Chapter 15

Percy POV, Saturday Morning.

Percy Jackson woke up with a headache. A regular, garden-variety headache. And it was for this fact that he was immensely grateful. Headaches were never good in his life. He struggled up to his feet, and after looking around the forest for a minute, he began to walk back towards the house. He remembered meeting some girl last night. What was her name? He thought, Something with a z? Zia? Zoe?

When he made it out of the forest, and started to walk up towards the house, he saw three people standing around outside the front. He couldn't recognize them, but their conversation carried across the early morning silence.

"You're sure he's not in there?" A girl asked.

"Yes" A voice answered. "Yeah. We looked everywhere. Twice." Another voice said.

"Well look again!" She said, and the other two disappeared into the house. Yeah, that was definitely Thalia. She stood, tapping her foot and staring at the door, while Percy made his way over.

"Hey Thals" He said quietly as he got close enough. She whirled around, glaring at him.

"Where the hell have you been?! We've looked everywhere for you!" She said, causing Percy to wince in pain.

"Forest. Slept there. Please stop shouting." He said.

"Percy. I'm not shouting" She said, confused, and Percy winced again.

"Yes, you definitely are." He replied softly, looking at the ground. Thalia stood there for a moment, watching as Percy held a hand to his head, with his eyes screwed tightly shut.

"Oh my god." She said at last "Are you hung over?!"

"No. Maybe. Probably." Percy said softly, not looking up.

"I am going to kill you!" Thalia hissed. "Really? Getting drunk? I thought you were better than this!" Just then, Jason and Nico walked out of the door.

"Found him" Nico said.

"Shut up smartass! I can see that! Now let's go" Thalia replied, angrily. Percy was surprised at how angry she sounded yet how calm she looked.

"What's wrong?" Jason asked.

"This idiot," Thalia said "Got completely drunk last night, and woke up in the middle of the fucking forest!" Percy just nodded, his head still pounding. But it was nice. Normal. Still no attacks. He was lucky. "Now come on. Let's go home." Thalia said, walking down the steps, shooting one last glare at Percy.

2 Days Later

Percy thought he got off lucky. Thalia had only yelled at him for twenty minutes about going off and getting drunk. Personally, he thought his reasons for it were perfectly fine. But he didn't even mention them. It wasn't exactly an easy conversation to have. And if he did explain, he didn't want her to change who she was around him. And once she learned something like that, it was inevitable.

So, instead he stayed silent. It was something he was very good at. After all, why speak if there's no one there to listen?

And here he was, suffering through his last two months at Goode.

"Hey Jason" Percy said,looking over to the blonde walking next to him, and breaking

"Yeah?" Jason replied.

"What do you want to do after high school?" Percy asked, taking Jason by surprise.

"Uh... I don't really know?" Jason replied, confusion written all across his face "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I...uh" Percy mumbled.

"Just spit it out Perce" Jason said.

"This is gonna sound really selfish..." He trailed off, but continued. "I want to know if I have a future."

"What do you mean?" He asked, very confused.

"Let's face it. I don't have a future. But you do."

"You do have a future. You've got Me, Thals, and Nico. You've got your music."

"Well, yeah. But I need you and Nico for that. And if you don't want to stay in music, what are Nico and I supposed to do? Go back to the streets?"

"Don't worry about that Percy. First of all, I don't think Thalia is going to let you two go anywhere. I swear that she likes you more than me." He said, drawing a chuckle out of Percy. "And, even if I do quit, which is highly, highly unlikely, by the way, I think you'll be able to find another drummer pretty easily. But please don't replace me." He added.

"I won't." Percy said, cracking a smile. "But thanks, Jason."

"Of course, Perce." Jason said, wrapping an arm around the taller boy's shoulders. "Now come on. We should keep going. Gotta finish out the year with a bang, don't we?"

"I guess you're right" Percy laughed, and the two continued on, with Jason's arm wrapped around a Percy's shoulders.

Percy smiled. This was good. For the first time In his short life, he'd found someone he could trust. Someone he could lean on. Someone to share his burden.

Later That Day.

Oddly enough, Percy was having a fairly normal day. He hadn't been yelled at, threatened, or attacked all day. And it was already Noon. He prayed his luck would hold, but in the life of Percy Jackson, luck didn't mean shit.

He made his way through the crowd of people trying to make their way out of the building, only to find that outside, the crowd of people had stopped, and instead formed a half-circle directly outside the doors. "This is bullshit" He muttered to himself, before starting to shove his way through the sea of people. As he pushed his way forward, he vaguely heard a voice over the murmur of the crowd, but he didn't pay it any attention, and kept on shoving his way forward. That is, until someone grabbed him and yanked him back.

"Don't go out there." A girl's voice said. Percy looked over, and found his right arm in the grasp of the girl who spoke. She looked younger than him, A freshman, or maybe a sophomore. It took Percy a moment to realize that she wasn't looking at him like some disease. Maybe she doesn't actually know who I am. Percy thought, a strange sense of relief washing over him.

"What's going on out there?" He asked, as the girl let go of his sleeve. When she looked up at him, he saw she had eyes the color of gold. It unnerved him.

"Castellan's holding court" She answered timidly. And when Percy looked up again, over the heads of the crowd, sure enough, there was Luke.

"Jackson! Get out here!" Luke shouted, pacing back and forth across the front of the half circle. "It's time I taught you a lesson! Once and for all!"

"Ah goddamnit" Percy said, shaking his head. Like always, his luck didn't hold.

"You aren't making this any easier on yourself by stalling!" Luke called out, his voice cutting through the crowd. "Show yourself, or I'll come drag you out here myself!" Percy looked up again, scanning around the front. Off to the right, he saw Luke's Lackeys standing around, surveying the scene with bored expressions. He could easily pick out Annabeth, glaring at anyone who dared pass into her line of sight. Percy smiled to himself. This was going to be fun.

He turned to the girl with gold eyes. "Hold this." He said, shrugging off his backpack and handing it to her.

"I'll give you ten seconds!" He heard Luke say.

"Please don't go out there." The girl said, looking up at Percy with pleading eyes. It almost worked. "He'll kill you if you do." But she took his bag anyways.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine. But get out of here. I won't drag you into this." He said, and she nodded and turned around. "And one more thing..." He trailed off.

"Hazel." She supplied.

"Don't you dare let anyone touch that bag Hazel." Percy said with a smile, and watched as she disappeared into the crowd. Time to get to work, He thought grimly, just as Luke's countdown hit three.

"Two!" Percy had shoved his way to the front, and Luke walked right by him.

"One! That's it!" Luke called, his back to Percy. "I'm coming after you!"

"No need." Percy said, stepping out of the crowd, and spinning Luke around by the shoulders, before smashing his fist into the other boy's nose.

Luke stumbled backwards, his hands flying up to protect his face and stop the blood flowing from his nose. "Jackson" He snarled, wiping the blood off his face with one hand. "You're gonna die. This is the last time you disrespect me. For three years, you insult me, my family, my girlfriend, and everything good in the world with your ever breath. Now you pay."

"Then let's finish it." Percy said, a hard edge in his emotionless voice, before. spreading his feet and raising his hands. Luke charged.

Luke hit Percy with a brutal uppercut, snapping his head back with an audible crack. Blindly, Percy shot his left leg out, hitting Luke in the gut, doubling him over. Percy tried to slam his knee into Luke's face, but he grabbed Percy by the leg and flung him backwards, hitting the ground with a crunch.

Percy groaned with pain, and tried to stand, but a shoe slammed into his stomach. He tried to roll over, to stop the kicks, but every time he tried, he was met with a swift kick to the gut.

"You're pathetic Jackson. Absolutely pathetic." Luke taunted. Percy rolled onto his back, only to see Luke standing over him. "I mean, come on. You couldn't have put up more of a fight. Pathetic" He mocked, kicking Percy in the ribs again.

"Fuck...you" Percy coughed, accompanied with a small spurt of blood.

"Aw, how cute." Luke smiled, and then bent in close to Percy, his face inches away. "I know all your secrets, Jackson." He grinned evilly. "How daddy left you, and mommy died. The abuse, the cuts, what you thought, what you did...and what you almost did. I know everything. You're the one who told me, after all." He moved even closer, so close that they were almost touching, his grin growing even wider. "And let's not forget that tragic event with your b..." That was all he got to say, before Percy slammed his head into Luke's face, and one of his knees launched upwards, connecting with Luke's family jewels.

Percy staggered to his feet. All he saw was red. That little weight in his mind was back, but he didn't care. His mind was set on one thing, and one thing alone.

"My turn now." Percy said, grinning like a madman, while Luke struggled back to his feet.

"Bring it on, punk" Luke snarled, blood flowing freely from his nose, before the two charged each other again.

Luke was the first one to make contact this time, his fist shooting out, and catching Percy in the jaw. He stifled a cry as he bit down on his tongue, drawing blood, before he landed a hit of his own on Luke's face. The two were a whirlwind of blows, Luke's strength and power equal with Percy's rage. Percy managed to hit Luke with a savage right hook, followed by another hit to Luke's already broken nose, but Luke caught Percy in the chin with an elbow. He responded in kind, jabbing his right elbow into Luke's neck.

"Time to end this." Luke coughed, backing up a few steps, before lunging forward, and tackling Percy to the ground. His head hit with a crack, and he swung up blindly, connecting with something. He raised his arms up, trying to block the rain of blows coming down on his face. "You stupid bastard," Luke snarled, his every word accompanied by a punch. "Time to pay."

Percy rolled, struggled and kicked at Luke, trying in vain to escape this savage new onslaught. He lashed out with his elbow, which Luke managed to dodge, yet it offered him a few seconds of reprieve.

"I will kill you, you fucking piece of shit" Percy snarled, pouring all his rage and fury into a single punch, connecting with Luke's battered face with a resounding crack, knocking him off of him and onto the cement. He staggered to his feet, bracing himself for another onslaught. As soon as Luke charged at him, however, something reached out and yanked him back hard.

"That is enough." Mr. Blofis said, stepping in between the two boys, while keeping a firm grip on Luke's shoulder. "Both of you. Mr. D's office. Now."

"Yessir" Luke muttered, while Percy just nodded. The adrenaline coursing through his vain dropped like a rock, and suddenly everything hurt. His face, his limbs, his hands, everything throbbed with this unbearable physical pain. Luke must have felt the same, because as soon as he took as step forwards, he stumbled, and nearly fell.

"Actually, you three help them to the clinic. I'll go get Mr. D" Mr. Blofis said, pointing at some people behind Percy. Percy didn't even bother to look, because everything hurt too much. He could feel it in very muscle, every nerve. And it wasn't even nice pain, the kind that made the other kind disappear. No. it just hurt.

"That might be a good idea." Percy said, before collapsing to the ground.

Reyna POV.

Reyna stood uncomfortably looking at the two battered teenagers in front of her. She had just watched Percy Jackson and Luke Castellian beat the living shit out of each other, and then Percy randomly collapsed.

Jason stepped forward out of the crowd, concern written all over his face, but strangely, he seemed to be walking towards Percy, not Luke. Annabeth snapped out of her violence-induced trance, and raced over towards Luke, her heels clicking with every frantic step.

"Oh my god. Luke are you okay?" She asked, concerned. Whatever he mumbled in response must have worried her, because a moment later, she called over to Jason, who was just about to pull Percy's unconscious form up off the ground. "Jason, come help me get him to the clinic." Annabeth ordered.

Jason looked like he'd rather eat a bucket of slugs when Annabeth said this, but nodded after a moment and walked over to Luke, and slung his other arm over his shoulders. The crowd around them began to disperse, people melting back into the school, their lunchtime entertainment over.

With a sigh, she looked down at Percy's unconscious form, hoping that he'd wake up and get himself to the clinic. But of course, he hadn't.

"Alright. I'll do it then" She said to herself, bending down and slinging one of his arms over her shoulders, and dragging him into the school. For a 6 foot tall guy, he was surprisingly light.

As she dragged an unconscious Percy through the now empty hallways of Goode, Reyna found herself starring at his face. She couldn't see his eyes, but see didn't have to. You couldn't forget them. They were a shocking sea green, that seemed to whirl and crash like the sea during a hurricane, never calm, never still. With his eyes, his long unkempt black hair, and tan skin, he was certainly attractive. Why he wasn't one of the most popular and sought after guys in the school, Reyna had no idea. From what she'd seen, he didn't do anything to deserve to be an outcast, he just was. As she dragged him into the clinic, she muttered to herself, "Why does everybody hate you?"

"You mean you don't know either?" Came the quiet reply, scaring her to death. She looked down at Percy, an absolutely hollow and empty look on his face, before replying.

"No. No I don't."

Once she had gotten Percy onto one of the beds in the clinic, Reyna turned to leave. The nurse was nowhere to be found, her job was done, and Percy stayed quiet, staring off blankly into one of the room's corners. She was just about to leave, when Jason came through one of the doors to the other rooms, and made a beeline towards Percy, not even noticing her.

"You alright Perce?" Jason asked, stopping at the foot of Percy's bed.

"Yeah. Just fine Grace." Percy said with a snort. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you did kinda get the shit kicked out of you."

"But I was also doing the kicking." Percy retorted, and Jason grinned. Reyna stood perfectly still, silently observing two people she had never seen together act like best friends.

"How you feeling?" Jason asked. When Percy gave him an are you serious? look, he smiled and continued "Stupid question, I know. Do you think you'll be good enough for Saturday?"

"Fuck yeah man" Percy replied, a genuine grin plastered across his face. "Wouldn't miss it for the world. In fact, I've got something planned already."

"Oh yeah?" Jason asked, and Reyna suddenly felt sick. she was eavesdropping on something that obviously didn't have anything to do with her, and involved a very beat-up person. She silently slipped out of the room without either of them noticing, with the intent of going to class. but her curiosity got the better of her. She stood with her back against the wall outside the clinic, waiting. How do Jason and Percy know each other? and why are they friends? She asked herself.

After a short time, the door opened, and Jason stepped out, looking over his shoulder and calling out "Yes! I'll find it! Don't worry!"

As he turned down the halls, away from her, Reyna grabbed Jason by the arm and yanked him towards her.

"You. Me. Outside. Now." She hissed, dead serious.

Percy POV.

Two hour timeskip.

After two hours of poking and prodding, a hundred stupid tests, and a large amount of swearing, the Nurse finally agreed to let Percy leave the clinic. And so, he limped out of the clinic, through the empty hallways, towards the office. He had to go meet with the principle, and he had feeling in his gut that this was not going to end well. And after years living alone on the streets had taught Percy to always trust his gut. That, and to carry a knife everywhere he went.

As Percy limped into the office, the vice-principal took one look at him, sighed, and shook his head, and said, "Fighting again, Percy?"

"Yep." Percy said, a humorless grin on his face. "Sorry Mr. Brunner. At least I didn't start it this time."

"They're waiting for you in there Percy." Mr. Brunner replied, pointing towards Mr. D's office. but Percy could see a smile beginning to form at the corners of his mouth. Mr. Brunner had always been nicer to Percy than any other teacher at Goode. It was the simple things he did, like give Percy an extra day with homework, or excuse him from group projects. It was because of Mr. Brunner that Percy managed to get the only A of his life, in Latin 3.

"See you in detention Mr. Brunner!" Percy called with mock-cheerfulness as he walked into the office. Behind him, he vaguely heard Mr. Brunner chuckle.

Inside the office, Percy found Luke already sitting in front of Mr. D's desk, and Mr. D sitting behind it, waiting.

"Sit down Percy." Mr. Dionysus ordered, obviously unhappy. Percy slid into the seat next to Luke, and cracked a silent smile when he saw the bandages covering Luke's swollen nose. "Well?" Mr. D demanded, "Do you two have anything to say for yourselves?"

"He started it." Luke said, and Percy snorted. So fucking childish. You never change Luke.

"I was provoked." Percy replied.

"Were not!" Luke shouted, talking over Mr. D's next question.

"Mr. Castellian?" Mr. D asked after Luke's interruption.

"Yes?"

"Please shut up." He said, and Luke wisely closed his mouth and sat back in his chair. "So, Percy. You admit to throwing the first punch?"

"I was only protecting myself." Percy answered, blank-faced.

"How were...Never mind. Luke. Anything to say?"

"I was standing around with my friends, when he came out of nowhere and broke my nose." Luke said, and Mr. D. only sighed and pinched his nose.

"This is not going to go anywhere" He muttered to himself, shaking his head, before looking up at the two boys. "I'm just going to cut to the chase. I've got a dozen people saying that you started it, Mr. Jackson, and another dozen saying that Mr. Castellian started it. And quite frankly, I don't give a shit. You've both been in this office over a dozen times in the past two year. Obviously, detention and suspension isn't working."

"You're not pressing charges, are you?" Luke asked, a pleading tone in his voice. And for once, Percy agreed with him. Neither of them wanted to go to prison.

"No, I'm not. And neither of you are, either." Mr. D. replied, and Percy let out a silent breath of relief. "Instead, we're going to do something a little differently." Something about the way he said that made a chill run down Percy's spine. The sense that something was going to happen grew tenfold when Mr. D. started speaking again. "Now, don't think all the staff in this school are all complete idiots. Some may be, but I am certainly not. I've seen what goes on in this place. I know that you, Mr. Castellian, are Mr. hot-shot popular varsity quarterback, with an adoring gang of thugs and girls willing to act on your ever whim. And I know that you, Mr. Jackson, are the exact opposite. The last time I saw you with another person was your freshman year."

Percy tried to hold his tongue, but his control broke. "So? What does this information that everyone else in the fuckin' school knows have to do with anything?" Mr. D. glared daggers at him, but Percy kept his face blank.

"I'm getting to that, Mr. Jackson." Mr. D. said acidly, and Luke smirked. "And please, don't ever swear again in my office. And it makes you seem like even more a delinquent than you already are. Now then, onto your punishments. Mr. Castellian, because you are so popular among the students," Mr. D. mocked. "For the remainder of this week and all of the next, you will be spending all of your spare time in this room. You will go to class, and will be spending your off hours, homerooms, and passing periods in this office. And you will remain in this office a half hour before and after classes end. Al of this is to be done in complete silence. Am I clear?"

"Yessir." Luke said, nodding vigorously.

"And for you," Mr. D. said, glaring at Percy. "You will be escorting a student transferring into Junior year." Percy opened his mouth to protest, but Mr. D, cut him off. "Yes, Mr. Jackson, I'm aware that you are a senior. But don't worry, they're actually smart enough to be in senior classes this year. And before you ask, they will have the exact same schedule as you. So now, you can't get out of group work, or spend all of your time outside playing that god-awful noise. And if either of you skip out on your punishment, by leaving this office or ditching your shadow, I'll have you suspended until Finals."

Percy and Luke both nodded. If they were suspended until finals, there was no way either of them could pass their classes, let alone the exams, which meant no graduation.

"Now, you stay here, and you come with me." Mr. D said, pointing first at Luke, and then at Percy. "Your punishment starts now." He grinned, and then stood up, and walked out. A moment later, Percy stood up and slid out, sending a glance in Luke's direction, but he was unable to read the expression on his face. He followed the pudgy, 5 foot 0 principal out of the office and through the main office to the conference room in the back, his 6'2" frame towering over the principle. A few minutes later, Mr. D. stopped and rapped on the door with his hand. Nervously, Percy brushed a strand of his long hair out of his eyes. It's getting long. Maybe I should cut it. He thought.

Not important right now. He mentally said back. Stupid ADHD

A girl's voice answered Mr. D.'s knocking. "I'm finished with the questions. You can come in." As Mr. D pushed open the door, Percy got his first glimpse of the person inside. He couldn't see much, because she was writing something and her head was down, but what he could see was long black hair. He waited outside while the Principal talked to the girl inside.

"Very good." Mr. D. said, and he almost seemed happy. "Because I've found you an escort."

"Thank you." The girl replied, courteously.

"Well, come on." Mr. D. said to Percy, gesturing for him to enter the room.

"Percy Jackson, meet your new shadow; Ms. Zoe Nightshade."