Chapter Text
“Mr Jackson, were you listening?” Asked a voice. Percy shot up instantly, jolting himself awake as he looked around frantically, only to realize he was in class. A few giggles echoed throughout the classroom as his teacher, Mr Brunner, had a raised brow.
Percy rubbed his eye a bit as he nodded, “Uhm yeah—i was just reviewing my notes.”
Mr Brunner folded his arms over his chest, “Right, if you were going over your notes, then you wouldn't mind answering this question on the board?”
Percy’s eyes made their way to the board where a math equation was written, he groaned slightly. While he was smart, he definitely didn't like math and trying to work it out fast enough would probably result in a wrong answer.
“I—i mean, who really needs math, right?” Percy asked with an awkward smile, which Mr Brunner only returned slightly.
“The answer Mr Jackson.”
“Right…okay.” Percy muttered, taking a deep breath and clearing whatever sleep was still in his body. He flopped through his notebook, which was filled with things that weren't close to math notes.
“Do you not know it?”
“I do! Its–”
“It's 36 Mr Brunner.” A voice chimed in. Percy looked from across his desk to see a girl, long black braids and a cream colored sweater. She turned around and gave Percy a smug look as the gold necklace on her neck glinted against the sun rays peeking through the window.
“Thank you Ms. Chase, maybe you can tell your classmate to not sleep so much in class.”
Annabeth gave a knowing smile, “maybe I will.”
Percy rolled his eyes as he watched Annabeth turn around, but he still couldn't help but smile. The bell rang and students flooded out the room with their things.
Percy shoved his notebook into his back, grabbing his blue hoodie and headed for the door. Annabeth was waiting outside and just as Percy was about to make his way out, a voice interrupted.
“Mr Jackson?”
Percy halted for a moment as he cursed under his breath and turned around.
“Hi Mr Brunner.”
“Hello Mr Jackson.” Mr Brunner started as he wheeled his wheelchair forward.
“Look, sorry about earlier, I had the answer I just needed to go over my notes!”
Mr Brunner shook his head as he chuckled to himself. “No, no. It's not that! Moreso the fact that I've noticed you've been sleeping a lot in my class, is everything alright?”
Now Percy could answer this two ways. One, simply just to make up a lie or two, tell his math teacher that he was an honest to God neighborhood superhero who had to spend his nights patrolling the city to prevent criminals and villains from wrecking anything.
Which one did you think he picked?
“Yeah, I've just been studying a lot more, y'know, been trying to cram in stuff before exams hit.” Percy said. Exams weren't for another 2 months.
Mr Brunner nodded his head as he gestured Percy to leave, “If it happens again, I will have to call your mother, Mr Jackson.” Mr Brunner called out over his soldier. Percy nodded as he walked out the hallway, sighing softly.
“You got detention or what?”
“Jesus!” Percy exclaimed as he looked to his right, completely forgetting that Annabeth had been waiting outside. “You're like an owl!”
Annabeth gave Percy a slightly confused look before the two headed down the hallway.
H.B academy, or HalfBlood academy. A relatively decent school that was supposed to “better your children's future” according to the flyers and ads. Percy had moved to H.B academy at least a year ago by now, thanks to his scholarship. Thankfully he was able to meet Annabeth and Grover within the first few weeks.
H.B academy was a bit hard to work around, with it being a school that focused grades and his scholarship being tied into grades, yeah, Percy couldn't afford to fail.
★
“You've been dozing off a lot in class,” Annabeth started.
“I know, Mr Brunner has already grilled me.” Percy said as he rubbed the back of his neck.
“You also drool.”
“I do not.”
“Yes you do,” Annabeth said as she stopped by her locker, sitting beside the locker next to hers was none other than Percy's other best friend, Grover Underwood.
“There you guys are!” Said Grover with a smile, he had his phone in his hand and a video already playing on it. “Have you seen the latest video on Sea-Spider?”
He faced his phone towards the two of them, on the screen was none other than Sea-Spider. His suit is a light to dark teal suit with gold coloring on the web lines. Whoever had recorded it had gotten footage of Sea-Spider swooping in and grabbing a group of people right before a car came hurling and crashing into a wall.
“Isn't he awesome?!” Grover said a smile as he clicked his phone off, shoving his phone into his pocket. Now Percy wasn't one to brag about himself—but they didn't know he was Sea-Spider so it didn't exactly entirely count, did it?
“He is pretty cool!” Says Percy with a smile as he opened his locker that was on the ground. “Dont you think Annabeth?”
“Not really.” Says Annabeth with a shrug. Percy frowned.
“Awe c'mon, you can't at least admit his flips aren't pretty nice!” Grover said. Annabeth responded with another shrug as she opened her locker.
“He's just a guy in a suit at the end of the day, yes he's a hero but deep, deep, down, he's just another guy who happens to save people.” Annabeth said. Percy frowned a bit more, he was hoping she'd at least say something nicer.
“Well, you never know, maybe you'll be saved by him one day.” Percy said with one raised brow. “He'll come swooping in, and everything!”
Annabeth laughed a bit as she rolled her eyes, “Right” she drew out. Percy laughed a bit but that was interrupted by getting shoved by someone and hitting his locker. Percy grunted as he hit the metal, immediately whipping his head around to see the last person he wanted to see this afternoon.
Clarisse La-Rue.
“Percy Jack-off”
“It's Percy Jack—what the hell do you want Clarisse?” Percy said as he crossed his arms. Clarisse eyed him for a second before pulling out a flyer from behind her back.
“Spring break party. At my house and you,” Clarisse said as she turned to Annabeth. “Are invited.”
Annabeth took the flyer as she just nodded.
“Thanks Clarisse.”
“No problem.” Clarisse said, looking at Percy once more and then walking away. The two of them had always disliked each other and it was for multiple reasons.
Like the time Clarisse had locked Percy in the gym bathroom and he ended up missing a whole class before the janitor found him.
Or the time Percy had “accidentally” split an entire thing of water on Clarisse, ruining her class project.
The two always had it out for each other, it had gotten more and more vicious over the past months.
★
“How come you got one?” Grover asked as the three of them headed down the hallway.
“Our parents…know each other. Family friends in a way.” Annabeth said, as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Percy was surprised someone like Annabeth could tolerate someone like Clarisse but he kept his mouth shut.
Upon reaching outside of the school, students were heading into their cars or onto the bus, some sitting on the steps talking to their friends.
“You guys wanna come over?” Asked Grover. Annabeth nodded with a smile and the two turned to Percy.
“Yeah, sounds like a—bzzt! Bzzt!” Percy felt his phone vibrate in his pocket as he fished it out, and saw a notification from the last person he was in the mood to talk to, Mr. D.
MR D
— DON'T FORGET ABOUT PATROL TONIGHT.
Percy groaned as he looked back up at Annabeth and Grover.
“Sorry uhm—I'm busy!”
“Busy, you just said–”
“Yeah, my mom needs help with something and I actually really gotta go but I'll see you guys later!” Percy said as he began heading down the sidewalk. Annabeth and Grover stood there for a moment.
“He's really odd.”
“Yeah.”