I was sitting in my desk during homeroom, tapping my pencil on my desk and my foot against the floor. Gotta love ADHD. Everyone was talking and goofing off, and I was in the middle of a discussion with Cooper (he was insisting that Lainey was more athletic than Annabeth; I was trying not to laugh) when I heard it.

"Percy Jackson, please report to the school office." I recognized the voice of Mrs. Hickerson, the school secretary, over the intercom.

"We'll finish this later," I joked to Cooper as I jogged down the hall. Unfortunately, I'd been to the principal's office for... not-so-good reasons, and I was hoping that they hadn't caught me doing something 'bad' again this time. I walked into the office and did a double-take. There, standing next to my principal, was a grumpy-looking Nico diAngelo. His long, shaggy black hair was almost down to his shoulders, and his deep brown eyes looked almost as scary as his father's. Mr. Millar, the school principal, cleared his throat.

"Ah, Mr. Jackson. I believe that this is your..." he looked a little uncomfortable about standing next to Nico, and rightly so.

"My cousin, sir," I supplied. He nodded, and I turned to look at Nico. "Nico, why the Ha-heck are you at my school?"

"Mr., uh, Brunner made me come. He said that I should technically be starting high school next year and that my methods of... homeschooling weren't appropriate for a boy my age." Nico was normally a good liar, but for some reason he seemed a little shaky. "He said that- that Bianca would want me to go. That she would want me to have... a normal life..." He looked closer to crying than I'd seen him in a long time, but the principal was as oblivious as ever. Gods, Chiron needs to take a lesson in being subtle.

"Mr..." the principal glanced down at the paper in his hand. "DiAngleo is just touring for the day. I would normally set him with a freshman, or a more... impeccable student, but because you're the only one he knows here, I figured he would have a better experience with you. Please make him feel welcome." He handed me a note excusing me for being late to my first class and set the two of us on our way. Nico was sniffling nervously, and I did my best to console him. But do you hug the King of Ghosts? I honestly didn't know. Anyway, we walked down the empty hall and I told Nico about Goode to take his mind off things. By the time we made it to my math class Nico was back to his normal, sulky self, his mental barriers reinforced. Anyway, we walked in right as Mrs. Raleigh was explaining the Pythagorean Theorem. Naturally, all attention was lost as Nico and I walked in the door.

"There you are, Percy!" Rory shouted from the back of the class. "Who's the creepy goth kid?" Oh, so discreet. Nico glared at him, and for once Rory's mouth closed. Mrs. Raleigh looked at me, demanding an explanation. I handed her the note from the office.

"This is my cousin, Nico. He's gonna be a freshman next year, and is touring at Goode today." The teacher nodded.

"You can take your seat now, Mr. Jackson. Just pull up that desk from the corner next to you." With that, she resumed her lesson. Rory and I passed notes and Lainey actually tried to pay attention while Nico doodled (is it considered doodling if all he drew was skeletons and skulls, weapons, blood, and shadows?).

So is this kid actually your cousin? I thought you said you didn't have any other family in New York.

Yeah, he's my cousin on my dad's side...

Oh. Rory knew I didn't talk about my dad much, and decided to switch topics. Kinda creepy, isn't he? How old is the kid anyway?

He's around thirteen. I decided not to tell him that Nico was turning seventy-eight in October. And if you think he's scary, you should meet his dad.

Yeah, not exactly on my to-do list. Oh well, Cooper and Darby are gonna flip when they find out they missed this!

"Mr. Jackson? Mr. McKearen? Do you think that's a very good way to impress our guest?" The entire class, including my teacher, was now staring at me. Nico was snickering under his breath while he watched our faces turn Ares-style red with embarrassment. "I expect you'll pay attention the rest of the class. Am I understood?"

"Yes, M'am." She turned back to the board, drawing triangles and writing letters and numbers that were as good as hieroglyphics to me. I tried to pay attention; honestly, I did try. But Nico passed me another piece of paper. I could barely read his scrawling cursive (when he'd first learned to write back in the 1940s, schools didn't teach print handwriting).

Are you usually this well-behaved in class? No wonder you've gotten expelled from everywhere else. I glared at him and he looked innocently back at me. How can you read what she's writing, anyway?

I can't. Why else do you think Annabeth has to tutor me at Camp?

Dude, she actually tutors you? I thought it was just an excuse for you guys to make out. I blushed again. Rory, who had been not-so-secretly looking over my shoulder the entire time, joined in the conversation.

Oh, so your cousin is another member of this alleged "Camp"? By the way, how many times have you really gotten expelled? Nico gave me a sideways glance when Rory mentioned Camp, but I just shrugged. I'd told all my friends that I spent the summer at a Camp for ADHD/Dyslexic kids. But we didn't talk it much because my answers were always somewhat evasive.

You mean you haven't told him? wrote Nico. Before Goode, he's been kicked out of every school he's been to. There was that one time with his old math teacher, Mrs. Dodds- I elbowed Nico before he could elaborate.

Wow. Even more impressive record than mine. Rory penned. I guess I didn't realize how much time had passed, because the bell rang and everyone filed out of the classroom for free period. Rory, Lainey, and I went straight to our usual hangout on the front steps of the school, Nico in tow. There, we met up with Cooper and Darby, who did a double take when they saw Nico.

"Perce, who's your shadow?" Darby asked.

"Nico DiAngelo, my cousin. He'll be a freshman next year so he's looking at the school." I said simply.

"'Sup?" Nico shrugged.

"Nico, you already know Rory and Lainey. This is Darby and Cooper." I gestured to each of them.

"Cool."

"So what school do you go to now?" Cooper asked. Nico shrugged again.

"I'm normally... home schooled, but Mr. Brunner, my, uh, tutor talked to my dad and said I should go to a normal school. Goode's pretty nice, but I like my space."

"No kidding," I heard Darby mutter, but I decided to ignore her.

"What did your dad think of that? He's normally not the most agreeable guy," I noted. Thunder rumbled in the clear sky, but most of the Goode students were used to the 'strange' weather around here. It never really stormed anyway.

"He didn't really care. I guess the guy's got bigger problems than his only kid," Nico grumbled. The rest of my friends looked shocked at Nico's bitterness towards his father, but I had nothing but compassion for the poor kid.

"So where are you staying while you're here?" I asked, hoping to switch topics.

"Do your parents not live in New York?" Lainey asked.

"If his parents lived somewhere else, wouldn't he be going to school somewhere else?" Rory asked.

"Actually, my mom's dead, and my dad lives in L.A. He's kind of important, so I don't stay with him much. Besides, his new wife hates me." Nico shot me a knowing glance, smirking.

"Oh. Sorry, Dude," Rory found a sudden interest in his tattered Converse.

"It's fine. But Mr. Brunner was kinda hoping I could stay with you and your mom and Paul? Pleeeaasssee?" Nico batted his eyes like an Aphrodite girl.

"I guess my parents are pretty used to you popping in. If they're OK with it, mi casa es su casa." I replied.

"Oh, so you know Spanish now?" Nico asked. "Always the show-off. Percy can't just be bilingual-" he was cut short when I stamped on his foot.

"It's nothing," I said to my friends, who were obviously baffled that I could speak another language and still fail every English test I take.

"They only offer French and Spanish here, so..." I said pointedly to Nico, who nodded. Thank gods he took the hint and changed the subject.

"So do you guys play any sports or something?"

"Lainey plays every sport known to man: basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, track, soccer, you name it. And Cooper and Percy are swim team co-captains. I swear they're part fish..." Rory supplied. Nico gave me a customary glare.

"Part fish? Oh, haha. Good one Rory," I tried to evade what I knew was coming.

"Considering your... genetics, isn't it wrong for you to be on the swim team?" Nico asked, his voice full of scorn.

"No way. Percy's so good, I dunno what I'd do if he wasn't on the team with me," Cooper added, oblivious to my cousin's true words.

"Whatever. Mr. Brunner isn't going to be pleased though." Nico ignored Cooper's protests. We chatted idly until the bell rang once again, and Nico and I set off so we wouldn't be late to science. My teacher is Ms. Kellerman, and she has zero tolerance for tardiness. But as we walked in, I knew something was off. Instead of my normal science teacher stood a stick-like man with pale skin, greasy, stringy black hair, and unnatural-looking green eyes. He looked like he hadn't eaten in years, and moved like every step pained him, but still motioned impatiently for us to sit down and strode to the front of the room.

"Your regular science teacher was sick today. Quite spur-of-the-moment, really. Terrible, terrible. But I will be your substitute teacher. My name is Mr. Sternitt." His voice was dry and raspy as he began to call roll.

"...Isaacs, Kirsten."

"Here."

"Jackson, Perseus?" He looked up suddenly and threw his glance around the room before he met my eyes. He smiled as if it hurt him to do so, noticing neither my red face at being called out by my real name nor the assorted snickers related to it.

"Here. But my name's Percy. Just Percy."

"Oh, excuse me. I guess I will just have to change that." He looked at me as if we were sharing some major secret, and finally laid eyes on Nico. I could've sworn he muttered under his breath, "Two of them? Here?" But he shook his glance and turned back to me.

"Who's your little friend there?" "Nico DiAngelo, who can speak for himself, you know." Nico interrupted.

"Ah. Well then... welcome, Mr. DiAngelo." The words seemed to stick in his mouth. "Today we will be discussing the human body when pushed to its limits. Does anyone know how long anything can go without food?" Somewhat appalled by the question, no one raised their hands. "No?" Well, there are a few who can go a long, long time without eating. And then when they do, they stuff themselves, but the food they eat is never enough to satisfy..." At this point, I was getting seriously freaked out. The guy was practically hissing right in my ear. "But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you, Percy and friend?" He circled around our desks. Nico's eyes were wild, and he nudged my foot.

Do you think he's...? Nico mouthed, not wanting to finish his sentence. I took one last glance at the "substitute", his hungry eyes, swollen joints, and hunched gait. I nodded discreetly. This guy was one for sure. Nico dug around in his pockets and pulled out a small black lighter.

"Bingo," I heard him say as he sparked a flame and caught a piece of paper on fire. Smoke started curling off of the charred parchment, and naturally, the fire alarms started to go off. People shrieked, their disbelief at Nico's actions temporarily forgotten as they sprinted towards the nearest exit. The ceiling sprinklers turned on, and I had to force myself to get wet- not that I necessarily minded, but walking around inset clothes the rest of the day was not going to be fun. The substitute made no attempt to escape, however. That was the final clue: this guy was a monster. He laughed at us.

"Bonus points for getting the mortals out- and a nice distraction, I do admit. But rescuing their lives seals the fate of yours. Just think how nice it'll be to die in the concrete walls of Goode High School." I pulled out Riptide and Nico concentrated until I felt as if a heavy veil was lifted out of the room. Where our lightly creepy-looking teacher once was now stood an extremely creepy-looking monster. Nico grabbed his sword from who-knows-where (probably Mist-concealed until he needed it) and I turned to my cousin with a question on my face.

"Temporarily removing all Mist from a place," he smiled devilishly. "Been working on that one for a while." Am I the only demigod alive who can't do crazy stuff with the Mist? I put the thought aside for later. We attacked simultaneously, but even that was not enough. The monster just laughed.

"You don't know what you're getting yourselves into, little demigods. I can make you so miserable you'll beg for death!"

"Who are you, anyway?" I hoped to distract him, but he had no problem avoiding Nico as he answered me.

"I am Limos, god of hunger and famine! Always consuming, but never sustained. But demigods are more filling than the rest. And I rarely find a meal so fine!" Limos lifted his hand, and both Nico and I were hit with a grueling wave of pain. I clutched my stomach, and Nico doubled over.

"What did you do to us?" Nico managed to get out. Limos laughed again.

"You are experiencing hunger, true hunger. And while you are weak, I strike!" He launched himself at us, clawing with his sharp fingernails. I was heaving. Even the water still raining down on us couldn't numb the sheer, gripping pain. I mustered all the energy i could, and with a final stand, I stabbed Limos in the chest with Riptide. He screamed, a dry, terrifying sound, as he crumbled into sand. The pain subsided as quickly as it had come. I put up my sword and Nico brought the Mist back into the room, and after half an ambrosia square each, we ran out of the school looking like anyone else who'd been trying to escape. Just a lot more wet. I came face to face with a damp Mr. Millar, who did not look happy. I sighed. I knew what was coming.

"...Completely irresponsible! Putting the lives of student and faculty alike in danger! You will never be allowed in Goode Academy!" The principal's face was red with anger. He'd been yelling at us (namely Nico) for the past hour, and I could tell he was finally running out of steam. Nico nodded solemnly, knowing how much trouble he'd be in if he didn't take full responsibility. Mr. Millar finally sent us out of his office, and Nico followed me to my locker to pack up for the day- there was an early dismissal after today's 'incident'. At least I didn't really get in trouble.

"Guess I won't be joining you next year after all."

"You sound so disappointed," I noticed. Nico started to fake sob, but stopped when I punched him (lightly...ish) on the shoulder.

"Anyway, I'm not leaving until tomorrow afternoon. Can I still crash at your place?"

"You know my mom would kill me if I said no. C'mon, Dead Boy, I'm sure she's making blue cookies right now." And we started towards my apartment. Just another normal day at school