hey, hey! There's no need for that tone, lady." The boy got up too, coming over to her side with his hands up in surrender. His uniform was had a few oil stains and his left trouser was ripped at the end. "I said, I was sorry-"

"Say it to someone who cares. That pen costs more than your whole house put together, tinkering boy." Calypso spat, feeling the malice spreading through her body "And get your sorry, useless, good for nothing excuse of a person out of my way. I've got important places to be."

She, not having the faintest idea of who he was, had thrown out what she thought were general insults in his face. But one of them must have struck a chord because his eyes lost all the previous warmth and his lips thinned into a fine line. He was glaring at her now.

Never before. Such a boy.

"You know what, sunshine?" he mocked that word now as he stalked closer to her, effectively trapping her against the wall. She hadn't noticed that he was almost an inch taller than her until she felt his curly hair against the top of her head, as he pressed close enough so that only a foot of space remained between them.

His eyes were level with hers though, and she could very easily see the fury in them. She found it hard to breathe in the warmth his body radiated. "You're just a rich spoiled brat who thinks the whole world revolves around her. Better suck up that attitude, sunshine, cause it doesn't do you any favors."

And just as soon as he'd come, he was gone.

He paused a few feet from her, then turned back and shot a pointed looks at the broken pen lying on the table. His lips curled as he spat "Don't worry. I'll write a fucking cheque." And then he was gone.

Shame. She'd always liked toffee.

~0O0~

Ethan Nakamura tossed the football around his feet, warming up for the tryouts that would begin shortly. The sun was obscured by clouds but he could feel the faint warmth just the same.

"Jackson's in a right mood today." Spencer had wandered next to him.

"When is he isn't?" Ethan snorted, glancing back at the tall dark haired figure across the field, yelling at some players. He was a terrifying captain, but was a great player.

"It's ridiculous." his friend continued, watching Ethan play with the football "This stupid obsession with the West."

"Jackson hates Grace." Ethan shrugged, catching the football and tucking it under his arm. "That's no secret. They'd maim each other to death if they got a chance."

"Maybe they like each other." Spencer suggested "Maybe it's all just repressed sexual tension between those two."

Ethan rolled his eyes "Hate to break it to you, Spence, but I don't think he swings that way. He's had almost all the girls in the Academy."

Spencer pouted a bit, his blonde hair falling into his eyes "But he hasn't been seeing anyone recently, has he? Usually he has a different girl with him at lunch every day."

"He has a different girl every meal time, let alone lunch." Ethan grumbled, which was only a slight exaggeration then added venomously "Fucking prick."

"Whoa, whoa! What's got your knickers in a twist?" Spencer laughed and when the dark haired boy just continued to glare at the bleachers in front of him, he hazarded a guess. "How did asking out that girl go? What was her name again, the one from the West?"

"Chase." Ethan grumbled reluctantly "She turned me down, some stupid excuse of shopping with her friends."

Spencer grinned mischievously "So it's the hand in the shower again today, huh?"

"Piss off." Ethan seemed to consider for a moment before spilling the rest of his frustrations "She's fucking hot, you know? And such a prude. That's why I wanted her. It's always the silent ones that go crazy in the sheets. Fuck, I've always wondered what that mouth of her could do-"

"Nothing you'll ever find out." A cold voice spoke from behind them. The boys turned around in shock to find Jackson standing beside them, his green eyes icy.

"So sure of your skill that you think you can get in without practicing, Nakamura?" Jackson's voice was deceptively calm, a taunting smirk on his face. "We'll have to see about that."

There was a dark challenge in those words. Ethan felt his stomach drop to the ground and his skin crawl in the Captain's presence.

"That would be ten rounds around the ground for lacking off." Jackson drawled lazily, turning around and heading back to the center of the field. "Get fucking running."

When Ethan left the tryouts that day, he hadn't made it into the team. But he did have a broken nose from getting hit with a football during playtime. He wondered who had kicked it.

~0O0~

"When are you going to tell Castellan about us?"

Silena closed her eyes and took a deep breath, fighting off the headache that had slowly built up behind her eyes. They were in one of the many unused classrooms in the dungeon, both of them having a free period, lying half naked on a thin blanket on the ice cold floor.

"Soon" she turned and smiled at her lover, her heart twisting uneasily within her chest. Charles frowned, absently trailing a finger across her abdomen, lightly grazing the rough hair between her thighs, which caused her to suck in a breath.

"I don't know, Silena" he murmured softly "This has been going on for too long. I think it's high time we stopped keeping this a secret. I-I really like you a lot."

Silena gulped, staring up at the stone ceiling, her mind churning wildly. Luke and her had been very good friends since their first day at the Academy, two inseparable souls of the West Tower. Then, she wasn't quite sure when exactly it happened, whether it was her joining the cheerleading team or him being a prefect, but they grew apart and Luke…Luke changed. He was more closed off and quick to anger and barely shared anything with her anymore. She suspected he was troubled by something at home, his father Hermes and he always did share a rocky history and he was hardly friends with his step brothers, the Stolls.

He never did tell her though. And when he asked her out this year, she jumped at the chance, not because she loved him that way, but because she thought she could get her best friend back again. It had been a futile hope though, as Luke was even more closed off this year, hardly ever around and had to make frequent visits home.

Then Charlie arrived and she felt like the old Silena once again, the childish girl who liked fashion magazines and One direction songs. She'd never realized how much she had changed herself to become Luke's ideal girlfriend. Charlie bought out the little girl in her, made her snort with laughter and was always, always by her side.

"I like you a lot too. You wouldn't believe how much." She said honestly, stoking the slight stubble on his cheeks. "And I'll tell Luke it's over between us once he returns."

Charlie smiled at her and that small curve was enough to send her heart racing and put her mind at ease. Yes, she had fallen for him. Hard.

"Now that's cleared up, why don't we pick up from where we left?" he smirked at her before pulling down the cup of her bra and taking her hard nipple in his mouth. Silena moaned softly as he sucked hard, her breasts being fondled in his rough hands. A moment later, he slipped a finger down into her wet folds, moving it around gently, something she wasn't used to from Luke. There were a lot of things, she realized, that she wasn't used to from her best friend.

When he thrust himself into her in a fluid motion, her screams of pleasure filled the room and neither noticed the figure that had walked away from the slightly ajar door.

~0O0~

Happy advanced Eid everyone! Did anyone see Jordindian's 'Fasting and Furious'? Hilariously true ;)

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Edit: Can't believe I screwed up there. That's just dumb...(Mexican-Spanish)