Chapter 1
New student, new problems
"Hey, Ellie! Wake up!" I stood up and yawned.
"Come on, Freaky! Get downstairs!"
My stepbrother, Luke, was pain as usual. He nicknamed me Freaky two years, and wouldn't stop calling me that.
"Shut up, freeze-brain, and leave me alone!" I yelled at Luke, who was standing on my doorstep. To Clary Rodriguez, my stepmother, I called, "I'm coming!"
"Just hurry up! You don't want to be late for school! It's your junior year!"
I groaned. My junior year. It made my day. Honestly, I hated school: it was so boring, I couldn't concentrate on anything, and I was dyslexic. To make everything even better, I heard we will have a new student.
Judging from rumors, he was kicked out from numerous schools, so everyone expected some kind of a bully. Oh, I forgot to mention: it was boy, but no one knew how he looked, or even what his name was.
"ELLIE! Get your butt downstairs, now!" My stepfather John's voice boomed.
He was probably the cruelest stepfather in existence: always punishing me, calling me names, threatening kicking me out of house… You get the idea.
I ran downstairs, grabbing my backpack in process, and sat at the table. Clary was making pancakes, Luke was screeching and running around the house, and John was drinking coffee.
"Mother", I called, "can you give me a pancake, so I can go? Please?"
"Sure, sweetie", she answered, "just wait a sec."
Clary finished her last pancake, expertly threw it on the plate, and gave it to me. She knew I liked my pancakes hot. Sometimes I wished she was my real mother.
"Mommy! I want my pancake, too!" Luke ran into her, hugging her.
"Of course, but first – wash your hands!"
"But, Mommy, Ella didn't wash her hands!" He lied instantly: I washed my hands. Clary wasn't fooled.
"I don't care, Luke: you have to wash your hands!"
He sniffed, gave me poisoned glance, and ran off to the bathroom.
I ate my pancake quickly; sooner I get out of the house, better. John, however, had other ideas.
"Wait, Ella." I sighed, and turned.
"There's new kid in your school." I waved that off.
"Oh, I know. And I heard rumors about him. I know everything already." He narrowed his eyes.
"I'll give you one warning: he's trouble. Stay away from him."
I hopped on my school bus, still thinking furiously. Why John would order me to stay away? Fortunately, I knew someone who knew everything about our school.
"Hey, Helen!" I yelled.
Helen was our maths teacher's child, and her family had knowledge of every school gossip and rumor.
"Hey, Ellie! Heard about new boy?" I nodded.
She sat beside me.
"Tell me what you know." Her eyes sparkled.
"First, he's damnly cute. Black hair, green eyes – you get the picture." I smiled.
"Your type. Go on."
"He is ADHD, and dyslexic, and he will have biology with us. Also, there's gossip he has a girlfriend."
"Ooooh, our cheerleaders won't like it", I said laughing.
"Definitely! I'm so looking forward to biology! I want to see that cow Lydia's face!"
Lydia was cheerleader, and had habit of flirting with every cute boy. Most girls hated her, because their boyfriends dumped them because of her, and she dumped them. In much better mood, I entered school.
Our second class was biology. Of course, Helen spread the word that new student will come then, so everyone nervously awaited him. After our break, I sat at my table. I was the only one alone, so I figured I would sit with him. That thought made my heart race. Teacher Sybille sat in the chair, but before she could start lecture, there was knock on the door.
"Come in!" she called.
The door opened, and I barely stifled a gasp.
Boy was positively cute: he had ruffled jet-black hair, seagreen eyes, and nervous half-smile on his lips. Combined with well-worn jeans and blue T-shirt, I could see what Helen meant when she said damnly cute.
"So, this is our new student, Percy Jackson."
Then Sybille started introducing us: he nodded at everyone politely, smiled at exactly right people, gave dagger looks to bullies and show-offs.
"Percy, you will sit with Ella Rodriguez."
There was loud groan from girls, and muffled chuckle from boys. He smiled at me, and sat like he was used to sit with strange persons. I watched him from the corner of my eye. He wasn't exactly my type of boy: I preferred blond ones, with blue eyes. Still, no one could say that he wasn't cute at least.
I tried concentrating on our class, but my mind was someplace else. I sketched horse with flying wings to keep myself interested.
"Hard for you to concentrate? You're not the only one."
I turned my head, surprised that he spoke to me.
He nodded toward my sketch.
"May I see it?"
"Sure, go ahead."
He took it, and for one long moment stared at it. Then he gave it back.
"You really have talent."
I blushed.
"I love horses."
He chuckled.
"I love them too. I only dislike Arion."
"Arion?"
"My friend's horse." He looked me. "When he whinns, you could swear that he's cursing."
I got jitters then. Should I tell him about my talent?
"Ehm, Percy? Is it normal for people to… understand horses?"
He looked surprised and interested.
"Depends how you define normal." He looked around. "Look, can you meet me after school? I need to talk to you."
"Of… of course."
Then, bell rang.
Rest of the day was fuzzy; I could only think about Percy's strange request. Girls noticed us talking, but apparently they were satisfied that he didn't seek me out later. Finally, my last class finished and I ran out. He was already there, looking everywhere.
"Percy?" I whispered.
He motioned toward me, inviting me.
"What the heck is going on?"
"I stood on quite a lot of toes. I'm not really popular."
"What are you talking about? Everyone wants to meet you!"
He laughed bitterly.
"If you only knew the truth. Listen, Ella, understanding horses isn't normal. Neither in this nor in my world." He gave me a fond look. "You're special, Ellie. But we have to move. This is no safe place for small talk." I followed him, wondering why he said my world.
"S***." He muttered some curse, and pulled pen out from his pocket.
"Ella, run! Go home, pack and wait for me to pick you up! You need to go to camp with me!" He gave a letter. "Show this to your mother. She'll know what to do. Now go!"
I ran off. Last thing I saw was Percy holding sword in his hand, whistling.
