Beyond All Expectation (Percabeth)

Chapter 1: The Dumb One

Percy POV:

Thursdays were the only day of the week that I woke up early – pretty much every other day of my life I was being shaken by my mum and was forced to run down the busy streets of Manhattan with a piece of toast in my hand, my jacket half-on and sleep still in my eyes. But on Thursdays I swam, which meant that they were the most important mornings of my week.

Alarm goes off at 5am; this time, I wake up instead of hitting it blindly with my face still in my pillow. I grab my gym stuff, my school bag, my breakfast bar and my shoes, and I'm out of the house before the sun has even risen. Then I do lengths – lengths upon lengths in the school pool a whole hour before anyone else arrives. By 6:30am, I'm joined by the rest of my swim team and we practice for an hour. Then it's the changing rooms, dressing in whatever clothes I've dragged out of my drawers that morning, brush my teeth and finally I'm walking through the school corridor towards my locker just as the first bell rings.

"Sup Percy," a boy nods in my direction as I pass. I give him a smile, but I don't know his name.

"Hey, man!" Another guy cheers in my direction – I assume from his jersey that he's in our school football team.

"Hi Percy," blushes a girl as she walks past me. I knew her from my science class, maybe her name was Olivia.

Smiles and nods and welcomes from every single person I pass – every single morning it always went like this. And I would have to smile and wave and nod back, feeling guilty that I didn't know their name when they knew mine.

"You look tired," Will noticed. I sighed in relief as I reached my locker, happy to be face to face with someone that I knew. A friend.

"Early start," I dismissed.

"It's not that," he replied. I can't say that I was annoyed with my friend for knowing so much about me – it was actually endearing to know that people cared about me.

"I- It's just... everyone knows my name, and they smile at me and nod at me as if they – I don't know – expect something from me," I sighed. "Meanwhile I don't know who they are or what they want... or even why they call my name."

"Hmmm," Will mused mockingly. "It must really suck to be the popular boy, the school heartthrob. I bet it can be a real pain when people say hello to you."

"That's not what I meant," I shoved him playfully. We started walking side-by-side towards our class.

"Percy, I don't know what to tell you, man," he grinned. "You're the school jock; swim team captain, track and field champion... and not to mention: easy on the eyes. If you haven't got used to the stares by now, then I don't think you ever will be."

"I want to be more than just a jock though," I complained. "I would like just one normal conversation with someone from time to time, instead of just stares and waves."

"And this," Will looked at the space between us. "This right here isn't a conversation?"

"You're impossible to get any sympathy from, Will," I laughed. "Can't you let me have me this one sob story please?"

"Not until we swap lives for a while," he grinned in return. "You have all the ladies swooning over you and all the guys coming out of the closet for you – I'd like some of that for myself, please and thanks."

"I can give you the guys for free," I suggested.

"Now that's a deal worth listening to."

We rounded the corner to our classroom, making our way to the row of seats at the back, now half-occupied with some of our friends. There sat Hazel, already seated and organised and digging into her work. Frank sat on the desk next to her, chatting away to her as he playfully tossed a football in his hand. Across from him and leaning against the wall stood Reyna and Piper, deep in conversation, whilst next to Frank sat Jason, waiting patiently for the class to begin.