-Percy Centric-
Admittedly, Percy didn't think much about Carina at first. He was busy dozing when she first entered the classroom, admittedly, only for Paul to rouse him from his tired state with a halfhearted scolding. With a tone much more understanding and patience than any other teacher would give him. Then again, not many can say they have the privilege of having a step-father for a teacher, let alone one with a pretty good understanding of all that he goes through.
Anyway, when he had looked at her, he quickly took in her appearance. More out of habit now, since he has encountered too many monsters at multiple schools for him to take anymore chances of someone new coming to bite his head off. Literally.
Admittedly, she was very pretty. Average height with her form being a bit indiscernible under her sweater that looked like cashmere. She had clear Latin features that included dark eyes and thick dark hair that fell loosely about mid back, along with a decent amount of natural looking makeup that mostly highlighted her natural looks rather than obscure it. Something about her eyes were dark and harsh, yet nervous and suspicious. Like a wild wolf after being tossed in a new animal sanctuary with other 'tamer' wolves. And she was assigned to sit next to him. However, she seemed nice enough and likely nervous about everything, so he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and invite her to eat lunch with him and his friends. Besides, if she was secretly a monster, he could trust that Annabeth and the others would be able to tell, since he still struggled seeing through the Mist sometimes.
Throughout the day, up until lunch, it seemed like the mysterious Carina was the main topic anyone would talk about. Even though he didn't know about her, it seemed like almost everyone with social media knew about her. She was associated with the famous superheroes, the Avengers. They never impressed him much, especially considering what he has been through and seen, but he has seen them on the news every now and then, saving a city or destroying one, mostly at the same time. Plus, merchandise for them can be found in any store he walks in. He did get a mini Hulk plushie from a claw machine once, admittedly.
Lunch had rolled around and he warned his friends that he invited her to join them and she actually made it. He, personally, thought it went over rather well. She was quiet, sure, but as far as he saw, everyone was okay with her there. Granted, he forgot she was next to him until the bell rang for the end of the lunch period and was gonna turn to ask her about her next class, but he only saw the back of her flowing hair as she joined the crowd of leaving students.
She didn't even say anything as she was leaving. Why didn't she say anything?
At the end of the day, he was surprised to see her with Rachel, along with a guy Carina seemed to be familiar with, 'another' Jackson. Maybe her boyfriend? He seemed protective enough to be that close to her, but she only referred to him as one of her best friends during their brief introduction before they drove off on a motorcycle. He was pretty sure he caught a brief glare towards himself from that Jackson guy, but he wasn't 100% sure.
"That was a little weird." Percy said before turning towards Rachel, her red curls looking as untamed as always. "When did you meet her? You weren't at lunch with us or anything." As far as he knew, she preferred to eat in the art room. He swore that he once walked past the room while he was late for lunch and saw her eating a club sandwich while painting with a brush between her toes. It was a rather odd sight yet fitting for the artistic Oracle.
Rachel only looked back at him after watching the crowd of photo hungry people disperse after their target escaped them. "We're locker neighbors. She's nice." She replied. "Also, what happened? She said she sat with you guys at lunch but felt like you guys ignored her."
"Hey, we didn't ignore her. We definitely talked to her." Leo defended the group. "She just didn't look too interested. Went to use her phone after a little while. Figured she got bored of us."
"Yeah, she can't really blame us for that." Annabeth pointed out to Rachel.
Rachel sighed and rolled her eyes. "She's new. Obviously she's gonna be awkward around a group of people she doesn't know yet. And you guys can get intimidating and into your own world sometimes. Are you guys absolutely sure you made her feel included and not just there?"
The group exchanged kind of tense glances between each other, like a silent conversation. "I did sort of forget she was there for a little while." Percy admitted guiltily, especially because she was technically his guest, so to speak. He got caught up with talking to Annabeth, he didn't pay her much attention until the last minute when the bell rang and he saw her following the crowd out. If she really felt as out of place as Rachel was implying, no wonder she didn't say anything when she left the table.
"Yeah, I guess we stopped talking to her first." Jason relented. Even though he didn't say much, either, he knew that he definitely could have said something or done more to make her feel welcomed instead of just sitting back and talking to Piper and Leo the whole time. It seemed like everyone was starting to feel some of the shared blame in ostracizing the new girl, even though it was completely accidental. He knew they tried a bit at the beginning, if he could even call it trying.
Percy had already decided that he was gonna make it right by Carina and apologize next time he saw her. He just hoped she would be okay with the new effort they'll put in.
The Next Day
They didn't have time to talk much during English, not that she really spared him much more than a glance, but Percy was glad that they had the same scheduled Free Period. And, ironically, they both ended up spending it in the gym, along with Annabeth and Rachel.
He was oddly nervous to try and talk to her, as he watched her shoot hoops by herself. She could easily reject his apology and he couldn't help but to still feel guilty over their failed starts at friendship. He wouldn't blame her for saying 'no', but still. He's pretty sure his stupid fatal flaw of loyalty is why he's over thinking this so much.
"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you? Or do it myself?" Annabeth asked from her spot beside him on the bottom seats of the bleachers. Rachel was there, too, but doodling in her sketchpad a few feet down. "She may appreciate an apology from us both."
Percy shook his head at her offer. "I kind of started this, so I should be the one to apologize, first. If she's mad, then she can be mad at me."
"She's not mad, just slightly disappointed and sad." Rachel chimed in and Percy winced at her words.
"That doesn't make me feel much better."
Annabeth looked ready to say something else when they started to hear some gossiping mockery from some girls higher on the bleachers.
"Look at her! That's Lady Liberty? I bet she can't even do much of anything."
"I know right? Like, I bet she was just some orphan they felt bad for. Like a pity case or Little Orphan Annie."
"How is she even famous? Probably called all that paparazzi on herself yesterday. So trashy."
"For sure! She's not even that pretty! I can't believe Brad Dyson actually dumped me because he planned to ask her out!"
By then, Percy was ignoring them but his mood was soured quite a bit, his fist involuntarily clenched on his lap. He may not know Carina all that well, and maybe she doesn't have any Avengers like powers, but he knew she was a pretty good person and deserved more than being trash talked behind her back from snotty girls he has seen only walk the mile during P.E.
With the new resolve, and a bit of spite, he finally got off the bench and walked up to the oblivious girl, still shooting hoops by herself. He got a few feet behind her and since her thick hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, he noticed a pair of bluetooth earbuds in her ears, the volume loud enough for him to hear the semi muffled chorus of 'Girlfriend' by Avril Lavigne. Also, upon closer inspection from seeing her in a tank top, her bare arms were rather toned like an athlete's. It would make sense that this girl atleast worked out.
"Hey, Carina? Got a minute?" He asked, only to get no response as she shot another basket that went into the hoop, then caught it when it bounced back to her. "Carina?" He asked a bit louder, only to get no response again. Either she was ignoring him, or she couldn't hear him over her blasting music. Reaching out, he was about to touch her shoulder when he felt her vice like grip on his wrist before the room spun. Next thing he knew, he was on his back, seemingly flipped over her shoulder. He managed to see her eye transition from dangerous coldness to surprise as soon as she realized who he was.
"Percy?!"
His reply came out as a wheeze and some coughs as he realized that he couldn't really breathe, the air knocked out of him from the force of that flip. If he was mortal, he was sure he would have probably cracked some ribs. Or worse. "Ow.." He wheezed out painfully. Being flipped that hard down on the hard basketball court floor? He's definitely gonna be sore for a while.
"I am SO sorry!" She apologized and released his wrist, only to be immediately pushed out of the way by Annabeth.
"What's wrong with you?! Why would you flip him like that?!" She snapped at Carina, moving to check on Percy and help him up.
"It was an accident! He shouldn't have snuck up on me!" She defended herself, trying to step forward as well, only for Annabeth to snap at her once again.
"Don't touch him again! You already hurt him once!" The blonde glared, starting to help Percy back to his feet.
"I'm… okay…" He managed to shakily stand up, leaning against Annabeth while catching his breath but still wincing at the already settling soreness in his back and arm. He was not looking forward to how that's gonna feel later.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Carina approached, letting Annabeth's protective hostility remain ignored. "I'm really sorry. I didn't realize you were behind me."
"Yeah, my bad." He quickly realized that he shouldn't underestimate her capability as a semi famous 'superhero'. And judging from the shocked silence of everyone else when he glanced around in the gym, they probably came to the same conclusion. After catching his breath again, he gave her a reassuring grin. "Sorry for surprising you, but I'm really okay."
"You should probably go to the infirmary, anyway. Does this school have an infirmary? Or a nurse?"
"I really don't need that. I've had worse." Which he considered true. He has been thrown around by Annabeth during sparring plenty of times, not to mention all the injuries and scars he has gained over the years as a hero. He just wasn't expecting to be slammed on the ground by a girl nearly a foot shorter than himself. At least, not today.
However, with her guilty expression and frowned pout on her face, she clearly wasn't convinced, but the bell rang through the near quiet gym, sounding louder through the echoes off the wall. "I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you after school." She said and jogged off to the back changing room, passing all the either stunned or whispering students.
He only watched for a moment before he heard Annabeth speak up again. "Well, so much for apologizing to her."
And there it was. In that moment, Percy actually forgot his original intent for approaching her in the first place. Maybe he should do so when he sees her after school, since she did sort of promise to make it up to him later. Whatever that meant.
With that excitement over, students began to leave the gymnasium as well to get to their next class.
Hello! I'm sorry for the delay but I kind of suck at writing conclusions for chapters so I hope this chapter came out okay. I appreciate all of your patience.
