The Hybrid

3. Terminus

School had never been Percy's thing. His dyslexia made reading a chore, and his ADHD turned sitting through classes into a test of endurance. He'd always felt like he was playing catch-up, trying to keep pace in a world that moved too fast or too slow, but never at his speed. Art—that was the only thing he cared about. Numbers and spreadsheets made sense to him, too, though not in the way school taught them. Business, maybe, would have been a path if anyone had asked what he wanted. But school? School was just something to get through.

Sitting in the passenger seat of Katie's beat-up sedan, Percy couldn't stop his leg from bouncing. The familiar churn of anxiety rolled in his stomach as they approached Angel Falls High School. It was only a short drive from the town square, which wasn't much of a square at all—just a handful of old shops and a few brick buildings.

"You're gonna be fine," Katie said, glancing at him with a reassuring smile. "Just keep your head down, don't try too hard to stand out. You'll get used to it."

Percy forced a nod, though his gut told him it wouldn't be that easy. As Katie parked, he scanned the parking lot. It wasn't anything special. A couple groups of students stood by their cars, chatting or laughing. From the outside, they all seemed... normal. Regular high school kids. But something about the place felt off, like there was a tension in the air that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Claire hopped out of the backseat and headed straight for the school without so much as a backward glance. "Library's open," she said, as if that explained everything, and disappeared into the building before Percy could even say goodbye.

Angela rolled her eyes. "She's always like that. Come on, let's get you settled."

Inside, Angel Falls High was as beige and uninspired as any other school. Percy walked alongside Katie, trying to blend in, though it was hard to ignore the stares. Not to mention, two boys that looked the exact same besides some height difference (named Connor and Travis) wouldn't stop pestering Katie. Percy wasn't even sue if he should interject to save his cousin. He wasn't sure if it was his place. Besides, she seemed to be handling them just fine. 

People were watching him, some openly, others trying to be discreet but failing miserably. He knew why—new kid, small town—it made sense. At least, that's what he assumed peopel were looking at him for. The attention still made him squirm.

"Here's your locker," Katie said, pointing to a row of dull metal doors. 

"You're right by Grover," Travis acknowledged. 

Percy looked up to see Grover, his head buried deep inside a neighboring locker. He was rummaging through the mess, muttering something to himself, completely oblivious to the world around him. Percy stepped closer.

"Hey, Grover!"

At the sound of his name, Grover's head popped out of the locker like a prairie dog. His wide, toothy grin spread across his face. 

"Hey, Percy! Made it, huh? How's it going so far? School's a dump, but you'll get used to it. The teachers mostly leave you alone if you don't cause trouble." He slapped the side of Percy's locker as if that was supposed to reassure him.

Percy smiled faintly. "Good to know."

Grover was strange, no doubt about that, but in a way that made Percy grateful. It was better to know someone odd than no one at all, especially with how aware he was of the other students' eyes still lingering on him. He glanced around, his shoulders tightening. Every whisper, every side glance, felt magnified. He wondered how long it would take for him to fade into the background like Angela had suggested.

Suddenly, a loud shout echoed down the hallway, and Percy's attention snapped in the direction of the commotion. A group of students had formed a circle, watching as a tall, blonde boy shoved a burly, Asian guy hard into a locker.