Goode Rivalry || Demigods in High School Mortal AU

Chapter 26 || Meeting the Family

Piper McLean, October 6, 6:00 AM

"Wait, what are you doing here?" came a voice from downstairs, waking me from my slumber.

I frowned. Who could be at our door at 6 fucking AM?! I mean, I knew Percy and Annabeth both went on hour-long runs in the morning, but they usually didn't ask each other weird questions like that.

I decided to do some natural makeup today. My feathers had stayed perfectly in place from my earlier hair treatment at the spa and after my talk with Annabeth, I thought maybe I could tone down the makeup a bit. By that, I mean no foundation. But it's a start! It still took me an hour to get ready.

I walked downstairs to see two kids who I'd never seen in my life before in our kitchen, drinking glasses of water and eating cereal. A shriek almost escaped my mouth, but Percy walked in the door, sweaty after his run. I stood at the top of the stairs, just watching. There was a boy wearing all black, a pair of headphones hung around his neck, and a girl with short, spiky black hair tied back in a braid.

"Well, Sally said you transferred to Goode. We've been out of the country so long that we just wanted to drop by and say hi. We're just on our way to school anyway," the girl said. "It's okay if you wanna talk another time, or--"

"No, I'm happy to see you, Thats. I really am. I mean, I just wish you hadn't walked into this house when it wasn't... decorated," Percy said, glancing at our very barren living room area.

The boy in headphones looked around. "It is pretty ugly."

"Nico!" the girl hissed, nudging his arm. "Our cousin moves into a new house with a bunch of kids he just met and you call it 'ugly' first?"

"What? I'm just being honest!" 'Nico' retorted.

He was right. It looked like no one lived in this house, as if it was new. Even our rooms didn't have personal touches, and we barely spent any time in the desolate living space. 

Percy sighed, walking up the stairs. "I'm gonna go take a shower. Sorry. My mornings are usually pretty busy." He glanced at me. "Oh, hey, Pipes."

Is he not gonna comment on how I was just creepily standing a the top of the stairs?

"Why are you standing creepily at the top of the stairs?" Oh. The emo boy did it for Percy.

"Nico, for fuck's sake!" the girl groaned. "Can't you keep your mouth shut for once?"

"Well, I'm sorry, Grace, maybe you should try not looking so perfect and 'tough' in front of Percy and actually say something honestly for once?" Nico snapped back.

"I just, uh, didn't wanna intervene in anything," I explained when they were done arguing.

Awkwardly, I slipped by them and grabbed the milk and cereal from the fridge. "My name is Piper. I live here. W-Who are you?"

The girl quickly slapped a hand over Nico's mouth before he could say anything. "Nice to meet you, Piper. My name is Thalia and this is my annoying cousin Nico. We're cousins of Percy's and we just arrived back in town from boarding school."

I raised my eyebrows. "Boarding school, huh? Which one?"

"Oh, just one in Switzerland," Thalia explained. "I dunno. It was mostly cheese, cheese, cheese, and cheese again."

"Percy's lactose intolerant ass would die," Nico commented, chuckling.

I frowned. "Wait, Percy's lactose intolerant? He eats ice cream and cereal like... all day."

Thalia and Nico exchanged an eye-roll. "That Kelp Head always does whatever he feels like doing, doesn't he? He doesn't really know any better," Thalia said.