I am the Lightning Thief

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Her eyes fluttered open and she gazed up at the dull grey color of her ceiling. Hazel flipped over and looked at her watch which was sitting on the small wooden block that served as her night table. The time read 3:00 a.m. Perfect, she wasn’t late. She threw her old blanket off and stood up to stretch looking around her bare room. Some people would cry if they saw what Hazel was living in which was currently a grey chipping paint room with splintering wooden floors. Her furniture was a wooden chair in the corner beside a desk and a closet with no doors had her hanging clothes inside. Beds were too expensive for Hazel so she had instead a yoga mat with a old moth eaten quilt that lumpily lay on top and a sofa cushion as a pillow. Better than a cardboard box she thought chirpily pulling her clothes out for the day and ditching her flannel PJ’s in a box under the hanging cloth items. The last week of her life had been the best because of the sudden change in the school bullies. Don’t get it wrong she still got bullied a lot but there was a sudden decrease in the amount of bullying she got a day. Hazel finished buttoning up her shirt and grabbed a brown and white dress stuffing it in the back pack alongside her homework. Today was the school spirit day and for once Hazel actually felt like participating. She picked up her bag and tip toed through the old house until she reached the ancient kitchen wrinkling her nose at the empty bottles of vodka on the counter and shattered on the floor. Mumbling to herself she grabbed the broom and swept the shards into a dust pan trying to muffle the chink they made as they clashed together. She dispatched the glass pieces into the garbage bin and collected the rest of the bottles trying to block her nose from the overpowering scent. Hazel brought out the eggs, onions, spinach, and spices whipping together two omelettes worth a five star rating. She gulped down the first omlette and left the second on a table with a glass of orange juice. Sneaking past the second bedroom into the bathroom Hazel inspected herself in the cracked mirror. Bruises were surrounding her neck and wrists but you only saw them if you were close up thanks to her darker complexion. Hazel winced as she grazed a finger over the tender skin and she brought out her bottle of cover up and smoothed the liquid over all the bumped areas. Last night was not a pleasant then again when was any of Hazel’s nights pleasant? Hazel tied her frizzy brown hair up and quietly walked outside. The crisp January air sucked the warmth right out of her jacket numbing her to the bone, Hazel shoved her hands inside her pockets trying to keep them warm. She shivered as she walked down the sidewalk and stopped near a blue sign with so many holes in it the words were unreadable. Time ticked by leaving every second hanging in the icy air making her wish the driver would hurry. The bus finally arrived gassing and puffing so much smoke that it almost smelt worse than her mother after a week of drunken stupor. She boarded then waited then boarded again then waited. Soon she was standing in front of a wooden gate that read Welcome to Sunnyside Ranch; Horse Stall renting and Horseback riding lessons. The gate squeaked as she opened it and she jogged to the barn eagerly pulling out the key and flung open the doors. A few horses whinnied in alarm at the sudden blast of cold taking the warmth from the barn. Hazel flicked the light switch on and shut the doors again, all the horses in the barn stared at her angrily at the break in their slumber It’s friggin 4 a.m.!! Thoroughbreds need their beauty sleep!! Hazel smiled and slipped off her jacket flinging it onto a hook carelessly. She marched down the row of stalls of and stopped at the end where a wooden plaque carved in the name Arion. An amber horse with a thick black main turned its large head and nickered at her happily flicking his tail. Hazel smiled and patted his furry rump then shimmed along the side of his stall to his head. She gently blew on his muzzle lovingly and Arion snorted back butting his snout at her sweater pocket hopefully. Hazel shone another pearly white smile and produced a handful of golden sweet corn from her pocket, Arion’s favorite. Arion munched happily on the treat while Hazel got to work bringing out the shovels and pitch forks. She mucked all the stalls, added new hay, refilled the feed boxes and groomed the horses in record time. She looked at the big silver watch that used to cling on her fathers wrist and sighed. Glumly she walked back Arions stall and rubbed his snout one last time. See you after school buddy She thought and Arion put his ears back grumpily as if he could read her thoughts. Another two buses later Hazel was sitting by the Goode’s front door shivering while observing all the other students showing off their costumes proudly, Hazel barely had any time to change into her plain brown and white dress. She noticed the boy who had saved her the other day from the bullies, Percy. He was dressed in a baggy white shirt and some brown slacks, his usual wind tousled hair was spread over his forehead and just above his eye brows. He was laughing with who Hazel had considered one of her only acquaintance but Hazel barely recognized Annabeth. Instead of her hair up in a tight bun as usual Annabeth’s hair was in a long braid which was littered with colorful flowers that ended at her bum. She had a on purple dress and no make up, but she was outstandingly the most beautiful girl there and the smile that lit her face made her twice so. Hazel heard a sharp click next to her, students shoved past trying to squish themselves into the heated building. Hazel waited until she was closest to the back before attempting to enter. A patch of ice hit her boot and her legs were falling out from under her, she braced herself for impact, strong hands grabbed her arms. Instinctively Hazel tensed up. Hands were cruel, thats what she had learned. “Whoa there Hazel, don't accept Gravity’s friendship.” Hazel broke free of the hands and spun around and almost slipped again. Percy smiled at her crookedly with Annabeth beside him “You ok?” reaching out a hand to steady her shoulder. Hazel flinched and backed up nodding sheepishly. Percy narrowed his eyes “what happened to your neck?” he asked. Crap. Hazel whipped out her pencil and paper. Tripped and fell onto a hanging hammock. It could have been her imagination or her apparent bad vision but Hazel was sure that Percy looked at her suspiciously. Probably not She thought in the bathroom while inspecting her now perfect donut bun. Now she was the spitting image of Tiana from ‘the Princess and the Frog’ that she saw with Sammy years ago. Only she wasn’t in a glittering blue dress or a green ball gown, she was copying Tiana’s waitress outfit. Hazel’s thoughts were interrupted when the bell sounded making dread settle on her bruised stomach. You can’t afford detention when you’ve got work after school. Hazel marched to home room obediently. Today no one was interested in knocking her over or throwing her books on the ground because they were too wrapped up in themselves. She like to take note of people she past it gave her a sense of who’s where like Piper who was dressed in a very unique Pocahontas outfit with feathers and all walked in the opposite direction probably to room 206. Katie Gardner was right at her heels wearing a blue, cream, and red dress, she was readjusting a red head band with a bow on it. Hazel stopped and looked back at the duo, they did look pretty similar to Pocahontas and Snow white. Hazel walked into her class and took an end seat and started noting on who everyone’s character was. Rachel was a perfect Merida with her fiery red hair but instead of a bow and arrow she had a bow with paint brushes. Juniper was beside her wearing a green costume ball gown, her red hair was distinctly tied up, she was obviously Anna from frozen. Thats when they swept in the door. Hazel was unlucky enough to have all four girl Killers in her homeroom and what they were wearing would make a bikini model blush. Nancy strutted in first her usual flat hair was sprayed and pampered into a large halo around her head. Her arms and neck were adorned in pearls and shells but her clothing was the worst trait. She was only wearing a purple shell bandow and a shimmering green figure hugging skirt that flared out at the bottom the rest of her skin was bare (Ariel). Hazel was almost thankful when Jasmine walked in wearing a full yellow decorated dress that had a shamefully low v-neck, her sunset yellow elbow gloves and brown hairdo indicated that she was Bell. Khione was right behind her in a custom made blue shining figure hugging dress that had a slit on the side with a wispy cape behind her, her make up was purple eye shadow up to her eyebrows and fake snowflakes balancing on her caked eyelashes. Khione always looked like a cold person so it was fitted that she was Elsa. Then Drew came in. Imagine Jasmine from Aladdin with shimmery blue short shorts instead of baggy pants that matched the loose bandow and bright blue eye shadow with tons of mascara and bronzer. Now times that image by ten. That’s what was standing in front of the class, shaking it’s hips as it passed the teacher.The four could make a fortune just by selling the oodles of make up off their faces. Hazel shook her head, this was monstrous who would where that guck? Drew noticed her and smirked. Hazel gulped as Drew sat down on her desk and smiled sweetly at her “People judge a coin inside and out. If’s its shiny and if its full of the value. Looks like I found a worthless corroded hollow coin” Hazel shrunk back as the class laughed and jeered at her some just muttering witch. A clear tear leaked from her eye and she looked away. Some people will never find they’re prince.