Story Name: The Iris Network
Author:turquoiserainlilies
Disclaimer: Do not own Percy Jackson or anything related, just the plot (really, not even that original). THANKS RICK!
Summary: He's a gamer. She's the Queen Bee. Percy struggles with unwanted fame from his father. Annabeth can't forgive her best friend for falling in love. Living miles away doesn't stop two people's fate from meeting, after all, the best thing to fall in love with are someone's words. AU!AH.
Chapter:16 of 22
greek3fire viii
new york 01/10/14 10:32 utc-5
percy jackson
Thursday is the worst day of the week, and though most people think that it is Wednesday, Percy Jackson would have to disagree.
Wednesday isn't the most horrible day because it is horrible, and everyone knows it. Thursday's got that sneakiness, the whole hey it's almost weekend but HA-HA NOT REALLY thing to rub in your face. It feels like a Friday, but it's not, and it isn't a Wednesday, so you can't complain.
This particular Thursday was the most painful.
"Percy!" He was in math class, facing the inevitable doom of his next report card when June spoke. "What's up?"
"Hey Junie." He smiled. "Nothing, just pretty nervous about the test."
"Yeah, I forgot what a centroid and totally freaked out." June sighed, "Intersect between medians right?"
He shrugged, "Hell if I know."
She laughed, like a willow tree in the breeze. Yet all Percy can think about was Annabeth. Annabeth. Annabeth. Annabeth. Annabeth. Okay he may have a problem.
"Hey." Another voice came from his left, it was Grover. He sounded less friendly than June, definitely.
"Grov!" Her entire face practically lit up at the sight of him. Percy shook his head and laughed. How could he not see that she was into him?
"Hey Junie." Grover sounded sort of droppy when he said that, but love, right? Percy's mind perked up at the thought of that as well.
"You two are so alike." She joked, "Percy said the same thing two seconds ago."
"Well, great minds often do." Percy shrugged. He looked over at Grover to flash one of his infamous smirks, but find that his friend isn't concentrating on June any more, but another girl in the room.
Reyna?
Before Percy could question the utter bizarreness of this entire situation. Mrs. Dobbs started class with her scratching voice, but if Grover think that it'd be the last time he'd hear of this. He was wrong.
Algebra was unbearably, Percy failed his test. He wasn't sure how he was going to survive accounting when it happened in a few years. But then lunch came along, and he gave all his attention towards his sandwich.
Most of his attention
wisegirl6: Why is it called Chili if it's hot?
"I heard you got into NYU." Bianca said, "That's good."
"Sure." Percy shrugged. He tapped at his phone subconsciously, half not wanting to be rude and ignore Bianca, but also really wanting to talk to Wise Girl. "Like my dad wanted."
"That's funny, because you don't seem all that upset." She teased, "Is little Percy-wercy just glad that he has a future now?"
"Shove off B." He laughed. "I'm just happy that my dad stopped being a douchebag."
"I don't think he ever was that big of a douchebag." Bianca rattled off, "My dad is a different story. Fucking Hades leaving for San Francisco with Nico, it was horrible! I can't believe it took us a few years before we even start talking. I mean, I love my dad, sure, but does he have to be so sullen all the time? You'd think that he's the god of the dead or something with that attitude. And what about his black bath robe? Who actually owes a black dress robe—"
"B." Percy sighed, "Your dad's bath robe of death sounds wonderful, but you mind getting to a point?"
Her face split into a grin. "Nah, I just lie seeing you squirm. Go and check your message from this 'Wise Girl' of yours."
His face lit up in a blush. Bianca went back to her lunch.
(If he was looking up. He'd see that she was thinking hard about something. Seaweed Brain just sounded too familiar)
greek3fire: Because you'll have to 'chill' it so it doesn't burn your tongue
wisegirl6: I'm pretty sure it's based of the chili pepper
greek3fire: You're no fun
wisegirl6: Oh, sorry Percy, I better just go away since you don't want to talk to someone not fun
greek3fire: NO!
greek3fire: Annabeth?
greek3fire: Goddamn it Annabeth?
wisegirl6: BOO!
greek3fire: Is that supposed to scare me?
wisegirl6: Did my absence leave a scar? Did I hurt you in the heart?
wisegirl6: That rhymes you know
greek3fire: I'm the rhyming police. I always know then there's a rhyme
wisegirl6: That's not even a real job
greek3fire: And neither is an archytect
wisegirl6: Architect, and it's totally real.
wisegirl6: My mom was one
greek3fire: Oh
greek3fire: How did that visit go?
wisegirl6: Not brilliant
greek3fire: Wanna tell me about it?
wisegirl6: It's probably better face to face
greek3fire: You mean screen to screen
wisegirl6: Right
wisegirl6: Hey
greek3fire: Hey back
wisegirl6: You know that video game convention? My friend Silena says it's held in Los Angeles this year
greek3fire: VIDGAMECON HOLY SHIT ANNABETH YOU REMEMBERED THAT
wisegirl6: Of course dummy, you never shut up about it
greek3fire: I never shut up about you ;)
greek3fire: Annabeth?
wisegirl6: Oh shut up
greek3fire: Don't think so
greek3fire: Anyways, what about VidGameCon are you interested in?
wisegirl6: Perhaps the seeing you there part?
"Yo Perce!"
He almost dropped his phone in respond to that sudden noise. Then he screamed because he almost dropped his phone. The dropping would cause it to break, which is not not not not not good. Not good at all.
"Oh, Grover." He looked up. "What's up?"
He really needed to finish that conversation. Annabeth wanted to see him. Is there anything else in the world that mattered?
"I asked Reyna out."
Wait, what?
"What the fuck!" He cried. Percy had to physically stop himself from whacking Grover over with his phone. That's a bad idea. One the phone will probably break, and two Grover would be more piss off than he looks right now.
"Do I need your blessing or something?" He said, rather coldly actually.
"Nah, dude, she's free." So free. Percy thought, when was the last time he thought of his future bride with brunette hair instead of blonde? "Just…umm…what prompt the asking out of?"
"Just that I can't wait for June forever." Grover shrugged, "Nothing personal, is not like she knows I exists between flirting with you."
Okay, that's even weirder.
"How is she flirting with me?" Percy exclaimed. "Dude, if you even know a quarter fraction of how much she's into you—"
"It'd be miniscule and nothing compare to your share of attention." Grover snarled. "Admit it Perce. You go and talk to her on New Year's Party at Tanaka's, it flunked out so you kissed Reyna. Then you make your move and she's totally into you. Wow that must've been scary, the great Percy Jackson almost not getting the girl."
His mind was buzzing, his vision was blurring. How dare Grover think that his life was perfect. He can barely talk to Annabeth without regenerating into a fucking red delicious. How was he flirting with June?
"You're so fucking wrong!" He retorted. "I only talk to June because of you!"
"Oh, so you don't think she's worth talking to?"
"Dude, I never said that!"
"I think you just did!"
"If you're going to argue with me on stupid things like this then why are we even talking!"
"I don't know Percy, I don't know." Grover yelled enough for the entire hallway to turn and glance their way. A few of them chanted fight, fight, fight, fight. "How can I stand to be friend with someone so ungrateful of everything he has. Money, girls, a father who actually cares, college admission."
"Like you're not all proud of your marks."
"Well FUCKING STANDFORD thought it FUCKING SUCKED!" Grover punched the locker. The noise made the entire crowd jump, but Percy was deadly still.
"You didn't get into Stanford." He blinked. Maybe that's why Grover was so upset, he could explain about June and Reyna, but he'd never know why Stanford would turn down his best friend.
"HELL NO!" Grover roared, "And here you are, failing your math tests but getting a free ride to NYU! And you think you're so sad because your online girlfriend don't send you pics every day."
"Hey! Don't bring Annabeth into this!"
"Why not!" His anger was climbing and reaching, "She's not here to hear the truth! Too bad though. You'll just break her heart in the end, if she doesn't break yours fir—"
SMACK! Percy's fist made impact against something fleshy. Then he felt blood and wow swim meet really paid off. His veins are on fire, and he finally understood what it meant when someone said that adrenaline was pumping in his year. He felt the pulse all the way up to his cheeks and his entire body lit up like a bonfire.
"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT HER LIKE THAT!"
"You fucking punched me!" Grover shouted right back, and OOF, a huge blow to Percy's guts. He doubled over in pain and clutched his stomach. Grover wasn't all muscles, but his bones are tough and pointy, it'll probably leave a bruise. So he'll just have to leave more on him.
PUNCH! And there goes Grover's shoulder. KICK! And Percy was on the floor. The two boys swiped more fists at each other than they ever did to anyone in their entire life combined. Percy's head was buzzing, he didn't even remember what they were fighting for, just punches after kicks after shoves after slaps and—
"What the fuck is going on!" Bianca's shrilly voice came over the crowd gathering. Percy was vaguely aware of someone placing bets, but he was too heated to care. He made a grab at Grover's elbows but was pulled back by a surprisingly strong arm.
"Cut it out!" Bianca yelled and shoved him behind. Percy used the crowd as a landing and knocked over several people. "What's wrong with you two! You've been at odds since before Christmas!"
"Well, he fucking started it." Grover said. The voice so filled with spite that wasn't even reserved for rainforest destroyers.
"Well…" Percy was at lost for words. "I didn't flirt with his girlfriend!"
"Who?" June appeared next to Bianca, looking just as shocked and as appalled as her. "Wait, what happened here?"
Before the four of them could add more to the conversation, a furious roar filled the hallway.
"PERSUES JACKSON!"
Mrs. Dobbs was a monster as she stormed down the hallway.
Next Update: Jan 25 (reward for being patient about this sort-a short chapter with lots of fights. I promise to make it better on 25! I was going to post 26 lol)
Sorry about the shorter chapter. I've gotten not one but FOUR books today. It was crazy, and if you're interested you can read my story of how it happened.
Firstly, I ordered Legend series by Marie Lu on Chapters (a Canadian bookstore), but LORD OF THE FUCKING RINGS came instead. It was funny because I was talking about it with Alexandra Nightshade a while ago and how I told her I was one of the only people who didn't read LOTR (Please don't kill me)
Anyways, so I called Chapters, this guy picked up and told me that they've sent for a replacement to come in five days (ugh I wanted to read it!) and how I had to take LOTR to the nearest Chapters store (2 subway station away thank you very much). I didn't even know how they messed up the order. The person who was supposed to get the book was on other side of the CITY!
So I went there today (I called them yesterday), and I bought Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell after having a conversation with the book store guy about Fangirl by the same author (intense fanpeople at book stores, I LOVE IT!), I bought it for like 22 dollars. Yeah, I thought I could read it in a few days until the Legend came in.
But when I got home. The fucking front desk dude (I live in a condominium/apartment building, so mail delivery goes to the front desk) told me there was a parcel. SO NOW I HAVE FOUR BOOKS! I HAD TO REARRANGE MY BOOK SHELF.
Not that it's too many . It's never too many books. I was hilariously worried that somehow they shipped me the wrong books again. But they didn't. I read the prequel first (it was like 50 pages so I finished in half an hour) and I'm already in love with the main characters (June and Day). So I recommend to check out the book thus far…but I'll worry about it later
TA!
(ps IT STANDS FOR POST SCRIPT, THANKS!)
(pps I'd name my unicorn Silvermist and keep it as a pet FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER)
(ppps QUESTION: PICK A TV UNIVERSE YOU'D LIKE TO LIVE IN!)
(pppps THANKS A LOT NOW I'M THINKING ABOUT ARROW DAMN IT!)
(ppppps okay too many caps lol)