You Only Live Once ➳ Percy Jackson

▹chapter 2

"Mere animals couldn't possibly manage to act like this. You need to be a human being to be really stupid." --Terry Pratchett

Annabeth and I were reading a book in front of the cabin when Chiron and Percy approached us.

"Annabeth, Tessa," Chiron said, "I have masters' archery class at noon. Would you take Percy from here?"

"Yes, sir." We both responded at the same time

"Cabin eleven," Chiron told Percy, gesturing towards the doorway. "Make yourself at home."

"Well, then," Chiron said. "Good luck, Percy. I'll see you at dinner." When he said that he galloped away toward the archery range

"Well?" Annabeth prompted Percy when he didn't move a muscle. "Go on." He then tripped coming in the door. There were some snickers from the campers, but none of them said anything. I announced, "Percy Jackson, meet cabin eleven."

"Regular or undetermined?" somebody asked, "Undetermined." Everybody groaned.

Luke than came forward. "Now, now, campers. That's what we're here for. Welcome, Percy. You can have that spot on the floor, right over there."

"This is Luke," Annabeth said, and her voice sounded different somehow. I glanced over and naturally she was blushing. She saw me looking, and her expression turned into a glare, I just chuckled.

"He's your counselor for now."

"For now?"

"You're undetermined," Luke explained. "They don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here. Cabin eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors. Hermes, our patron, is the god of travelers."

"How long will I be here?" Percy asked.

"Good question," Luke said. "Until you're determined."

"How long will that take?" The campers all laughed.

"Come on," Annabeth told him impatiently. "We'll show you the volleyball court."

"I've already seen it." "Come on." She grabbed his and my wrist and dragged us outside.

"Jackson, you have to do better than that." "What?" She rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath, "I can't believe I thought you were the one."

"What's your problem?" he was getting angry now. "All I know is, I kill some bull guy-"

"Don't talk like that Percy!" I told him. "You know how many kids at this camp wish they'd had your chance?"

"To get killed?"he asked me

"To fight the Minotaur! What do you think we train for?"

"Look, if the thing I fought really was the Minotaur, the same one in the stories ..."

"Yes."Annabeth answerd

"Then there's only one."

"Yes."

"And he died, like, a gajillion years ago, right? Theseus killed him in the labyrinth. So ..."

"Monsters don't die, Percy. They can be killed. But they don't die." I told him

"Oh, thanks. That clears it up." Oh, sarcasm, I love it...

"They don't have souls, like you and me. You can dispel them for a while, maybe even for a whole lifetime if you're lucky. But they are primal forces. Eventually, they reform." I explained

"You mean if I killed one, accidentally, with a sword-"

"The Fur ... I mean, your math teacher. That's right. She's still out there. You just made her very, very mad." I said

"How did you know about Mrs. Dodds?"

"You talk in your sleep."

"You almost called her something. A Fury? They're Hades' torturers, right?" Annabeth and I glanced nervously at the ground.

"You shouldn't call them by name, even here. We call them the Kindly Ones, if we have to speak about them." She said

"Look, is there anything we can say without it being dangerous for us?" He sounded a bit whiny and I had to repress eye roll.

"Why do I have to stay in cabin eleven, anyway? Why is everybody so crowded together? There are plenty of empty bunks right over there."

"You don't just choose a cabin, Percy. It depends on who your parents are. Or ... your parent." Annabeth stared at him, waiting for him to get it

"My mom is Sally Jackson. She works at the candy store in Grand Central Station. At least, she used to."

"I'm sorry about your mom, Percy. But that's not what she meant. She was talking about your other parent. Your dad." I said

"He's dead. I never knew him." Annabeth sighed

"Your father's not dead."

"How can you say that? You know him?"

"No, of course not."

"Then how can you say-"

"Because I know you. You wouldn't be here if you weren't one of us."

"You don't know anything about me."

"No?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I bet you moved around from school to school. I bet you were kicked out of a lot of them."

"How-"

"Diagnosed with dyslexia. Probably ADHD, too."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Look Percy," I began "taken together, it's almost a sure sign. The letters float off the page when you read, right? That's because your mind is hardwired for ancient Greek, not English. And the ADHD, you're impulsive, can't sit still. That's your battle reflexes. In a real fight, they'd keep you alive. As for the attention problems, that's because you see too much, Percy, not too little. Your senses are better than a regular mortal's."

"You sound like ... you went through the same thing?" Percy asked me

"Most of the kids here did. If you weren't like us, you couldn't have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar.The food and drink we were giving you to make you better. That stuff would've killed a normal kid. It would've turned your blood to fire and your bones to sand and you'd be dead. You're a halfblood Percy, like it or not." I just finished explaining when a husky, oh so familiar , voice yelled "Well! A newbie!"