The Life I'm Running From

1\ A Football Nearly Murders Me

~one month earlier~

"I'm starting to rethink this," I said, snatching an apple from the counter. "Maybe school isn't the best idea."

Danny sighed, and stirred the cocoa powder into her drink. "You chose this. And besides, it's too late to change your mind."

I sighed. She was right. But as I stared at the textbooks and pencils jammed in my backpack, worry was starting to mount up in my stomach. I hadn't been to school since elementary.

"Do you want me to curl your hair or something?" Danny asked. "It's your first day, and people like to dress nicer. I always did."

I shook my head, and ran a hand through my blonde waves. "It would be weird. It might be my first day, but everyone else started school two weeks ago. Tell me again why Chiron wanted me to start school later?"

Danny sipped her hot chocolate tentatively. "So the administration gives you more attention. Tons of kids start at the beginning of the year, but no one in their right mind would start two weeks late. It doesn't make sense for anyone normal."

There was that word. Normal. The reason behind all of this. "Wow Danny. I feel loads better." I bite off a large chunk of my apple, and started back to my bedroom.

"We have to leave in ten minutes," Danny said to my retreating back. I didn't bother to answer, but I rapped the door frame to let her know I had heard.

I munched on my apple as I rummaged through my closet. I didn't have a lot of clothes, and they mostly consisted of summer wear, but I eventually found a sweater. I pulled off my Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. I would never wear it to school. There was no doubt people would be confused at why I had Ancient Greek on a t-shirt, and besides, I was turning over a new leaf. I balled up the t-shirt and threw it to the bottom of my closet. I didn't need it now.

My bedroom had one mirror in it that faced my closet. I turned around and surveyed my reflection, checking that the sweater hadn't messed my hair up too bad.

The mirror showed me that my blonde hair still looked brushed. It fell in its natural waves down past my shoulders. One thin streak of pink started at my roots and got lost at the back of my head, probably trailing down my back. Danny insisted on having it dyed. Not many teenagers had grey hair, so dying it was my only hope at blending in. At being normal.

I pulled the pink streak forward, and rubbed it in between my fingers. I would have to get it dyed again before the school year ended. Maybe then I wouldn't be so attached. Sounds silly, doesn't it? Being attached to a grey strand of hair. Well, don't judge me too fast, because this was almost like a memento for me. Something that connected me to a close friend and brother.

I was referring to Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson of course. No one else—alive, at least—had held up the weight of the sky. As much as I hated to remember Zoe Nightshade dying, and Luke being evil, the grey streak connected me to Annabeth and Percy. It was the only thing that did anymore. The fact that they were in college in New Rome didn't help either.

After tossing my apple core in the garbage, I grabbed my backpack and met Danny at the door. She was wearing a brown coat so dark it was almost black, the same colour as her curly hair. "Do you have everything?" she asked as I grabbed a jacket.

"Yep." I swung my backpack over my shoulder. "Let's go."

Luckily, my new high school wasn't too far from the apartment building. Danny and I walked down a crowded street—well, I guess all streets in New York City count as crowded—and turned the corner to a row of stores. We passed a bakery with the smell of deliciousness wafting from it, and then crossed the street with a bunch of other teenagers heading to the school.