{Percy Jackson Fanfic} Water Lily and the Ocean's Blessing

Chapter One: The (Seemingly) Normal Day

Hi. My name is Lily Rachel Mabiasan, and I'm ten years old. My story started on a (seemingly) normal day at school. It's maths, my second favourite lesson. The room is naturally loud with people telling jokes, talking about what they'd done last night, et cetera.

'Alright, Team Apollo!' Miss Ward calls. Miss Ward is our teacher, and has been for two years. Oh, the things she's been through!

Though, Miss Ward isn't our only teacher. We have another, called Mrs Donovan, but she's in Florida because her daughters are competing in a cheerleading com- petition. Damn, sounds awesome!

Though, I overheard Mrs Donovan saying to Miss Ward that it wasn't the only thing she was there to do. She was also there for "business", or whatever that could be.

Anyways, Miss Ward asks me to hand out the Maths books with Adwin, the person I sit next to. I do my usual, telling people that there would be "no refunds". They all immediately pick up their papers and exclaim, "refund please!".

After handing out the papers, I settle in my place. Picking up my pencil, I then set to work.

Okay. 3,627+6,915. Seems easy enough.

I swiftly use column method to find the answer.

10,542. Next. . .

After I finish maths, I check my answers and then put my pencil down. Miss Ward gives me a grin. I return it, nodding slightly.

And, after I finish everything, I read. I'm reading a book Miss Ward let me borrow, called Becoming Jo. It's a retelling of Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, only if their story was told now. I read for about ten minutes, finishing precisely twenty-two pages. We check our answers, do a bit more maths about fractions, and then it's lunch break.

I line up with my best friend, George. I watch his shoulder-length curly, brown hair bounce as he moves. He's wearing a bucket hat that has a cow print on it, which everyone agrees is adorable. He even has a matching bag!

'Finally, it's break!' he sighs.

I laugh.

We walk outside, the breeze gently rubbing against us. The deafening sound of the other kids rings in our ears as we race to the stairs. It's our favourite place to spend break time. Tying my black hair into a low ponytail, I stop to look at the view. As usual, it's jaw-dropping. Towering hills surround the village, with Dover Castle imposing, magnificent, in the distance. I smile. This is one of the only places I like to let myself . . . well, be me.

'So, Lils, what shall we play today?' George questions. Now, let me tell you about George.

First off, he's an avid swimmer. He goes to swimming lessons once every week, making him one of the best swimmers in the class. He's also a bookworm, like me. We like to recommend each other books sometimes. He has two sisters and many pets, and lives in a nice cottage just outside Kearsney Abbey. Kearsney Abbey is a park/forest nearby our school. Lucky him. I don't live near anywhere in particular. Well, except from a bus stop and the Co-op.

George also knows a lot about me. We've been friends since reception, and ever since then, our friendship has grown. We've never argued. Well, we do pretend to argue in our role-plays. But, that doesn't really count, does it?

Are you confused why you know more about my best friend than me?

Well, you'll just have to find out what I'm like. Tough luck.

'What do you want to play?' I shrug.

'Oh! Let's play hide and seek! I'll be the seeker first,' he replies. I agree, nodding.

'One, two . . .' George counts.

Where to hide? There's a bin over there, but, no, that's too obvious.

'Three, four . . .'

How about . . . behind the tree? No, I hid there last time.

'Five, six, seven . . .'

There! Behind the bush! I race towards the greenery, my heart pounding. I'd never seen the bush until now. Eh, whatever.

'Eight, nine!' George calls.

I leap behind the bush just as George calls ten. My heart rate drops as I crouch in anticipation. Panting, I look at my surroundings.

What I see shocks me.