𝐍𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒 | 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐇

chapter 3

"Sorry about that," Annabeth whispered in the hall. "They do that a lot. Especially Leo."

Percy nodded. "Yeah, it's fine, they actually seem pretty cool."

Annabeth smiled. "They really are."

"Can you tell me more about them?" Percy asked her. She nodded.

After a nice long conversation about the people in Percy's new friend (?) group, he learned that Frank had moved here from Canada with his grandma after his mom died in a war. Piper was the daughter of a famous actor: Tristan McLean, and her mom was a famous clothesline designer: Aphrodite Hassen, but Piper's parents were divorced. Hazel was in a near-death experience, in which her mother died. Now she lives with her half-brother: Nico and her dad: Hades Di Angelo. Jason and Thalia live with their dad: Zeus Grace since their mom's bad drinking habits eventually lead to her death in a car accident after she had been drinking. Reyna lives with her sister: Hylla Avila Ramirez-Arellano who is 19, and able to be Reyna's official guardian, since their dad is dead, and their mom is missing. Leo's mom died in a fire when he was 8, and he lives with his dad: Hephaestus DePelarkin (Leo took his mom's last name: Valdez), even if his parents were divorced. Finally, Annabeth said that she lives with her dad; Frederick Chase, and her brother Malcolm Chase (who was a year younger than her) and they lived next to me, since her parents divorced (mom: Athena Denarkyn) when she was 5 because her mom owned a big company.

"What about you?" she asked Percy. "What's your story?"

Percy hesitated, but something about this girl made him feel like he could tell her anything.

"Well, I live with my mom in the small house next to yours, my mom divorced my step-dad a year ago, since he used to beat us. My dad ditched us when I was 2, and, well, we're happier now."

Annabeth smiled. "It must be nice to have a mom," she whispered. They walked up to a bench nearby and sat down, chatting about hobbies and wishes and interests.

Percy now had it confirmed that Annabeth was funny and witty. She wanted to be an architect (and visit the Parthenon), her favourite animals were owls, she loved reading, doodling, travelling, and skating.

"You seem fun, Owl Face," he teased.

"You're the one who seems stupid, Seaweed Brain!" she spat back.

He raised an eyebrow, "where'd you get that one from?"

"You said that you liked swimming and the beach, so it just made sense," she looked at him and smiled. He smiled back; she was so likable.

"Hey, um," she stammered, "Jason is having a party this weekend at his place, do you wanna come?"

Percy nodded, "I don't have the address..."

"Don't worry, just ring at my doorbell at seven on Saturday, and I'll drive you there."

"Sounds good. Um, we should, um, get going. They're probably getting suspicious or something..."

Annabeth sighed, hopefully, that meant that she was just as bummed to be leaving as he was. "Yeah, you're right. Piper, Jason and Leo are probably already writing fanfiction about us."They decided on going back at different times to make it less suspicious. Annabeth would go in first, and Percy would join in 2 minutes later.

After a while of waiting (2 minutes feels like forever when you're doing nothing and you have ADHD), Percy entered the cafeteria and smiled at everyone as he sat down. Annabeth was laughing at something that Leo said, and Leo seemed proud of it.

"So," Jason teased, "why did you and Annabeth pretend that you accidentally came at different times?"

I swallowed back a choke. "How'd you know?"

Jason grinned. "I know everything."

"He was spying on you two from down the hall and heard 90% of your conversation," Hazel explained.

Percy's face must've looked worried because Frank jumped in. "Don't worry, bro, that's just how Jason is."

Percy smiled, not sure what else to do. He took another bite of his lunch to avoid conversation.

Finally, at the end of lunch, they traded schedules with him. He was in homeroom with Frank and Reyna. He had Chemistry with Jason and Leo, though Leo sat on the opposite side from them. Lunch was all together. Algebra with Annabeth, Nico, and Hazel. The free period at the same time as Annabeth, Jason, and Piper. And finally, he had choir all by himself. (He had no classes with Thalia since she was a year older than everyone.)

Once Lunch was over, Percy got his things for Algebra and walked to class with Annabeth, Nico and Hazel