Zero to Hero (Percy Jackson Fanfic)

Chapter Six-Home

Friday after school found me waiting outside the Java Jones cafe. It was cold outside, and I'd only brought a light jacket, but I couldn't go inside; I wouldn't have been able to see my friends through the tinted windows of the cafe. I shoved my hands into my pockets, and bounced nervously on the balls of my feet. 

Soon enough, after what felt like an hour, a silver Camry pulled into the tiny parking lot. A grin spread across my face as I ran to greet them. One by one they exited the car, Jason, Thalia, Nico. Jason tackled me in a hug, Thalia punched my arm, and Nico sulked back by the car with his hands shoved in his pockets.    

"Percy!" Jason cried, as if I'd died and he'd thought he'd never see me again.

Thalia blew a bubble and popped it, rolling her eyes, "Let him breathe, Jason. It's not as if he's been gone for months."

We went inside and got seated. I wanted to grab a bite to eat before we took off for Camp. I know, I know. I could hardly stand it either, but hey, what's a guy to do? I was hungry! 

I picked up the menu, scanned it once, then set it back down. A good burger would be just the thing to ice the cake of a day I was having. 

"So Percy," Thalia said, leaning back in the seat next to me, "How's public school?" 

I groaned, sliding down in my seat, "Couldn't you ask about a more cheerful subject? Like what I'd like to do when we get to camp?"

She shook her head, "Nope, I wanna hear all about these, 'crappy kids at school,' and what they did to earn that title."

Nico leaned forward, "What happened?"

"Look, it's nothing really," I shrugged, feigning nonchalance, "Just this group of kids that seems to not like me very much, that's all."

Jason crossed his arms. His glasses had slid down his nose, making him look like a peeved college professor, "Right. Because that would make the Great Percy Jackson desperate enough to call Thals  in the middle of archery practice, when he knows perfectly well that is a designated 'DO NOT DISTURB' period."

"Shut up, Jason," Thalia said, "I'm glad Percy called." Then she shot a look at me, "Don't try to get me to repeat that, because it's not happening."

I held up my hands in surrender, grinning. 

"But really," Thalia continued, "tell us what's happening, Percy, or we're going to assume the worst."

I hesitated.

"Are they bullying you?" Jason raised an eyebrow.

I shook my head.

"Drugs?" Thalia added.

"Guys-"

"A cult?" Nico said without cracking a smile.

"It's nothing," I held my hand over Thalia's mouth before she could say anything more, "just some kids being butts. I can deal with it. It doesn't matter. It's not that serious."

"It's murder isn't it."

"Nico!" 

He grinned at me. I rolled my eyes. Today wasn't going to be enjoyable at all if we kept talking about this. "So," I said casually, "anything interesting happen at Camp while I was gone?"

Thalia regaled me with tales of her rather one-sided archery match with Malcolm. Jason was kind enough to update me on the Stoll's pranking; apparently without me as a target, they were tormenting the entire camp.

"Good," I was saying as the food arrived. I shoved a bite of burger into my mouth and continued speaking with my mouth half full, "It woub do dem all some good to exper'ence my tormen'."

Thalia snorted, grabbing a napkin and turning my face toward her. She dabbed at a bit of ketchup that had escaped my burger, but I wasn't paying attention to that. Behind her, just an aisle and three booths away, my eyes locked on something that made me lose my appetite, (which, I should add, is not easy to do).

"What is it?" Thalia asked, turning.

Oops.

"Nothing," I said, way too quickly, "You guys done?" 

"Percy, what-" Jason began, then followed my gaze. There were a group of kids sitting at that table, laughing and joking. They hadn't noticed me yet, but it was only a matter of time. Unfortunately I spotted both Clarisse and Piper among them. Both of them had made a point to target me directly. I wasn't interested in sticking around for them to spot me. "Is that them?" Jason continued.

This really wasn't as big of a deal as my friends seemed to think it was. Did I like them? No. Did they like me? Obviously not. That's pretty much all there was to it. I don't know about you, but I don't usually want to hang around with people I don't like. 

"Are you guys done?" I repeated. 

Thankfully, they agreed to leave the restaurant and get in the car without anymore questions. But as Thalia started pulling out, Jason wouldn't drop it. 

"Can you at least tell us what they did to you?"

I rolled  my eyes, "They didn't do anything really, I just don't like them." That wasn't a complete lie. Technically, Clarisse never actually got my head in the toilet.

"Percy, we're your friends, we want to be there for you."

"Then stop hounding me. I'm fine. Let's just get to camp." Then hopefully, they would forget about it.

"But-

"Leave him alone, Jason," Nico said unexpectedly. Thalia glanced at him in the rear-view mirror.

Thankfully, Jason fell silent. 

Long Island was more beautiful than I remembered. The strawberries shaded by the leafy branches of the forest stood out like rubies as we drove down the unpaved road. Even though I wasn't outside, I felt like I could hear the birds and insects chirping, and smell the scent of pine and smoke from the campfire.

If I expected the whole camp to be lined up on the top of the hill, anxiously awaiting my return, I was disappointed. But that's pretty much how it goes at Camp Hero. Kids came and went all the time. Some staying all the time, some only for the summer, and some just kind of had random schedules and popped in whenever they could. I never thought I would be part of that group. 

Of course, we raced up the hill. And of course, I won. 

Ouch!

Fine, I was just kidding, Thalia won. But only because she shot a highly distracting arrow (from the bow she apparently kept in the car) right over my head, just in time to pass me as I instinctively ducked and lost just a few precious seconds. She's such a cheater. 

Anyway, after Thalia thoroughly kicked our butts in a race, I suggested we go down to the sword arena so I could have a turn. Which of course, provoked Jason into his rare "Superman" mode:

"Hold on now, who says you'll be the one kicking butt?"

Seriously, this guy. 

So, the four of us spent the rest of the day trying to one-up each other in every task we could think of. Nearly twenty-three event in all in this, the Big Three Olympics. I won the sword fighting, diving, pie eating, and sleeping events. Thalia won pretty much everything else. Except for the tight-rope. Jason won that. And Nico, well, he pretty much killed us in hide-and-seek. 

And, just in case you were wondering, it was a hundred times more fun than that thing you mortals call, "school".