The New Avenger

Uggs

Percy's POV:

Of course a monster shows up on my first day of school. Because it'd be to easy otherwise. On the bright side Peter was the only witness, and he doesn't seem suspicious. On the dark side (the down side? the other hand?) I'm now covered in golden dust. And although Peter bought the whole tripping thing I think the mist had to work in overdrive. Also, the reception lady doesn't like me, I bet she's one of those cleanliness is next to godliness people. I tried to be neat today, really, but the fates seem to find pleasure in causing me pain. Isn't that nice. Ms. Reception Lady gives me my schedule and Peter immediately pulls me out of the room before I could thank her. 

"Sorry," Peter says sheepishly "Ms. Wyld isn't my biggest fan."

"Oh. Ok. But I don't know where to go." I mutter, wondering why she doesn't like Peter.

"Here, I can show you." Peter takes my schedule and studies it for a moment. "We have first period together. Its history. Come on." He gestures  for me to follow. Its immediately apparent that Peter isn't popular. No-one stops in the hallway to say hello to him, or even acknowledges his presence. Kind of sad. Of course, its the same affliction I've dealt with most of my life. When I found Camp Half-Blood everything changed for me. People were like me. I wasn't a freak. Sure, I was more powerful than most, OK all, of them, but they knew what it was like. For the first time in my life I wasn't the ADHD dyslexic kid who'd been kicked out seven schools in as many years. I was one of them. Have been ever since. One day Peter would find his people. Everyone does at some point or another. The truth is if you don't find your people and your people don't find you then eventually you'll make yourself into something your not. You find a group or you die. The end. Loner who talks to no one is a group, just not a very pleasant one. The world is a cruel place.

"Peter, thank you so much for gracing us with you presence this morning." The teacher said loudly and it was obvious she was trying to embarrass Peter as much as possible.

"Good morning Ms. Norman." Peter smiles sweetly, "Ms. Wyld asked me to help Percy to his first class. He's new here. If you'd like you can call the office and she can tell you. " Total innocence on his face. I guess he knew that Ms. Norman wouldn't call the office. Otherwise he'd be in a bunch of trouble because Ms. Wyld had not asked him to show me around. 

"Very well." Ms. Norman gave Peter a disgusted look, "Take a seat." Her face morfed into a smile when she looked at me "Whats your name?" Her smile was on overkill. A waste of a smile, by the way. Already I disliked her.

"Percy Jackson."

"Very nice to meet you, Percy." She gave me the patronizing teacher look. "Welcome to our school. I'm sure you'll be very happy here. Now why don't you take a seat, right here, yes. Lily's a very nice girl. I'm sure you'll get along wonderfully." She motioned for me to sit next to a girl with long brown, obviously straightened brown hair. Her makeup was to thick. She sat to close to me. Uggs adorned her feet. Her smile was just a little like that of a predator scoping out potential prey.  

"Hey Percy," She simpered, "I'm Lily. I bet we're going to be amazing friends." 

"Ugg." I muttered. Ha, she was an Ugg. You know, wears Uggs. makes you go Ugg?

"So you're new here?"

"Duh." I growled, wishing the conversation was over.

"So where'd you move from?" She, obviously, didn't share my sentiment.

"New York."

"Oh." Her big blue eyes widened, "Then why are you just starting here?" 

Maybe she was a monster. Then I could stab her with Riptide. Over. And. Over. Again. She was still waiting for an answer, "Why do you care?"

"Ohh, the the mysterious type." Lily smirked, "Hey, you wanna sit at my lunch table?"

"I'd rather fight a hydra." I muttered under my breath.

"What'd you say?"

"No."

"Aww, come on Perc, why not?"

I gave her a blank look.

"Did Peter invite you to sit with him?"

I continued my blank look.

"Cause he's a looser. Nobody sits with him."

"Thanks for your input. For the record, if I want your advice in future I will submit a written form. Now if you'll excuse me I need to speak to the teacher to find out what I'm supposed to be doing instead of listening to you gossiping." I stood up and stalked towards Ms. Norman. What Lily had said had made uncharacteristically angry. Although she wasn't a Greek monster (I could tell that much) she was a monster. The kind of monster that used words like knives and could steal anything with them. She was the kind of monster whose torture was unseen, and no one but her victims could see the cruelty of it. He victims might go home at night and sob but no one would saw what was being done to them. She picked those who didn't have the status to stop her. Even with the little time I'd spent at school I knew that everything counted on your status. Where you stood. What kind of friends you had. Lily made her way the top by eliminating competition.  Her throne was made of the people she'd crushed to get to the top. So in my book she had no throne at all. Only a graveyard full of those she'd destroyed. 

"Ms. Norman, what should I be doing?"

"Well according to the files Ms. Flores sent me you have some special needs in your learning environment. The special ed teacher will be working on a modified curriculum for you." She smiled condescendingly. My face burned. If I could've disappeared or the ground could've swallowed me up I would've begged it to do so. Flames of humiliation licked over me. Oxygen was replaced with shame. It was so thick in the air I could barely breathe. Class continued, as if they hadn't heard. But if they had... If they had heard what she'd said. That'd be it. I'd be the kid with special needs. 

Parts of school I'd tried to block out came rushing back. When I was in kindergarten and the teacher whose class I'd been put into refused to teach me because she wasn't a teacher for retards. In second grade when my teacher had said I needed to go to a school for disabled kids in front of the  whole class. Third grade, special classes to try and teach me how to read properly. My "special" teacher would walk into the classroom and announce that it was time for me to come for my extra help classes. Then again when I was in fifth grade, when the teacher gave me a better grade on my science fair project than I deserved and the other kids complained, "Percy has special needs." She smiled "Your tried, didn't you dear?" Her look had nearly killed me. 

"Well what should I be doing now?" I managed to ask.

"Just take a seat darling." She motioned to me to sit back down.

"If you don't mind I'd like to try what the rest of the class is doing."

 Ms. Norman stared at me for a moment, "Alright, grab a textbook. We're on page 147."

I took the book she handed me and shuffled back to my seat. Oxygen was slowly returning to the room. The textbook was heavy and the room was to warm. Even as I opened the book the words started doing cartwheels. Joy.