Sealed Shut

Chapter Three

English passed and left Annabeth walking to lunch. As she tried to check her phone again, an arm hooked under hers and dragged her off. Her feet hurried to catch herself and by the time she had her balance she was inside the girl's restroom. 

"What the hell?" She asked as she pulled her arm back and blinked. In front of her stood three girls, well one was sitting on top of the counter, one leaned against the wall, and the other stood right in front of her. 

The one sitting on the counter had her long legs crossed and a frown on her face. Red curls made a halo around her pale, freckled face and green eyes. Her green crop-top fell off one shoulder and her shorts were paint-splattered. But at least she was wearing sneakers, unlike the other two. 

Leaning against the wall was another redhead, but her hair was straight and pulled back in a ponytail. Her eyes were dark and her freckles were much more orange than the last girl's. She wore a black crop-top with a pink jacket, and black skinny jeans. Her heels were in the shape of pink pumps. 

But the one in front of Annabeth was obviously the 'leader'. Her black hair fell down to her waist, and she had brown eyes and porcelain skin. A pink sweater with a sweet-heart neckline and, visible in the mirror, a plunging back, with white skinny jeans and black high-heeled boots, made her even taller. 

"So you're the fresh fish." The black-haired one said. "Could use a make-over but . . . It would work." She mused as she held a piece of Annabeth's hair up. "What do you think?" 

"We don't need her." The girl on the wall said with a sneer. "But she needs us, and doesn't even know it." She licked her pink lips, "It's adorable." 

"Drew," The girl in green said. "We don't need to do this. It's only day one." 

"Rachel, did I ask you to give me a list of your moral issues?" The one Annabeth assumed to be Drew, answered. "No I didn't. And let me remind you who in this group needs this more than anything." The girl in green, Rachel, clamped her mouth and glared at her feet. "Now, anyway . . ." Drew turned back to Annabeth. 

"Who are you?" Annabeth folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. 

"We are either your dream come true, or your worst nightmare." Drew said. "I'm Drew Tanka, she's Rachel Dare," The girl on the counter. "and that's Nancy Bobofit." The girl by the wall. "We are making the most generous offer of accepting you into the group." Drew walked around Annabeth and poked different parts of her body and frowned a bit. "Are you in?"

"So this is one of those high schools?" Annabeth sighed. Drew paused with a raised eyebrow. "One of those schools with the cliché groups and typical hierarchy, with three reigning Queen Bitches?" She rubbed her nose. "Listen, it's nice to know you are trying to pull me into this little drama you've got going here, but no thanks. I have someone to sit with at lunch and can handle myself in other regards. Bye." 

Annabeth waved as she left the girls in the bathroom. Of course that would happen on her first day, why not? Why was she the one they had to pull into some high school drama TV show? 

With a shake of her head she walked into the Lunch Room. 

The room was wide and had a high ceiling, tables were scattered with no real pattern, and kids dotted each one. The tables in the middle were obviously full of jocks and cheerleaders. Typical. The outer ring were the not-popular-but-not-picked-on-kids, then the very outside was the outcasts and nerds. And the last ring was where Annabeth found Percy. 

That confused her, he seemed like he would be popular. Well one of the very rare nice guys that was popular because he was on some sports team, at least. But she guessed, it might be because he doesn't talk? 

Lame, if someone doesn't talk that isn't a reason to outcast them. 

Thoroughly fed up with this whole school, Annabeth walked over to Percy's table and sat down beside him. The table was shaped like a circle and seemed to fold in half when they needed to clean up. 

'Hey, Percy.' Annabeth signed. Percy smiled at her and she smiled back. 

'Hey Annabeth, thought you got lost or ditched me.' Percy joked as he straightened up and looked over at Annabeth with a smirk. 

'I got pulled over to talk to by some chicks, no big deal.' Annabeth pulled out her lunch, a ham and cheese sandwich and bag of sun chips, out of her lunch box from her backpack. Percy wasn't eating anything, he just had a bottle of Coke. 'Hey, wanna share?' Annabeth held out her sandwich and bag of chips. 

'But . . . They're yours?' Percy blinked and shook his head. 

'Just take some.' Annabeth rolled her eyes and smirked. 'Here.' she took half of her sandwich and set it in front of Percy, and set the open bag of chips between them. Percy was hesitant but after Annabeth gave him a look like 'it's not poisoned', he ate his part of the sandwich. 

Annabeth wiped her face on a napkin she brought, and handed Percy her extra one. He smiled and nodded in thanks. Once they finished Annabeth yawned and rest her chin on her hand. Percy tapped her shoulder so she turned to him. 

'Where did you go to school before this?' Percy kept his smile on his face as he signed. 

'In California, my dad moved us here this summer.' Annabeth sighed. 'I mean this place isn't so bad, I met you, but I miss my friends.' Percy frowned. But Annabeth just waved him off. 'What about you?' 

'I've been going here all of high school. It's right down the street from my orphanage.' Percy shrugged. Annabeth tried to not let the heaviness of those words hit her. He was an orphan. 

'What classes do you have next?' Annabeth changed the topic, this wasn't the place for a conversation like that.