Reading Pjo: The Lightning Thief

Grover Unexpectedly Loses His Pants

Confession time: I ditched Grover as soon as we got to the bus terminal.

Grover glared at Percy, "Why?"

"You were freaking me out, sorry, G-man."

"It's okay."

I know, I know. It was rude.

"At least you know that." Hestia said.

But Grover was freaking me out, looking at me like I was a dead man, muttering "Why does this always happen?" and "Why does it always have to be sixth grade?"

"That would freak anyone out." Beckendorf pointed out.

Whenever he got upset, Grover's bladder acted up, so I wasn't surprised when, as soon as we got off the bus, he made me promise to wait for him, then made a beeline for the restroom. Instead of waiting, I got my suitcase, slipped outside, and caught the first taxi uptown.

"You felt comfortable taking a taxi in New York?" Piper asked. "Have fun getting kidnapped or something."

"Why does she say that?" Zoe asked.

"New York is a very crime filled area, and it's near camp, kind of, and it's where Olympus is, so it would make sense for monsters to be there. Anything can happen and there have been cases when taxi drivers kidnap or kill people or monsters disguise themselves as taxi drivers. I've grown up in New York and I usually walked, but I wanted to get away from Grover because he was creeping me out, so I figured taking a taxi was my best option."

"That makes sense."

"East One-hundred-and-fourth and First" I told the driver.

Percy snapped his fingers and pointed at Hermes, "Don't even think about it."

Said god in question grinned and put his hands up in defense, "Fine, fine."

"We don't live there." Nico said.

"Not anymore, but for them," he gestured to the gods, goddesses, and demigods in the past, "we do."

"We?" Aphrodite said, raising her eyebrows.

"I moved in with his mom, stepdad, half-sister, and him when we were younger. We still live with them because Sally lets us, but we help them around."

"Why'd you move in?"

"Hera..." Hades warned.

"My mom died, and dad sent me to high school, so I went to school with Percy, and Sally's just that awesome." Over the years Nico had gotten better at talking about his family and had properly grieved them.

"Oh, I'm sorry for your loss."

"It's fine."

A word about my mother, before you meet her.

"Amazing!" Frank said.

"Kind-hearted! Is that one word." Hazel asked.

"I think so."

"Beautiful." Nico said. "What's your word, Percy?"

"Selfless." He said, thinking back to the Gabe situation and so much more. He wished that didn't come up, but knowing his luck, it would.

Her name is Sally Jackson and she's the best person in the world, which just proves my theory that the best people have the rottenest luck.

"Speak for yourself." Nico mumbled.

Her own parents died in a plane crash when she was five, and she was raised by an uncle who didn't care much about her. She wanted to be a novelist, so she spent high school working to save enough money for a college with a good creative-writing program. Then her uncle got cancer, and she had to quit school her senior year to take care of him. After he died, she was left with no money, no family, and no diploma.