Colors [Percabeth]

Rough Start// Chapter 1

Percy

"First day at your new school!" My mom gushed as she examined me. She straightened out my shirt for what seemed like the millionth time today and glanced at me one more time.

"Don't get into fights."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Listen to the teachers."

"Mhm."

"And for goodness sake, Perseus, stay away from trouble!"

Letting out a small sigh, I nodded and glanced at the mirror one last time. My reflection was staring back at me, though it didn't feel like me. Something felt off. Well, something's been feeling off ever since my dad left a couple months ago. I told myself that it didn't matter, but I'm not sure who I was trying to convince.

"Bye, mom." Kissing her forehead, I grab a piece of toast and make my way through the busy streets. New school, here I come.

***

The second I walk into the colorful building I bump into someone, causing both of our binders to be knocked over. Instead of being super mean about like I thought she would be, she was actually forgiving.

"Shit, sorry," I mumbled and crouch down to hand her her stuff. "Don't worry about it, I wasn't watching where I was going. I'm Piper, you must be the new kid." "I'm Percy. How'd you know?" She shrugged and dismissed my question with a wave of her hand, her chopped braids swinging as she did so. "Most people don't really talk to me."

That statement was immediately followed by a small doubt in my mind that I shouldn't be friends with her. After all, she had just implied she was trouble and that's what my mom told me to stay away from. But then again, what could possibly go wrong?

I must've been zoning out because she was waving her hand in front of my face.

"Hello? Earth to Percy?"

"Yeah, sorry. What?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. "Let me see your schedule." After one quick glance at it, she shot me a smile. "We have first and third period together. Let's go." She linked her arm into mine and took off without another word.

***

Piper guided me to a seat near the back of the classroom. "You can sit there. It's the only seat left." She shrugged and took her seat next to me. Soon enough, class starts and I could already feel myself starting to doze off until a certain sentence from the teacher's endless rambling catches my attention.

"-This will be a project that you and your partner of choice will have to complete. The assignment will be about color."
We all blinked. "This isn't an art class," some kid grumbled, clearly annoyed with the assignment.

The teacher smirked and shrugged. "It's what you interpret it as. Think of it as perspective. Now go find your partner."

I turn to Piper but she's already bolted out of her seat as a tall, blond guy calls her name. Never mind then, I thought with an inaudible sigh.

Some blonde in the front rolled her eyes and immediately said, "I'll work alone."

"Actually, Ms Chase, now that there's a new student, we have an even number and you no longer have to work alone anymore." The girl turned around and a familiar pair of gray eyes seemed to glare at me with an obvious look in them. 'You just had to show up, and now I'm stuck with you!'

The uneasy feeling rising in my stomach only got worse when I realized that was the girl I saw on the roof yesterday. Does she recognize me? If so, she did a good job at hiding it.

"Your house."

"W-Wha?"

She rolled her eyes and let out an impatient sigh. I must have been zoning out again because I didn't see her walk towards me so quickly. Now that she was up close I could tell a bit more about her. Her eyes were always wide and alert, she fidgeted with her hands a lot, and her blonde curls bounced along with her as she spoke. "We'll work on the project at your house."

"Well, what's wrong with yours?"

She shrugged. "Two dunderhead stepbrothers and a strict stepmom."

"Well what if I also have two dunderhead brothers and a strict stepmom?"

She rolled her eyes for what seemed like the millionth time in the past five minutes. "Your house. Got it, Seaweed Brain?"

I made a face and raised an eyebrow, my head coaxed to the side. "Seaweed Brain?" She nodded. "Yeah. You smell like seaweed." "Oh, that. I used to live just California."

She raised an eyebrow and stood back up just as the bell rang. "Oh yeah? Well welcome to New York, Water Boy."

And with that, she rushed out.

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A/N: Ugh, I'm horrible I know. It's been forever since I updated but I've been struggling with writer's block and I figured that if I was going to give you guys a late chapter, it might as well be good. I'll try to update more frequently from now on. Comment and tell me what you thought about the chapter!
-Alexa