Annabeth
Okay, so I wasn't exactly sure who this Veronica-long-important-name-Hughes girl was, but she needs to understand what lines I have drawn. Whoever the heck she was, and no matter how important she thinks she is, Percy is mine. And, not only that, but I guarantee you whatever part of the city she owns, none of it would be here if Percy and I hadn't saved Manhattan.
Okay, maybe I'm overreacting, and maybe my fatal flaw-pride- is kicking in, but I'm mad.
Fuming.
Angry.
Frustrated-
"Annabeth," Percy said, "it's okay. I'll make sure she knows I have you."
Simply his voice alone calmed all my nerves and anger, no matter what he was saying, but there was nothing more I wanted him to say but that.
I wanted to kiss him so bad, but the school had a very strict no PDA policy, and even as a troublesome demigod, I wasn't about to get in trouble for kissing somebody in class on the first day of school.
The Latin room was probably the coolest classroom I'd ever seen. The walls were a timeline, with the entire thing stretching all around the room marked with important Roman dates.
"146 BC..." Percy muttered, reading off the walls. "Rome takes over Greece."
I ignored that, considering the resentment the Greeks had with the Romans ever since. There was an armor stand in the corner, in Roman gladiator armor holding a gladius. Huge posters of coliseums and banners hung in the room, along with copies of relics and ancient texts.
"You two must be the new kids," I turned to see the teacher, who looked fresh out of college. He was athletically built with blonde hair and brown eyes, and, I'm just going to say it- he was hot. He held a yard stick in his hand and stood in front of the board. "Yeah, I gotta admit. This rooms a sight. Take a while to look around if you want, it took me long enough to put it together, I hope somebody enjoys it."
I cracked a smile and he returned it. The man was friendly. Other kids filled the room and took their seats. "There's no seating charts. I heard about you guys coming, though."
Uh oh.
Really, our first day?
My guard was up, now.
Percy and I exchanged looks.
We sat down towards the back, per his request, but I didn't really mind. It was easy for me. Despite being hardwired for Greek, Latin came just as naturally. As we were working on a sheet of roots he handed out, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked up to see the teacher.
"Can I talk to you 2 for a minute?" He asked.
Percy and I exchanged nervous looks.
"Uh, sure, Mr. Dean," I said as I stood up and followed him carefully out the door. My hand slipped to the inside of my coat pocket, where my knife was hidden. The door shut behind Percy and I. He glanced at me, and an understanding passed between us- if anything goes wrong, we split directions and take him that way. The hall way only went two ways, and he couldnt fight from his back and front. Mr. Dean slowly shut the door, and looked around.
"I was super excited when Chiron told me some people from camp were coming," said Mr. Dean finally, when he was sure nobody was around to listen. "I've never taught people like me."
Wait, what? Chiron told him? I furrowed my brow.
"Chiron told you we were coming?" I asked.
"Let me introduce myself," Mr. Dean smiled. "I'm Drake Dean. Son of Apollo- but, the Greek one, not the Roman one. It's kinda weird, since I teach Latin, but, no."
"You're a half-blood?" Percy asked. "It's weird to see one that's lived this long."
"What, you calling me old, kid?" He laughed. "I've heard so much about you guys. The heroes of Olympus, so much stuff. It's so cool to meet you!"
Percy shrugged it off, his normal humbleness. "Well, thanks, I guess, but I couldn't have done it without everybody else- especially my Wise Girl here."
"Didn't you two survive Tartarus together?" Mr. Dean asked.
A shudder went down my spine, as if it had gotten colder at the name. "Yeah." I said. I hadn't realized my voice was weak.
Mr. Dean turned a sick color white. "That's... I can't imagine."
"So, uh, you ever get attacked? You know, working here?" I asked.
"Not normally, thanks to the cafeteria being right down the hall. Seriously, as soon as you step into this part of the building, it wreaks. That nasty stench drowns out my scent, or I like to think so anyways." Mr. Dean laughed. I'd never agreed with somebody more, though. "Another thing is, the cologne. And lots of air fresheners. And I guess smelly kids. Who knows. I've only had one run in in the last year."
We continued talking.
It was kind of weird to think he'd gone on to make the best of his crazy life, and I had a new hope. Maybe it wasn't impossible for Percy and I to live our lives normally.
