The Hate Between Us (Percabeth&Solangelo)

Chapter Three: G-Man

Percy POV:

Grover and I became best friends immediately.

It was one of those cases where, even from the first conversation, you know you've found something special. Our bond instantly felt like a forever thing – a perfect match – and I'm not ashamed to admit that I went home on that Wednesday evening with a spring in my step, excited to tell my Mom all about him. The next day I met up with Tyson and told him all about Grover too, and to my delight my brother clapped his hands together and enthused about meeting Grover one day. I finally had something to look forwards to at Goode.

Grover told me that he had noticed me on the first day of school because of my skateboard.

"I don't skate – I was involved in a car accident when I was young and now my legs don't work all that well – but I love to watch others skating at the park," he had told me as he took me around the school for the first time. "I reckon I would have made for a pretty good skater if my legs weren't so dam annoying."

But he also told me not to feel bad for him, and I tried my best not to. He walked with a slight limp, but later on in the tour Grover took me to the school running track and he bolted off faster than I could have believed. I thought of myself as a good runner, but even I couldn't catch up to the shorter guy. I was impressed.

It was also Grover who encouraged me to make more friends. I had tried to tell him about Annabeth, but he had just shrugged my words off with a laugh. "The people here might seem pretty rude at first, but it's only because we all like each other so much – it's territorial. And Annabeth and I go way back, she's the nicest one here. Seriously, dude, it's just a matter of confidence. Talk to them as if you already belong here, and they'll follow suit."

So on that Thursday morning, that same morning where I accidentally fell asleep in Mr Brunner's class, I tried making friends with the person that woke me. She was a pretty girl, with long flowing hair and mystical eyes that were hard to focus on. She looked welcoming enough, and the fact that she had woken me without snitching to the teacher made me believe that she was friendly, so I thought about what Grover had said and gave it my best shot.

"Um... thanks, thanks for that," I smiled. Not confident enough.

"For what?" She frowned.

"For not snitching on Mr Brunner. That could have been ba-"

"-Mr Brunner's a really good teacher, you know?" She said sternly. "Look, I'm not exactly the biggest fan of school either, but this is the one class that you'll actually enjoy so I would try a little harder."

I blushed, embarrassed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I had a late night."

"How come?" She asked.

'Arguing with my shitty step-dad, Gabe', felt like too personal of an answer. "I was up watching the hockey," I lied. " ­­­Islanders vs –"

"-­­­Rangers, yeah, I watched that too. Good game, actually."

"You're into hockey too?" I questioned, enjoying the fact that I was finally having a good conversation with someone else in this school.

"Have to be, my Dad practically raised me on the stuff. You?"

"Step-Dad," I lied again, although the statement wasn't completely false. Gabe had been watching the hockey last night – or, at the very least, it had been on the TV whilst he was screaming at my Mother and me.

"Do you play much? I used to be in a squad down in Oklahoma, but since moving to New York I haven't really had the time. Shame, though – I miss it loads," she said sadly.