The Skeletons In The Closet

Chapter Twenty

Leo's POV

When everything came back into focus again, we all stood in the hallway of a strange looking middle school. When I peeked into a classroom, I saw beanbag chairs.

"Uh...where are we supposed to find you?" I asked Percy. He sighed and led the way to a gym. When we got there, I immediately noticed Percy among his classmates, all dressed in blue tie-dyed gym clothes.

I also picked out Percy's cyclops half brother Tyson. I'd met the guy once before.

It looked like they were getting ready to play dodgeball or something. Percy and this other kid who screamed 'rich brat' were team captains. The other kid picked all the big and buff seventh graders(though I don't know how you can be so big and buff in seventh grade).

"Those are the monsters, huh?" Thalia asked simply. It only dawned on me then that those were not seventh graders. Annabeth nodded in response of Thalia's question.

The game started and the ancient gym teacher sat at the back with a magazine.

The six or so 'monster seventh graders' began to grow even bigger, their shirts ripping around their muscles. They came to about eight feet tall. They really were ugly, with their yellow, crooked teeth and tattoos.

When they picked up their dodgeballs, they were metal and steaming. Thirteen year old Percy swallowed hard and I knew he saw all of this as well.

"Oh my gods those are Lastrygonian giants!" Hazel exclaimed. I gave her a questioning glance. "We fought them with potatoes at Frank's grandmother's house," she explained, which really didn't help my confusion much.

As soon as the first giant threw his ball, it burst into flames and struck the mats hard. Percy started yelling at his classmates to run, but the giant threw a dodgeball at the door, slamming it closed and locking it. He bared his teeth and did the same to the other door.

The students were all screaming and crying. Even the bully kid was trembling. Percy felt around for his pockets, cursing when he realized his gym shorts didn't have any. He was unarmed.

The only other student that stood by Percy was Tyson. The giants seemed to see this as well and one of them sent a flaming dodgeball flying at Tyson. Percy screamed at Tyson to watch out, but it was too late. The ball hit Tyson right in the chest. I expected him to go flying backwards, but he just slid a few feet before coming to a stop.

He was still on his feet, the dodgeball in his hands. He caught it. Percy was gaping so much he almost got hit by the next dodgeball coming his way. Tyson threw the dodgeball he was holding back at the giant who threw it, disintegrating him.

I could almost see the light bulb appear over Percy's head; he had an idea. Percy ran in front of the locker room door and teased the giants, daring them to make a move. 

The one in front smirked and threw. Percy waited to the last moment before jumping aside. His plan didn't work out exactly as it was supposed to, seeing as it basically just blew up the locker room, sending clothes everywhere. 

Percy seemed to spot his jeans and ran over, grabbing his pen from the pocket. Just then, Tyson got hit with another dodgeball, only this time he wasn't able to hold his ground. He went flying back and smashed into the wall hard, breaking through the wall a little. 

"Tyson!" Percy yelled. At this point there was only one giant left. Percy faced off with him, ready to either strike or move out of the way, whichever the situation called for. The giant held a ball in each hand.

Just then, the giant froze, his eyes widening in shock as he looked down at the dagger sticking out through his sternum. Glancing to my side, I saw Annabeth smirking.