I've always been interested in stories that have Reyna and Annabeth switched instead of Percy and Jason, and I wanted to put my twist on one.
I hope everyone enjoys.
Waking up in an unknown room was not how Reyna wanted to start her day, so when she opened her eyes and didn't recognize her surroundings, all she could was slowly look around. Despite the fact that she was in an unknown place, her posture was extremely relaxed. One hand rested on her stomach, and her other hand was tucked behind her head. Faint music was coming from the earbuds in her ear, but she didn't recognize the song.
Reyna's eyes darted around the room, though that term had to be used lightly. It was more like a cell. Bars covered the windows and barely allowed any sunshine to spill onto the dirty, stained carpet. The painting on the walls was chipped and stained. The walls themselves looked like they would disintegrate at the lightest touch.
A glance to her right showed the other occupant on the room, who was asleep and snoring lightly. The girl shifted, and chocolate brown hair spilled onto her face. Her hair was choppy and uneven, almost like she had gone and attacked it with scissors. There was a few pictures of the girl and another man on the wall, but the man looked too old to be her father.
A suitcase was underneath the girl's bed, and a dresser was to the right of it. A clock on the dresser showed that it was only four in the morning, but surprisingly, Reyna wasn't tired. It took her a few moments to slowly sit up and then stand. She examined the room one more time trying to figure our exactly where she was.
Nothing about the room seemed familiar, and it left Reyna feeling more confused. A glance under her bed showed that there was no suitcase underneath. There was only a backpack leaning on the dresser. She placed a hand to one of the drawers of the dresser and peeked inside, but there was no clothing. No pictures hung on her side of the room.
It felt like someone had just dropped her right into the room. The sheets on the bed didn't even look like someone had been laying on them the night before. It was too cold in the room to not have a blanket, even though she was wearing a jacket.
As Reyna looked around the room, she realized that she didn't recognize anything about it or even herself. She glanced down at her jacket and shorts. There was no symbols or anything to identify who she was. Her unzipped jacket showed a purple shirt that had faded words on it, but she couldn't make out what the words said.
Even though Reyna didn't know what was going on, she knew she had to get out of there. Reyna grabbed her backpack and stepped out of the room. As Reyna made it out of the room and turned a corner, someone slammed into her. They both fell backwards, and a can of whipped cream rolled past her.
A boy looked up at Reyna. He was scrawny and couldn't be taller than five and a half feet. His hair was curly and brown, and his eyes were a darker brown. The smirk on his face made it seem like he was ready to cause trouble, if he hadn't already.
"Reyna, you're awake," the boy said. He quickly grabbed the can of whipped cream and hid it behind his back. He stood and smiled at her, trying to look completely innocent. Reyna just stared at him and tried to remember him. She was sure that she had never seen him before. "This is totally for pancakes and nothing else. Are you, by chance, going back to bed soon?"
The boy acted like the two of them were friends. He had called her Reyna. Gods, she didn't even know her own name. Wait, gods? Reyna frowned, but a hand moved in front of her face. She blinked and looked back at the boy.
"Earth to Reyna. Are you there? Captain Leo is calling you," the boy, apparently named Leo, said. Leo smiled at her and looked around the hallway. "You don't look like you're feeling too well."
"Who are you?" Reyna asked. She watched Leo, but all he did was raise an eyebrow. He seemed confused by the fact that she didn't know him. Reyna really did try to remember him, but she didn't remember anything. If he hadn't said her name, she wouldn't even know what it was.
"Captain Leo, of course," the boy answered. He smiled brightly, but when a smile wasn't returned, he frowned. "You don't like my joke, do you? Are you in that bad of a mood, or are you still mad about what happened yesterday?"
"Who are you?" Reyna repeated. She felt her posture stiffen, and her jaw clenched. Leo simply blinked at her. He didn't seem intimidated, and in fact, it seemed like he was use to the behavior. If so, why didn't she recognize him?
"You really need better jokes than this," Leo commented. He sighed and dramatically placed a hand to Reyna's shoulder. She pulled away and glared at him. "Seriously, this isn't that funny, Reyna. I told you that I can give you classes on how to be funny."
"Look, I don't know who you are," Reyna said. She did her best to keep any venom out of her voice, and it took her a moment to take a deep breath. Panic was starting to hit her like a brick "I don't know who I am. I don't even know my name."
Leo frowned and studied her with an odd look. He opened his mouth and looked like he was going to make a joke. Instead, he closed it and crossed his arms. Reyna shook her head and continued. "I am not playing any kind of practical joke on you. I seriously have no clue where I am or who anyone is."
"So, you do have a concussion," Leo said. He shook his head and sighed. Leo almost looked like he was scolding Reyna. "I knew you were just acting tough in front of everyone. No one can take a baseball to the head without an side effects."
"Baseball?" Reyna asked. What in the world was Leo talking about? A baseball to the head? It didn't make any sense to Reyna, and it didn't feel like she had a concussion. Her mind wasn't foggy or anything. She was just confused.
"Let me give you the run down. I am Leo: your best friend. We are at a place called the Wilderness School. It's a place for kids that society just can't handle, so they throw us in here to rot or to, and this happens very rarely, actually become a useful member of society," Leo explained. He smiled at Reyna. "Anything coming back yet?"
"I don't have a concussion," Reyna decided. Something told her that she had a concussion or two in her lifetime, but at the moment, she definitely didn't. "If I did have one, I would be able to remember something. Leo, I don't know my name. I don't know anything. Nothing you just said to me rings a bell."
"Let's talk to the expert," Leo said. He winked at Reyna and grabbed onto her shoulder. It took all of Reyna's willpower to not shove him away. Leo led her back into her room and opened the door. Upon stepping inside, they saw the girl that had been laying in the bed had woken up. She gave Reyna a bright smile.
Reyna started at the girl's kaleidoscope like eyes. They were a different color than in the picture, and there was something in them as well. The girl stood and stretched, and Reyna could see dark, tanned skin peeking out from her clothing Just like Leo, nothing about her was familiar.
Reyna didn't return the smile. She was back to square one and surrounded by people that she didn't know. On the bright side, they would be easy to take out. The girl looked like she trusted Reyna, and it wouldn't be too hard to flip Leo over her shoulder and to the ground.
It couldn't be a good sign that Reyna was trying to figure out how to take down two people that acted like they were suppose to be friends. The girl walked towards them and grabbed Reyna's hand. Without thought, Reyna pulled her hand away and took a step backwards.
"Reyna doesn't remember anything," Leo said quickly. That didn't stop the girl from looking hurt. It almost looked like she thought they were playing a cruel prank on her. Reyna took a step backwards and crossed her arms. "It's okay, Piper. I am on the case."
Reyna took a deep breath and ran through the little that she knew. The girl in front of her was named Piper, and the boy next to her was named Leo. They were troubled kids, so they were at a place called the Wilderness School. It had to be some kind of boarding school.
"It is amnesia?" Piper asked, after a small moment. She cleared her throat and looked at Reyna. "Or, is it memory loss from the concussion that I know you are trying to hide."
"I don't have a concussion," Reyna snapped. She glared at the two of them. "I just want to know what's going on. Why am I here? Who are the two of you? Hell, who am I?"
"Reyna, you go to this school," Piper began. She went to grab Reyna's arm, but a glare stopped her dead in her tracks. Piper looked down, and hurt appeared on her face.
"I don't remember anything," Reyna said. She gritted her teeth and tried to keep herself from lashing out. They were going in circles, and the two were not listening to her. "Why do you two not understand that?"
"We should have Coach Hedge check her out," Piper said. Reyna slowly uncrossed her arms. She hated that these two seemed to know her, but she didn't know anything about herself. Reyna watched the two of them and scowled.
"He'll probably just hit her in the head to fix the damage," Leo commented. Reyna shook her head and started to pace back and forth. She couldn't just stand there. She had to do something. Reyna's gut told her she didn't actually belong at this school, and she knew that she needed to trust her gut.
"You said that I got hit with a baseball, right? How bad was it?" Reyna asked. She forced herself to stop pacing and turn towards the two. Reyna tried to relax her tense shoulders. Then, she focused on not clenching her fists.
"There was blood everywhere," Leo answered. Piper nudged him with her elbow. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, there was a little bit of blood. You needed a few stitches though. Coach said he was going to ban baseball for a whole month. You did us a favor really."
"Where did I get the stitches?" Reyna asked. She forced herself to relax as Piper gently placed a hand to her head. Piper's hand moved to the side of Reyna's head, but she frowned.
"There's nothing there," Piper said. Reyna nodded slightly and pulled away. That confirmed her greatest fear. She was not suppose to be at this place, and these two didn't truly know her. "I don't understand. You were pretty dazed yesterday, even though you tried to hide it."
Leo opened his mouth, but the door behind them slammed open. Reyna turned and watched a short man march into the room. A baseball cap covered his head, and a baseball bat rested on his shoulder. His look was complete with athletic clothes. The man couldn't have been taller than five feet, but he had beady, little eyes that focused directly on Reyna. The man spoke, "Get on the bus."
"Coach Hedge, something is wrong with Reyna. She can't remember anything," Piper began. Coach Hedge held up his hand, but he never took his eyes off of Reyna. Despite the hand that was nearly in Piper's face, she shook her head. "Can you help her?"
"I'll help her alright," Coach Hedge said. He lifted his baseball bat and pointed it at Piper and Leo. Coach Hedge then pointed it at the window. They both seemed to get the message, but Leo had to practically pull Piper out of the room. The baseball bat turned on Reyna. "What kind of monster are you?"
"Monster?" Reyna asked. What was he talking about? Did he know something that she didn't? Reyna blinked a few times and looked down at the baseball bat. It was only a few centimeters from her face, and she resisted the urge to swat it away. "I'm not a monster."
Coach Hedge lowered the baseball bat and sniffed her. Reyna took a step back and stared at him. Coach Hedge spoke, "No, you don't really smell like a monster. Are you the special package that they told me about? You smell like a demigod."
"I'm not suppose to be here," Reyna began. What did Coach Hedge mean by her being a demigod? Why was he worried about her being a monster? Did someone forget to give him his medicine? "I have no clue where I am."
"I've never seen you before in my life," Coach Hedge said. He rested his baseball bat on his shoulder, but it looked like he was ready to swing it at any moment. Reyna almost let out a deep breath. She wasn't going crazy, thankfully. "I sent a message to my camp. They're suppose to send an extraction team to meet us at the Grand Canyon, and they're suppose to pick up a special package. I don't think we should wait that long though."
"Camp?" Reyna asked. The word sent longing through her heart. She looked down and took a deep breath. Everything Coach Hedge was saying was only confusing her more, but something about the word camp was familiar. "What do you mean extraction team?"
"You can just smell how powerful Piper and Leo are. All the monsters in this area can too, but they wouldn't do anything with me around," Coach Hedge said, and he puffed out his chest. Reyna resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "You smell weird through, like a half-blood but different."
"Half-blood," Reyna repeated. That word meant something important to her, but she couldn't place her finger on it. The word was just another piece to this puzzle that she didn't understand. "What does that mean? I know that word."
"Just get on the bus," Coach Hedge ordered. Reyna opened her mouth, but the tip of the baseball bat appeared in front of her eyes again. "I don't need this headache. Get out there before I make you run twenty laps around the school. I'm going to round up the rest of you. And, don't burn anything down."
Reyna stared at Hedge's back and watched him walked away. It seemed like he wasn't listening to her either. Reyna sighed and shook her head. She walked out of the room and started to walk. After a moment, she stopped and looked back at where Hedge had gone, but the coach was out of sight.
Reyna sighed and turned back around, only to run straight into a boy. He smiled at her and showed off his perfectly white teeth. Reyna was forced to look up to meet his eyes, as he was almost twice the size of her. He had a Superman style hair cut and was wearing a football jersey. Reyna didn't like him already.
From the look in his eyes, it seemed like he had heard their entire conversation. He was studying Reyna intently. Reyna raised her chin and met his eyes. She gave him a piercing glare and dared him to say anything.
"Tell Piper that I am excited to be her partner," the boy sneered. He slammed his shoulder into Reyna and walked past her. Reyna glanced behind her and watched the boy hurry after Hedge. After a moment, Reyna forced her attention away, and she tried to work through her thoughts. Someone grabbed her arm.
"Did you forget where you were going?" Leo questioned. Reyna gave him a piercing glare. Leo held his hands up and took a step backwards. "Okay, I get it. Sorry. That wasn't funny, and I promise that I won't do it again. Come on."
After a moment, Reyna followed Leo down the hallway. They stopped halfway down the hall, at a room that looked a tornado had hit it. Piper was pacing back and forth in the room. Leo nodded to Piper and turned towards Reyna. He continued, "Until you get your memory back, you will need a crash course on life. First, you do all of my chores, so I need you to clean my room before we leave."
"Leo," Piper said. She slapped his arm and gave him a look. Leo smiled again and held his hands up. Reyna slowly leaned on the wall behind her and watched the two of them. Were these two really her friends?
"Alright, I give," Leo said. He sighed dramatically. "When I said that we were best friends, I meant it. The three of us have been tight ever since you punched Isabel in the face. Piper's still a little upset that you were fighting her battles for her, but that didn't stop you two from becoming a little more than friends, if you catch my drift."
More than friends? That would explain why Piper was being so touchy. Reyna glanced at her apparent girlfriend. Piper look away, with red in her cheeks. It seemed like she was glaring at Leo once again.
"We all got sent here for doing bad things," Leo explained. "Piper stole a car. She claims that she just asked for it, but I don't buy that, like she didn't buy the car."
"I didn't steal it," Piper protested. She gave Reyna a look that said at least you believe. Reyna simply blinked. Piper looked back at Leo. "Why don't you ever believe me? You know I wouldn't do anything like that."
"You're right, Piper. The salesman just said that you could have it, after you asked really really really nicely. That doesn't explain why he magically changed his mind and called the cops on you," Leo said. Piper crossed her arms and almost seemed to pout. Reyna sighed and rubbed her face. This was only going to give her a headache. Leo nudged her.
"Anyway, we do all sorts of things for fun," Leo continued as he shot Piper a look. "There are the ten mile jogs for instance. Fifty push-ups for your dinner. There are the field trips with Coach Hedge. He calls them educational, but it's really just an excuse for him to threaten us with his baseball bat. Anything coming back to you now?"
"No. Nothing is coming back," Reyna muttered. She could feel a ball of anger building in her chest. Why didn't she know anything about herself or where she was? A hand grabbed onto her fingers, and she slowly looked at Piper. Should she tell then what Hedge had said? Would they understand what he meant?
"The bus will be getting ready to leave soon. We should get on it," Piper suggested. She started to leave, but Reyna didn't move an inch. The anger in her chest was starting to turn into panic. She really didn't know who she was.
Reyna closed her eyes and started to count backwards from ten. She breathed deeply. The coach would be on the bus, and he would answer her questions. They were going to meet an extraction team soon as well. Reyna wasn't quite sure what the finer details were, but she did understand that she had the opportunity to get answers.
A hand grabbed hers again, and Reyna tensed. She didn't like being touched by strangers, and even if Piper thought they were dating, Piper was still a stranger. Reyna pulled her hand away and spoke, "Lead the way."
Piper glanced at her and had a look of hurt on her face. She then turned and hurried out of the room. Leo glanced at Reyna and then led her out of the room. Leo spoke, "Little harsh, Rey."
Reyna kept her mouth shut and followed Leo out of the building. The outside didn't look much better than the inside did. The grass was overgrown and dying at the same time. A concrete wall circled around the camp, with the only exit being a gate.
Reyna made her way onto the bus, and despite the fact that she didn't really know Leo or Piper, she sat down in the seat across from them. Reyna looked out the window and tried to calm her beating heart. She was trying to keep a brave face on, but she was scared .
A blank canvas for a life was terrifying. Was Reyna some monster that had committed a crime so bad that someone found a way to wipe her memory and drop her off at the school? Was she in some kind of dream? What was going on? As Reyna thought about it, she felt her brave facade crumbling. Reyna grabbed her hood and threw it over her head.
After that, she closed her eyes and focused on the music that was still playing. A glance down showed the earbuds were attached to a small music player. Upon hoping that the music would tell her something about herself, she was disappointed to hear classical music. She didn't even think that she liked classical music.
Reyna hated not knowing anything. She felt lost, confused, and a lot more scared than she had in the building. Reyna sighed deeply and closed her eyes. All she could do was wait till they were at their destination and find the extraction team. They would answer her questions, but something told her she wouldn't like the answers.