Percy Jackson-

I first noticed the boy staring at me when my cousins and I were bickering.  Although that is nothing new, I could feel his eyes burning in the back of my head.  I didn't mention it to the others because his gaze was not hateful.  It was curious, a little sympathetic, and full of wonder.  

...

"You are so lousy at magic.  You should just stick with throwing tantrums and splitting the ground open," Thalia complained.

We were in Transfigurapplication, or something.  Whatever it was called, we were attempting to turn a pin into a...actually, I forgot what we were supposed to do, and just messed around.  This isn't school school, it is magic school, and to be honest, I don't care about my grades.  It isn't like I'll be living in a magic community or anything.  I'm still planning on going to college in New Rome with my Wise Girl, so I found this irrelevant.  It was sort of interesting and all, but I mostly came to scare people, and because I was angry about Alber-something Dumbledense comparing me to a murdering scumbag, who is apparently related to me.  I wanted to prove him wrong, and be badass to scare him.  That is mainly why I went.  And the wondrous ability to prank my friends with magic, of course.

"I am not!" Nico protested.  

"Yes, you are." Thalia said smugly.  "You turned your hair pink on accident."

Nico dropped his wand.  "Wait-what?!"  He looked in a mirror and gasped.  He gripped his chest and staggered back.  "Oh, gods!  This is terrible!  Change it back!  Change it back!"

"I could," Thalia shrugged, looking amused.  "But what fun would that be?"

"I'll get you!" Nico threatened.  "I'll turn your hair pink!"

Thalia snorted at him.  "As if you could remember how to do it in the first place!"

"Well I-"

"Mr. di Angelo.  Ms. Grace.  Is their a problem here?" The Fury Lady...sorry, Professor Micky Gone-A-Ball(Fury Lady sounds better) asked.

"Nope." Thalia grinned innocently.  Then she realized Fury Lady called her by her last name, and scowled.  "And I don't go by my surname.  You would do well to remember that." 

"Are you threatening me?" The teacher lady asked with a deep frown on her face, as if she heard wrong.  I'll tell you right now...she didn't.

"Yes," Thalia said simply, and gave her a fake smile.

"Yes, there is a problem!" Nico exclaimed suddenly.  "My hair is pink!"

I chuckled and whispered in Thalia's ear as Nico ranted the the Fury Lady, "You did it, didn't you?"

"I gotta get entertainment somehow, Kelpy.  Watching both of your failures isn't enough for me."

"Never is, is it?"

"Nothing compared to men getting turned into a jackalopes (Okay, I have no idea if I spelled that right.  If I didn't please do a Book Worm a favor and comment the right spelling so I can fix it.) and hunting monster with my sisters.   Or fighting in the Arena at Camp.  Or hanging out with Annie.  Or-"

"I get it," I said.  "Please shut up."

"Will someone fix my hair!?" Nico yelled.  Everyone in the classroom turned to look at him and burst out laughing.  Nico's face turned as red as...something that's red.  He looked so strange.  Red face, pink hair... "I didn't do this," Nico muttered to himself.  He slowly turned to Thalia, and sneered at her.  "You!"

"Run?" I suggested.  

"Running sounds good," Thalia grinned.  Then she bolted out of the classroom, and the raging Ghost King started to follow her when I pointed my wand at him and turned his hair rainbow.  Everyone in the classroom started to laugh hysterically.  Nico looked in a mirror again, and his eyes narrowed.

"Who did that?" His voice was low and threatening.  

I gave him a cheeky smirk and burst into a run.  "Byeeee!" I called to him, laughing as he chased me.

There are some things that will always be entertaining.  Nico's reaction to people messing with his hair is one of them.

...

"Hey, you." The boy who was staring at me earlier came up to me.  Which was very strange.  Mostly because I was hiding from Nico in a bathroom...and this guy was approaching me...in a bathroom.

"Um, what?  I'm kind of busy."

"I know, I just wanted to..."

"Dude," I said, giving him a strange look.  "We are in the bathroom, and now you want to talk?"

He blushed.  "Oh...right.  Sorry about that..."

I blinked.  Then I blinked again.  British accents were so weird.  They sounded funny.  If I had a British accent, I don't think I'd ever stop talking.  Of course, I would never have a British accent, because I am happily an American.  Home of Olympus, hot dogs, blood-thirsty monsters, and lazy people.  What an amazing country, I am right?  (I'm American, and I hate hot dogs, but I'm lazy, so I fall into at least one of those categories.)

"Aha!" Nico shouted in triumph, barging into the bathroom.  "I knew I'd find you!"

I put a hand on the guy's shoulder and moved him around as a human shield.   "Do you mind being a shield?"

"Huh?" The guy asked, looking confused.  

"You don't have to work for a guy with an eye-patch, okay, so just block my rage-monster of a cousin from causing me bodily harm, all right?"  (In case you guys don't understand what that was about, he was saying 'shield' and 'a guy with an eye patch' is Nick Fury, all right?  Read on :))

"Do I have a choice?" The guy asked me, looking weary.

"Not at all!  Charge!"  I ran, pulling the guy with me so Nico couldn't have a clear shot.

"So, Guy, what's your name?" I asked, using his body to hide mine as we crossed a corner.  

"Neville." He said hesitantly.

"Nice to meet you.  I'm the craziest guy you'll ever meet in your life.  I also go by Percy."

"I wanted to ask you about your nightmares." Neville said quickly.

I forgot about Nico and let go of my shield, sorry, Never Ill, and backtracked.  "What are you talking about?"  I knew exactly what he was talking about.  But I'm apparently really dumb and stupid, so I could pull of the playing 'dumb' act.

"What nightmares?  Dude, I have no idea what you're talking about."  I knew exactly what he was talking about.  Last night, I took a field trip down Memory Lane.  Gabe, Tartarus, I lived it all over again, both, again.  All the years of torment and pain and misery...and literally being subjected to Hell's tortures.  Both were just a boat load of fun.  Haha.  Boat load.  I'm a son of Poseidon...water...boats...No?

"Last night," Neville said slowly and cautiously.  "You were screaming."

"Was I?  I must have been dreaming about vegetables.  Hate that stuff.  I gotta go."

"Wait, I-"

But I was already gone.  

I couldn't deal with this.  I just couldn't.  Maybe he wanted to help me.  Maybe he didn't.  But either way, I had to keep one step ahead, or it would consume me.  One step ahead, or I probably wouldn't ever wake up at all.  But what Neville was trying to do...well, I don't know what he is trying to do, but what he did was opening up a can of worms.  And then I'd be right back where I started.  Nowhere.

"Aha!  Got you!" Nico snarled, but it looked ridiculous with his rainbow colored  hair.  I just sighed and returned his hair to normal.  This game wasn't fun anymore...

"Huh?  You...fixed my hair?"

"Yup." I said drearily.  "I'm going to lay down."

"On your bed?"

"Why would I lay down on my bed?" I asked him, bewildered.  Then I attempted a small smile.  "The bottom of the lake is calling my name."

I could feel Nico's eyes burning a hole in the back of my head.  Truth was, I wanted to be in my element.  I wanted to feel strong, powerful again.  Because Neville's words made all my strength dissolve.  I wanted to be powerful again.

"What's wrong?" Nico asked me.  His voice had changed somewhat.  No longer filled with anger, his voice was filled with concern.  Concern, pity, worry...  I didn't want pity.  I didn't want my cousins to worry. But a lot was wrong.  And I don't know if it won't ever not be wrong.

And I walked away.  I probably should have told him, should have explained.  But I didn't ease the burden.  And if I didn't soon, it would crush me.  The weight of the sky was nothing compared to this.

..........................................................................................................................................................................

"Hi, Ginny.  Hi, Luna." I greeted the two people who were by the lake.

"Percy?" Ginny asked.  "You and Luna know each other?  How'd you guys meet?"

"He fell asleep in the Forbidden Forest." Luna said cheerfully.

"Yup," I nodded weakly.

"How...you know what, I don't want to know.  You...Americans never do abide much by the rules." Ginny said in a somewhat stern tone, but she had a wide smile.

That got a grin out of me.  "That is true."

I didn't say anything else, and Ginny furrowed her brows.  She looked at the water, then back at me.  She seemed to get the message.  

"Did you know there are creatures in the lake called-"

"Hey, Luna, how about we head back to the castle.  I think Percy needs some time to himself."

I gave both of them a half-hearted smile, and watched as they walked away.  Then I dived into the water.

I could feel it-the water-powering me.  I sighed with relief, and a few bubbles came out.  I smiled, and slowly sank to the bottom.

I finally hit the bottom of the lake, I saw black, and everything was suddenly white.

"Perseus Jackson." I turned around.  Oh, great.

Hey, all you Wattpadians.

What's up?

So, I updated. It will get more lighthearted, don't worry.  It isn't all sad amd moody, and stuff.  Professor McGonagall is Professor Micky Gone-A-Ball.  Neville is Never Ill.  That probably wasn't needed, but I just wanted to clear it up in case.

What's your favorite all time book?  A Percy Jackson book?  A Harry Potter book? Something else?

Comment, vote, and keep reading.  You'll find out who the person that took him is next chapter, so...yeah.   And kindly ignore any spelling or grammar mistakes.  Thanks!

Book_The_Worm