The Daughter Of Apollo

6 - A Magic Bracelet Falls On My Head

       What was it like falling 38 stories? Well I can tell you one thing: it wasn't fun. I screamed right when we left the window, and didn't stop until I opened my eyes and my breathing returned to normal. I said nothing as Peter made his way towards the pier. It wasn't scary to me being up so high when I was in the "sun", but swinging through NYC? Not my favorite thing to do.

I was relieved when we finally landed a few blocks from the pier and he set me down. I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. I was shaking, my legs not wanting to support me.

"You ok?" Peter asked me.

"Ye-yeah, j-just never d-done that b-before." I stammered, taking in a big breath.

"I think ice cream will help-" he started, but I yelped.

"No! I mean, no." He looked at me like I just said I liked eating gum off the seats in the subway.

"I-I have..." Should I tell him about my ADHD and dyslexia? Would he tell the team? I trusted him, I finally decided.

"I have dyslexia-" I started.

"That's why you had trouble reading from Tony's hologram." He exclaimed.

"Ye-yeah," I stuttered, a little ashamed. "And I don't- can't have ice cream, because I also have ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Ice cream will make me more hyper than I usually am." Peter just shrugged.

"Then I'll just have to get used to it." He said, taking off the "suit" he'd put on over his clothes. He then shoved it into an empty box in the alley.

"But please, don't tell the team." I told him, "I don't want them to see it as a disadvantage." Peter turned to look at me.

"I won't tell them, but just to put it out there, I don't think it's a disadvantage." I rolled my eyes.

"Try living with it," I smirked, skipping out onto the sidewalk.

"If you say so," He said, chasing after me.

A few minutes later we were walking on the dock with ice cream, despite my better wishes. Then I got an idea.

"You said we should get to know each other better, so lets each say three things about ourself." I proposed.

"Ok, I'll go first." Peter said. "I live, or lived in Queens. My best friend's name is Ned, and I go to Midtown High."

"Isn't that like a really fancy school for geniuses?" I asked.

"I guess, but it's just like any other high school. The drama, the bullies, and nerds." He said the word bullies like he was the one getting bullied.

"Ok." I said. "My turn." I thought for a moment. "I have no siblings, I like music, and..." I veered off. Something caught my eye in the water. A boy with black hair was walking out of it. "...and I know that guy." I said, running down to the beach. It was Percy. He was coming out of the surf, but obviously my ADHD brain didn't seem to wonder what he'd been doing in there.

"Percy!" I said happily. He smiled when he saw me.

"Hey Ashely, how's the tower so far?" I hesitated.

"Good. Well.. there was a monster attack like Chrion said there would be. A leathery old bad lady-"

"Oh gods... just like me..." Percy mumbled.

"What? What's just like you?" I asked him.

"The first monster that ever attacked me was a Fur- Kindley One. A big shriveled bat lady. She pretended to be my algebra teacher before she attacked me." I had no idea what he was talking about, so I changed the subject.