Chapter 3

Bailey

Simon is...Simon. He'll always be Simon. Goofy, scientific, charismatic, Simon. But when he approached me saying that Percy Jackson was an alien, I nearly choked on my sandwich.

"What the heck? Simon!" I whisper-yelled, considering Percy was at the table next to us, by himself. He looked lonely, but I realized Simon and I did, too.

"What?" Simon, said defensively, leaning in closer. "Science proves that there is life on other planets."

"Bacteria," I rolled my eyes. "Percy is a perfectly normal guy. If there's something going on between him and Mr. Blofis, then that's their business." Simon ruffles his hands through his copper blonde hair.

"There's...there's something up. There has to be. Just look at him!" Simon said, eyes vigorously shifting between me and Percy.

Percy sat there, frustrated, writing in a notebook. He slammed his pen down to the ground, and took a bite out of his sandwich. Oddly, it was blue. Okay, that was weird, but Percy was a pretty normal guy.

"There's nothing wrong with him," I replied, continuing my noodles.

"There is! I swear," Simon protested. "C'mon." He tugged at my arm and dragged me to Percy's table of solitude.

"Hey, dude! What's up?" Simon greeted casually, though all the while he stared at Percy's notebook. Simon's face grew pale.

"Hey, man," Percy grinned, patting him on the back. When he noticed where Simon's eyes where, he quickly shut the notebook and threw it into his bag. His face was stone cold, but his smile returned so fast I doubted that it ever disappeared.

"So, what did you do over the summer?" I asked, shoving Simon and his open mouth behind me.

Percy shrugged, staring out into the East River longingly. "I was a lifeguard at Long Island Beach. And I went to summer camp," he said with a sad twinge. He looked down at his backpack, as if wishing we would leave.

"We better finish eating," I said quickly, and shove Simon back to our table. Percy looked a bit relieved, but I decided to crush that and sit right next to him. I honestly regret what I had done, but it is a crucial part to this story, so bear with me.

"Simon thinks you're an alien," I said boldly, trying to put on a brave face. On the inside I screamed at myself. Percy was never going to hang out with us again. We were freaks.

"Um...how am I supposed to respond to this?" he blushed with embarrassment and uncertainty.

"You're not," I said meekly. Where did I think this was going? What was Simon, Percy, or I going to get from this?

Percy nodded, and continued eating his sandwich, as if he was used to being thought of as an alien.

"What are you?" I asked. I didn't know where the words came from, but they flowed from my mouth.

"Excuse me?" he choked. His face was pale, like I'd hit a touchy subject. I internally screamed...again. What the heck, Bailey! This dude barely knows you, and you're asking what he is, not who he is! I wished Simon were back over here. He was the only one to decode Bailey-speak, as we called it.

"I meant who are you? What is your story?" I asked leaning in. "Simon thinks you're different. But I know you're different. There's something about you…" I trailed off, restraining myself from saying what was on my mind. That was forever ago. You have to forget it.

He looked at me funny, like he was debating what to reveal.

"I grew up without my Dad," He said, and then held back. I was sure there was more.

"And?" I said, pressing for information. He stared at me again, wondering why this stranger was so interested in his past. I realized that I may have come across as someone who wanted to flirt with him, but that wasn't the case. I just needed to know. Forget about it. I coaxed myself, but I couldn't seem to shake off that feeling that he was...different.

"I was expelled from 6 schools in six years," he offers.

"Nice," I reply, putting up my knuckle for a fist bump. He nods. His face was so familiar. I wished I could place my finger on where I had seen him before.

"You've been on TV before," I said, studying his face. "A wanted fugitive. Disappeared after a car crash, blew up a greyhound, dove off of the arch, seen with some wrestler dude. But then you were proclaimed a hero, and your mother lived with you happily ever after. I remember that. I remember locking my door, afraid." I look at him, and was 100% sure that he had something to do with me and those kids.

Percy's face was as white as printer paper. His shock proved me right, but I couldn't get over how terrified he looked. He suddenly whips his pen out. It grows into a long bronze sword, and he holds it to my throat.

I screamed at the top of my lungs.

"Dude! Dude, what the heck!" I managed between gasps of air.

"How did you know all that?" he growls. I suddenly wish that I went back to the table with Simon. I looked around, but everybody else was talking and laughing. That is, everybody except for Ashlee. She watched angrily at Percy and I. Why wasn't anyone doing anything to stop this former fugitive from killing me?!

"It was on TV!" I scream. "Everybody saw it!" He relaxed, and touched the cap of his pen to his sword. It shrank back into a ballpoint pen. It took me a moment to process what had happened.

Then I slapped him.

"Ow!" he yelped. "What was that for!" I stared at him in disbelief. Was he serious? He just whipped out a sword, a flippin' sword, and he was questioning me?

"You just tried to kill me, you dolt! With a goddamn sword! What the hell were you thinking!" I screech. Pardon my profanities, but he just tried to kill me, so I get a free pass.

He gulped.

"You saw that?"

"Of course, you idiot!"

"But...but-" he began, but I cut him off.

"Tell me. Right now. As a victim, I demand to know why the heck you carry a sword," I protest. He looks at me, as if to say, you really want to know?

"Just tell me!" I sigh.

"You're going to think I'm crazy."

"Don't worry. I thought you were crazy when you put a sword to my neck for no reason." He nodded in agreement, and muttered something about a girl named "Rachel".

"You know that fire that happened here at freshmen orientation?" I swallowed. I remembered. How could I forget? I was rushed out of the gym, smoke in my eyes and hair. That was very possibly the worst day of my life.

"Yes," I mumble in reply.

"That was me...sort of." I almost fall off of my seat.

"Weren't you charged for assaulting a cheerleader or something?" I asked. He blushes and nods. I could tell there was more to the story, but he wasn't willing to talk. If there was more to this story, I would have to figure it out myself. I snatched the pen from his hand.

"Hey!" he protested, but he didn't do anything to stop me. I needed to know. I sliced into my palm, wincing in anticipation, but there was nothing to build up to. I felt no pain. The blade passed through me, as if I weren't even there.

"This is fake," I told him earnestly. He nodded. Maybe that's why he was so comfortable letting me have it, or holding it against my neck. I capped the sword, and handed it back to him.

"I know you have more to say," I pry, looking into his sea green eyes. They were beautiful in a kind of sad way, like they'd seen awful things. They were shattered. Maybe that's what kept me from pestering more after he said, "We'll...we'll see."

His voice was shaky, his eyes were shattered, but he sat there, staring at the river. I couldn't help but thinking of the grey eyed girl I'd seen when I was seven, huddled in the corner, wounded and upset. She'd had the same look in her eye. And I was unable to help her as she was attacked. My parents wouldn't believe me. Monsters? I had been reading too much Sesame Street. But I knew what I saw. I couldn't shake the feeling that the two were somehow related. And somehow, I knew that nobody saw the sword against my neck. But it wasn't fake. It was perfectly real. All these ideas swirled in my mind, but none of the pieces clicked. I knew what I had to do.

"Hey, Simon!" I said. But right away I had a bad feeling that we were in too deep when we hadn't even begun.

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted, I was at my friend's lake house. So I realized that it would've been awesome to have Percy come at the end of junior year, even though that's still not totally correct. But because of the war with Gaea he had missed most of junior year, so he'd have to play catch up. I realized that after I had written chapter 2, so I'm sorry guys : (. But I hope it's still good! If you guys have any ideas, make sure to PM me! See ya!