𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐒, apollo

𝐯𝐢𝐢. socks for percy's big ass feet

I STARED AT THE words. All of them sounded the same to me. Chiron and Charon, or Polydectes and Polydeuces. I already imagined the big, fat D-. And conjugating those Latin verbs? Forget it, I might as well just sleep and hope that Cy or Grover would help me.

I stared at the Cambridge Guide to Greek Mythology textbook on the other side of my bed. Maybe I should ask Percy for help? After all out of the three of us, he paid attention in class the most.

As I walked down the halls of Yancy, my smile faltered a bit as I remembered that Percy wouldn't be returning here next fall. Since he, like me, was on probation during the whole Nancy incident, he was just living on a tiny thread. But after that, his temper got way worse, which resulted in him talking back to teachers and getting bad grades. So he did not receive an invitation for next year.

Okay, maybe I knew that Percy wouldn't be much help with Latin, considering that he was failing it too, but I just wanted to study with him for the last time.

Girl and Boy dorms were at different ends of the school, meaning in order to get from one building to another I had to go past the faculty offices.

Most of them were dark and empty, but Mr. Brunner's door was ajar, light from his window stretching across the hallway floor. I was three steps from the door handle when I heard voices inside the office.

Mr. Brunner asked a question. A voice that was definitely Grover's said, "...I think Bridget also might be one." I froze. I was about to take another step towards the door, so I could hear better, when I noticed Percy, also frozen five feet away from me.

We both shared a look before inching closer to the door.

"I noticed too," Mr. Brunner was saying. "She remembers Mrs. Dodds..."

Percy's eyes went wide as he pointed a finger in the direction of the office. Later into our trip when he was freaking out about how he might have gone crazy, how he was imagining someone. I felt a bit bad even though it was funny to see him that panicked, and told him that I too remember our math teacher. But we soon realised that we were the only ones.

"-also Percy... alone this summer," Grover said. "I mean, a Kindly One in the school! Now that we know for sure, and they know too—"

"We would only make matters worse by rushing him," Mr. Brunner said. "We need the boy to mature more. And we need to be sure about Miss Nova." I scrunched my brows, what was going on?

"But he may not have time. The summer solstice deadline—"

"Will have to be resolved without him, Grover. Let him enjoy his ignorance while he still can."

"Sir, he saw her...."

"His imagination," Mr. Brunner insisted. "The Mist over the students and staff will be enough to convince him of that."

"Sir, I... I can't fail my duties again." Grover's voice was choked with emotion. "You know what that would mean."

Percy and I shared a look as he mouthed 'what?'.

"You haven't failed, Grover," Mr. Brunner said kindly. "I should have seen her for what she was. Now let's just worry about keeping Percy alive until next fall—"

Suddenly Cy's book fell, making a thud. I cursed, quickly grabbing the book from the ground. We heard someone standing up and we quickly ran out of the hall as quietly as we could.

I WAS SUPPOSED TO leave my dorm in about less than an hour. And like every year, I still hadn't packed.

I threw a bunch of stuff in my suitcase from the floor, trying to find my favourite pair of socks. I think I remember throwing them at the end of my bed a couple of days ago. Or was it two weeks ago?