The Reluctant Hero

Elbows and Make-up

Percy managed to catch up with Matt on the way to Biology.

"Percy! How did you do that, man?! It was freaking insane!" The demigod grinned bashfully at his new friend.

"I just like exercise," He shrugged, "And my summer camp does training every day, so I'm just used to it I guess." Matt raised his eyebrows.

"Well it's damn impressive, Mate. You looked like and Olympic athlete and you left us in the dust." 
"Oh, shut up." Percy blushed slightly and playfully pushed him before running down the corridor for Biology, his friend laughing as he chased after him.

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Matt grinned as he pulled Percy, who was desperately trying to balance his lunch tray while being dragged, over to a table occupied by just two people.

The one sitting closest to them was a mixed race girl with green eyes and vibrantly coloured beads of emerald, red, orange, saffire, purple and more braided into her hair.

Next to her sat a person with short, cropped, blond, straw-coloured hair hanging loose, wearing brown eye shadow, light lip gloss and a shirt with the gender symbols linked together on a field of colour that matched their eye make-up.

But Percy barely had time to take this in as he was pulled unceremoniously into a cheap plastic chair. Matt was grinning happily as they put their lunches on the table, having managed to save them from falling during their trip.

"Hey, guys!" This is Percy, he's the new kid in my homeroom!" The two friends smiled and waved as they waited for Matt to finish his introductions, he gestured tot he mixed race girl, "Percy, this is Gabryella," the girl in question elbowed him hard in the ribs: Matt grunted, "I mean Ella, if you call her..." the newly identified Ella glared at him, "that other name...she'll do....that and this is Kristy." He gestured to the other student.

This was where Ella chimed in.

"Yeah, normally she's a he at this time in the week, but hey," the mixed race teen grinned, "you gotta go with the flow!" She and Matt laughed as Kristy glared and sighed.

"If that was another fluid joke, I swear!" Kristy turned to Percy, "Hi, I'm Kristy and in case you hadn't gathered from that idiot," Ella just laughed harder, "I'm gender fluid. Kristy now, sometimes Chris." Percy grinned at her.

"I'm Percy, as Matt said. It's cool to meet you. Do you have any indicators or will you just tell us?" Kristy grinned back: people weren't usually that accepting or familiar with the concept.

"Make-up," she smiled, "As Kristy, it's eye shadow and lip gloss, as Chris, it's eye liner." Percy nodded along easily, "Do you know someone else fluid or are you just an open-minded, well-read person in general?" She smirked at him.

Percy laughed.

"I used to have friends who identified all over the spectrum." It was true, camp was surprisingly open and had an impressive variety of identities, the Aphrodite cabin had the most sexualities, the Hecate cabin had the most genders and the Iris cabin had an extensive collection of both.

Kristy frowned.

"Used to?"
"Uh..." Percy's face fell, but Matt saved him before it got too awkward.

"Just some history." Matt cut in, "Mind if I tell her later, Percy?" Percy swallowed.
"Go ahead." He mumbled. Percy decided now was a good time to change the subject. "Hey, who were those jocks trying to trip me in Gym?" Ella and Kristy looked up, confused while Matt sighed.

"That was Donnie Tracks and his goons, Erik Boats and Klyde More. They're our very own resident jocks and bullies. Donnie is captain of the Rugby and Football teams and Erik and Klyde are their star players. They've all gone out with and probably fucked almost every cheerleader in the school and terrorised everyone else." He grinned at Percy, "They also don't like being shown up." They all laughed (the girls had heard the rumours already) and the conversation faded to silence.