Grace Potter di Angelo Jackson: The Demiwizard Story

I Get in My First Fight

Grace's POV

At Goode Elementary

Recess. Gianna and I are playing on the monkey bars, when some mean group of fourth graders find the need to interrogate me. They start laughing about something. I'm not sure what, but I don't pay attention.

Then their voices get louder. One girl snickers.
"Hey guys, that's her. I remember I saw that little girl crying to her big brother in the girls' bathroom. What a wimp."
A tall red hair boy nods. "She's in what, second grade? She acts like she's in kindergarten."
I drop down from the monkey bars. Gianna does the same.
She pulls me back. "Grace, don't. You don't want to get in trouble with Percy and Nico, right?"
I nod, and try to ignore the older kids. I can't.

The other girl, she really got on my nerves.
She laughs. "My older brother, Derek, he's in the high school. He told me he stepped on some emo kid's face. He found out that that emo dweeb was her brother. And then he met her other brother. They got into a fight. Derek said that the boy he got into a fight with had anger issues. Guess it runs in the family."
That broke me.
I stepped up to the girl, and punched her in the face. I kneed the other girl in the stomach, and gutted the boy.
The girl who insulted Percy and Nico was the strongest. The other fourth graders left.
We threw punches and kicks.
Smacks, slaps and insults.
Bruises were shared all around.
Then, Gianna pulled me out of the fight.

When recess ended, we went straight to the bathroom. Gianna found a box of bandages, but I told her it wouldn't do any good. When I got home, any of them would see what happened. I told Gianna I'd hide them as best as I could. Then we went back to class.

I could probably guess their reactions. Clarisse would ask if I won the fight. Percy would flip. Nico would be less angry than Percy, but it's hard to tell. Leo would probably set himself on fire. The others are hard to guess. If anyone found out though, I'd probably want it to be Hazel, because she could do some magic to cover it up.

Before entering class, I searched for any ambrosia or nectar. I found a tiny square of ambrosia, and a drop of nectar. It did some good, clearing the minor injuries. But mostly, everything was still plenty noticeable. When Percy finds out...

I willed the school day to go as slow as possible. No such luck. The lessons were still boring, but I didn't have enough time to think through my plan. All too soon, Mrs. Emerson ushered us out the door, and I saw the limo that the gods had given us.

I looked for a back entrance. Nope. I hoped Percy hadn't gotten in, and braced myself for what I knew was coming. Percy, thank the gods, was not in yet, and neither were any of the juniors who lived with me. Just Nico and Hazel.
Hazel was the only one who talked to me.
Nico just stared.
Hazel asked," Oh my gods. Grace, what happened?"
I mumble," I got in a fight at school."
That caught Nico's attention.
"Why?" He asked
Good question.
"They made fun of you and Percy, and I wanted them to shut up."
They laughed.
When I saw more shadows approaching, I ducked in the back.

Piper was the lucky demigod who saw my bruises, other than Nico and Hazel.
She whispered," What happened?"
I explain," I got into a fight. Some kids were making fun of Percy and Nico. I wanted them to shut up and stop being meanies."
Piper nods. "Come to my room when we get home. Hopefully, I can help."

When we arrived at the house that still has a breathtaking effect on me, I ducked my head and ran to meet a certain child of Aphrodite. I didn't make it without interrogation.
Clarisse smirks. "You won the fight, right?"
I nod. "How did you know?"
She shrugs. "I know a fight when I see one. Also, you are a very bad whisperer."

Noted. I continue my short journey to Piper's room. She shuts the door and locks it.
"Why did you lock it? Was it so Percy doesn't come in?" I ask
Piper shakes her head. "No. I don't want anyone, especially Leo, to see me with a gift from Aphrodite."
"That is a great precaution."

Piper, although she won't admit it, is very good with makeup. After ten minutes, every bruise she could cover up, was covered up. Although most of the bruises were on my face, there are a bunch on my arms and legs, so I put on long sleeves and pants. I locked my door, and got out my first assignment for the year.

It was a cheesy one of those icebreaker worksheets. I flipped through it. It asked me first about my family, which somehow took up a page, then my hobbies and favorite things. I knew a first grader would pass out at this amount of cheesy questions. In fact, I almost did too. Almost. The only thing that kept me from leaving my room and venturing into the world of flaming teenagers and fork javelins, was the fact that Percy might ask about school. I am a terrible liar, and I knew that somehow the fight scene at recess would escape me.

The packet was annoying. I had to lie about pretty much everything, like who my dad was, and my favorite things to do (prank war, create a bronze weapon, not die from Clarisse's anger she takes out on our utensils.). The only question I didn't lie on was question twelve.

It read:

12. If you have siblings, who is your favorite and why?

I don't think it's fair to my brothers Harry and Nico, or my sister Hazel but my favorite sibling is Percy. He is stupid and overprotective and annoying (A real Seaweed Brain, his girlfriend Annabeth says a lot) most of the time, but when he doesn't act like a total idiot, which is rare, he is really nice. He teaches me cool things, and is always brave. Well, sometimes. He is really smart (although we all say otherwise) and he loves blue and pools and water and the ocean. I love all those things a lot too, but I love Percy a teensy bit more.

(Sorry it's not about you Nico, but we all know you are the cooler one, and don't act like a childish mess all the time, unlike some people, (Leo and Percy).)

I then decided to face my fear of the thing known as Percy.

I knock on his door.
He hollers," If Leo is on fire again, please just spray him with fire retardant."
I smile. "Not Leo."
He opens the door.
"Good to know. There's only room for one Leo flaming Valdez in this world."
"You bet there is!" shouts Leo from downstairs
"I got the fire extinguisher!" Jason yells

Percy shuts the door, and I begin to roll up my sleeve.
"Percy," I say, scared of his reaction. "I got into a fight at school."
"With a monster? Please tell me you had your dagger, Grace."
"No, no. With some mortals."
"Why Grace?" Percy asks
"They made fun of you and Nico. I didn't want them to. They are not allowed to insult my big brothers."
Percy nods. "Grace, you didn't need to do that. You got really hurt. You never have to do that for me, or anyone."
I nod, (not) regretting every punch I threw. "Fine. But if it makes you feel a bit better, I am giving you this." I handed him question twelve of my stupid icebreaker worksheet.
He smiles, looks down and groans. "English. Grace, I'm dyslexic!"
"I know. That is you punishment for being over protective."

I give him like, ten minutes, and then I hear Percy's voice from the kitchen, where Nico, Hazel, Piper and I are lounging around.
Percy hollers," How is Nico cooler than me? And I am not childish."
I high five Nico without a word.