Weird relatives

Chapter 3: Socks of death

Percy was on his way to talk with Mr. Brunner about his grades and ask for help. He was three steps from the door handle when he heard voices inside the office. Mr. Brunner asked a question. A voice that was definitely Grover's said "... worried about Percy, sir."

Percy inched closer.

"... alone this summer," Grover was saying. "I mean, a Kindly One in the school! Now that we know for sure, and they know too..."

"We would only make matters worse by rushing him," Mr. Brunner said. "We need the boy to mature more."

"But he may not have time. The summer solstice deadline... "

"Will have to be resolved without him, Grover. Let him enjoy his ignorance while he still can."

"Sir, he saw her... ."

"His imagination," Mr. Brunner insisted. "The Mist over the students and staff will be enough to convince him of that."

"Sir, I ... I can't fail in my duties again." Grover's voice was choked with emotion, "You know what that would mean."

"You haven't failed, Grover," Mr. Brunner said kindly, "I should have seen her for what she was. Now let's just worry about keeping Percy alive until next fall"

"Sir, what about Danny? You sensed that too, didn't you?"

"Yes, Daniel gives off the vibe of Underworld. They wouldn't be happy..."

The mythology book dropped out of Percy's hand and hit the floor with a thud.

Mr. Brunner went silent.

Percy picked up the book and backed down the hall.

A shadow slid across the lighted glass of Brunner's office door, the shadow of something much taller than wheelchair-bound teacher, holding something that looked suspiciously like an archer's bow.

Percy opened the nearest door and slipped inside.

A few seconds later he heard a slow clop-clop-clop, like muffled wood blocks, then a sound like an animal snuffling right outside his door. A large, dark shape paused in front of the glass, then moved on.

A bead of sweat trickled down his neck.

Somewhere in the hallway, Mr. Brunner spoke. "Nothing," he murmured. "My nerves haven't been right since the winter solstice."

"Mine neither," Grover said. "But I could have sworn ..."

"Go back to the dorm," Mr. Brunner told him. "You've got a long day of exams tomorrow."

"Don't remind me"

-Llater-

The other guys were joking around, talking about their vacation plans. One of them was going on a hiking trip to Switzerland. Another was cruising the Caribbean for a month. They were juvenile delinquents, like Percy, but they were rich juvenile delinquents. Their daddies were executives, or ambassadors, or celebrities. He was a nobody, from a family of nobodies.

They asked Percy what he'd be doing this summer and he told them he was going back to the city.

"What about you?" Someone asked Danny.

"Same here, I need to look after my little sis," he shrugged. It was a relief for Percy, he wasn't the only white raven.

The only person Percy dreaded saying good-bye to was Grover, but as it turned out, he didn't have to. He'd booked a ticket to Manhattan on the same Greyhound as he had, as well as Danny, so there they were, together again, heading into the city.