Exchange Students?

Chapter 51

So, I'm sorry for that last chapter. Well, not really, but here's the one I was really supposed to publish.

Percy's POV

I blinked and took in my surroundings- a dimly lit room, and I could see nothing more. As I tried to get up, I felt a heavy weight on my body. I looked down and blushed, for Annabeth had fallen asleep curled up around my body and her curly blond hair spread over my chest. I shook her.

"Hey, Wise Girl, get up." I whispered softly in her ear.

She muttered something unintelligeble, but did not wake up.

Suprise washed over me as I realized that I was able to move and speak once more. Could that man be this careless in handling us?

My thoughts were blocked by a silhoutte of a figure walking down the steps, yawning very loudly. I set my head back down on the cold, hard floor and pretended to be asleep.

The man's footsteps were getting closer. "Ah, again? I heard that this happened on the Argo II, but I didn't think that-" He sighed.

I frowned, but tried to keep a straight face at the same time. At this point, ideas and thoughts were running across my mind. The voice was a girl's voice, not a man's, like it was supposed to be. And it wasn't just any girl- that was Thalia.

I got up once more. "Thalia." A soft whisper issued from my mouth.

She screamed loudly when she heard me.

"Shh, he'll hear us. " I tried to calm her down. "And it's me, Percy." I added.

She took a deep breath. "Thank the gods. What happened to you two?" Her eyes wandered to Chiron's sleeping face. "And Chiron."

I squinted at her. She looked like she was stifling a laugh, as there was a small smile tugging on the corner of her mouth.

"Thalia, why are you smiling?"

She let out a little chuckle. "Just tell me how you got into this mess."

Just then, a tall figure with red hair came sauntering down the steps. He ruffled his hair sleepily, saying, "Hey, Thalia, what scared you?"

She closed her eyes and slapped her forehead. "You ruined it, Aaron."

"Ruined what again?" He walked towards us sleepily.

"The prank." Thalia said dangerously.

He glanced at me. "O-oh yeah..." Aaron shrugged. "Sorry, Thals."

"Don't call me that."

He ignored her. "He can still play along, right? There's still the blonde that we can trick."

I interrupted Thalia as she opened her mouth to respond. "Wait, prank?"

They nodded at me. "Since the entire camp figured that you two and the rest of the demigods and wizards and witches wouldn't be here for April Fool's Day, we decided to move the trick a little bit earlier."

"Thalia. Aaron. It's still JANUARY." I looked down, shocked, as Annabeth got up to look at them. They gaped at her. "Yes, I heard your entire conversation."

"Did you fall for it?" Aaron raised his eyebrows.

Annabeth sighed. "It's hard to admit, but yes, I did." She glared at the pair.

Ever since the two had mentioned pranking the other demigods too, my thoughts had trailed off towards that direction. I squinted, trying to see what was going on outside. "So, what's happening to the others?"

Aaron smirked. "You'll see."

He untied Chiron and shook him awake. "Wake up, Chiron. Prank on them's over."

Thalia helped us up and opened the door, gesturing for us to go ahead.

"Thanks." Annabeth mumbled.

I could see that all Hades was set loose the instant I stepped on the grass covering the camp.

Sartyrs and wood nymphs were running at the edge of the forest, desperately trying to put out the raging fire which was now spreading rapidly through the ground.

Just as I was about to run into the scene and help, Leo burst out of the forest, his entire body on fire. He danced crazily on the spot, vainly attempting to put out the fire.

"Leo!" I yelled. "Stop!"

He glared at me. "Well, help me here, Jackson!"

I stared stupidly at him until Annabeth elbowed me hard, knocking the air out of my lungs. "What are you waiting for, Seaweed Brain? Go help him!"

"O-oh yeah."

She rolled her eyes at me as I surged forward my arms spread wide. I willed the water to put out the great fire, as I had done before. Immediately, the water came crashing down as waves on the trees, drenching the nymphs, sartyrs and Leo. They gave me a thumbs-up.

"Thanks, Percy!" Grover shouted.

"Welcome!" I ran back towards Annabeth, Aaron and Thalia.

Annabeth and I both looked at them for an explanation.

"Well, it wasn't supposed to turn up that way, actually..." Thalia trailed off.

Aaron shrugged. "I liked it, personally."

We stared at him.

"What?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes once more. "Let's just hope that the others didn't turn out that ba-"

Before she could finish her sentence, beams of green light shot out of the tents where the students were sleeping. Screams followed.

We looked at Thalia.

"Come on, confess." I probed her.

She sighed. "Is anyone afraid of spiders in that school? I didn't think anyone would, considering that they could do magic and stuff."

Beside me, Annabeth cleared her throat loudly.

Thalia opened her mouth, but didn't get to respond, as right then, a humongous, hairy, black spider came crawling out of the tents, and entered the ground.

Annabeth tensed up beside me, but did not run or scream. Her fellow siblings, on the other hand, ran for it.

"Yeah, that might happen." Aaron scratched the back of his neck.

We could here Ron shouting from the tent.

"GET RID OF IT!" He roared at us.

The spider was slowly approaching us. Annabeth stumbled backwards.

"Just run for it, already!" Thalia yelled at her, angrily grabbing her bow.

Annabeth turned and ran. I reached into my pocked and uncapped Riptide.

"So it's you and me again, Seaweed Brain." Thalia muttered angrily under her breath, shooting about three arrows at a time at the spider. She looked at Aaron. "Come on, help!"

He snapped out of his trance and nodded.

"Honestly, sons of Apollo..."

Now jets of red light were coming towards the spider, which was barely balancing on four legs.

I ran.

The spider looked down at me and lunged, it's leg scraping the top of my head. Realizing I was under it, I stabbed it's bottom with my sword. It flailed, and I rolled out from under it just i time before it crashed down on the ground, dead.

"I guess that was a bad idea, then?" I yelled at Thalia and Aaron.

Aaron looked down, unable to face me. Thalia, however, smiled. I looked at her, confused.

"The rest weren't as bad as these two, so I guess they'll be-"

Yells and the sound of something breaking came out of nowhere.