He knew his mom said he had to be careful, and he didn’t think she wanted him to use it much, but he had to! He was a waterbender!
It’s just like Katara, having to hide her bending to protect herself and her home. He could do the same, but he would also train.
After all, unlike Katara, he had easy access to a master. Katara herself.
He may have maybe kinda snuck money from Gabe.
But he’d been careful! He’d only taken a few bills, a little at a time, snuck a few from his gambling buddies too. He was smart, like Katara was with her gambling in that episode with Toph.
You’ve gotta be smart and distract them. He’d bring them beers and food, then sneak a few bills when they weren’t looking.
In the end he got enough money to buy the complete Avatar: The Last Airbender video set. And one of the neighbors gave him their old video player, a small one, they got a better one and didn’t need it anymore.
Now he had his teacher, which meant he could learn how to bend better.
First thing he had to do was take notes, that’s what all the teachers said.
He would figure out what he could do, everything according to Katara, then work on doing it.
Water was his new favorite drink, easy to carefully practice moving the water in the cup.
Watching the show he figured out all the little things to do, small bits of waterbending he could practice.
Lift the water, manipulate it, spin it, make shapes, see how far he can push it. He practiced freezing the water like Katara could, making ice cubes. He started to practice changing the ice cubes shapes.
He frowned watching the videos, they have to be really quick to do some of it, maybe he should practice running?
And he needs to learn how to pull water out of the air and plants like Katara learned from the creepy old lady who forced her to learn blood bending.
He wanted to learn blood bending, he knows it’s dangerous, but if he uses it like Katara, for the bad people, then it should be fine.
Of course, in the middle of all his interesting research and learning and practicing, he had to finish the summer assignments, and then… He was gonna have school again soon.
++++++++++++++++++++
The teachers just didn’t appreciate his smarts. He knows he’s smart, he’s learning from Katara really well!
He could make the water form any shape he wants now, and when he showers he practices controlling the moving water. He’s doing good!
School was just boring! How was he supposed to pay attention to geography? He could be practicing making a water whip instead!
He scowled, it’s not his fault that the words didn’t work, he couldn’t read it when it was gibberish. He kicked a rock on the playground, he hates school.
Ugh, Katara was smart though, she was amazing and smart, he wanted to be smart! He was trying. He swallowed back the tears, ignoring the burning in his eyes.
He was trying so hard.
++++++++++++++++++++
Percy huffed, glaring at the paper in front of him.
He had to really work hard to not let the numbers float around and mix everything up. Why did they have to be so close together? He carefully printed the work, and the answer in careful bold writing.
He was going to be an amazing waterbender, and to really be amazing he had to be smart too. Mom said that waterbender’s all work hard in school, and in the northern water tribe that seems true. It’s just annoying, he bet they didn’t have dyslexia like him, and they got to do stuff with their hands! That’s so much easier!
He turned in his test then sat back down to wait for the bell to ring.
He was determined to get at least a B in every subject this year. He would!
+++++++++++++++++++
Practicing his waterbending was hard. His mom always got so worried when she saw him practicing, but there was only so much he could do hiding in his room with a glass of water, or in the shower. He needed more space, a body of water where he could actually work at his bending.
He could do the little water whip, he could control the shape of the water, turn it to ice and back, coat his hands in it, pull little bits out of the air, dry himself off with a flick of his wrist, and stop the shower water in mid-air.
But he wanted to practice the big things!
He wanted to be able to make the octopus! Or make a big wave! Or those spirals of water, or the whips that cover her arms, or the shield, or stop the rain… There was so much he wanted to do, and he couldn’t cause he had to keep it hidden.
He didn’t like it, but he didn’t want to upset his mom.
He would just have to find someplace that no one would notice him waterbending.
The pool? He could make it look like splashes there, or he could try to go the rivers, but they’re dirty… Well, he could go to them and practice waterbending to clean them?
There’s an idea!
Oh, and he should totally keep a water-bottle with him at all times. Just in case of an emergency.
++++++++++++
Cleaning the river was going strangely.
He swears he saw two weird figures in the water. One had wolfish features and a seal-like body. It was kinda scary. Especially his glowing green eyes. The other wore rags and seaweed with a big beard. His appearance wasn’t as scary, but his eyes were angrier.
Neither of the two guys spoke to Percy mind you, and he’d only caught glimpses of them. But they kept reappearing,
He just focused on cleaning the water one day of bending practice at a time.
+++++++++++
Percy learned that the fish could talk. Or maybe he could just understand him?
There wasn’t much in the rivers, not many fish or other animals. But there were some. And the one’s there talked to each other, and when he commented on one of their conversations, they started talking to him.
He learned a lot about what happened nearby.
They also made him more determined to clean the river, the fish were thankful.
+++++++++++
It only took Percy three weeks to get the octopus technique down… roughly. It wasn’t perfect, but he was getting it.
The wave tricks were harder, more water to manipulate.
But at least he was getting better at… fine control?
That’s what that wolf-seal guy had mumbled before disappearing again.
Percy guesses that’s good, so he tried to practice it more.
Cleaning the river was hard though. He was starting to try to lift the water and filter all the bad stuff out onto the shore.
He didn’t quite get it to work right, too much bad stuff was going back into the river, but he was slowly figuring it out.
The more he worked, the easier it seemed to be too!
Like how Katara went from a little bit of rain stopping to making a huge dome!
He could do this!
Plus, he thinks that the weird scary guys in the water were happy, they didn’t glare so much anymore.
++++++++++++
Percy was only able to go to the rivers so much because mom worked late.
He tended to find bits of money in the trash and told Gabe he was working to ‘earn his keep’. It made Gabe happy, and he would give little bits of the money to Gabe. So Gabe didn’t tell mom.
He felt bad for lying, but he needed to get better! Waterbending was a part of him!
He wanted to do his best, to do as good as Katara.
++++++++++++++
It was getting colder now. Winter was coming.
Percy was determined to not be bothered by it. Katara wasn’t, she could control the ice and snow.
Though she did wear a jacket…
Percy used the money he found in the river (after cleaning it with his super cool waterbender powers) to buy a waterproof warm jacket.
There, that fixes that problem.
++++++++++++++
There was a new figure in the river.
It didn’t approach him, but also didn’t disappear when he looked at it, not like the scary ones.
This one was green. As in, his skin was green. His hair was black. He looked a lot neater than the scary ones, like clean neater. With pearls and cool armor. And you know, two fish tails. He was a mermaid, or merman, Percy guessed, but with two tails.
Did all mermaids have two tails and humans just got it wrong? Percy would have to ask Elli the Eel (he still couldn’t believe that was actually the Eel’s name).
But the fancy merman stayed while Percy was there, too far out for Percy to approach (he hadn’t managed to figure how to move on water like in avatar, his ice wasn’t thick enough yet). Percy decided to ignore him for now, maybe he wouldn’t come back?
Percy cleaned the river more, he also managed to get the rising wave trick (he’d named it himself!) down at last. He was happy.
+++++++++++++++
The merman came back.
It was about a good three months of irregular appearances (he was learning big words! He’d got an audio tape of some cool stories to listen too while cleaning the river. Audio tapes were easier then reading.) from the merman before he was approached.
It was also February, and very much cold now.
He’d managed to get his ice float down now, it was thick enough to sit on, and he was starting to get good at maneuvering it. Hopefully he’d still be able to make it when it was warm.
The merman approached him when he was trying to pull up a partly buried piece of trash.
Percy’s little ice float dipped suddenly.
“What are you doing?”
Percy blinked, turning to the voice, and the cause of the dip.
The merman had come up to him, was leaning on the ice float.
“Um, I’m trying to clean the river?”
The merman studied him.
“Why?”
Percy frowned, thinking.
“I just wanted to practice waterbending, but the river’s really dirty and it’s not nice so… I just thought… I just thought I’d try to clean it?”
The merman studied him. Percy felt like he was being judged.
“Waterbending?”
Percy faltered, he wasn’t supposed to tell anyone about it. But this is a merman, that’s not the same is it? Of course, he probably just calls it something different. This wouldn’t be disobeying mom, right?
“You know, controlling the water… It’s called waterbending in the…” Well now he felt like it was childish but, “In the TV show avatar. And it’s basically what I do so…”
The merman hummed, “In the winter?”
“Well, it’s not gonna get cleaner just because the weather is colder. If I want to clean it then I’ll have to work even when it’s cold!”
The merman hummed again, “What’s your name?”
Percy shifted on his ice floe, “Percy, Percy Jackson.”
The merman nodded.
“What’s yours?”
He blinked, studying Percy again.
“…Triton.”
Percy smiled brilliantly, “Nice to meet you Triton!”
First Chapter || Previous Chapter || Next Chapter (Coming soon) || AO3
We tore through the night along dark country roads. Wind buffering the car, rain lashing against the windshield. I have no idea how my mom can see anything, but she never took her foot off the gas.
I itched my arms, trying to lessen the uncomfortable electric feel, the burning of the salt rubbing wounds. Being able to sense magic and curses is nice in theory, but I’m about ready to start clawing at my arms to make the feelings go away.
Lightning flashed constantly, each followed by a loud boom of thunder and the feeling of scorching energy crackling over my skin.
I want answers despite that.
“So, you and my mom know each other?” I questioned mildly.
Grover’s eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, even though I’m certain there aren’t any cars behind us. “Not exactly,” he said. “I mean, we’ve never met in person. But she knew I was watching you.”
… that sounds stalkerish.
“Watching… me…?”
“Keeping tabs on you. Making sure you were okay. But I wasn’t faking being your friend,” he added hastily. “I am your friend.”
I couldn’t help but doubt it, but I kept my feelings to myself right then. They had no bearing on the current situation.
If he was my friend, then why… why was he basically spying on me? And feeding the information to Mr. Brunner? Who is Mr. Brunner? Why is mom okay with this!?
“Right. So, you’re… a satyr?”
He let out a sharp, throaty, “Blaa-ha-ha! Yes, I’m a satyr.”
I nodded, “Right…”
The weird bellowing noise rose up again from somewhere behind us, closer than before. Whatever was chasing us was still on our trail.
“Percy,” my mom said. “There’s too much to explain and not enough time. We have to get you to safety.”
I could scream.
“Safety from what? Who’s after me?”
You know, beyond the normal monsters that target Half-Bloods.
“Oh, nobody much,” Grover said, sounding miffed. “Just the Lord of the Dead and a few of his blood-thirstiest minions.”
Right the fury attacked me, Ms. Dodds…
A theft, was something of Hades stolen?
…
Uh oh.
“Grover!”
“Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. Could you drive faster, please?”
I tried to wrap my head around everything new happening, I wish Triton was here. He’d say everything in a way that makes more sense. Like why I’m apparently being blamed for the theft of something I don’t know about probably from Hades.
My mom made a hard left, swerving us onto a narrower road. We raced past darkened farmhouses and wooded hills and a PICK YOUR OWN STRAWBERRIES sign on white picket fences.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“The summer camp I told you about.” My mom’s voice was tight; she was trying for my sake not to be scared. “The place your father wanted to send you.”
… the place Triton said not to go unless there was no other choice.
“The place you didn’t want me to go?”
“Please, dear,” my mom begged. “This is hard enough. Try to understand. You’re in danger.”
“Because of Ms. Dodds?”
“Because the Fates cut a string! Those old ladies from the fruit stand! Do you know what it means—the fact that they appeared in front of you? They only do that when you’re about to… when someone’s about to die.”
I froze, oh no. The Fates!? That would explain why my sense burned near them, the feelings I got from their presence, the feeling from that thread…
“You said you…” I whispered.
“No! I said ‘someone.’”
I didn’t fight him on it. My chest was tight, I was scratching my arms as the crackling grew worse.
My mom pulled the wheel hard to the right, and I got a glimpse of a figure she’d swerved to avoid—a dark fluttering shape now lost behind us in the storm.
“What was that?” I asked, I didn’t get a good look.
“We’re almost there,” my mom said, ignoring my question. This seems to be a pattern. “Another mile. Please. Please. Please.”
I leaned forward, if we got there maybe mom would be safe from whatever is following us. It would target me, not her. I’m the Half-Blood.
I swallowed.
I fingered the pen in my pocket, scratching my arm with my other hand.
The pen I wanted to give to Triton to see if he could find the owner. I really need to talk to Triton. Hopefully we get to-
My skin scorched, then the world lit up with a jaw-rattling boom!, and our car exploded.
I remembered feeling weightless, like I was being crushed, fried, and hosed down all at the same time. My skin was crackling from the residue power.
I peeled my forehead off the back of the driver’s seat and said, “Ow.”
It did not encompass the whole feeling.
“Percy!” my mom shouted.
“I’m okay…”
I tried to shake off the daze, grabbing my bag (untouched thanks to the protections on it, thank you Triton) and pulling out my waterskin. I slung my bag on my back, wincing at the way it rubbed against my scorching skin. I glanced out of the car and noting the ditch we’re in. I slid the strap for the water skin over my shoulder.
I’m shaking.
The car had been struck by lightning, that’s not a Hades power. That’s a Zeus power.
Dear Pontus, this is bad.
Next to me in the seat was the slumped form of… “Grover!” I called.
Blood trickled from the side of his mouth, my heart sank. I might not be sure how to feel about him, but I won’t let him be hurt.
He groaned suddenly, “Food,” I felt my chest loosen.
“Percy,” my mom said, “We have too…” her voice faltered.
I twisted, looking back. In a flash of lightning, through the mud-splattered windshield, I saw a figure lumbering toward us on the shoulder of the road. The sight made my skin crawl, itching with the feel of a curse, mixed with the feeling of salt in my wounds. I can’t tell if that’s the storm of not.
The figure was huge, like a football player. He seemed to be holding a blanket over his head? Or that’s part of the creature. It looks like it has horns actually… Whatever it is, it’s bad.
“Who is—"
“Percy,” My mom said, deadly serious. “Get out of the car.”
My mom threw herself against the driver’s-side door. It was jammed shut in the mud. I glanced up to see the hole was sizzling, and my electrified feeling skin let me know that was a bad idea. My door is probably also jammed, same side of the car.
“Climb out the passenger’s side!” My mom told me. “Percy—you have to run. Do you see that big tree?”
“What?”
Another flash of lightning, and through the smoking hole in the roof I saw the tree she meant: a huge, White House Christmas tree-sized pin at the crest of the nearest hill.
My skin was crackling with the power in the storm, it only seemed to get stronger.
“That’s the property line,” my mom said. “Get over that hill and you’ll see a big farmhouse down in the valley. Run and don’t look back. Yell for help. Don’t stop until you reach the door.”
“Mom, you’re coming too.”
I was not leaving her to die, and this thing would probably go after her. I’m trying to think of what it can be, and the Minotaur is the only bull creature I can think of right now. Any kind would be dangerous, and I certainly don’t know all the creatures.
Mom looked sad, her face pale.
“No!” I shouted, they at least need to be away from the car! “You are coming with me. Help me carry Grover!”
“Food!” Grover moaned helpfully.
The being out there kept coming towards us, making his grunting, snorting noises.
“He doesn’t want us,” Mom told me. “He wants you. Besides, I can’t cross the property line.”
“But...”
“We don’t have time, Percy. Go. Please.”
I couldn’t help the anger filling me. I’ve been lost since the solstice, alone and confused. No one is telling me anything, Triton can’t risk contacting me, and my mom was asking me to leave her in a burning car with so much left-over power sizzling through it that I want to tear off my skin to make the scorching stop.
I’m mad at all of them, mad at my mom, mad at Grover for lying all year, mad at the creature lumbering towards us to kill me. I just want to see Triton! I just want to be safe at home with my mom!
I climbed across Grover and pushed the door open into the rain. “We’re going together. Come on, Mom.”
“I told you—”
“Mom! I am not leaving you. Help me with Grover.”
I didn’t wait for her answer. I scrambled outside, waterskin hitting my side, dragging Grover from the car. He was surprisingly light, but I couldn’t have carried him far if my mom hadn’t come to my aid.
Together we draped Grover’s arms over our shoulders and started stumbling uphill through wet waist-high grass.
I reached out with my free hand and willed the rain to arc over us, like I did at the school.
It was harder, rubbing salt and crackling electricity fighting my will. But I pushed, mom didn’t need this too.
Glancing back, I got my first clear look at the being. It’s easily seven feet tall, arms and legs like something from the cover of Muscle Man magazine—bulging muscles and triceps and a bunch of other ‘cepts. It wore no clothes except underwear, bright white Fruit of the Looms—it’s a travesty. Triton would be horrified by its style. It’s top half was covered in course brown hair, starting at about its belly button and getting thicker as it reached its shoulders.
Its head was the worst, its neck a mass of muscle and fur leading to the enormous head. It had a snout as long as my arm, snotty nostrils with a gleaming brass ring, cruel black eyes, and horns—enormous black-and-white horns with points that you just plain can’t get from an electric sharpener.
I know this monster, both from my studies and from Mr. Brunner’s class.
I’m certain now. The minotaur.
“That’s—”
“Pasiphae’s son,” mom said. “I wish I’d known how badly they want to kill you.”
I blinked, which one was Pasiphae again? I guess the Minotaur’s parent, mom? but why call him that?
“That’s the Min—”
“Don’t say his name,” she warned, “Names have power.”
I blinked, I don’t remember learning that. I guess mom would know best though.
I glanced behind me again.
The Minotaur was hunched over Gabe’s car, looking in the windows… or I suppose he was more snuffling, nuzzling. He’s a bull, don’t they have a bad sense of sight? I’m not sure about their hearing.
“Food?” Grover moaned.
“Shh,” I hissed. “Mom, what’s he doing? Why doesn’t he come after us over here?”
“His sight and hearing are terrible,” she said. “He goes by smell. But he’ll figure out where we are soon enough.”
Okay, mom knows a lot about bulls, or Minotaur’s…
As if on cue, the bull-man bellowed in rage. He picked up Gabe’s Camaro by the torn roof, the chassis creaking and groaning. He raised the car over his head and threw it down the road.
I couldn’t help the vindictive feeling of I-told-you-so, knew they wouldn’t be fine if I left them behind.
The gas tank exploded down the road.
Not a scratch, I remembered Gabe saying.
I grinned, Oops.
“Percy,” my mom said. “When he sees us, he’ll charge. Wait until the last second, then jump out of the way—directly sideways He can’t change directions well once he’s charging. Do you understand?”
“How do you know all this?” Seriously, most of my lessons were on the sea, how did mom learn so much about land threats? Did she have lessons?
“I’ve been worried about an attack for a long time. I should have expected this. I was selfish, keeping you near me.”
Triton agreed with her though, “Keeping me near you wasn’t selfish!” He wanted me away too.
Another bellow of rage. I looked to see the bull-man starting uphill.
He’d smelled us.
The pine was only a few more yards away, the crackling on my skin getting stronger with each step. But the hill was getting steeper and slicker, and Grover wasn’t getting any lighter.
I’m glad it’s raining, the water was healing me from the damage from the lightning, just not fast enough. The crackling electricity and rubbing salt are rebelling against my power. I made vague note of the way it’s making it harder to control and heal from but focused back on the bull-man.
The bull-man got closer, another few seconds and he’d run us over. The itch was getting stronger.
My mother must’ve been exhausted, she didn’t even have the rain partially on her side, but she shouldered Grover. “Go, Percy! Separate! Remember what I said.”
I don’t want to split up, but she’s right. It’s probably our only chance. I made a mental note to research land threats more later as I sprinted to the left, turned and saw the Minotaur almost on top of me. The itch of a curse pressed in like the rubbing salt. He reeked like rotten meat.
He lowered his head and charged, those razor-sharp horns aimed straight at my chest.
I was terrified, I’ve fought two monsters before, an empousai and one of the furies. But both were quick, and the fights based on instinct. This… I swallowed the fear making me want to flee. I can’t outrun this thing. I did as mom said and held my ground, then leapt to the side at the last possible moment.
The bull-man went straight past like a freight train, then bellowed with anger and frustration and turned. It wasn’t facing me this time though, it turned towards my mother. My breath caught.
My mom had just finished setting Grover down in the grass. I could see a valley beyond the crest of the hill, the lights of a farmhouse glowing yellow in the rain, about a half a mile away.
I tried to move forward, but the itch of the curse, the crackling of the stormy power, the rubbing salt. I could barely breathe through all the feelings converging on me.
The bull-man grunted, pawed the ground, and charged towards my mom.
“Run, Percy!” she called. “I can’t go any farther. Run!”
I stood frozen, everything too much for me, the fear overwhelming on top of everything else, as the monster reached her.
She tried to do what she told me to, sidestep at the last second, but the Minotaur had learned his lesson. His hand shot out and grabbed her neck, lifting her off the ground as she struggled, kicking and pummeling the air.
I couldn’t breathe, “MOM!”
She caught my eyes, managing to choke out one last word: “Go!”
Then the monster closed his fists around her neck with an angry roar. A feeling of coiling shadows and blazing fire rippling over my skin as she dissolved into a shimmering golden form, like a holographic projection. A blinding flash, and she… she was… she was gone.
“NO!” My voice broke.
Anger filled me, rage burning at the feelings overwhelming me. I pushed past the itch, the crackling electricity, the rubbing salt, I felt a surge of energy fill me.
The rain no longer felt so foreign.
The bull-man leaned over Grover, who lay helpless in the grass. He snuffled at my semi-friend, as if he were going to turn Grover dissolve to gold as well.
No. No one else is being taken today.
I stripped off my red rain jacket.
“Hey!” I screamed, waving the jacket, running to one side of the monster. “Hey, you- you- you obtuse oaf! Are you always this stupid, or are you putting in extra effort today? Blinder than a bat if you can’t tell the difference between a Satyr and a Half-Blood. Your sense of smell must be worse than an owl’s to make that mistake!”
The bull-man turned towards me, shaking his meaty fists with a roar.
Charging towards me in blind rage.
I put my back to the big pine tree, ignoring the way that electricity blazed over my skin and waved my red jacket in front of the bull-man. My fingers flicked open the lid of my waterskin, my hand closed over the trident charm as I dropped the jacket.
The Minotaur bore down on me, hands out to either side to stop me from fleeing.
Too bad that’s not my plan.
A twist of my hand had the water whipping out and freezing in an instant, the shard of ice slamming into the Minotaur’s head, it lowered it at the last second and the ice sliced through his horns. Shattering in the process.
It roared.
I raised my hands, and brought them down, a lash of water coiling out and yanking at its muzzle, and with another movement, yanking it to the side.
It gave a muffed snarl, staggering to the side.
I pulled the charm, summoning my trident at last.
The trident gleamed, the tips glowing a faint bronze in the rain. I fell into the stance that Triton taught me, and yanked the water whip I’d wrapped around the Minotaur. I lunged forward, driving the trident through it’s ribs, and into it’s chest.
I stumbled back as the monster roared, pulling my trident out, it clawed at it’s side, before it began to disintegrate—not like my mom, in a flash of golden light, but like crumbling sand. A burn slid over my skin, familiar once more, as the sand blew away in chunks on the wind. The same way Ms. Dodds had burst apart.
The Minotaur was gone.
The rain had stopped too, the rubbing salt and scorching lightning leaving my senses, only a faint feel at the edge of me.
The crackling lightning still curled over my skin, echoing from the tree.
I smelled like livestock, my knees were shaking, my head ached, my skin felt raw. All the energy left me, leaving me feeling weak, scared, and trembling in grief.
My mom was gone. I’d killed the minotaur.
I wanted to lie down and cry, the only thing keeping me standing was my grip on my trident. I shook, standing there for a long moment staring blankly at the electric tree.
I want Triton.
“Food!” moaned Grover.
I let out a shuddering breath and turned to face him. He still needs to be brought to safety.
I turned my trident back into its charm form and moved forward, my backpack still on my back, and my waterskin at my side.
I frowned, oops, need to put the lid back in. Thankfully it has a cord connecting it to the skin or I would’ve lost it.
I closed the waterskin, my head spinning. Okay maybe dump some water on myself first.
Doing that restored some energy, but I still have to get Grover down to the house.
I bent down and hooked an arm under him, managing to haul him up.
I started staggering down the hill, towards the light of the farm house.
My head hurts, I’m definitely crying, I want mom, I want Triton, I want mom. I held tight to Grover and cried, stumbling down the hill, everything aching despite the soothing water. I’m not letting anyone else go.
I collapsed on the wooden porch of the house, I could barely see, my vision fading. A ceiling fan spun above me, the electric feeling hadn’t faded despite my distance from the tree, and now there was a new sense nudging me. I’m too exhausted to recognize it.
Two faces appeared above me, one a familiar-looking bearded man, and the other a pretty girl, her blond hair curled like a princess’s. They both looked down at me.
The girl said, “He’s the one. He must be.”
“Silence, Annabeth,” the man said. “He’s still conscious. Bring him inside.”
The last thing I felt as I passed out was the feeling of the ocean, pulsing from the conch shell charm on my bracelet.
Bonus Triton POV
What is going on!?
First Father gets accused of theft, then there’s a war brewing? Can Zeus have common sense for five minutes?
The semester without talking to Percy was stressful. I like this little brother, and he needs support! He’s just a kid, and father certainly isn’t paying him any attention. He attracts danger like nothing else too, none of my previous (annoying) half-siblings had this much trouble until they were much older.
Honestly, I’m so sick of this, if Zeus could stop jumping to conclusions faster than an octopus changes colors that would be great. I want to be able to talk to Percy, make sure nothing else has gone horribly wrong, or at least be able to look in on him without worrying that someone would sense me doing so.
But now, of course, something else has happened!
My conch brooch, connected directly to Percy’s charm, is blazing.
I can sense Percy’s health, and it’s not good.
Burns, Percy is covered in electric burns.
I nearly bolted for the door, that’s not something he can get on accident. And certainly isn’t minor like the scrapes and bruises he’s gotten before.
I snarled quietly as I realized that I couldn't leave the meeting. This is an emergency and I’m trapped in this Chaos forsaken room to do paperwork. The other deities in the room were already staring at me in confusion, and I can't let them know about Percy, not yet. So I smiled and nodded for Mazu, who came all the way from the pacific areas for this meeting, to continue.
How did Percy get covered in burns?!
Okay, okay. Let’s stay calm. Percy will be okay surely, if he’s in trouble he has the pearl. He can come to me with it. He’ll be safe. He’ll be-
He’ll be passing out apparently.
Oh no, the burns are really bad. He needs medical attention. Where is he!?
Damn it, Percy is dying, but if I leave this meeting there might be war. The sea cannot deal with the twelve way war that would break out from me majorly insulting these deities. I forced the polite smile to stay on my face while I panicked inside.
I'll go to him as soon as this is over. He'll be okay.
My stomach twisted, he'll be okay. He has to be.
Whoever hurt him is going to regret it, I will not stand anyone bringing harm to my little brother.
First Chapter || Previous Chapter || Next Chapter || AO3
I’m really glad that I have a clue as to what happened, even if the constant buzzing surrounding everyone is driving me nuts.
Someone cast a spell of some sort to trick everyone into thinking that Ms. Dodds never existed. The buzzing kept trying to affect me, but it couldn’t get me through my Purifying powers.
Thank Pontus for those.
But the buzzing is very, very, very, annoying.
One important thing I noticed was that Grover didn’t have any buzzing around him, which means that he is fully aware of Ms. Dodds. That and the fact that he’s a horrible liar.
Mr. Brunner’s buzzing didn’t lower at all, but nor did it raise.
I think he’s the source of the buzzing honestly, still not sure if he’s safe. He hasn’t asked for the pen that’s a sword that’s a pen back.
But everyone is denying that Ms. Dodds exists.
…
I may or may not be using it as practice for my purification powers.
…
It seems like a good idea (and keeps my mind off of…)
OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
Okay so one person had to go to the nurses office cause I managed to get rid of the buzzing around her with my purifying powers, and whoops…
Apparently, mortals can’t handle that.
Everyone is saying she had a psychotic break yelling about a Ms. Dodds and how she definitely exists…
So, I’ve decided that I should not test my purification powers on helpless mortals.
Katara would be ashamed of me for testing my powers like that.
I’ve also decided to rewatch Avatar: The Last Airbender for the twenty-fourth time.
Don’t judge me, it’s a great show and my teacher for waterbending!
And maybe I’ll see more about healing with waterbending, I can’t remember all the details and I need a way to learn without hurting myself first.
Purification is still cooler, but healing will definitely be helpful in the future. Besides, it’s practically a signature move for Katara, the whole world would’ve ended in the show if it weren’t for her healing abilities.
OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
Carl was excited for my experiments with the water holder, I was messing with some ice and ignoring the growing sense of doom that was coming as exams got closer.
Triton would be disappointed in me for not paying attention to my lessons now, but I can’t help it.
It’s so hard to focus when you’re trying not to focus on the fact that you killed someone, sure she was a fury, but she had feelings and stuff too.
I shook my head, nope nope nope, not thinking about that right now.
Work on the magic portable ice fish tank.
I sighed, fiddling with the ice to twist it into the right shape.
I’ll need to add the runes-
“Percy!”
I made the ice shatter into a thousand tiny pieces and melt and nearly fell off the bed.
…
“You okay man?”
I nodded, pushing myself up and pretending like my face wasn’t on fire.
“I’m fine.”
“What were you doing anyways?”
Uh…
“I was trying to do a palm reading on my hands.” Nailed it.
“Baa-ha-ha, you do palm readings?”
“No, but I thought I’d give it a shot. I was trying to see if I could pass my exams.”
“If you study you might,” Grover bleated out.
I sniffed, raising my nose and hiding a smile, “Studying is for the weak!” I declared grandly.
Grover laughed.
OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar view, fields with misty figures as far as the eye could see.
I frowned.
Where am I?
I wandered forward, waving a hand in the face of one of the figures. They didn’t react.
Yep definitely a dream.
Now I just have to figure out where I am.
I probably should’ve gotten around to reading up on prophetic dreaming like probably dad Oceanus mentioned one of those times I was there, but I got distracted.
I wandered the fields, looking around in confusion, this place was very unfamiliar.
Except, a feeling of familiarity clung to me from one direction, so I started that way.
It felt like a low burn edging my senses, I’m not sure where I felt it before, I don’t really remember this feeling.
The sound of leathery wings made me look up, my eyes widening at the three figures.
Hades’s furies.
I suddenly realized where I was.
The itch of a curse made me want to scratch my arms. But looking up, Ms. Dodds, one of the furies, is alive.
It was like I could breathe for the first time in weeks.
I didn’t just kill someone who could think and breathe and feel like us.
I almost felt like sitting down right there, I let out a breath and held back the tears.
Thank Pontus.
I woke up
OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
I practiced my Ocarina more, sitting next to some of the plants Grover has and settling the music book in front of me to try one of the basic tricks. Growing plants.
Technically it’s supposed to be done with coral and sea grass and other undersea plants, but I don’t have those. So, I just have to make due with the plants that Grover has.
Grover came in while I was mid-song, but I ignored him, the plant seems a bit brighter, just a little taller.
I smiled, it’s going alright.
Not as much as it should be, but it’s certainly improving.
OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
School was itching at my nerves. The constant buzzing was driving me up a wall and I was snapping quicker at people instead of doing it the smart way like Triton taught me.
I watched more Avatar and tried to resist the urge to break something.
I have no outlet, I can’t go practice my waterbending, I can’t talk to Triton, I only have Carl who just plain doesn’t understand.
School studies are getting harder and harder for me to do.
I could handle Pre-Calc thanks to all of Triton’s help in the past, and Latin wasn’t that hard either (why is every language but English easier? Should I try learning Spanish or French?), but otherwise… I kind of just gave up.
The buzzing stayed in the back of my head.
I threw myself into my books from Triton, devouring the information on Siren’s Song that I had been ignoring so far.
I practiced my Ocarina and paid attention to my clubs again some. Triton said they were good for me.
The buzzing filled the rooms when there was even a moment of silence.
I ended up kicked out of Model UN because of my lowering grades but music club had pity on me.
I practiced more.
The buzzing didn’t stop.
I snapped at a teacher one time too many, I’m not welcome back at the school next year.
What an underwhelming way to get kicked out this time.
The buzzing was unrelenting.
OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
I’m really glad for my starglobe. I’ve just been sitting here staring at it for the last hour.
Grover keeps giving me weird looks, but… It’s just sparkly and pretty and reminds me of Triton. It reminds me of the sea that one time my mom let me “sleepover” at a friends house. I got to see the stars from the sea and it was amazing.
“Did you know your eyes change colors?”
I looked up at Grover.
“What?”
“Well, they’re normally this sharp green, like, sea green, but you’re looking at your sparkly snowglobe and your eyes just turn like, silver-gray?”
I blinked, “Do they?”
“Yeah, I mean it’s cool.”
“Hmm, I guess I get it from my mom, her’s do the same thing.”
OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
It was the night before my Latin exam.
As much as I don’t trust Mr. Brunner, I just couldn’t figure out this one translation, and I lost the answer key.
Ugh.
I decided to go ask him, at least he would know I was trying. As long as he didn’t like, try to kill me or something, it’d be fine!
…
Hopefully I didn’t just jinx myself.
OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
I was almost to the door to his office, but something was off.
I stopped, realization hitting.
The buzzing was quiet.
I was almost to his door, where the buzzing is usually very loud, and there was nothing.
I frowned, was he not there? But the light is on?
The door was ajar slightly, and I stepped closer, as quiet as I can be.
“… worried about Percy, sir.”
I stopped, tilting my head. That was Grover.
My heart sank, so I was right, he is working with Mr. Brunner.
“… alone this summer?” Grover questioned, “I mean, a Kindly One in the school! Now that we know for sure, and they know too-“
“We would only make matters worse by rushing him,” Mr. Brunner interrupted, “We need the boy to mature more.”
“But he may not have time. The summer solstice deadline-“
“Will have to be resolved without him, Grover. Let him enjoy his ignorance while he still can.”
“Sir he saw her…”
“His imagination,” Mr. Brunner insisted. “The Mist over the students and staff will be enough to convince him of that. He may still have the pen, but the Mist over it will stop him from realizing.”
“Sir, I… I can’t fail in my duties again.” Grover’s voice was choked with emotion. “You know what that would mean.”
“You haven’t failed, Grover,” Mr. Brunner soothed. “I should have seen her for what she was. Now let’s just worry about keeping Percy-“
I shifted back, a small creak of my rubber shoe bottom on the linoleum floors echoes through the halls.
Mr. Brunner went silent.
I slipped back, seeing a shadow of something larger than Mr. Brunner in a wheelchair pass the lighted glass. It was holding an archer’s bow.
I moved, sliding into the first door I could find and pressed against the wall by the door.
I could fight if I needed too, my trident charm in hand, but… I need time to process.
A shadow went past, clop-clop-clop passing by. Like muffled hoof beats.
A large shadow paused by the window.
Mr. Brunner spoke, “Nothing, my nerves haven’t been right since the winter solstice.”
“Mine neither,” Grover said. “But I could have sworn…”
“Go back to the dorm,” Mr. Brunner told him. “You’ve got a long day of exams tomorrow.”
“Don’t remind me.”
The lights went out in Mr. Brunner’s office.
I waited there, going through what I just learned.
They’re worried about me, whether about my health of something else to do with me…
The buzzing is probably this Mist that he talked about, I’m not sure what that is, a spell of some kind I suppose. When I can talk to Triton again I’ll ask. Maybe it’s a land magic?
Mr. Brunner, whoever he is, has no idea that I know about gods and mythical beings and the like. I can use that to my advantage if he is actually a threat.
They know about the winter solstice mess, all I know is that there’s been a theft.
I frowned, are they blaming me too? And what’s this about a summer solstice deadline? That sounds bad.
Why do they need me to mature more? What do they need to worry about keeping me from? What’s going on?
One thing I’m sure of, Mr. Brunner is definitely not human. Some human animal crossover based on the sounds I heard. Horse half? Centaur? That’s the best I’ve got right now. I’ll look into it more later.
I stood in the dark waiting.
Grover is working with him though.
My chest hurt, could I trust Grover? Was he just going to attack me? Try to hurt me?
I want Triton, I want Triton so badly. He would know what to do.
But I can’t. Triton said not to contact him until things calmed down.
Based on Grover and Mr. Brunner, things are definitely not calm.
I stood in the dark.
OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
I returned to my room when I calmed, nodding to Grover and settling back down with my notes.
“Hey,” He said, bleary-eyed. “You gonna be ready for this test?”
I glanced over, trying to bury any emotions, Triton had said that Grover might have empathic abilities and I can’t let him know what I’m feeling.
I forced a smile, “Yeah, I’ll be fine.” I faked a yawn, “I think I’m gonna go to bed now though. Too tired to get much more done.”
And I am tired, I’m so tired of being here.
I just want to go home, see my mom, hug her, talk to Triton.
I want to be back in the still dirty (but much improved) river and cleaning it and talking to the fish and other sea animals.
I want to go to events with Triton and talk to my merfolk friends and trade notes on our powers.
I don’t want to be here wondering if my friend is going to betray me and attack me. I don’t want to wonder if my teacher is going to try to hurt me.
I just want home.
OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
Honestly, I fell asleep trying not to cry, so when I woke up in my probable dad’s palace, hidden in an alcove, I kinda burst into tears.
It’s like my dreams are trying to comfort me.
I curled up and cried, this year sucks.
Everything first semester was bad, but since the solstice I’ve been so alone.
Everything aches I just want to see Triton, to talk to my friends, to not be so utterly alone.
I can’t trust Grover, I can’t trust Mr. Brunner, I certainly can’t trust any of the other students in the school.
“Oh dear…”
Soothing curls wrapped around me, banishing the cold currents that felt so like my probable dad’s palace.
A hand was on my back, I couldn’t really see through the tears though.
“Hush now little Half-Blood, it’s alright.”
I took a few minutes to calm my breathing, to stop the tears, the unknown person whispering soothing words the whole time.
When I could finally look at them, I finally saw the Titaness Tethys.
…
Oh no, don’t tell me I just cried like an idiot in front of my probable dad’s wife.
I want to curl up and die, why me.
She settled next to me in the alcove, her hand still rubbing my back, “Are you feeling better?”
I swallowed, nodding.
“Yes Tethys-ran” I whispered.
Using the proper terms of respect are important. Ran is for queen, which she is, Ari would be for king.
She smiled at me, “There, that’s better. Let’s get you something to eat hmm?”
I nodded, letting her tug me out of the alcove.
“We still have only caught the beginning of your name little half-blood, starts with a P right?”
I flushed, “It’s Percy, Tethys-ran.”
“Ah, then a pleasure to meet you Percy-tou”
I flushed, tou is used for children regardless of gender, it’s basically calling them cute little one.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you to, Tethys-ran.”
She led me to the kitchens it seems. There’s a lot of noise as they work on making the food.
Her hand was still on my back, it was grounding.
“Do you have any favorites?”
She was looking at me.
“Oh uh, I like water chestnuts? And uh frozen Plumose? Um…”
She smiled, “Any meats?”
“… tuna?”
She nodded, nudging me forward as she spoke rapid Halmaheran.
“Get something -- him to eat, something on the --- end. And something -- snack on. And some --- if you --.”
I couldn’t catch everything that she said, unfortunately, but I’m pleased I caught as much as I did. She was talking really fast and had an accent I don’t know.
It took only a few minutes before she was ushering me out, a few bowls of food in her hands.
I ended up sitting with her in another alcove, nibbling on the snacks she got me. And sucking clean water from one of the plants, usually used for that purpose. Not like you can have cups with drinks underwater.
She let us eat quietly, her gaze on me.
I glanced at her, then looked away again.
“You seem to find yourself in our palace fairly often Percy-tou.”
I shifted, “I’m sorry, I don’t know why.”
She hummed, “It’s no fault of yours, though you should learn how to control your dream walking.”
I frowned, “Dream walking?”
She smiled, “That’s what this particular branch of prophetic dreaming is called, though the technical name is Hioipihaiho.”
I frowned, Halmaheran.
“You mind effectively leaves your body and travels to another place. It is different from Ahioimua, which is looking into the future of the place you are, Imuaireira, which is seeing the future or other places, Ahiomuri, which is seeing the past of your current location, and Amuritereira, seeing the past of another place.”
I wished I had my notebook to take notes.
“Dream walking is simply traveling, it’s the most common form of prophetic dreaming in Half-Bloods. None of them technically require dreaming, though it is the easiest way to receive the visions of the other forms.”
Okay that’s interesting, so I could do this awake… How would that work?
“Though slipping through the shields of our palace to prevent entrance from those trying to come is impressive. I’m very curious as to how you’ve done so accidentally.”
I chewed on one of the nuts in my snack bowl, “I don’t know, I just started showing up here.”
She nodded, “Well, it’s certainly interesting.”
It must be because Oceanus is my dad? Is this more evidence towards that? I have a lot of really solid evidence now.
I kinda want to say that I know, but I promised Triton I wouldn’t ask or talk about my immortal parent. It would interfere with my safety.
So, I kept my mouth shut and resisted the urge to tell her.
“What had you so upset? When you first arrived?”
I nibbled on one of the tuna pieces, “I uh… Just had a stressful week.”
I ducked my head.
“Oh? Anything in particular?”
“I have a lot of big tests, and found out a friend isn’t actually a friend…”
She hummed, “A sad thing to learn.”
“Yeah…”
She ran a hand through my hair, I peeked up.
She smiled, “Friends come and go like the tides, it is good to learn from your time with them, and they will leave a mark on you. But don’t let them hold you back or cling to what has passed. If they are not your friend accept that and move forward, else you will drown.”
I relaxed, she’s not wrong. Grover was apparently not really trying to be my friend, he was spying on me?
Regardless of what he was doing, I just have to accept it.
It hurts, but… it would be better for me to move on.
I nodded, “Thanks.”
“Well, I believe it is time for you to wake. I’ve already held you here longer than you should’ve been.”
She gathered our bowls and flicked away.
Almost immediately I felt the yank at me. Like a strong current tugging me away.
“Stay safe Percy-tou.”
Oh.
I woke up.
OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
I finished the Latin exam.
I know that I messed up like half the grammar, but the translation to English wasn’t too hard, I could use context for some of the grammar, and I’m good at the word definitions so that was easy at least. The few history questions were annoying, but I didn’t struggle too badly.
The buzzing in my ear made it hard to focus though.
I think I managed a C? Maybe even a B if my guessing for the grammar was good enough.
I’ll just have to wait and see I guess.
I started to head out when Mr. Brunner called me back.
I swallowed back my fear that he found out about me overhearing him last night, he wouldn’t call me out for that in front of the class.
“Percy,” he said. “Don’t be discouraged about leaving Yancy. It’s… it’s for the best.”
My heart sank, I know that I can’t trust him, really, I do, but… I couldn’t help but like him as a teacher.
It hurt to hear him say that, in front of the whole class too.
The other students snickered, Nancy sent me a smug grin.
“Okay, sir.” I mumbled.
“I mean…” Mr. Brunner wheeled his chair back and forth, like he wasn’t sure what to say. “this isn’t the right place for you. It was only a matter of time.”
What does he mean by that?! That I’m destined to be kicked out? That despite the high standards he’s been holding me to he had zero faith in me? That he was going to insure I would be kicked out if it wasn’t something else?
“Right,” I whispered.
“No, no,” Mr. Brunner said. “Oh, confound it all. What I’m trying to say… you’re not normal, Percy. That’s-“
“Thanks,” I blurted, holding back my fear that he could know about my power, “Thanks a lot, sir, for reminding me.”
I bolted, hearing his call as I fled.
OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
The last day of term had finally arrived.
I gathered up my notebooks, my waterskin, my assorted gifts from Triton and my friends, Carl in his new transportable tank, and carefully put everything up in my two bags, my waterskin on top. My suitcase held the extra and all of my clothes.
The other guys were talking about their plans for their breaks.
They’re all juvenile delinquents like me, kids that can’t manage it in other schools, but they’re rich ones.
Doesn’t mean I have to let them know that I’m not doing much unless Triton can contact me soon. I probably shouldn’t even go to the river until Triton gets ahold of me.
One of them asked what I was doing this summer.
“I’ll be visiting some of my friends overseas. I haven’t seen them since winter break.” I flashed them a bright smile that hid the ache in my chest as they questioned me more.
“Where do they live?”
“Oh, on some islands a bit out. They’re a bit spread out, so I’ll probably move around some.”
“That’s cool, looking forward to it?”
“Yeah,” I grinned, “They’re a lot of fun.”
They went back to talking about their trips but did leave an opening for me to join if I wanted.
I didn’t, they were all kind of jerks to Grover, but I appreciated it.
The only person that I was nervous about saying goodbye to was Grover. Even with Tethys’s advice, even knowing that he may try to harm me, it’s so hard to let it go.
Turns out I don’t have to yet though because he’s coming with me. We have tickets on the same Greyhound bus to Manhattan.
Seems suspicious.
OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
Grover is clearly very nervous, glancing around and down the aisles, watching the passengers. It was similar to how he acted every time we left Yancy. I ducked my head and didn’t say anything about it.
“Hey Percy?”
I glanced at him, “Yeah?”
“I uh, I know that uh, that we’re going different ways this summer. But…. I thought, uh, here-“
He handed me a card, “Just take this, in case you need me this summer.”
I took the card, which is in the most obnoxious fancy script that took me a minute of squinting at to read.
Grover Underwood
Keeper
Half-Blood Hill
Long Island, New York
(800) 009-0009
My heart almost stopped, Half-Blood Hill.
What does this have to do with Half-Bloods?
“What’s Half-“
“Don’t say it aloud!” He yelped, “That’s my, um… summer address.”
I stared at him, is he trying to trick me into going into some sort of trap?
“Okay, so if I want to visit.”
“Or… or if you need me.” He nodded.
“Why would I need you?”
I couldn’t help the bitter words. How could I trust him after what I overheard the other day?
Grover blushed right down to his Adam’s apple. “Look, Percy, the truth is, I—I kind of have to protect you.”
I stared at him, the likely mythological being that I’m half convinced is supposed to be assassinating me.
“Grover, what exactly are you protecting me from?”
Could I have misunderstood?
Suddenly there was a huge grinding noise under our feet. Black smoke poured from the dashboard and the whole bus filled with a smell like rotten eggs. The driver cursed and limped the Greyhound over to the side of the highway.
After a few minutes clanking around in the engine compartment, the driver announced we’d all have to get off. Grover and I filed outside with everyone else, and my senses were on fire.
It was like a web of feeling, fabric flowing over me, almost sparking as it moved.
My head snapped around, on the other side of the road, across four lanes of asphalt shimmering with afternoon heat, was an old-fashioned fruit stand.
There, next to it in rocking chairs in the shade of a maple tree, sat three old ladies knitting the biggest pair of socks I’ve ever seen.
And those old ladies were... dangerous.
The energy I could tell was there, it was overloading my senses.
I couldn’t feel anything but the crackling fabric flowing over me.
The lady on the right knitted one of the socks, the lady on the left knitted the other. The lady in the middle held an enormous basket of electric-blue yarn that made me feel like a knife was pressed to my throat.
The combined feelings made me want to claw at my skin, what is this? Who are they? What’s going on?
The three ladies were looking right at me. I rubbed at my arms.
Grover made a strangled sound and I glanced at him. Just barely resisting bolting from the area.
“Grover?” I said. “Hey, man—”
“Tell me they’re not looking at you. They are, aren’t they?”
I swallowed, oh dear.
“Yeah, why?”
The lady in the middle took out a pair of scissors, massive scissors—gold and silver, long bladed, like shears. I heard Grover catch his breath.
“We’re getting on the bus,” he told me. “Come on.”
I stood still, staring at the old ladies with the scissors that made my head spin, their presence that made electric fabric rub at my skin, and their yarn that felt like knives prickling my neck.
“Come on!” He called, prying open the door and climbing inside.
The old ladies still watched me, and the middle one lifted the scissors.
I could hear the snip of her cutting the yarn from across all four lanes of traffic. Her two friends bundled up the electric-blue socks and I felt the at this point familiar buzz fill my head. The three ladies were gone between one blink and the next.
At the fear of the bus, the driver wrenched a big chunk of smoking metal out of the engine compartment. The bus shuddered, and the engine roared back to life.
The prickling of a knife, the electric fabric, the head spinning all faded, almost entirely gone.
The passengers cheered.
“Darn right!” yelled the driver. He slapped the bus with his hat. “Everybody back on board!”
We got back on, the buzzing still nudging me. I pushed my power as hard as I could, shoving the buzzing trying to reach me away.
Grover looked sick, I didn’t feel great myself, but the buzzing had faded almost entirely.
“Grover?”
“Yeah?”
I hesitated, should I? I want to know… I need to know if he’s actually a threat.
I licked my lips, “What are you not telling me?”
He dabbed his forehead with his shirt sleeve. “Percy, what did you see back at the fruit stand?”
“There were three old ladies, two knitting giant socks, one holding yarn. The one in the middle cut the yarn, then they left.
He closed his eyes and made a gesture with his fingers, one I recognized from my time with Triton. A symbol to ward of evil. With magic behind it, it can do small things. Otherwise it’s just a simple hand motion.
“You saw her snip the cord.”
“Yeah. So?” Who were those old ladies? Nothing has bothered my senses like them before.
“This is not happening,” Grover mumbled. He started chewing at his thumb. “I don’t want this to be like last time.”
I scowled, “What last time?”
“Always sixth grade. They never get past sixth.”
“Grover,” I snapped, because I just want answers! “What are you talking about?”
“Let me walk you home from the bus station. Promise me.”
I stared at him, there’s no way I’m letting him know where I live. I’m not endangering my mom like that.
“Sure.”
He continued to bemoan my fate, looking at me mournfully, like he was already picking the kind of flowers I’d like best on my coffin (Forget-me-nots so I can boss people around even when I’m dead).
