Next Chapter! Yay! Don't worry, I will update 'I Love You' soon...for anyone who reads it.
Nico's POV
Well, lunch is always the best time of day. At break, Grover and I decided for the two groups of our group to meet on the playground. I lead Percy, Annabeth and Thalia to the front doors where we begin to wait for Grover and the others. It's been an alright day so far. We've done coloring and played some really strange games. In wonder what the others have been up to. Their tutor is Miss Hodd. She is strict, mean and insulting. Just like Thalia. But I prefer Thalia. I would bet all my money (so that's $3) she made them write a short novel about their summer. And probably gave them homework. Oh well.
Grover, Juniper and Leo arrive a few seconds after we do.
"Where are Hazel and Frank?" asks Thalia.
"They got told to report to the Principle and got a short detention from Miss Hodd. They said they'd meet us in the Cafeteria." says Grover.
See what I mean?
"Not good," says Thalia."What should we do?"
"There's always a possibility of making faces at them through the math window?" I suggest. Thalia rolls her eyes.
"As in food or wait," Juniper explains. "I don't mind waiting. It's less crowding in the Cafeteria and better for trees with our Carbon Dioxide expelling."
"But that's so boring!" Leo complains. I smirk.
"What do you want to do Leo?" I ask, still smirking.
"Well, first I want to blow up this school." Annabeth giggles. Did not expect that from a good girl. "But we're not allowed to do that so I reckon we should get some food."
That is so Leo. Suggest danger. Suggest food.
"Food it is, then," says Thalia, smiling. I like it when she smiles. Mischievous.
We all walk up to the Cafeteria together. Juniper and Thalia talk at the front and occasionally laugh, turn around and grin at the rest of us. I catch Thalia's eye. She rolls her eyes. Annabeth and Percy bring up the rear of the group, leaving Grover, Leo and I in the middle. I don't get it with Annabeth and Percy. They are too shy to talk to each other but the fact that they like each other even on day one is so ridiculously clear! Leo is playing with his new tool kit building some kind of mechanism out of just straws, so I turn to Grover.
"You've got a girl to like you?" I ask, the words not really a question. Grover had got a girl to like him. But he had things in common with her.
"Yeah. So?" he asks.
"How?" he makes a sort of snorting bleating sound. I have no idea what it was. Just weird.
"Well, you be nice to them. That would be a start."
"What else?" I ask.
"You find things in common. You talk. Is this about Thalia again?"
I sigh and nod then shut up, not wanting to raise the subject again if people were going to get on my back for it. I mean, does it really matter if you really like your best friend? But Thalia doesn't even like me that much. All's fair in love and war, though.
Percy's POV
I lead Annabeth to our usual table at the back of the Cafeteria where one bin is. It means we get to be close to it and don't have to walk too far, but it also kind of stinks. No one ever sits there. Its a weird and anti-social place (A/N: Lauren, 'anti-social huddle') with not much to see. The backs of heads of people and the food. Not a lot. The tables are organized in weird looking rows. Sort of diagonally set up with circle tables. Like I said, weird (and a little hard to explain).
Anyway, we sit down at the table and take turns to go and get food. Thalia, Juniper and Grover went up to get food first, leaving me with Leo, Nico and Annabeth.
Annabeth starts to tell me about this one book she read called 'To Kill A Mockingbird'. It sounded interesting, but definitely not the first book want to read. I think I'm going to read something a little more action and adventure. Less meaning to it. Halfway through Annabeth's sentence, Leo cut her off.
"Hey, uh, Percy, I'm really hungry," he said. "Can I go and get something with the others?"
I nod and Leo rushes off to the others. Nico rolls his eyes and follows Leo, hungry. I laugh. I was hungry too, but Annabeth was here and it's her first day here. I should stay with her.
"So what's your favorite book?" I ask her, still smiling. She looks shocked.
"Uh, I have no idea, but there was this one book," she began, excitedly. And she was off again. I could listen to her talk all day. It wouldn't matter what she would say, I would listen.
Piper's POV
I stand outside the Principals office, waiting for Jason to emerge. He has been in there for ten minutes and I am getting hungry, but I can wait until he is with me. I lean against the wall and hum along to a tune I heard some girls singing in the city, basking, earlier this morning. It was really catchy.
The door of the office cracks open ad Jason walks out, his electric blue eyes furious and his face as placid as possible. In other words, he looks like he will severely injure anyone who insults him next. I really need t encourage him into those anger management classes more often. Last time, they didn't help and he just got so angry at the tutor for being patronizing. I can't blame him. He was taken away from his little sister at a young age and they only recently got together, but Jason was never the same after his mom 'put him out'.
Jason tries to smile at me and takes my hand. I glance down at our entwined fingers and smile too. He is my safety net, away from the pretty sisters that taunt me into make-up. I shudder. Drew won't always have make-up to keep her pretty and sane. It will go, whether on purpose or accident.
"Lunch?" Jason asks, bringing me out of my thoughts.
I nod and we begin to walk down the empty corridor toward the Cafeteria.
"Hey, Jason, do you mind if I go to the toilet quickly?" I ask.
"Sure, Pipes, I'll meet you out here in a minute," he said, pecking me quickly on the cheek. I like it when he calls me 'Pipes'. It's sweet.
I grin at him and rush into the toilets.
*time passes* (A/N: I am not going to describe what she did, so there.)
I wash my hands and dry them with the towel on the side. I push open the toilet door and glance around for Jason. But I can't see him. I frown. I walk down the corridor and open several doors. He's not in any of the classrooms in this corridor. I push my pale blue shoulder bag further up my shoulder and walk into the next corridor. Where is he? I walk into one classroom after another. Now for the last one. I am dreading it, like every other before it, afraid of what I will see.
I push down the cold metal handle of the dark blue door to the literacy room and enter. Nothing. I close the door and go back the way I came toward the Cafeteria. Maybe I can sit with Thalia, Annabeth and Juniper today? I walk down the corridor, sighing to myself. Jason probably got bored waiting for the short amount of time I was away. I don't blame him. I never do.
I turn a corner and remember I left my book in my desk drawer. Stupid me. I always read a little after lunch. Not that Jason ever see's me reading. I smile and run down the corridor on the left and into the first classroom on the right. My Homeroom. There isn't a teacher by the desk so I enter. I don't see at first, but when I catch a glimpse of red and blonde, I stop.
Jason. Jason with another girl. Jason with that little red-headed slut Rachel. Kissing. Rachel, always getting on everyone's guys. Jason had his hands wrapped around her waist while she held him close.
"Jason," I say, my voice laced with anger, hurt and pain.
Jason and the red-head break apart. Jason turns around, his blue eyes soft and wincing.
"Piper," he says, his word also, surprisingly, hurt too. I don't let that fool me. He can act and lie as well as the rest of us.
"I was just going to get my book, but obviously I was interrupting something," I say, mustering all the courage I can just to speak at all through the anger and betrayal racing through my veins.
"Piper I - " Jason starts but I cut him off.
"Don't talk to me, Jason," yep, it hurt to say his name. "Do what you like, just don't talk to me again."
I don't bother picking up my book before I run off, tears forming in my eyes.
Annabeth's POV
I have not talked to anyone for so long about books before. No one is ever interested. I vaguely wonder if Percy remembers who I am, but quickly forget the thought and doubt it. Those days have long past. Percy pays so much attention to me, it's a little unnerving. Every time he asks a question, my heart skips a little know he is interested. He hasn't changed since that summer once.
"Are you hungry?" I ask as the other group of our friends return and begin to eat.
"Starving, you?" says Percy.
"What is there for food here?" I ask, looking toward the queue at the front of the room.
"Follow me," Percy says, smiling and nodding his head toward the forming queue where Thalia and the others were a few minutes ago.
Percy and I walk to the back of the queue. The food look mainly edible. Sort of. There are various mugs of soup that was lumpy and smelled a little like rotten potatoes. I think I'll avoid soup for now. The sandwiches had adventurous fillings, such as; Beetroot and mango, chicken and apple, banana and grapefruit and orange and lime. I have never seen any food like this before. There was also this one wrap that says on the packet 'mystery meat'. Not so keen on that idea either. I might just have an apple or something. Something safe.
Percy takes the wrap and I take just an apple and an empty roll. We go to pay.
"That's one dollar," the large lunch lady demands in a dry tone, staring at my hand full of minimum food. One dollar? For an apple and a tiny bread roll? I pass the roll into my other hand, already occupied by the apple and grapple in my back pocket of my shorts for extra change. I pull out a various collection of papers, a few buttons and several coins. Ten, thirty, fifty, eighty. Only eighty cent. Twenty cent short. That's a lack of food yet again for lunch.
"I've only got eighty cent," I say, pleading a little with the stern seeming woman behind the cash register. She glares at me menacingly.
"You have to put something back," says the lady, in a bored voice that claiming she is used to haggling students.
I glance down at the food in my hands and am just about to put the roll back in the little grey tin when Percy stops my hand, causing electricity to run up my arm.
"I'll pay," he says and hands over four dollars to the woman, her thick sweaty hand outstretched to take the notes. She takes the money and grins an almost toothless smile. I find myself scowling a little.
"Thanks, but you didn't need to do-" I start, but Percy cuts me off.
"Don't worry about it. Don't want you to go hungry on your first day." He doesn't look at me.
"I'll pay you back tomorrow," I say, sighing. Or I might just bring a sandwich from home tomorrow. My step-mum might try to stop me from taking her precious food, but I will get food, even if in secret.
"It doesn't matter, Annabeth." He still doesn't look at me as we walk back toward the table where our friends are talking and arguing.
"Thanks, Percy," I say, sitting back in my seat. "I owe you one."
He smiles a little and takes a seat next to me. Grover is discussing paper uses to help their cause to Juniper while Leo is telling Thalia about some new film star in a movie he saw recently. They both agree she was 'good looking'. Leo says,
"So, on the subject of chicas to date, Thalia, how about us?" Thalia groans and scowls at Leo in a playful way but her piercing blue eyes seriously say,
'no way.'
Nico shoves Leo in the shoulder. They both laugh until they see Thalia. I almost find it hard not to laugh. She glares at Nico like she would kill him if she weren't friends with him.
"Jealous are we, corpse-breath?" she asks through gritted teeth.
"Jeez, Thals, chill," Nico holds up his hands like a surrender.
"Don't bother, Nico." Thalia glared at Nico and chewed on her chicken and apple sandwich.
"How can you eat that?" asks Juniper. "All I can think of is those little chicks running around a rural place."
Grover smiles at Juniper and stabs his fork into his salad.
"Thalia," comes a jittery voice. We all turn to see a tall brunette hurrying our way, her colorful braid of her hair flying out behind her.
"Piper?" asks Juniper. "What's wrong?"
"Is it Jason?" asks Thalia. Piper nods and sits down at our nearly full table. Only one space left now.
"Can you tell us what happened?" asks Juniper.
"Who is Jason?" I whisper to Percy.
"Pipers boyfriend and Thalia's brother," he utters back.
"Rachel happened," says Piper. Everyone is leaning in to hear the story for something more to talk about. To a console a good friend. I just don't understand. I look at Thalia, confused.
"Rachel is this little slut who always breaks up relationships." At this Nico glares at Thalia this time.
"She's not a slut," he says through gritted teeth. I can't help but think everyone here is connected somehow. Percy and Grover are best friends. Grover's girlfriend is Juniper. Juniper is Thalia's best friend. Thalia's brother is Jason. Jason is or was going out with Piper. Piper is Hazel's friend. Hazel's boyfriend is Frank. Frank hates Leo. Leo used to date Hazel. Leo and Nico are best friends. And there is definitely something going on with Nico and Thalia. I will have to ask Percy.
"Says you," replies Thalia, her voice cold. She turns back to Piper, "What did she do this time?"
"They were kissing. It was like they knew each others bodies." she shudders and continues with, "it was like I am just some side on the bigger plate. A bird in the bigger picture. I don't know why I thought he was good after everything he did." Piper looks almost disgusted with herself as she buries her head in her hands.
"Jason's a jerk anyway," Thalia reassures. "Just act like the better person and he'll be so annoyed."
"I should've listened to you, I'm so sorry, Thalia," Piper pleads with her friends. Thalia smiles like it will all be okay. "Ugh, I'm a mess." Thalia laughed at Piper. I smiled too.
"No make-up mistakes. You're fine," comments Juniper. These girls didn't originally strike me as make-up wearers. Don't judge a book by it's cover, though.
"Hey, here comes Hazel," says Thalia.
I turn toward the Cafeteria door near the long queue where I got my food with Percy. The girl I met and the boy, Frank were walking toward us, grinning and talking. A few people turn their way as Hazel and Frank sidestep tables filled with laughing people. Hazel makes a joke and Frank smirks at her and shoves her away playfully.
"Hello everyone," says Hazel, still smiling. I notice there won't be enough seats for them both. Frank notices too. He gestures for Hazel to sit while turning to the next table to get a chair. The boy in the chair next to the free one just tells him to get one from somewhere else because apparently someone is going to sit there or along those lines. Given that ghosts cannot physically exist in this dimension and time stream, I think they are waiting for someone. Frank moves away from the table and I stand up.
"Frank, I'm now going to check out the library, you can have my chair," I say trying to be confident. No such luck.
"Oh, Annabeth, are you leaving? That is a shame," Hazel asks. I honestly can not tell if she is being sarcastic or not.
"It's alright, Annabeth, I can find a chair," Frank mutters, embarrassed.
"No, don't worry about it." I move away from the chair and gesture for Frank to sit down.
"Hey, do I know you?" Piper asks me. Is someone finally about to find out. On my first day?
"I don't think so," I say, hoping I don't blush or anything to show a lie.
"Well, I'm Piper McLean," says Piper, extending her hand.
"Annabeth Chase," I say, shaking her tiny hand.
"You have probably heard of my Dad or something. Don't judge me by him," Piper says grimly.
"Who's your Dad?" I ask. Piper smiles as if I'm joking.
"Piper, Annabeth doesn't really watch a lot of films," Percy answers for me.
"He's an actor," Piper sighs, exasperated. I actually can't help but eel intimidated. My Dad has a doctorate and I read and my step-mom doesn't do a lot so I wouldn't know a film or a film star if they came up to me and punched me in the face. Frankly, if anything punched me in the face, I would hit it back. Or not. It depends on what their next move would be, the prediction based on usual acts. Based on something along the lines of their personality. Sometimes use probability of personality to fight back. Or the pace of the hit a person would place. NO! STOP IT! Annabeth, you said you wouldn't do that! I said I would stop this after...never mind.
"Oh," I say.
"Well, I think we'll become good friends based on that," Piper says as she smiles at me. I smile back, a little uncomfortable.
"See you History, I think," I say and turn around to go. I slide past the huge round tables and take out my timetable which Chiron gave to us all this morning. History next. I walk to the tall black entrance door and yank it open, feeling the cool breeze on my skin. The door is heavy as I hold it, embracing the nature, and flee through it. I begin to run. The pounding of my feet against the tarmac echoes and drums in my ears like a marching beat. But it's not just me.
"Annabeth, wait up," I hear and swerve around to the stalker and stranger.
"Percy?" I ask, confused. "I thought you'd want to be with your friends?"
Percy stands there in his pale shorts and t-shirt, a bag over his shoulder, grinning a little. His unruly raven hair ruffles in the slight breeze as I stare at him. Stop it Annabeth. Not again. Just, don't.
"I thought' I'd go to the library with you." I wasn't actually going to go to the library. But he didn't need to know that. I was going to...nope, doesn't matter where I was planning to go.
"Sure, why not?" I say and try to remember which way leads to my tiny haven. I turn right to a pair of green and thick window panels. Percy shakes his head in my peripheral vision and grabs my hand to pull me the other way. I don't know if he was shaking his head in denial or confusion or otherwise. A shock of electricity runs up my arm where he holds my wrist. He has total control over me. He moves his hand slightly. I glance down at our entwined fingers and don't protest, though I know I should, judging by what my superior told me. Don't make connections. But no matter what happened before, should that really change my mind? My feelings? Would one memory really change so much in the people? But if the memory is lost, how does it not change the way this could or should go? But, for now, it doesn't matter. I have to get through this week without slipping up. Percy starts to lead me somewhere new and I follow, trying not to think of the consequences of entwined fingers swinging between us. This is only day one. I am so dead.