Unknown Friendship

CH2 - Arrest

Katie Gardner POV

Katie peaked over the shoulder of her best friend, Percy Jackson, to see what he was up to.

Okay, she wasn't really trying to see what he was doing; it was more like checking if he was doing anything that she needed to put a stop to, but it was her job. Even though Percy was older (only by a month, and they were ten, Percy a month from eleven) and had basically—no, not basically, had—protected and raised her for a short period of time, she still had to make sure he didn't do something stupid, or illegal.

She carefully scrutinized his every tap on the computer keyboard. Then she looked up at the screen, because he was typing way too fast for her to read. Katie sighed as she slowly attempted to read what he had typed; it wasn't her dyslexia that was making the spinning words unreadable. No, it wasn't that at all. She sighed. Somehow Percy had managed to change the keyboard so it wrote everything in Russian. Why Russian?

She grumbled slightly to herself, but Percy made no move to even so much as glance at her. Somehow, Katie had managed to put together what Percy had taught her of the language and read some of what was on the computer screen. While she was reading, she realized Percy wasn't typing anything; someone else was. Percy was just reading what they had written.

Сегодня мы говорим о проблеме, мы имели довольно долго: профессионализация наших военных. Наши военные, чуть более пятнадцати лет, еще молодая и неопытная ...

The translation clicked.

Today we are talking about an issue we have had for quite awhile now: professionalizing our military. Our military, just over fifteen years old, is still young and inexperienced...

What is going on? Katie wanted an answer, so she would get one. She flung the spinning chair towards her and got up real close to Percy's emotionless face. "Okay, mister," she started, dominance oozing from her. "I want an answer to this right this minute, so you better give me one as to why you're reading something that looks like it's from the military, in Russia." She had spat the last word.

Percy shrugged, unaffected. "It is from the military in Russia, but it's not like it's anything important." He waved his hand at the screen. "Didn't you read it? All it's talkin' 'bout is how they need to 'professionalize' their army. Nothing important."

Katie felt a surge of anger speed through her. How could this guy always stay so calm? She shook her head and pulled back away from his face. "Okay... Then how come you're reading it?"

Percy started at her with his sea green eyes, eyes that she hadn't seen ever before a few months before. "'Cause I feel like it." He paused. "Come on Katie, you have to have a better question than that."

Katie thought momentarily, and then she slowly opened her mouth before snapping it closed again. Percy motioned her to go with what she was going to say. Katie eyed him warily, deciding what his reaction would be. Would he laugh? Probably. But this was Percy Jackson; he always had surprises hanging around.

Katie sucked in a breath of clear, cold air. "How did you—how did you even get this information?" It was a stupid question, she knew. It was more than likely from off the internet from some website. Yet she had this nagging sensation in the back of her mind that this was what he wanted her to ask, that he wanted her to know what he was doing.

It was unnatural, that he could do that with her, with anyone, really. All he had to do was wait with his left eyebrow raised and that serious 'I know you can do it' look plastered on his face, and he could put any thought in your head. It was like he was literally putting thoughts in your head, carefully setting them in so you would get that nagging feeling. It was all so uncanny, like his strange knack for being able to tell what was going on in your life or emotions, or even what you were thinking in the first place.