Dorm 108

II:

Percy sat on one of the school's many sports fields with the guys. It was a lazy Saturday they should have been spending completing the homework from the first week, but were instead spending it staring at the clouds and complaining about their lives and classes.

Percy was sitting up, so he could see everyone else. Off to his right, Nico was lying on the grass with his head in Leo's lap. "The Fall Season is going to suck!" Percy was glad he and Nico were becoming something like friends last spring.

To his immediate left was Jason. "Oh, it can't be that bad."

Leo was absentmindedly moving his fingers through Nico's hair, though Nico's eyes were closed and wasn't paying much attention to it. "It's because I'm not there this year to distract you."

Nico sighed. "Yeah, I'm sure that's it. No, really though. We've got a bunch of new kids this year that are completely uncoordinated and Hylla and Zoe both graduated last year, so we lost two of our best core team. I'm really unsure if Thalia is strong enough to take Zoe's place."

Luke, who had been sitting across from Percy and had been playing an "I'm not touching you" game with his brother, perked up at that last statement. "Hey, don't talk about Thalia like that. She's cool."

Octavian pushed his brother towards the grass. "Only because you have a crush on her big bro."

Luke gasped and threw one hand on his chest and the other in the air near his shoulder, like he was taking a pledge of sorts. "Shut up Octavian! You know I have a crush on Percy."

Percy could hear Jason's "Aww" and Leo's "Eww" and was pretty sure Nico was blushing before he just shrugged. Percy tried to shake all the feelings away. "None of that matters. What matters is my new roommate is wack!"

Jason pointed at him. "You say that every year."

"Ok, 1, not cool. 2, this year I mean it! And 3, sorry guys. Leo, Nico, I thought you were a little out there, but Anubis is absolutely bonkers!"

Leo started laughing as a very tense Nico reached up to softly slap his cheek. "Leo, it's not funny. Death boy is not someone you want on your bad side."

Octavian looked at Nico curiously. "I thought you were Death boy."

Nico gave the most seductive voice possible. "I prefer Ghost King."

Percy and Luke couldn't help cracking up at that. Luke at least tried to calm himself down. "I'm sorry. We shouldn't be laughing but you sounded so gay when you said that."

Leo half circled the group with his finger. "Technically, we're all kinda gay."

Octavian tried to sound all prim and proper. "Actually, you and Nico are the only gay ones. Those three are bi, and I am the only straight one."

Luke started laughing again. "Right, except for all those times I've caught you making out with Jason. How many times has that been, brother dear? For starters, nearly every month you aren't dating Rachel."

Octavian suddenly couldn't form words, so Jason answered for him in the gayest voice ever. "Oh Octy, you know you like me."

Octavian gave him a knowing smile as Percy brought the conversation back to where this whole bit started. "I'm serious. Somehow he's allowed to have his dog in the dorm room. I'm not even sure what to call it."

Nico looked up at Percy. "His name is Jackal."

Percy brushed aside the comment. "I know that. I mean, it's a cross between a Doberman pincher and a Rottweiler, I think."

Octavian rubbed his chin. "Intriguing."

Jason seemed appauled. "Intriguing? Why would someone want that?"

Percy knew it was no use keeping everyone focused, but still he had to ask. "Why would you name it Jackal?"

Nico sighed. "Anubis was the Ancient Egyptian god of funeral rites and, in a way, dead people. His sacred animal was a jackal." Everyone stared at Nico. "Look, he's really into Egyptian mythology, ok?"

Percy pulled out a crumbled piece of paper. "Oh, his band also has a show next weekend."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "And you're going?"

Percy shrugged. "Not sure yet."

The flyer got passed around. Nico nearly screamed in anguish when he saw where they were playing. "Dam it! I've told them to stay OUT of the Underworld."

"Uh, where?" Everyone knew Octavian didn't go out much, so they weren't surprised by his question. Everyone else had been there-except Jason-but he also knew of it.

Leo took the flyer from Nico before passing it to Luke. "No, really? Ah, crap."

Nico threw his arms in the air, nearly missing his boyfriend's face in the process. "It WAS the best club in town, but once more the Kanes are taking over everything good."

Percy held out his hands. "There's that name again. What is so bad about them?"

Leo pointed at the dark-haired boy. "Dude, you brought Carter over last spring and trashed our dorm room."

Luke chimed in. "And don't forget that Annabeth had to find out from Carter's sister, Sadie, before destroying your dorm again."

Leo held his hands on his cheeks and shook his head back and forth. "So many feathers."

Nico gave a smug smile. "Also, Sadie is even sluttier that our good friend Percy here."

Percy "Hey! I'm not that slutty!"

Jason ignored his friend's comment. "How is that even possible? Percy's slept with practically everyone."

Percy "Hey! Not cool Jase!"

Nico ignored the boy's outbursts. "Really. Sadie showed up with Anubis and body builder, Walt, in the Underworld one night. She made out with nearly everyone there and tried to lay her moves on Leo and me. It didn't end pretty for them."

Leo half tackled, half hugged Nico. "You should have seen my man! He kicked the three of them out. Anubis followed us from the theatre not long after, apologizing for his friends. Now I see Anubis talking to Nico in the cemetery near the Forges some nights."

Octavian always checked every possible angle in a situation and stared the boys down. "And you aren't the least bit suspicious about what's going on?"

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Why would I be? Nico's not like the rest of you. Not caring who you sleep with, it's sick!"

The boys all started yelling at everyone else for no reason in particular until Nico got them all to be quiet. "Look, Anubis is nice and all, if you get to know him. However, his band doesn't have the Underworld vibe. They belong in the Duat with the hipsters and posers."

Percy "So, you're saying that I shouldn't go see them?"

Nico shook his head. "I never said that."