Zero to Hero (Percy Jackson Fanfic)

Chapter Eight- Seaweed-Brain

N/A By the way, thank you all for commenting. I'll have you know, if I didn't have people comment that they love my story so much, well....Let's just say, I have other things I am working on right now, and if it weren't for all of you, I wouldn't bother writing this anymore. But please, if you like my writing, go read some of my non-fanfiction works, because these are the things I'm hoping to get published, and it would be great to have all you be able to stand behind me when I appeal to publishers. 

Thanks for everything, you guys are awesome! -Cam

Percy's POV

Have I mentioned public school sucks? 

Okay, just checking. 

Honestly, Tuesday was the worst. Not only did I have like, eight tests because it was the end of term, but I also forgot my locker combination, and that group of kids had made up a bunch of really amusing nicknames for me that kept getting muttered down the hall whenever I walked past. 

Did they say them to my face? No, but that almost made it worse. Do you know how annoying it is to know someone is talking about you negatively, but you have no idea what they're saying. Yeah....I try to ignore it, but it's not exactly easy.

After rushing to History once I'd given up trying to break into my locker, I couldn't produce the homework that I had actually done over the weekend, because I'd stowed it safely in my locker. That was when that Piper girl came up with another nickname: "Percy Slackerson."

Trying to ignore the angry flush creeping up my neck, I glanced at Annabeth, sitting next to Piper, her pencil rushing furiously across her notes page. I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that she'd abandoned her friends to come and welcome me to Goode. I wasn't sure if she meant it sarcastically, or what. 

Whatever she meant, she was pointedly ignoring both me and Piper, who was leaning over to whisper something in her ear. Of course, when two people whisper together, your natural brain thinks, Wait, are they talking about me? In this case, that's exactly what I thought. Annabeth didn't laugh at what Piper said, instead she just said, "Shh, I'm trying to listen."

 Piper groaned and pulled her feet onto her chair, "You're such a goody-goody."

Annabeth smirked as if she found the insult endearing. 

The teacher droned on and on about something to do with Industrialization. But I wasn't thinking about that. My promise to Thalia on Friday had been that I would ask my mom to let me go back to camp. Only, when I tried yesterday, I chickened out. I didn't want to tell her that I wanted to leave her. But school was getting unbearable. The weekend at Camp had almost made coming back to school that much harder. Giving me a taste of freedom had made it seem so much farther away. I'd have to ask her before term ended tomorrow. There's no way I'd be able to survive another term at Goode.

After class, I went back to my locker, determined to open it and turn in my history homework, and maybe not fail every class. I was pretty sure my combination was 08-36-21, but the lock wouldn't budge. 

"Need some help?" said a voice as I pounded my fist on the door in frustration.

Annabeth batted my hand away, "What's the combination?"

I stared at her. This was the second time in two days that she'd approached me directly. I was so startled by this that it took me a while to realize what she'd said. "Oh, uh...eight, thirty-six, twenty-one."

She spun the dial expertly. The lock clicked and the locker swung open. Annabeth turned and smirked at me, "Seaweed?"

I blinked. Then peering into the locker, I realized what she was talking about. "Oh," I said again, blushing, "Yeah...it was a gift, from my dad. I don't like it much."

"So you left it in your locker to stink up the whole hallway?"

"That's not what I-"

But Annabeth just smirked again, "The bell's going to ring. See you around, Seaweed-Brain."

I scowled. Not another nickname. However, she didn't say it with any true venom. At least it wasn't "Doctor Disdainful" anymore.

After school, I hovered on the doorstep of my mom's apartment. If I was honest with myself, I wanted nothing more than to march in there and tell her I hated school and I'd be leaving in the morning. But, I didn't want to leave my mom. And I didn't want her to think that I did. 

Taking a deep breath, I turned the handle and strode into the entry room. Shutting the door behind me, I dumped my backpack on the floor. "Mom?"

"In here," came her voice from her bed room.

I found her lying on her stomach, her nose in a book. "Mom."

She looked up. There must have been something in my expression because she marked her place and closed the book. Sitting up, she said, "Percy? What's wrong?"

"Mom, I want to go back to Camp."

Her face screwed up in confused concern, "I thought you liked school."

I bit my lip, "Well, I...I wanted....You seemed really enthusiastic about the whole thing, and I knew it would make you happy if I went. But, as much as it's nice being home more often, I miss my friends. And school, well...I don't think public school was made for me." I closed my mouth and waited. 

My mom studied me for a long moment. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

I shrugged helplessly and she laughed, "Percy, it's all right. I know you love that camp. I thought it might be good for you to experience public school for a change, but if you don't like it, then you can go back the moment you are packed." She paused, "Although, I think we may have to do something about how often you come home."

I grinned in relief, "Thanks, Mom. You're the best."

Then I dashed to my room to throw my things into a suitcase. I couldn't wait to get in the fighting arena again, to have prank wars with the Stoll brothers, to play capture the flag with real weapons and armor. You don't get that at public school.

Most of all, I couldn't wait to turn my back on Goode for ever. Not only was memorizing schedules, class locations, and locker combinations really hard for someone who'd never had to do it before, but I was tired of people laughing at me wherever I went, pointing fingers, and whispering behind their hands.

"Camp Hero, here I come," I muttered, throwing the first clothes into the bag.