Chapter two! Enjoy!

One of my best friends didn't recognize me. Well, isn't that just perfect. Although, he doesn't have a photographic memory like I do... nope, I'm deluding myself here, he didn't remember me.

But to be fair, we met six years ago, when he was twelve and I nine at Yancy Academy. Since we were both outcasts—him because he wasn't a prick and me because I was considerably younger than everyone else there—I sat at his table with his friend Grover. But we really only started talking when Mrs. Dodds vanished. Well, Percy said that he hallucinated killing her when she turned into a monster with Mr. Brunner's bronze sword, and I believe him, because I've seen monsters before, too. It started on my first day of first grade, when I was six, and I saw a huge snake. And sometimes, it stops for a little, and I'm left alone. But sometimes I see things. Like that one time I saw the snake woman in fifth grade, and the demonic cheerleader in my freshman year. And many more things, too, but I don't really feel like naming them. I thought I was crazy, but then I saw Percy and another guy on TV in that "gun" fight that was really a sword fight.

What a perfect way to see your best friend again.

Anyway, Percy frowned down at me. "Um... you seem familiar... I've seen your eyes before..."

He looked kind of guilty, so I added, "We met years ago. I'm Nix."

Percy flinched at my name, but after that, his eyes widened in recognition. "Phoenix Ember Johnson?" I gave him a small smile, and he wrapped me in a bone-crushing hug. I hugged my oldest friend back.

When we let go of each other, he began to ramble. "Nix, remember Mrs. Dodds? She was real! And she was a monster—a fury, to be exact. From the Greek "myths". The Greek gods are real, and they have children with humans—or mortals. And I'm a son of Poseidon, so I can control water and speak to horses and things like that. There's a camp for people like us here in New York, and I was asked to take you there-"

"Percy," I interrupted. "You're rambling."

Percy gave me a sheepish grin. "Right, sorry. But, yeah, the Greek myths are real, and you're a demigod. So, are you ready to come to camp?"

I blinked. "Camp? You never said anything about a camp." I said, feeling confused. But what the hell was this "camp"? A concentration camp?

Okay, that was a completely depressing joke, and I'm sorry. Well, not really.

"Oh. Right." Percy interrupted my thoughts. He seemed slightly uncomfortable. "Um, yeah; Camp Half-Blood, for demigods like us. So, are you coming?"

I sighed. "Fine. But only if you explain more on the way." I frowned as a question struck me. "Actually, how are we going to get there? Apparition?" I said the last part quite dryly, making Percy chuckle.

"You'll see," he said, smirking mysteriously.

I crossed my arms. "Gee, Percy, aren't you great at getting people to trust you?"

"You don't trust me?

"Never."

"I'm wounded."

"Sure," I said, giving him a look. "Now how're we going to get there? The sooner I can leave here, the better."

"Awww, is little Nixy trying to escape from school?"

I playfully shoved him. "Not everyone who skips grades is a nerd," I said. "Now get your demigod version of the Hogwarts Express here."

I didn't bother letting my father know about me leaving. Corpses—or ashes, in my father's case—don't care about their children. Especially not their problematic children. And Percy didn't bother asking about my father. Out of all the things he remembered about, he remembered about what happened to my father.

Okay, now you're probably wondering what happened. Well, he was stuck in a burning building eight years ago, which is ironic, considering... well, never mind. Either way, I didn't give his ghost the time of my day to haunt me. Heartless? Yeah, especially because my father was amazing.

Okay, if I'm being entirely honest, it was because I was scared of having to face my thoughts...

Because I killed him.

And that concludes this chapter! Please review!

~Sarcasticsnark13