Hello and Welcome back!
So I suck at regular updates but I'm going to try with this story and make a commitment to update at least once a week. Sometimes I may do more than one chapter a week (like this week). In that case, anything other than one chapter will be a bonus. So from here, I will try to post at least one chapter by midnight Monday night Central Daylight Time.
Also, the more you get excited about the story, the more excited I get about the story, and the more frequent my updates become, so please leave reviews if you want more frequent updates. I get more encouraged and excited when I know that you're enjoying the story and want more so please let me know!
GreyVal - Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! I wasn't sure how it would be received since I was trying to establish more information while also keeping with the original tone from chapter one. I'm glad that was understood. Please keep me updated on what you think of the rest of the story!
michelyt098 - I'm sorry you feel that way. Might I recommend you wait for the story to be completed and finish reading it before you make any decisions/threats about my head? Also, this is a different fic than the others, so in standard practice, this will be a different storyline than the others. As for your beloved, I'm sorry but I'm unaware of to whom you are referring and until I am I cannot address your disappointment. As for the lightheartedness of the previous chapter: there will be some lighthearted moments throughout this story simply because I need there to be some sort of hopeful payout for the pain. So there will be some lighthearted fluff in between all of the dark parts. Plus, if I try and make this a completely dark story across the board then it will be a shitty story. If that is what you're looking for might I recommend Lavender Oceans by Average Canadian? It's a phenomenal story, very dark and they have done a fantastic job with it so far. Thank you for your honest thoughts and opinion. I appreciate them and look forward to hearing what you think about the rest of the story!
Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoy it!
I don't think there's any triggering stuff in this chapter, but if there is please let me know so I can post a warning for other readers. Apologies in advance if there is and I missed it.
Read and review!
Once inside the school, we all went our separate ways. We would meet back up for lunch and hammer out the details for this weekend's trip.
Piper and I stopped by the office on our way to our lockers.
I was a TA in the Freshman and Sophomore history class with Mr. Brunner so every morning I needed to stop by the office to pick up and drop off paperwork. Piper usually walked with me since we had homeroom together and it gave her a chance to try and peak at any new kids to see if they matched the description of my mystery savior (cue eye roll).
We entered the office to find it bustling with activity.
Students, teachers, and even a few parents were standing around in groups waiting for their turn to be helped. Office workers ran around like chickens with their head's cut off trying to keep up with everything. Student ambassadors were trying to welcome new students, both transfers and Freshmen while giving relevant information to the student's parents and dodging the panicked-looking office workers.
Piper and I watched from the office door in amazed horror. It wasn't every day the main office descended into such chaos. Standing on my tip toes I looked over the heads for our friend and fellow student who worked in the office. Spying him, I waved my hand wildly.
"Grover!" I shouted over the bustling noise.
A short, skinny boy with curly dark brown hair and forest green eyes made eye contact with me and made his way over to us. His school uniform was disheveled and he looked about two seconds away from a mental breakdown. He had day-old scruff on his chin and upper lip which meant the poor guy hadn't had time to shave this morning. Ever since middle school Grover had been able to grow facial hair and was known to forget to shave so he always had some sort of scruff on his face. Which he got teased for constantly.
"Baaa! This place is nuts!" Grover cried when he reached us. He also, for some reason, tended to make goat noises when he got nervous which also made him a target for bullying.
"Tell me about it….." Piper muttered examining the crowd thoroughly.
"I've n-n-never seen it like this before! We don't know what to do with all of them!" Grover exclaimed.
"Do you need help?" I asked. I was, after all, a student ambassador and while I tended to avoid those responsibilities as much as possible I didn't mind helping out a friend.
Grover shook his head. "No, no. The last thing we need is more people in here. We can handle it. Besides, they all have to meet with Mr. D before they can do anything else." Grover shuddered. Piper made a face. I was tempted to do both.
Mr. D is the principal of our school and he wasn't very happy about it. He wasn't shy about making his feelings on the topic known either. He was a thoroughly unpleasant man with a short memory and an even shorter temper. He couldn't remember anyone's name to save his life and hated it when he was corrected. He yelled, stomped, pouted, and just generally acted like a two-year-old who couldn't get their way. He also had an obsession with grapes and Diet Coke, which some students suggested was a substitute for alcohol. How he got the job in the first place, no one knew, but we were stuck with him just like he was stuck with us.
Suddenly the door on the other end of the office bagged open, hitting the wall so hard both the door and the surrounding walls shook. Four people, two teenagers, and two adults, ran out of the room looking terrified as though hell itself was coming after them. Then, a loud booming voice from the same room roared, "NEXT!" causing everyone in the office to momentarily freeze, then scramble to usher the next group into the office.
Once the door was closed, everyone including Grover breathed easily. Well, more easily than a moment before.
"So, what did you come here for?" Grover asked nervously fiddling with the stack of papers in his hands.
"I came by to see if Mr. Brunner left any paperwork for me."
Grover nodded absentmindedly. "Of course, of course. Freshman and Sophomore History right? Just a sec." He turned into the crowd. "Juni! Can you bring me the papers Mr. Brunner left for Annabeth please?"
How he managed to make himself heard over the crowd I'll never know, but a few moments later a girl with long dark hair, tan skin, and green eyes appeared next to Grover. She wore a school uniform that was in a much neater state than Grover's and had a green headband in her hair. In her hands, she held a blue folder which she handed over to Grover.
"Here you go. Oh, Grover! Look at you! You're in a state!" She tutted as she began straightening his tie, shirt, and jacket. Grover shoved a hand through his shaggy hair and sighed.
"It's been crazy in here. And the rest of the day is going to be just as bad! I have a new student that I have to show around all day."
"Oh? What kind of new student?" Piper asked eyeing me conspiratorially. I glared at her. Now was not the time.
"Some kid from a public school. He was scouted last year for his swimming skills and was offered a scholarship." Grover waved his hand dismissively. "Now I have to babysit him this week to make sure he gets settled in okay. They don't want their new swim star to get lonely and decide to go back to his old school. Honestly, I don't blame them."
Everyone else made quiet noises of agreement. It was no secret that our swim team sucked. Royally. Imagine if someone had gathered a group of dryads from Greek mythology and thrown them into the deep end of a pool and told them to swim. That was what our sim team is like. Even our Athletic Director Coach Hedge avoided the natatorium in shame. That was all fine with me though. One more reason to avoid the natatorium myself.
"Soooo, they're trying to build up the swim team?" Piper ventured.
Grover nodded. "It's all a part of the "rebranding" project they started last year. They want to build up the school's reputation in all categories, including sports. They're going to put this kid on the swim team and hope that he puts us back into the championship."
"So, what does he look like?" Piper asked resuming her original line of thought. I shot her another glare. Again, now was not the time. Could she not see that poor Grover and Juniper were at the end of their ropes?
Grover opened his mouth to respond when suddenly the office door banged open again. Juniper jumped with a small "Eep!" escaping. She clung to Grover's arm as a short potbellied man with dark hair, a beard, and purple flaming eyes filled the door frame.
"NEXT!" He bellowed. People jumped to follow his demand. "JANNA!" Came his next bellow.
"That would be me….." Juniper mumbled. She gave Grover another once over, a peck on the cheek, and then disappeared into the crowd.
Grover sighed again and ran his hand through his hair.
"We'll get out of your way. Good luck with your new student and all of…this." I said gesturing to the crowded office.
"Thanks," Grover grumbled. He turned to go but Piper stopped him by grabbing his arm. I thought she was going to start grilling him about the new kid again, but she surprised me.
"Hey, we're all going to my Dad's beach house in the Hamptons this weekend. You should come. And bring Juniper." She offered gently.
Grover nodded with a small smile. "You know what? We just might. Thanks, Piper." With that, he disappeared back into the throng of confused and frightened people.
The first half of the day went smoothly for the most part. Rumors flew around the halls about the new swim star and a new English teacher we had, but mostly they revolved around the new kid.
I still hadn't seen either of them, but I didn't care. I had my own stuff to deal with and dealing with new people was not on that list.
At lunch, we all met back up at our usual table toward the back of the cafeteria. I was one of the first ones there since I didn't have to stand in line for my lunch. I was soon joined by the rest of the crew, most of whom had steaming plates of enchiladas, Mexican rice, refried beans, and corn.
I'll admit, it smelled delicious. But my stomach turned at just the thought of food. I couldn't handle anymore, not after last night.
"Enchiladas. Grover will be happy." I said as they sat down.
"Well at least someone will be. This is an outrage!" The small Latino elf cried.
"Leo…" his girlfriend Calypso chided tiredly. She sounded as though they had already had this conversation a dozen times over.
"No! I refuse to be silent! You call these enchiladas?! And this!" He stabbed his fork into his rice and lifted a ball of it up into the air. "You mean to tell me that this is supposed to be Mexican rice!? Unacceptable!" He hollered waving his rice ball on a fork around wildly.
Hazel and Jason flinched away as pieces of rice flew toward them. Frank frowned unamused at him.
"Leo!" Calypso and Piper scolded him looking very angry.
I actually grabbed his arm and slammed it down onto the table. I yanked the fork out of his hand and stuffed it into his open mouth.
"Either eat the food or toss it. Either way, quit playing with it." I growled.
Leo swallowed the rice ball with a gulp and nodded silently, eyes wide and full of fear. I let go of his arm and the fork and went back to my flavored water. After a moment of silence, everyone else went back to their own food. Odd as it sounds, this was a pretty normal interaction for us.
"Harsh Annabeth." A voice in passing said.
"Tough. No nonsense. Violent. I like it."
I whirled around to glare at Clarisse La Rue and her boyfriend Chris.
"Don't you have newbies to beat up or some other Neanderthal activity to participate in?" I called as they walked to their table several feet away.
Clarisse just grinned. "Always. Anytime you wanna spar Chase, just let me know."
I rolled my eyes and turned back to my friends. Clarise was always looking for a fight.
I took a swig of my water just as Grover came up to the table.
"H-hey guys. I'd like to introduce you to P-p-p-p…."
"Percy Jackson."
The kid behind Grover stepped up to the table and extended his hand for a handshake.
I choked on my water.
Standing before me, taller, tanner, more muscular, and far older was a boy with dark raven hair, sea-green eyes, and the perfect smile.
Leo, who was now covered in strawberry-flavored sparkling water uttered "Aw, ew gross" and gave me a glare. Piper however was watching me with wide, bright eyes. Her hand clamped down on Jason's arm and she shook him violently. Hazel looked between me and the new kid and quickly put the pieces together. Grinning, she leaned over and whispered in Frank's ear.
Jason who had stood up to take Percy's hand and introduce himself fell very ungracefully back into his seat with an "oomph".
"Gee whiz Pipes…what the heck…" Jason turned to his girlfriend confused, then looked to where Piper was staring excitedly (which was me). Still confused, he turned back to Piper looking for an explanation.
The whole time I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He was handsome in a rugged troublemaker kind of way. Tall, lean, tan, and muscular he defined the phrase "tall, dark and handsome" (did I say the same thing twice two different ways? Oh well). His hair was messy, his green eyes were bright and his smile was carefree. His uniform looked slightly disheveled, his tie was loose and crooked, the first couple of buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned, and his jacket was rumpled. Still, he looked good.
He seemed to be studying everyone at the table with curious but slightly calculating eyes as though he was sizing us up to see if any of us were a threat. When his eyes landed on me he stopped. Recognition instantly flashed and he looked stunned, which is what I was currently feeling.
Grover, unaware of all of this, was watching the food line on the other side of the cafeteria.
"Baaa! It's enchilada day?! Why did no one tell me?" He cried.
"Don't get too excited man. They're not real enchiladas." Leo grumbled still mopping up my flavored water from his clothes.
"You think I care? Enchiladas are enchiladas! S-sit Percy! I'll grab you some." With that, he was off.
Not needing to be told twice, Percy grabbed one of the few empty seats left at the table. The one next to me.
At this point, the only person who hadn't figured out who Percy was, was Leo who was still grumbling about me ruining his only clean shirt. Everyone was watching us intently which I found extremely uncomfortable.
"Hi," Percy said softly, ignoring all of the very rude stares from my friends.
"Ummm…." For the love of all that was holy, why couldn't I think of anything to say!? Suddenly, I had an idea. If I could show off my brains then maybe he would forget the past few embarrassing moments of my life and just remember me as smart. Then I noticed that he was watching me intently with a look I knew well. One that I had seen idiot guys wear when watching really pretty girls obsessively.
Like cold water, reality washed over my burning cheeks. All this guy saw before him was another pretty girl who was shy and tongue-tied by his mere presence. Well if he thought that I was going to try and impress him then he had another thing coming. I determined right then and there that this guy would never know just how much influence he had had on my life over the past five years.
I frowned.
"You're drooling."
Across the table Piper face palmed. Jason choked like he was trying not to laugh. Hazel's eyes bugged out of her head like she couldn't believe I was being so rude. Frank looked at Percy in pity like he was thinking "It was nice knowing him". Calypso snickered. Leo looked up as if he had just realized for the first time that we were no longer the only ones at the table.
Percy looked taken aback like he hadn't been expecting that response. I smirked. She who kept her enemy off guard held the upper hand. Then, suddenly, everything changed.
An evil-looking smirk came over Percy's face as though he knew exactly what I was doing. This made me uneasy.
"Pardon me, but that usually happens when I'm placed before such a lovely young lady."
Everyone looked at him stunned, including me. I was not used to people recovering from my clever quips so quickly. Then he smirked back at me that said "check". A challenge. Oh, it was so on.
I rolled my eyes.
"Puh-lease. If you tell me that I "fell from heaven" or call me an "angel" I'm going to throw up."
"Nah, I wasn't going to say that. It's too cheesy." He grinned. Reaching up he tugged gently on one of my loose blonde curls that framed my face. "How do you feel about "princess"?"
I glared at him.
"Cheap and overdone," I stated coldly pulling my hair out of his grasp.
"Fair. Guess I'll just have to go with my first thought then."
I scoffed. "And what was that, "homely goody-too-shoes brainiac"?"
Percy startled, looking confused and caught off guard. He also looked….what was the word? Sad?
"Drowned rat?" Hazel coughed into her hand helpfully. I glared at her.
Apparently, Hazel's interjection was enough to put Percy back on track because when I turned back to him he was smirking again, amusement warming his eyes.
"No, it was more along the lines of…..goddess."
My heart stopped. Heat flushed my cheeks again.
Percy's triumphant smirk confirmed that he knew the same thing I did. He had won our little challenge. Check and Mate.
"Soooo…..Percy. What were you doing, oh I don't know, five years ago?" Piper asked watching him intently.
I delivered a swift kick to her shin under the table.
"Ow!" She cried, then glared at me while leaning down to rub the reddening spot on her shin.
I shot her a "shut up before I shut you up" look.
"Oh, I was dragging a wet goddess out of the Hudson River." Percy supplied casually as though it were a normal everyday occurrence for him.
"YES!" Piper exclaimed. "I knew it! We finally found him!"
"Found who?" Graver asked choosing this moment to return to the table.
"Annabeth's mystery savior! Percy's the one who jumped into the Hudson River to save Annabeth from drowning five years ago! And we finally found him!"
"Uh, Pipes, technically he found us."
"Whatever. The point is he's here and we know who he is."
"What!? Annabeth nearly drowned in the Hudson River!?" Grover cried.
"And Percy was the one to save her!" Piper offered.
At this point, half the cafeteria was staring at our table in weirded-out confusion. I buried my head in my arms on the table. This was not how this conversation was supposed to go.
Mercifully the bell rang signaling five minutes until the next period started.
I grabbed my stuff and bolted for the door.