Work Text:
When Percy found out that he was being held back a grade instead of expelled, he was beyond relieved that he didn’t have to help his mom find ANOTHER school to take him. He was a little annoyed that he had to start over on the classes he had started the previous year, but he got over it quickly when he realized he would get another chance for better grades.
It also meant more time being with Annabeth, who had decided to transfer to Goode and had somehow gotten the same lunch period as him.
For the first few weeks of school, everything was going well, all things considered. At the start of the semester, the teachers didn’t give out too much homework, so that was always good. There weren’t any prophecies or quests that needed to be taken care of (thanks, Rachel!). There were also no monsters or gods coming to ruin his day aside from the occasional hellhound.
Yeah, that last thought definitely jinxed him.
Right now, Percy is in P.E., and they are outside to run the mile. With Percy’s demigod stamina and ADHD, he decided to run two because he could. He was done running before the rest of the class had finished.
When he turned toward the tree to go sit down in the shade, he noticed three Canadians (Laistrygonian Giants, he reminded himself) running toward him. He took out Anaklusmos, thanking the gods that these uniforms, unlike in 7th grade, had pockets, and began to attack the giants.
“You really never learn, do you? You think you can take me out?” Percy said to them.
One of the giants, obviously not very bright, said, “Demigod! I will feast on your flesh!”
Another said, “Tasty half-blood! Sea spawn!”
“Oh, so you DO know who I am! You came to me? How touching!” Percy said, turning the first giant to dust.
He turned toward the second giant and slashed Riptide, but the giant scratched his forearm before he could get a hit in. He groaned in pain but tried again and managed to send the two remaining giants back to Tartarus quickly. He went to put some water on his wound, but it was empty. Then the coach called them to go into the locker room, so he decided he would just get some ambrosia from his locker.
Unfortunately, Percy forgot to restock his stash of godly food. They also didn’t have enough showers in the locker rooms so they had first come first serve, and Percy had been doing his best to get to his classes on time for once. The excuse that Percy gave when asked about the wound was that he had scraped himself on the tree. He could tell that the coach didn’t believe him, but he gave Percy a band-aid. What was he supposed to say? ‘A group of monsters attacked me and one scratched my arm’? HE knew he wasn’t crazy, but his teacher is a different story.
Percy’s next class was ancient history, which, considering his father was ancient history (his words, not Percy’s), he has been doing pretty well in. They WERE talking about Ancient Greece this month, after all. His teacher, Maria Sanchez, was very enthusiastic about this particular time period, so it was easier than usual to focus.
When Percy walked into the classroom, Mrs. Sanchez raised a curious eyebrow at him, probably worried about the cut on his arm. Everyone else went in and he saw the teacher writing something on a slip of paper and getting something out of her drawer, putting both items in her pocket when she was done writing. Then the bell rang.
Mrs. Sanchez liked to move around while teaching, so it came as no surprise when she did so today. She talked about the culture of the ancient Greeks and the many gods they worshipped. Apparently, her favorite was Apollo, which, fair. Apollo was one of VERY few gods who hadn’t tried to ruin his life (with the other two being his father and Hestia).
When the teacher walked by Percy’s desk, she reached into her pocket and took out the note and a Ziplock bag. Reading the note, he was surprised to find that it was in ancient Greek. The note said:
‘Percy,
You still have monster dust in your hair. Eat this and talk to me after class. I’m assuming you know what it is. Don’t worry. You’re not in trouble, and I have my prep period next.
Mrs. Sanchez’
Percy checked the bag and saw that it contained ambrosia. He sighed in relief, nodded at the teacher, and ate it, tasting his mom’s blue cookies in the process.
After class, Percy stayed behind to talk. Once the door closed, Percy asked, “Are you a demigod?”
Mrs. Sanchez chuckled and nodded. “Yes, I am. I’m assuming you are, too? Considering you didn’t burn up when you ate it?”
“Yes. I am a demigod,” Percy replied.
“Which monster?” she asked.
“Laistrygonians in P.E., Three of them,” he said. “Why is it always P.E.?”
She laughed and said, “I don’t know, but if you ever need a sip of nectar or a square of ambrosia, come talk to me, okay?”
“Will do,” he said. Then, as an afterthought, he said, “I’ll tell my girlfriend about it as well. She’s also a demigod and goes to this school.”
“I’ll be happy to assist her, too,” she said, then asked curiously, “Who’s your godly parent?”
Percy blushed a little, embarrassed at having to tell someone, “Poseidon. You?”
“Apollo,” she said proudly. Percy nodded. Then his words sank in fully, “Wait, you were the prophecy child? THAT Percy Jackson??”
“Yup!” Percy said in a false cheery tone. “That’s me!”
“Wow. The most famous demigod of this generation is in my class. I’m assuming your girlfriend is Annabeth Chase, then? Retriever of the Athena Parthenos?” she asked, seeing his discomfort and changing the subject.
It worked, because Percy’s face lit up. “Of course! She is the best girlfriend I could ever ask for!” The bell rang for the next class. “I’d better go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“One second. I’ll give you a note for your next class,” the teacher said, getting out a slip of paper.
Percy smiled. “No need! I have my stepfather’s English class next, and he knows about our world. I’ll just tell him the truth. Have a good day!”
“You too!”
Percy walked out of the classroom into the direction of Paul’s class. Finally, something was going right.