Hi guys!

Thank you so so much for all the reviews, keep them coming.

I don't have much to say today so enjoy the chapter.

The Start of School

Percy POV

"Percy! Get the Hades out of bed! NOW!!!" the voice of my talking alarm clock screamed at me, a charming birthday present from Grover. Rather than letting me record my wakeup call, or record it himself he let Thalia do it. So I awoke to her aggressive bellowing. "It's 6:45am! Get your Seaweed Brain out of bed!!!!"

"G'waythal," I mumble sleepily as I pushed the alarm off the table by my bed, "'msleepin'"

I rolled over to go back to sleep. I got a few minutes before there was a knock on the door.

"Percy, it's the first day of school, you don't want to be late. If you don't get up now you won't have time for a swim," Dad said from the hall outside. I always have a swim before school, if I'm staying at Mom's I get to school early and use the pool there. If I don't swim I'm half asleep and grumpy all day. So I sat up and rubbed my eyes.

"Okay, I'm awake," I called with a yawn. I got out of bed and walked over to my wardrobe. I picked up the first pair of swimming shorts I could find and put them on. I grabbed a towel and headed for the pool.

When I got there I stood under the pool shower for a few minutes and then climbed the ladder to the diving bored. I dived in and started swimming laps. Swimming is just so relaxing, I always lose track of time. I swam a couple of laps in each stroke and then settled into a calm breast stroke.

"Percy!" Dad warned from the door.

I turned to him, "Yeah?"

"It's 7:30, you're not going to school stinking of chlorine so get out and go shower," he ordered.

"Yeah, 'kay."

I climbed out the pool and rubbed of so I wasn't dripping. I screwed my towel up, chucked it in the laundry basket in the corner and headed up stairs, grabbing a bowl of cereal on the way.

By the time I had eaten, showered, dressed and brushed my teeth it was 8:30. Iran downstairs and turned the TV on in the den and watched some show about teenage spies until I heard the honk of a car horn. I turned the telly off and headed for the front door.

"Later Dad," I called and ran out to see Apollo and Thalia in his red Maserati Granturismo convertible. I walked up to them, "Hey cuz, and cuz."

"Hey baby cuz," the driver greeted with a smile.

"Hey Percy, how'd you like your wakeup call?" Thalia asked with a smug grin.

"Very charming Thalia. Remind me to thank Grover for being intimidated enough to let you record the alarm," I told her sarcastically.

I reached for the door handle but was stopped, by Thall saying, "My brother's car I get shot gun."

I rolled my eyes, "Whatever," and jumped over the car door into the backseat. "Let's go."

"If there's a mark on that leather you are paying for this to be reupholstered kid," Apollo warned as her turned out of the drive at a speed which clearly meant that he was showing of his birthday present.

We got to school in just over five minutes. Twenty minutes to kill before homeroom.

"You two need picking up later?" he asked.

"I got to get Bianca and Nico so I'm good," I told him.

"No thanks bro, I'll hang with them," Thalia said.

"'Kay. See you later," he said as we climbed out (I use the door this time) and watched him drive off.

"Let's go meet Grover," Thalia suggested and we headed inside.

We found Grover by our lockers crunching on an apple.

"Hey Grover," we both said when we saw him.

"Hi guys, ready for the first day?" he asked.

"Yeah I guess," I replied with a shrug as I opened my locker.

"Would it matter if we weren't? It's five to, we have fifteen minutes till homeroom whether we're ready or not." Thalia told him.

"I guess," He shrugged as Thalia opened her locker. The two of us put our books away and took out only a notebook and a pen. "So how was the weekend?" Grover asked and the two of us listened while she told us about her arguments with her siblings.

After thirteen minutes of that I cut her off, "I hate to interrupt this lovely account of arguing, but we're gonna be late," the two of them glance at the clock across the corridor and said they would see me later before the three of us split up and headed to our classrooms.

I walked in and nodded at my step-dad, who also happened to be my teacher, and then headed for the seat in the back corner of the room, my usual spot.

Annabeth POV

I stood at the door of the headmaster's office and took a deep breath, 'You'll be fine,' my Dad had told me, 'I'm sure you'll make lots of friends.' He seemed to have forgotten that he was talking to me and not my little brothers. I let my breath out and gave to door two soft knocks.

"Come in," a voice called. I opened the door to see a middle aged man in a motorised wheelchair looking out of the window. He had thinning grey-brown hair and wore a frayed tweed jacket. The office held full bookcases along the walls and a mahogany desk which looked grand and tidy; it had a leather bound book on one side and a pile of CDs on the other. In the centre there were a few pieces of paper. As I took all this in the wheelchair turned around to face me.

"Ms Chase?" the man asked in a friendly voice.

"Yes sir," I answered politely.

"I am Mr Brunner. Welcome to Goode Junior High School," he gave the speech that I'm sure he used to welcome all new students.

"Thank you sir,"

"No need for the 'sir' my dear, just call me Mr Brunner, or Brunner, the rest of the students do," he smile a very friendly and welcoming smile which I returned. "Now I've finished with the scripted speach, I'd like to ask how your feeling about moving to a new school?"

"Okay I guess si- Mr Brunner," I told him. He nodded at me with a look in his eye that made me want to tell him how I really felt, so I did, "I'm nervous. I didn't want to move; I wanted to stay in San Francisco. You see Mr Brunner, I'm not like my little brothers, I don't make friends easily. So yeah, I'm a bit nervous about starting a new school."

"That's understandable Annabeth. I hope that you will make a lot of friends here and if you ever want to talk, my door is always open. Or you could go to your form tutor, or this year we are introducing form representatives, you could talk to them as well," he told me in an understanding tone. He sounded like he really meant it, unlike when teachers at my old schools had said similar things just to sound like a 'caring school'.

"Thank you," I smiled at him.

"And one more thing, before I take you to homeroom," I wondered what else he could want to talk about, "It says in your file that you have been bullied about your dyslexia in the past."

"Yes. Some kids think it is hilarious that a sixth grader can't spell," I told him with a slight bitterness in my tone.

"Well I want you to know that it won't happen here. None of Goode's students will make fun of a seventh grader who has spelling problems." yeah, I haven't heard that one before, I thought sarcastically, "I know you probably don't believe that and you have probably heard it before, but I am very confident in this. You see, as I'm sure you know, dyslexia can run in a family, and at this school and Goode High School, there is a family in which nearly every member suffers from the condition. The children of this family are among the very popular crowed and have never been picked on or ridiculed about being slower at reading and writing, than the other students," he assured me. If the popular crowd are dyslexic then I should survive the bullies.

"Thanks for telling me that. It's a weight of my mind."

"Well I'm glad. Shall I show you to your classroom?" I nodded and held the door for him as he went through. We travelled down a corridor and then he stopped and pointed to a classroom, "That is where you will have homeroom with your form, first thing every morning. Would you like to go in yourself? Or have me introduce you?"

I wasn't expecting to be given a choice, and I didn't want to stand at the front while he gives a speech about everyone making me feel welcome.

"Um, I'd like to go myself, if that's okay."

He seemed to have expected this, "Of course. You will get your schedule with the rest of the class when you are inside," he told me and I nodded. I started toward the door and heard him turn around and head back the way we had come.

I stepped into the classroom and looked at the teacher; he was in his thirties and had semi-long salt and pepper hair. He looked pretty laid back. I walked up to him.

"Um, excuse me?"

He looked up at me, "Annabeth? Welcome, I'm Mr Blofis. Take a seat and I see you're alright when we get started," he smiled.

"Thanks," I smiled and sat at a desk in the middle row.

The bell rang a minute later.

"All right people, settle down," Mr Blofis called and the class quieted a little. It silenced completely after he said, "You've had time this morning to catch up and if you co-operate now I'll give you some extra time to chat at the end."

Suddenly the whole class were in their seats and silent.

"Welcome back ladies and gentlemen. I hope you all had a good summer, but you can talk about that later. We have some admin to do first," he paused for a few seconds and let the groans come to an end. "First, there are two text books to hand out. So Mr Yew, Ms La Rue, would you hand them out please."

A big, mean looking girl stood up along with a short boy who looked pretty happy, they began handing the books out and Mr Blofis told everyone to look after them otherwise we'd be buying new ones. Then he talked about working hard this year, until everyone had their books.

"Right, next on the agenda is..." he looked at his paper, "Form representative, this year it is required that every form has one. So...? Any volunteers?" I looked around the room; no one put their hands up. "Nobody wants the job? It will look good on your school record," he coaxed but failed to gain a reaction. "If no one volunteers I will have to choose somebody," still no hands. Mr Blofis sighed and flipped a few pages in his note book, "Percy," he said, I looked round as I heard a voice reply from the back corner.

"Sir?" the boy, Percy, looked as if he was expecting his name to be called but disappointed that it was.

"You did a lot of jobs to help out in this class last year, didn't you?" It didn't sound like a question.

"I guess."

"And you have one of the highest GPAs in the class with a good record. You up to the job of class rep?" everyone in the class knew that he didn't really have a choice.

"I guess," he sighed.

"Excellent. In that case you can be excused from today's homeroom to show our new student Ms Chase around the school."

Percy POV

As soon as Paul said he was going to choose someone I knew the job was mine – whether I wanted it or not. He flicked through his note book, please pick someone else, please Paul, please choose someone else, I kept thinking.

"Percy," he called to me. I inwardly sighed, all hope was gone.

"Sir?" I asked still praying to the gods that, just maybe, he was calling my name because he had seen my headphone is earlier and was going to give me detention.

"You did a lot of jobs to help out in this class last year, didn't you?" It wasn't a question. Why did I even bother wishing? Nobody ever caught me with my headphones in and last year there were loads of times when Paul should have given me detention but I got off with a warning.

"I guess," I said making it obvious to the rest of the class that I didn't want the job. My step-dad didn't pick up on that though, or if he did he ignored it.

"And you have one of the highest GPAs in the class, and a good record," he was pointing out as if trying to convince me that I was perfect for the job. "You up to the job of class rep?" the whole class knew that there was only one answer I could get away with giving.

"I guess," I sighed, Paul still ignored my reluctance.

"Excellent. In that case you can be excused from today's homeroom to show our new student Ms Chase around the school."

New student? I looked around the room until my eyes met with those of a girl I didn't recognise. She had honey blond hair which came down to her shoulders in angel curls. Her eyes were a startling, stormy grey and they were looking at me with interest. My guess was she was trying to figure out why Paul quickly chose me to be the rep out of the whole class. She was kind of pretty I supposed, athletic looking.

"Um, okay," I told Paul and rose from my desk collecting my books. The girl rose as well and we headed for the door.

"Percy, Annabeth?" Paul called as I was reaching for the door handle. We both turned, "You'll need your schedules," he told us holding out two pieces of paper. We took them and walked out of the class in silence.

Outside the classroom I gave the girl, Annabeth, a small smile.

"Welcome to Goode," I figured that should be the first thing to say when giving a tour.

"Thanks," she said and returned the smile.

"So what's your next class? I could probably work it so that's the end of the tour," she shifted her books to one arm so she could get a better look at her timetable.

"Erm... Chemistry, Mr Whitehead. So what am I in for on my first lesson?" she asked trying to hide the dread in her voice.

"Well that depends, Annabeth," I told her as we started walking down the corridor, "Is that voice because you hate chemistry or because you're not very excited about your first day?"

"I quite like chemistry and it comes natural to me. Anyway, who is excited about the first day at a new school?" she answered.

"Fair point I guess," I shrugged, "If you like chemistry then you're in for a good first lesson. Whitehead is an alright teacher, I had him last year and we did experiments for the first week, my cousin says he always starts semesters like that. And if you're good at the subject then you won't get any trouble from him. Do you want to stop and put your stuff in your locker? You'll only need a notebook and pen for all today," I told her, she seemed nice enough.

"Yeah okay. It's number..." she glanced at the top of her paper, "3689."

"Well that's lucky, it's at the end of this corridor, the last one," I pointed to the corner and she started walking towards it, I followed and stopped seven lockers up from hers, I put in my combination and shoved my text books in. Then I walked down and leaned against the locker next to hers.

"So it looks like I'll be seeing you a lot if your lockers so close to mine," She told me as she shut the metal door.

"I guess so. I'll let you form your own opinion on that," I smiled at her, and she laughed a little. "Anyway, this is supposed to be a tour. The corridor we just walked down is the English corridor, all of the drama teachers teach English so that's where drama is held as well," she nodded and I continued, "this corridor is History, all of the classrooms have computers in for research," I told her, "that means that this is a very good school with very good resources to cater very well for our education!" I quoted the school brochure in a very animated voice and she laughed at me.

"Wow, when that's your attitude towards the school why were you picked above everyone else to be the form rep?" she asked.

"Oh, well as soon as Pau-Mr Blofis said that he would have to pick someone I knew it would be my job," I told her.

"I could tell, my question was: Why?"

"Well our form tutor, Mr Blofis, to me is Paul my step-dad. It's cool sometimes like when he doesn't ask me to read aloud to the class or lets me off with a warning and stuff but if there is a job to be done it's normally me," I explained.

"So kind of bitter sweet huh?"

"Yeah. So this is the concert hall any shows, concerts and competitions are mostly held in there, I'd take you in and show you but Brunner is holding the welcome assembly for the sixth graders..." I went on walking around the school and telling her what was what, she told me her teachers and I pointed out their rooms and gave my opinion on them. She seemed like an okay girl and she was easy to talk to.

"And these are the science labs Mr Whitehead's is the room in the corner. Who do you have for Biology and Physics?"

"Physics, Miss Burns and Biology, Mrs Greenway."

"Well you're okay in the sciences, neither of them are strict and they're both good teachers. Their rooms are upstairs. C'mon," I lead her up the stairs and pointed out the rooms. Then we went back down.

"So, Percy, what now?" she asked.

I glanced at my watch, "We have five minutes until second period, I'll introduce you to Mr W and then I'll see you around. What are your other lesson today?"

She looked at her sheet again, "After chemistry I have Spanish with Senor Russo, then lunch, math with Miss Dodds and English with Mr Blofis. Why?" I ignored the question for the moment.

"Can you remember your way round or do you want me to meet you after class and show you to your next class? I'm probably required to do so," I asked her.

"I remember, I've been known for my memory for years," she told me.

I smiled at her, "Well in that case, I'll see you after lunch and introduce you to our demon maths teacher." Just then the bell rang. She went to stand up but I put a hand on her shoulder, "It's best to wait a moment."

She looked at me quizzically. A second later the doors to every lab witch held a form opened and about a hundred kids ran for the door in front of us from all directions. After a minute the hall was empty again.

"Wow, is there always a stampede?" she asked shocked from the near death experience.

I laughed, "There is here, they all want to get to their lockers without being late for class. Do you want to go in now or wait till some others so up?" I asked referring to the lab she was supposed to be in.

Annabeth thought for a moment, "If I'm the first one in there, will it draw much attention to me?"

"Yeah, you're new so until there's about ten others in there anyone walking in will see you straight away," I answered

"Then let's wait for ten people to show up."

I smiled and said, "Well it's as good an excuse as any to be late," she chuckle a little. "So tell me Annabeth Chase," I started getting her attention, "Where do you come from and what brings you to the Big Apple?"

"Well I was actually born here, but my Dad got a job at a university when I was really little so I grew up in San Francisco. Then he was offered a job at a museum here, so we moved back this summer," she explained.

"I'm guessing from your expression that you didn't want to move."

She nodded with a sad smile.

"Cheer up. This place will grow on you." I was silent for a moment before asking, "So what did your Dad teach?"

"History, he specialises in world war two. Likes the planes best," she told me.

"Sounds like someone my cousin would like. Anyway, half your class has gone in. It's time to meet Mr Whitehead. Ready."

"I guess," she said and I smiled at her reassuringly as we stood up and walked to the door in the corner.

I walked in to the class room with Annabeth behind me. I didn't make eye contact with any of my friends in the class as that would draw attention to me and then Annabeth. I went straight to the desk.

"Mr Whitehead?" the grey haired teacher looked up from his test tubes.

"Ah, Percy, what can I do for you? I didn't think I had you today."

"No sir you don't," I smiled the smile that had fool many teachers into thinking I was the model student, "I'm just here to introduce Miss Annabeth Chase," I gestured you the girl at my side.

"Hello," she greeted and smiled shyly.

"She's just moved here and I've been asked to show her round," I told him.

"Oh, yes. Welcome Annabeth, please take a seat wherever you like," he smiled welcomingly at her.

She nodded, "Bye Percy. Thanks," she said quietly and made her way to an empty desk.

"Thank you Mr Olympia-Jackson," the teacher said, "Gosh that's a mouthful I haven't gotten used to over the last year. I should stick to calling you Percy."

I smiled again, "Yeah, I guess it is. I'll see you whenever my first chemistry lesson is sir," I turned and headed for my physics lesson.

Annabeth POV

Percy seemed like a nice kid. He gave me a tour of the school and made jokes about thing. It calmed my nerves but every time we would start talking and joking like we were proper friends he would say, "Anyway, this is..." as if he wasn't supposed to be making friends with me. I assumed that he had his friends and got on with other people well but didn't want to get to close. So I just walked a long listening and remembering where everything was.

He told me which teachers to stay on the good side of, which would let you get away with murder and which were somewhere in the middle.

After we finished the tour we sat down and waited for the bell.

"So, Percy, what now?" I asked him.

he looked at his watch and in formed me, "We have five minutes until second period, I'll introduce you to Mr W and then I'll see you around," he shrugged as if it didn't matter much to him. "What are your other lesson today?"

"After chemistry I have Spanish with Senor Russo, then lunch, math with Miss Dodds and English with Mr Blofis. Why?" I told him after looking at my timetable. He completely ignored my question and asked his own.

"Can you remember your way round or do you want me to meet you after class and show you to your next class? I'm probably required to do so," he seem happy enough to help me out despite not wanting the job of form rep, I thought that was sweet of him.

"I remember, I've been known for my memory for years," I told him and he just smiled at me.

"Well in that case, I'll see you after lunch and introduce you to our demon maths teacher" he had said when we were in the math department that our teacher hates him. He said she either loves or hates students, no one in between. Then the bell rang. I tried to stand but Percy put his hand on my shoulder; pinning me to the bench, What the hell? I thought.

"It's best to wait a moment," he explained – sort of.

I gave him a quizzical look, wondering what he was on about. Then that question was answered as the doors to most of the labs around us opened and hundreds of kids ran for the door, coming from all directions. I watched the rush for a few moments in shock.

"Wow, is there always a stampede?"

He laughed, "There is here, they all want to get to their lockers without being late for class," He explained fully. "Do you want to go in now or wait till some others so up?" He asked me. I guessed he meant into the lab where I had my class.

"If I'm the first one in there, will it draw much attention to me?" I asked after a couple of seconds.

"Yeah, you're new so until there's about ten others in there anyone walking in will see you straight away," he told me.

"Then let's wait for ten people to show up," I really hate having every one watching me in class.

He smiled, "Well it's as good an excuse as any to be late,"

I chuckle a bit at that.

"So tell me Annabeth Chase. Where do you come from and what brings you to the Big Apple?"

I don't know why but I felt comfortable enough talking to him about it. Normally if somebody had asked me I would had said something like, 'I don't want to talk about it,' or just shrugged. But for some unknown reason I did tell him, "Well I was actually born here, but my Dad got a job at a university when I was really little so I grew up in San Francisco. Then he was offered a job at a museum here, so we moved back this summer."

"I'm guessing from your expression that you didn't want to move," I was a bit surprised that he picked up on that; normally people can't tell what I feel about what I say unless I make it obvious.

But I didn't tell him this. I just looked up, nodded and smiled sadly.

"Cheer up. This place will grow on you." He thought for a minute and then asked, "So what does your Dad teach?"

"History, he specialises in world war two. Likes the planes best."

"Sounds like someone my cousin would like." I was about to ask why but Percy said, "Anyway, half your class has gone in. It's time to meet Mr Whitehead. Ready?"

"I guess," I sayed in the same tone he had used in homeroom. He picked up on this and smiled at me reassuringly. We stood up and walked to the door he had pointed out to me earlier on.

I followed Percy in to the class room, he didn't seem to want to look at anyone as he went. This confused me as he didn't seem the time to have enemies, but I was glad of it as it meant he didn't draw any attention to me as we to the desk at the front of the room.

"Mr Whitehead?" Percy asked and a teacher with a head of grey hair looked up from some test tubes.

"Ah, Percy, what can I do for you? I didn't think I had you today," he started to reach for what I guessed was a class list but Percy's voice stopped him.

"No sir you don't," he told him matter of factly. Then he smiled, th way he did made him look like he was the perfect student in a commercial, "I'm just here to introduce Miss Annabeth Chase," He gestured to me and I gave the old man a shy smile.

"Hello."

"She's just moved here and I've been asked to show her round," Percy continued.

"Oh, yes. Welcome Annabeth, please take a seat wherever you like," he said welcomingly.

I nodded and quietly gave Percy my thanks and said good bye before going to the first empty desk I saw. When I sat down I saw Percy was still talking to Mr Whitehead and watched as The teacher smile and Percy left. He seemed to be popular with the teachers. I pondered what that could mean while Mr Whitehead finished getting himself sorted. Then I spent an hour sending lilac flames whizzing around a big glass trough of water, with potassium.

After that I went back to my locker to put my new chemistry text book in there before heading to Spanish. Percy had said he had never done Spanish so he didn't know what my teacher was like, but I would have dreaded it anyway, because I really hate the subject and I have to work ten times harder to get Bs and Cs in Spanish than I do to get As in other subjects. I got to the class and followed the lesson as best I could. I was counting the seconds until lunch.

What do you think?

Favourite part/line?

Mistakes?

Any thing you would like me to put in future chapters?

Tell me in a REVIEW!!

I would love to in form you that the next chapter will be soon, but I can't gauranty that as I go back to school tomorrow and am going out in the evening I'm going out, so very little chance of it being up tomorrow :(

But the more REVIEWS I get the more I will want to write, so REVIEW!.

Happy reading.

Happy REVIEWING.

Love Thalia x

This button likes to be pressed

V