Chapter Text
"Have you even Googled him?" Stiles turned his laptop to face Scott. "He's a terrorist."
"He's harmless," Scott said, pushing the laptop toward Stiles.
The two were the first to sit down at an unclaimed table during the lunch hour. The air was chilly, but the sun provided the illusion of warmth.
Beacon Hills High students clustered in friend groups to eat their lunch outside. A solace of nice weather blessed the Californian town, and after spring break, the students were eager to get outside.
"He did some serious property damage in St. Louis when he was a 'missing' kid," Stiles used exaggerated air quotes. His eyes continued to scan the news article he discovered, written 5 years, about the new kid from New York.
"Who are you talking about?" Lydia slid her backpack off her shoulder and in between her and Stiles.
"Scott's new best friend," Stiles scoffed. "I'm being replaced."
"Oh, the Jackson kid. I heard about him," Lydia said. "I heard he blew up a bus when he was twelve."
"Was that before or after he blew up the Gateway Arch?" Scott asked, a chuckle in his voice. He's heard the rumors.
"Before," Stiles and Lydia said in unison.
Scott's eyes widened, and he grabbed the laptop to read the article on his new roommate.
Percy Jackson showed up with a backpack and two suitcases at the McCall's door two days after Melissa received a call from an old friend needing a place for her son to stay as he finishes his senior year.
Unconventional, sure. But Melissa's hospitality is her fatal flaw.
"What part are you at?" Percy asked behind the group's shoulders, startling the trio.
Stiles slammed the laptop shut as Percy made his way to sit next to Scott, the only familiar face.
"I read the words 'St. Louis,' and I wouldn't recommend reading any further," Percy said, taking an apple out of his backpack to chew on.
"Where were you?" Scott asked.
"I had a to talk with a teacher about my IEP, to see what would work best," Percy bit into his apple. "He also threatened me to join the lacrosse team." Percy eyed Scott, who had warned him about Coach's intention. "Although I doubt I'll be any good."
"Are you joining?" Stiles asked tentatively.
"Did I have a choice?" Percy asked back, speaking while chewing.
"Probably not, I was forced to join," Kira dropped her backpack on the spot next to Scott, letting her knee rest on the bench instead of sitting.
Malia, who arrived with Kira, stood near the end of the table, leaning her palms on the wood.
She pointed to Percy's arm. "I like your tattoo. Does it mean anything?"
Percy then realized the sleeve of his hoodie slipped down, revealing the trident's spikes of his Roman brand. Although Percy's first thought is to pull the sleeve up to cover it, he didn't want to be the weird new kid. Again.
Instead, he pulled his sleeve down and showed it to the people at the table, revealing the trident's full body, the one horizontal line, and the SPQR letters.
"I'm a swimmer," Percy said, attempting to give a mundane explaination. "I swam competitively at a few of my high schools. Unfortunately, I arrived here when Beacon Hills' swimming season was over. "
"Are you any good?" Malia asked.
Percy shrugged. "I could've helped the team make it to state," he teased. He liked being smug, quipping with the other teenagers around him. Is this what normal feels like? he wondered.
"What does the line mean?" Stiles asked, pointing at Percy's forearm. "And those letters? speh-quah-rah?"
"It's Roman," Lydia said. "Well, Latin. Senatus Populusque Romanus. 'The Senate and the people of Rome.' Still an odd tattoo for a teenager."
Percy nodded as he pulled up his sleeve.
"Your Latin's really good," he nodded toward Lydia, impressed with her pronunciation. He glances at her arm, hoping to see a similar tattoo, but nothing is there.
Percy has to remind himself that he is surrounded by normal teenagers.
"Anyone else have interesting tattoos?" Percy asked, changing the subject off of him before Scott and his friend's ask more questions about his.
"Scott's got one," Stiles said, mouth full of sandwich, pointing to his best friend.
"Really?" Percy said. "Let's see it."
He's seen it before, the rings on Scott's bicep, and Percy doesn't doubt that Scott's friends surrounding them have seen it and know about it. But Percy doesn't know if it has a meaning, or if it's just a cool design Scott placed on his body on a whim.
Scott obliged, taking off his sweatshirt and revealing a tight-fitting t-shirt beneath. Scott rolled up the t-shirt sleeve so his full tattoo is revealed.
Stiles whistled and clapped, and Scott sarcastically flexed.
"I used to trace two rings with my fingers," Scott said to Percy, the only one who didn't know the lore, and demonstrated drawing the circumpuct on the table. "I got it as a reward for myself for not contacting my ex-girlfriend all summer, but the more I look at it, I give it the symbolism of growth. Like tree rings."
Percy nods, but he noted the way the people around him stiffened at the mention of an "ex-girlfriend." Although curious, Percy knew better than to pry, at least in this moment. He has his own buried bodies that he doesn't want the strangers to know, and doesn't expect them to tell him their secrets.
"Oh I'm an idiot!" Scott said, glancing around his friends. "Percy, this is Kira, Malia, Lydia and Stiles." Scott gestured to each of them as he said their names. "Guys, this is Percy Jackson." He clapped Percy on the shoulder. "His mom and my mom were friends when she lived in New York, but he's here because…," Scott paused for moment, recalling what his mom told him.
"I got kicked out of my high school and several others before that," Percy said, beating around the bush. "No high school in New York would accept me, especially this close to graduation. But my girlfriend's dad discovered Beacon Hills might make an exception for me. He's a professor at West Point in San Francisco. I don't know all the details or how he discovered this high school, but I'm here."
"Does your girlfriend live in San Francisco, then?" Lydia asked. "It must be nice to be closer to her."
Although Beacon Hills is in California, it's one of the town's that doesn't draw much attention to itself compared to its coastal metropolises. And, San Francisco is still a few hours drive away.
"She's actually in New York. She goes to a boarding school in the city - SOD, School of Design. She's going to be an architect. So," Percy slumped. "by being here, I'm actually further away from her. My mom had to drag me into the car. I hate being away from her."
Especially after the disappearing spell he had last year and after literally walking through hell with her, but that part was unspoken.
"Awe, that's cute," Lydia said, resting her chin on her hand. "Did you meet in the city?"
"Summer camp, actually," Percy answered. "We met when we were 12, but didn't start dating until we were 16."
Kira and Lydia "awwwwww"ed.
"What's her name?" Kira asked.
Percy smiled. "Annabeth." He could talk about her all day if they let him, but the bell rang, signaling the time to go back to class.
"Percy, you have AP Bio next, right?" Scott asked. At Percy's nod, he points to the redhead across from him. "So does Lydia. Walk him to class?"
Lydia nodded as she gathered her backpack.
"Let's go, Latin boy," she said, and he followed her into the school.
"Would you surprised to know I'm actually half-Greek?" Percy said as he followed her down the high school's halls.
"And yet you have a Latin inscription on your body?" she asked."Romans and Greeks didn't get along very well, if you're looking at it from mythology angle."
Percy tilted his head, intrigued by her knowledge.
"The trident, I mean," Lydia said. "Isn't that Neptune's symbol?"
They found the classroom and walked inside.
"Or Poseidon's," Percy said.
They found a table, and Lydia invited him to sit down next to her.
"So I understand the trident and swimming, but then why SPQR?"
Before Percy could come up with an answer, class began.
Most people who knew him would be shocked to hear that he was in an AP Biology class, but he earned his spot. Compared to other subjects, biology comes fairly easy, especially when fish or water or horses are involved. Annabeth and Paul, his stepdad, helped him study.
Although Percy is still unsure what his future holds, he is leaning toward something biology-related. And despite being kicked out of so many schools, he has wondered what it's like to be a teacher, and possibly help other kids like himself. If it wasn't for his encouraging stepfather, Paul, he might not have considered the teaching path.
A tank bubbled in against the window, and Percy glanced at the fish looking back at him. All three fish were open-mouthed, their gaze directed toward Percy. He looked away before he could hear their thoughts. As much as he liked biology, the fishes' thoughts in the every single biology classroom he has been in have always distracted him.
"Percy," Lydia elbowed him, startling him back to reality. "Are you okay?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. The fish were staring at me," he said, and decided to focus on his notes.
Lydia looked at the fish tank, and instead of seeing the animals float about, she saw what Percy did. It really did appear as if the fishes' attention was on Percy - staring at him with infatuation.
Percy entered the boys' locker room with no intention of holding a lacrosse stick, but he made a deal with Coach. Percy will join the lacrosse team if Coach provided Percy access to the school's swimming pool.
In the midst of sweaty teenage boys play-fighting, Scott beckoned Percy over toward him and Stiles.
"So, what do you know about lacrosse?" Scott asked, already adorning the captain's jersey.
"I know there's a stick, a ball and a goal," Percy answered. "And it's the sport that helped Regina George channel her anger at the end of Mean Girls."
"Dude, you've seen Mean Girls?" Stiles asked, his tone fascinated and not demeaning.
However, although not completely ashamed, Percy thought he should come up with a teenage boy-esque answer.
"You know how some people get pregnancy cravings? My mom had pregnancy movie cravings," Percy smiled, thinking about his mom and little sister. "We had movies like Mean Girls and Legally Blonde on rotation in our apartment."
"Dude, you remember that? How old were you?" Stiles asked.
"Oh, it was this year." Percy answered. "My little sister was only a few days old when I left."
Percy looked down at his shoelaces, remembering the tiny baby in arms. He was scared to hold her at first, worried he'd hurt her somehow, but Annabeth told him he was a natural, which may or may not given him a split-second of baby fever, wondering what his and Annabeth's kids would look like in the future.
"And your parents sent you to California?" Scott asked. Scott knew Percy's move to Beacon Hills was last-minute, but he didn't know all the details. Maybe he should look him up on the internet.
"The college I'm applying to requires me to have a high school diploma, and since the college is in California, anyway, I made a deal with my parents and my dad to finish high school at a high school."
"Your parents and your dad?" Scott asked.
Percy nodded.
"My parents are my stepdad and my mom - that's why my sister and I have a big age difference," Percy explained. "My dad works at sea, so I don't see him often. I didn't even meet him until I was 12."
"Works at sea? Like on an oil rig?" Stiles asked.
"No," Percy scoffed, but disguised it as a laugh. "My dad hates those things. He's more of a… sea conservationist."
"You seem to like your stepfather," Scott said.
"Paul's great," Percy nodded. "He taught me how to drive, helps me study, helped me move high schools…"
Scotts cheeks flushed, embarrassed about what he had to say to next. "I'm sorry if this isn't something you want to discuss, but my mom said your mom married a jerk."
"She did," Percy answered. "Years ago. He's gone now."
"Where'd he go?" Stiles asked.
"Don't care." Percy shrugged. "You should keep reading the article you found on me. That should answer a few questions."
Stiles's turn to be flustered, but Percy gave him a reassuring and sarcastic smile.
After the trio got dressed for practice, Coach blew an air horn to gather the attention of the teenage athletes.
"Alright, losers," Coach said. "The radar calls for some tough rain. Tough! We better be soaking anyway, with sweat and rain by the time practice is complete. Also, Jackson?"
Percy tentatively raised his hand.
"This is Percy, his last name is Jackson. Not to be confused with our former star player whose first name was Jackson, before the Brits took him," Coach told the crowd.
"His dad moved him to London," Scott quickly explained in Percy ear.
"I'll answer to Percy just fine, Coach," Percy said.
"That is noted and deleted, Jackson," Coach replied.
On the field, Percy attempted to follow what every other was player was doing, despite given no direction on how lacrosse works. Scott, doing his best to be an encouraging lacrosse captain, tried to whisper strategies in Percy's ear but nothing stuck.
Luckily, eyes weren't on Percy's failures. All eyes were on the new transfer freshman, Liam Dunbar. Rumor was he'd be the first freshman to make first-line in years. Percy could deal with not being the center of attention.
Percy watched Liam's movements and attempted to copy them with his own stick, but he lacked the lacrosse talent that the protege Liam and captain Scott had.
Percy felt a wet spatter on hid head and looked up. Clouds darkened above the lacrosse team, but there was no sign of thunder.
Heavy raindrops soaked the field, and the team started to head inside.
Coach blew his whistle. "Where are you delinquents going? Scared of a little rain? We're staying on the field until I can't 'legally' keep you here."
The whistle blew again, a sharp shrieking sound mixed with a gurgle from the heavy fallen rain.
The team took their positions, and Percy focused. He concentrated on the pouring rain, the wet field, and the water running down his face. Rain calms him, it helps him focus.
Percy ran down the field, taking agile turns where others have slipped on the mud. He swooped up the ball with ease, and tossed it past the goalie and into the goal.
To his surprise, he did that a few more times.
He shouldn't be surprised. Water helps him focus. However, having ADHD, Percy forgot he was supposed to be bad at lacrosse. Technically, he is bad at lacrosse, but being good in rain and terrible in dry weather isn't great for showing off.
He made the team, and offered a quick glare toward Coach.
"Dude, that was pretty good for someone who's never played lacrosse," Scott said in the lockerroom, as other players wrung out their soaked clothes.
"That wasn't pretty good," Stiles said from behind Scott. "That was superhuman."
Stiles gave a quick and accusing point to Percy, but Scott swatted Stiles's hand away before Percy could see.
"I've heard water polo is similar," Percy shrugged.
He's never played water polo, but it has the word water in it, so he'd probably be good. Percy hoped that his comment about being swimmer would help him fly under the radar, but in Beacon Hills, he's not big news. And he's okay with that, taking a nice sabbatical from saving the world.
"Jackson, can I speak with you? My office." Coach appeared at the trio's side.
"Um, sure, Coach," Percy nodded to Scott and Stiles, but Scott grabbed his arm.
"You're riding with us, right?" Scott asked. "Stiles's car is the Jeep. We'll wait for you."
Stiles and Scott sat on a bench outside Coach's office, waiting for Percy.
"He's not human. At least not fully," Stiles said.
"Dude, what are you talking about?" Scott asked.
"Did you not see him on the field? Especially after he claimed he's never played before," Stiles said.
"Maybe he just picks up on things easily," Scott defended Percy, but he also noticed the shift once it started raining. "And maybe," Scott lowered his voice to a whisper, even though it was just him and Stiles, and placed their foreheads together. "Maybe we're just on edge, after all that's happened to us."
"Fine," Stiles sighed. "But I'm still gonna read that article."
The door to Coach's office opened, and Percy stepped out with a key looped around his finger.
The Jeep was filled with awkward silence, but Percy was aware he was a stranger to Scott and Stiles and all their friends. And he's Percy Jackson. Even in the mortal world, his name is infamous. He's the kid who went missing at age 12, caught on security cameras doing questionable actions at 13 and 14, destroying Manhattan at 15, going missing again at 16 and is starting a new chapter at a mysterious school at 17.
Stiles already read at least some of the articles, and Percy believed that it won't take long for Scott to do the same if he hadn't already.
Stiles dropped off Percy and Scott at the McCall residence, and Melissa greeted them in her scrubs.
"How was school?" she asked the boys, giving Scott a kiss on the cheek.
Scott gave her a peck back, and Melissa opened her arms to give Percy a hug.
"I thought you didn't have a shift today," Scott said. "We were going to take Percy out to that Mexican place."
Percy stood awkwardly in the small entry way nook of the house. He found interest in a leaf as Scott and his mom conversed.
"Actually, Scott there is a situation at the hospital, if you don't mind coming with me real quick?" Melissa
"Oh sure," Scott shrugged, and followed his mom to the door.
"Percy, I apologize, but I don't want to bore you with hospital stuff," Melissa said, although her tone indicated the "situation" was anything but boring. She opened the door, keys jangling in her fingers. "This house is yours. Feel free to use the TV, play video games, whatever." Her car beeps as it unlocks. "We'll take you out soon, I promise."
Percy shrugged in acceptance, as way to say "It's fine, go. I'll be alone in an unfamiliar house and not totally uncomfortable."
The door shut, leaving Percy by himself in the quiet abode.
Per Melissa's invitation, he walked around the house, trying to get a familiar sense of the layout so he actually could treat it like a home.
The house was much larger than his apartment he shared with his family, but the house wasn't spectacular or special.
On his third or fourth pace through the house, a framed photo caught his eye. Four teenagers, three of which Percy recognized, posed on the steps of a building. Scott had one arm tightly draped around a girl's shoulder. The girl had an elated expression, smiling up at Scott.
Could this be the ex-girlfriend every one is scared to talk about? Percy wondered.
Below them, Stiles had his arm around Lydia's shoulder, although not as tight as Scott's, and Lydia scowled at Stiles.
Percy's finger traced the frame, and as he traced the bottom, his finger slipped under and knocked the photo of the wall. He caught it and noticed some writing on the back.
Each photo participant scribbled their names. Lydia Martin in crisp cursive. Stiles Stilinski in a speedy scribble with each letter connected to the next, but not as delicate as Lydia's cursive.
Every letter of Scott McCall had it's own space, and Percy vaguely recognized the name of the girl.
He rummaged through his backpack and took out a prism, the parting gift Annabeth gave him, and rummaged through the kitchen drawers until he found a flashlight.
He placed the prism on a kitchen counter and adjusted the flashlight.
A rainbow appeared, and he took out a drachma, one of many his mom and dad - the one at sea - gave him, from his pocket.
He asked Iris, the goddess of the rainbow to accept his offering. The rainbow shimmered, revealing a blonde girl yawning by the light of her desk as she scribbled in a large book. Her hair was in a low ponytail, but loose strands fell on her face.
"Hey, Wise Girl," Percy smiled.
Annabeth jolted in her seat, startled by her boyfriend's voice.
"Yeesh, Percy," Her tone was tinged with annoyance, but her eyes glimmered with happiness to see him. "How's California?" She yawned.
"Oh shit, it's midnight there," Percy said. "I'm sorry. I forgot the time change."
"It's fine, Seaweed Brain," she said, sliding her books to the side. "I'm staying up studying anyway. There's this one project I just can't seem to get right." She strangled the air in frustration.
Percy smiled. She's cute when she's frustrated, and he likes the way her nose crinkles.
"Stop looking at me like that," Annabeth said.
"Like what?" Percy played dumb.
"Like I'm perfect," she said. "I'm not." She blew a tuft of her hair - blonde mixed with gray - away from her face.
Of course she's not perfect, but neither are the Olympian gods and goddess, two of which are their parents.
"Annabeth," Percy chided. "What would my mom said if she caught you talking like that?"
Annabeth sighed, knowing Sally wouldn't tolerate any negative self-talk. She leaned back in her chair.
"What do you want, Seaweed Brain?" she asked, and huffed another puff of air against a fallen hair strand.
"I have to want something to call my girlfriend?" Percy tried being suave, placing his elbow on the kitchen counter, but the counters were lower than he was used to and missed, hitting his funny bone on edge of the counter top.
Annabeth let out a snort-squeal that she tried to quiet with her hand.
"After midnight, yes," she said once she composed herself.
"I need you to look up a name for me," Percy said. He could see his girlfriend was tired and needed sleep. The sooner he gets his information, the better, and hopefully Annabeth will go to bed.
Annabeth slid out her school-sanctioned laptop from her backpack. Although technology attracts monsters, it is so prevalent that monsters can't seem to locate most demigods as fast as they used to when one used a cellphone or laptop.
Annabeth is mostly safe to use technology, especially because every student at SOD-NYC needs one. Percy, on the other hand, didn't risk bringing a cell phone or other electronics. He did a technology-test run with his mom's cell phone, and the test run ended with a charred toilet seat at the cafe his mom frequents as she writes her books.
"What do you need?" She asked, fingers on the keyboard ready to type in her boyfriend's request.
"This name sounds familiar, but I don't know why," Percy said, reading from the back of the photo. "I need you to type in: Allison Argent."