Honestly, this has no plot. Zero. But I felt like I should introduce my OCs who go to Percy's school, so here you go. Please feel free to skip.
I didn't realize I was clinging to the bars on the headboard of my bed until I felt my mom yanking me by the feet to get-up-before-you're-late-to-school-and-Paul-is-going-to-give-you-a-ride-so-don't-make-him-late! I groaned and did the first sensible thing that came to mind; I chucked my pillow at her- in a friendly way, of course. Only later did I realize that now I had nothing to shove over my ears while she ranted on. My mom was usually pretty laid back- she barely even batted an eye when Nico had spontaneously shadow- traveled to our apartment last week- but school was her big exception.
"I'm up already!" She left me alone to get ready for school and I finally had a couple seconds to actually wake up. It was September in my junior year at Goode High School, where my stepdad Paul worked as an English teacher. I'd somehow managed to not get expelled for two years in a row, but I wasn't about to push my luck by being late. I got up and trudged over to the shower. Nothing like fresh, hot water to get you up- in my case especially. I walked out of the shower- already dry, of course- and rustled through my dresser for some acceptable/clean clothes. All I could find was a Camp Half-Blood shirt, but I'd already made that mistake freshman year. Those had been some weird looks I'd received. Anyway, I finally found a cleanish shirt and some jeans. A hand automatically went to my Camp Half-Blood necklace (in case it fell off while I was asleep despite it being tied in a tight knot- it could happen!); I felt practically naked without it. Shoving my feet into my battered sneakers, I walked into our kitchen filled with the smell of my mom's cooking. Blue waffles- my favorite. Paul was sitting at the table with his coffee, talking to Mom about the year ahead.
"So I have a big lesson on Greek 'myths' planned for your class in a week or so, Percy," he smiled at me, putting air-quotes around 'myth'. I smiled back. Maybe I could actually pass the course this year.
"Look at the time! You both need to hurry, or else you'll be late!" my mom warned, bringing over a plate of waffles for me and a piece of toast for Paul, who had never really learned about the blue food but was experienced enough in this sort of thing to know not to ask. I shoveled the food, grabbed my backpack, and gave my mom a hug as Paul and I walked out the door. "Remember your swim practice today! I'll pick you up at four!" My mom called out as we were leaving. Like I could possibly forget the only reason I came to school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. I know it might have been cheating, but it was still nice to be good at something. I was even the varsity team co-captain this year. Anyway, we hopped into Paul's dented Prius, deemed the Pega-Prius by the campers (it was actually really funny to hear all the gossip from the mortals at my school about how he'd received four identical, circular marks on his hood over the summer), and pulled into the parking lot around seven. I had a good half an hour before classes started, but I had to be in homeroom for morning attendance and announcements. Still, I had some time. I walked over to my locker, threw open the door, and shoved my backpack inside, slamming it before my accumulating mountain of junk came spilling down on me. A guy behind me stifled a laugh.
"Is there a monster in your locker or something, Percy?" He didn't understand how real his statement could actually be. I turned to face one of my best mortal friends, a guy named Rory. He had longish brown hair, dark brown eyes, and a never-fading grin on his face. Had I not known him to be totally, 100% mortal, I would have suspected he was a son of Hermes: he was always laughing and goofing around, but was more hyper than chihuahuas on caffeine. He wore a shirt with some kind of graphic on it, jeans, and bright Nikes.
"Ha ha. Why are you out of bed before 7:40? New alarm clock? Morning detention?" His guilty but mischievous grin told me the latter option was correct. Like me, Rory had a knack for getting into trouble. "What'd you do this time?" Before he could answer, another guy shouted our names from down the hallway. I knew without even looking that Cooper was making
his way towards us. He had tan skin, freckles, and coppery hair, and it made his blue eyes stand out. Cooper was my co-captain on the swim team; he joked that we both "practically breathed water". If only he knew... Anyway, Cooper walked up beside us. He was wearing a navy "Goode is Good" shirt with gray sweats.
"Hey, Perce. You coming to swim practice today?"
"Or do you have to stay home with Mr. Blofis grading tests, Mr. 'the only reason I pass English is because my stepdad is my teacher'?" Rory joked.
"Yeah, I'll be there. Because Rory's option sounds so much better..." I replied. We chatted idly for a bit before two girls joined our group. Named Darby and Lainey, you'll never find two girls who are so different. Darby had brown hair with various colored streaks (she dyes them a different color every other week or so) and a long white feather clip-on, usually held in a messy bun. Her ears were triple-pierced and she had a small silver stud at the base of her nose. Her clothes (when they weren't covered in paint or other art supplies) were very hipster-esque; she reminded me a little of Rachel Dare, only even more artsy.
Lainey, on the other hand, was an all-around athlete. Her dirty blonde hair seemed like it was perpetually in a tall ponytail, and her wardrobe never strayed from T-shirts, running shorts, and what seemed like hundreds of different pairs of sneakers. How they were best friends, I'll never know.
"So what's up, boys? Anything interesting happen over the weekend?" Darby asked. Everyone shook their heads. "Well that sucks. So much for polite conversation; what're we going to talk about now?"
"Rory got another detention," I announced, grinning at Rory's instantly red face. Payback for commenting about Paul... erm, Mr. Blofis. Lainey groaned.
"'Cuz that totally kills your spotless record," she laughed. "What did you do, anyway?" We waited for Rory to begin his story, knowing ahead of time that it would probably be wildly exaggerated and extremely one-sided. He cleared his throat.
"I was peacefully eating lunch on Friday- by myself, mind you. Thanks a lot for randomly disappearing again, Percy." I shrugged 'sorry', but my friends were used to me disappearing in the middle of school, only to return about a half an hour or so later. What they didn't know was that I had to excuse myself to fight monsters, but they just complained about how lucky I was that the (Mist-tricked) school staff never noticed my "excursions". Anyway, Rory and I always ate lunch together on Tuesdays and Fridays because everyone else had a different lunch period those days, but I decided he'd rather enjoy his lunch than have to fight a bunch of dracaena that attacked. At least they waited until lunch period this time.
"So my mom had packed me a bag of cookies to split with you guys and since none of you were there... well, I couldn't just throw them away, could I? I was eating a few when that jerk Collin and his posse and the head of the Percy Jackson/Cooper Thomas Fan Club, Ms. Hanna Darren in the flesh" at this point Rory used his Announcer voice, then pretended to gasp, and finally begged an invisible Hanna for her autograph.
Hanna was the most popular girl in school, but the only guys 'good enough' for her were the two guys she couldn't get. Cooper and Lainey were together, and I would never dump Annabeth for such a shallow idiot. "-show up asking for Percy. I dunno why. So I said I had no idea where you went and they stole my lunch and I got kinda angry and I punched Collin in the gut, and Mrs. Warner was watching..." he sighed.
"Was the detention worth punching him?" Cooper asked. Rory's face lit back up.
"Every second!" he said. The bell rang for homeroom to start, and we all made our separate ways, making plans to meet up for lunch.