SUPERMEGAFOXYAWESOMEHOT! Sorry had to say that... Anyway I am now on my summer holiday so I'll have more time to write! Woo! Oh and this is kind of a filler chapter so yeah.
Mistology
Annabeth left early Monday morning around the time I got up to leave for school. I missed her already.
Unfortunately while Annabeth was staying I didn't do any homework what-so-ever. So now I'm sitting in the cafeteria early on Monday morning doing homework I don't understand.
"How the hell am I meant to figure out X+2Y=3W when she hasn't even taught me how!" I growl at myself. Way to sound sane Percy. "Let's move on shall we?" I tell myself.
Looking down on the page I see this:
Billy goes cycling. – Nice to know.
His bike has a diameter of 70cm. – My life is a lie.
He has invented a counter for his bike that counts the number of revolutions the wheel makes. – Awkward moment when Billy is smarter than me...
One day the counter shows 110 revolutions. – At least I can cycle further, since let's be honest, 110 isn't that much.
How far has Billy cycled? – No clue.
Give you answer to the nearest metre. – Um...
"I'm gonna fail maths." I sighed, once again, to myself.
"You're not the only one." A voice agreed behind me. I turn and see Carrie (A/N I know she was originally Callie but I forgot, I'm only human! Or half anyway...) with a sympathetic look on her face. "But seriously, when are we gonna ever use this?!"
"Especially in my line of work." I grinned at her. She grinned back at me. Carrie had always been the crazy hyper one in our group, up for anything but as her smile faded the look on her face look so calm and serious I had to wonder what was wrong. I opened my mouth to ask but she beat me to it.
"Is it scary Percy? I mean, ever since I found out about half-bloods I thought it would be exciting. I thought, yeah that's me, I could do that. I wouldn't call myself violent or blood thirsty but I knew monsters were bad news and the idea of hunting them intrigued me." She looked almost grossed out by herself. "When I realised that I was partly grossed out by myself, I would never expect to like the idea of killing, Aspen would kill me if she knew..." She gave herself a small smile. "But still, it's something I want to do. I felt so strongly about it and when the monsters appeared in Central Park... I thought I would be brave but I was scared, so scared. I felt like I couldn't breathe but there you were – and Annabeth – and you both seemed so calm. You joked and got rid of them so easily. You mocked them and got them to follow you instead of us. How can you do it Percy?"
Carrie looked up at me with tears in her eyes. Her eyes bored into mine.
"I'm not as brave as you think Carrie." I told her. "I'd like to say that I am and that yeah, I eat monsters for breakfast! But no, I still have dreams about them. Demigod dreams. I see them – the monsters – talking about me and Annabeth and some of my other friends. They want revenge on us specifically now. Before they used to just hate all demigods but now they have personal vendettas against me, against my family. And I'm so terrified that one day I'll wake up to find out that one of my friends just wasn't strong enough this time. That they weren't given an easy death like some are. That they were the victim of some of the worst monsters out there because during our wars that was what we were up against. I see some of the younger kids at camp who never should have had to experience what they did during those wars. Kids who have all lost brothers, sister, friends and even the people they never liked. They still feel guilty, guilty that they never got a chance to make their peace with them. And it kills me. Every time I see them. Even if they're smiling and having fun. I know that during the night each and every one of us if haunted by the faces of our dead who never should have had to live this life." I took a deep breath, struggling to hold back the rest of the rant that had been building up inside of me.
I looked down at the table, at the paper with Billy who only had to worry about how far he had cycled on his bike. The next thing I knew Carrie's arms were around me.
"I'm sorry Percy." She said. "I'm sorry you have to go through all of that. I'm sorry that you never catch a break. Not from the monsters, not the bullies here, not even from me." I didn't know how to respond to that. She pulled back and sat down next to me.
"Mrning gys." Aiden mumbled as he sat down next to us. "Hwru?"
"We're doing fine." I smiled at Carrie.
"Yeah, we're OK." She smiled back.
"Morning has broken!" Aspen sang. (A/N Does anyone know where that's from? No? Only me? Right...)
"Yeah we get the point." Tucker sighed pushing his blonde locks out of his blue eyes. AS he does so I see some girls giggle a bit. Oh geez.
"I'm allowed to sing if I want to." Aspen said sticking her tongue out.
"Oh how mature." Tucker replied raising an eyebrow.
"Shut up." She smiled at him.
"I like her singing." Aiden half smiled. We all turn and look at him and he blushes.
"Yeah but not this early in the morning." Tucker groaned.
"But that doesn't mean it's bad singing."
"I never said it was bad singing."
"Singing is nice in the morning."
"Not when you're half asleep."
"I'm not half asleep."
"You were when you first came in." Carrie interrupted.
"Mrning gys" I imitated. "Hwru?" Everyone laughed.
"Why were you even in so early Perce?" Aiden grumbled.
"Annabeth left early this morning to get back to go back to – you know." I said glancing at the tables that were slowly filling up around us.
"Oh yeah." Aiden said. "So how was your weekend Perce?" He said waggling his eyebrows. My cheeks burned and Aspen scolded Aiden. Before I could think of something to say Jonathon, Gabriella and the rat pack came in.
"Hey Percy!" Jonathon called across the room causing everyone to go quiet. Douche. "Who was that girl on Friday?"
"None of your business Jonathon." I growled.
"Did you see her hair? So obviously dyed." Gabriella put in. I rolled my eyes, was that meant to provoke me? I did however see the whole cafeteria look at me. I saw the girls turn to look at me to see if I would stand up for my girlfriend. Aww Hades.
"Is that the best you can come up with Gabriella?" Carrie snarled.
"Also a little hypocritical, I mean have you seen you hair recently?" Tucker said with a pitying look.
Gabriella automatically reached up to feel her plastic, dry, straitened and dyed hair. "My hair is one hundred percent natural!" She cried. We all snorted.
"Oh please, you're so fake you could pass for Barbie." Aspen said wrinkling her nose in disgust.
I looked at my friends, having only just met Annabeth and yet they were already sticking up for her.
"Oi! Don't dis ma girlfriend!" Jonathon started marching over to our table. The kids around the canteen looked up eagerly, hoping for a fight. I got up and stood in front of my friends.
"We're not looking for a fight. You started this and I'm gonna end it." Jonathon was either really stupid or looking for trouble because he carried on walking until he was standing right in front of me. I looked him dead in the eyes. A sound broke the silence of the cafeteria and Jonny boy glanced away, I looked too and saw a teacher – Mrs. Rodds to be exact – standing there. Jonathon patted my shoulder and gave a fake smile.
"At least my girlfriends pretty." He smirked.
"yeah, pretty damn ugly." I heard Carrie mumble. Jonathon glared at her, she leaned back a bit but then raised her chin at him. I smiled at her, she caught my eyes and I read her expression, one step at a time.
"I hope there's no problem over here Jackson, Hop." Mrs. Rodds said.
"None. None at all." He walked away back to the rats and Gabriella. The ball rang and everyone got up to go to lessons.
I was doodling pictures of cute little monsters on my science book during the lesson because I am such a good student. So far I had a mini minotaur, complete with tighty whities and a cleenex. The Kindly Ones, on as Mrs. Dodds, one as the grandmother on the bus and on as a fury, I called it Furylution. The Manticure with garlic bread baguette, one of those artists hat, stripy top and a moustache. And finally I was working on Briaries, the hundred handed one. He was taking the longest because 1. He had a hundred hands 2. Because I had to make them all do different things and 3. Because I wasn't sure which face to give him, he has so many.
"Mr. Jackson." Uh oh... "Are you copying this down?"
"Yes miss."
"Oh really?" I gave her my best "I'm innocent" face. "Hmm..." Which I figured meant "I can't be bothered to call him on it."
I looked at the board and decided that the gibberish on there was not important.
"Hey, Percy." Someone whispered. I turned and saw Ano Kyle and Marrick Peter smiling at me.
"S'up?" I asked.
"Was that girl your girlfriend then?" Ano asked.
"Yeah." I answered wearily.
"Nice!" They both grinned and high fived me.
"She's smoking! How'd you manage to score a girl like that?" Marrik leaned towards me.
"By not talking about them like they're objects but like actual people." They both frowned.
Both boys were known for objectifying girls. In fact it was guys like this that made me think Artemis had the right idea about guys especially since most of the guys in my school were like this. Not all but enough to make me worry for humanity.
"I agree with Percy." A girls voice came from across the aisle. I turned again and saw Azaylia Peatrick with a half smile on her face.
"Why thank you Azzy." I smiled at her.
"S'all good." Then she threw a disgusted glance at Ano and Marrick and turned back to her work.
"Ooh lardy dah!" Ano grumbled.
"Stupid beautiful girl." Marrick mumbled, obviously harbouring a crush.
"What you drawing Percy?" Ano asked. Before I could respond Marrick grabbed my book.
"Are these... monsters?" He looked utterly horrified by the idea.
"Yeah, so?"
"You don't, like, support them right?" I was in dangerous ground unsure of what to say.
"Nah, not Percy. Look at these drawings! These monsters look like pansies! If he were a demi supporter he would have made them look scary to make demigods look braver. Right?" Ano reasoned.
For a pig headed jerk face he made some logic there. Thank gods he didn't see my English book – I had some pretty accurate – even if I do say so myself – drawing of monsters. Ones far worse than these.
"Boys quieten down back there!" Ms Rakasenzesalvador scolded from the front of the room. (A/N I have a teacher and that's actually her name, shhh!)
"Sorry miss." We all mumbled.
I ended up day dreaming about Annabeth and camp for the rest of the lesson. It was only at the end of the lesson when I remembered Marrick had my book.
"Yo! Marrick!" I yelled. "CanI have my book back!"
"Oh right, yeah here." He said and handed it back to me before going off with Ano.
I was about to put my book in my bag when I noticed six more drawings. There was a mini me, and mini Annabeth, a mini Aspen, a mini Aiden, a mini Carrie and a mini Tucker. The mini me was swimming in a water bubble – I was known for going swimming a lot but I hadn't joined the swim team at Annabeth's suggestion. The mini Annabeth was kissing the mini me through my bubble – how ironic since that was very similar to our first proper kiss. The mini Aspen was hugging a tree. The mini Aiden was singing. The mini Carrie had wings and was drinking a can of red bull. The mini Tucker was riding a horse in full cowboy dress and was brushing his hair back as nearby woman blushed and giggled.
I never expected Marrick to be so observant. Underneath the drawings were our names – except Annabeth's. In its place it said Percy's girlfriend – but also it had you never notice how much we watch you. This kind of freaked me out and made me wonder if Marrick was a monster himself...
"Hey Perce." Tucker began as we were all sitting on the hill outside school for lunch. "What exactly is The Mist?" All of my friends went silent and slid glances my way.
"It's the veil that hides – or used to hide – our world from the mortal world. It's kinda like when someone has bad eyesight and don't see things properly. Well that's how it seems – or seemed. Like once I had a sword fight with Ares –"
"WHAT!" My friends yelled causing head to turn our way.
"Guys do you want me to tell you or not?" They nodded "Then shut up and listen. So yeah I was fighting Ares but all the policemen and other mortals saw guns. Oh yeah this was when there was a nationwide manhunt for me when I was twelve."
"Wait! That was you!?" Aiden cried. "I remember that story; they said you kidnapped you mom and were a terrorist but then they realised you had been kidnapped along with two others..."
"Yeah... No. My mom was taking me to Camp Half-Blood for the first time when we were attacked by the Minotaur and our car was hit by lightening."
"Doesn't Zeus control lightening?" Aspen frowned.
"Yeah."
"Then why would he –"
"Let's just say he wasn't exactly happy that I existed. Anyway, so the minotaur almost killed my mom but Hades kidnapped her. I went on a quest with Annabeth and Grover – he's a satyr and my best friend – to stop a three way war between Hades, Zeus and Poseidon. We were on a bus and were attacked by The Kindly ones – the furies. I accidently made the bus crash before it was hit by lightening. So I was blamed for that too. After that we went to Medusa's place, killed her and sent her head to Olympus." I smiled at the memory whereas my friends looked shocked, horrified and awed.
"We then made our way to Arch in St. Louis, Missouri. I may have been attacked at the top and it blew up too. I think I was blamed for that too. I then went to Denver where I met Ares for the first time and was made to go to a water adventure land to find his shield. We were pictured with him and were put back in the papers for that. After that I went to Las Vegas then L.A. and finally the Underworld and was no longer in the public eye. I found out some stuff and went back to L.A. – the water is so polluted there! - to find Ares, had a fight with him and defeated him. Went to New York then up to Olympus and stopped a war."
They all stared at me as if I was someone they'd never met before.
"And you were only twelve?" Aspen asked worriedly.
"Yup."
"How did you get out of the terrorist label?" Aiden questioned.
"I blamed it all on Ares."
"Nice." He grinned.
"How does the Mist work?" Tucker frowned as though he were trying to figure it out.
"I have no clue. I usually let other people know these things and if I don't know just ask them. However I'm not sure if anyone does know. Maybe the gods but they're not sharing anytime soon. Ask Annabeth, she might know."
"Has it always been there?" Carrie asked.
"No I don't think so otherwise we wouldn't the myths would we? Even if they're not myths... But if the Mist had always been there no one would have ever heard of Hercules or Theseus or Orion or my namesake! Perseus!"
"Yeah we get the point." Carrie interrupted me. I grinned sheepishly at her and she smiled back. "I heard that you were the saviour of Olympus?" She prompted. I guess this was story time. Story Time With the Demigod.
"Twice." I corrected. "But yeah. The first time there was a war here in New York."
"There was a war here and we didn't even notice!" Aiden exclaimed, eyes bulging.
"Yeah. Morpheus put the whole island to sleep. Each different cabin had a tunnel or bridge to protect."
"How come you didn't go to sleep?"
"Because it requires a lot of energy putting an entire island to sleep and since we're not entirely mortal we weren't affected."
"Since you're half immortal does that mean you have a longer life span?" Aspen asked.
"No – well maybe but considering the monsters it's pretty hard to test out that theory."
"Why haven't you been attacked since the Mist went?" Carrie asked. Not in a way that made it sound she wanted me to be attacked but in a curious way.
"Well monsters use the Mist too. They usually hide in schools first so they can be sure a demigod is there. With the Mist gone it means they have to be positive a demigod is there. It's been nice for us on the one hand but on the other hand we have to deal with mortals trying to kidnap us and do gods know what."
"Hey, how come –"
"Wasn't I telling you about something else?" They nodded. "Then let me finish. So yeah everyone was asleep and we had this big war against Kronos, king of the Titans. While Camp Half-Blood fought him, the gods fought Typhon. A huge storm guy who was mistaken for a tornado."
"I remember that!" Aiden grinned. "That was so annoying!"
"Yeah sorry about that. I kinda awakened him by making Mount St. Helen's blow to kill some Telkhines for Hephaestus." I apologised.
"You made that happen?!" They asked shocked.
"Yeah. Poseidon, god of the ocean, storm bringer and earth shaker."
"And you're his son."
"Yes I am."
"This feels like learning. Like a lesson. But it's interesting." Carrie shook her head as if it were the weirdest thing to of ever happened. "I think I'll call it Mistology."
"Why Mistology? I told you about other stuff than the Mist. Why not Mythology?"
"Because they're not myths. It's all true." I had nothing to say to that. The bell rang saving me from having to answer any more questions for the time being.
So yeah like I said, I'm on holiday and will hopefully update more! If you have any good Mist puns just tell me! I don't know why but they really amuse me ^_^