FINDING A HOME | PJO

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"What is wrong with you? This was your chance, Nancy!"

"You'll never be any different. I do everything for you!"

"Why do I have to tell you everything a hundred times? Get it through your thick head!"

They had been stressed. That was all.

They didn't mean any of it. Nancy knew that.

She dialed the number for a third time and went to put the call through.

But she hesitated.

Her parents were probably busy, actually. She could get home on her own. Even though it was raining...and the sun had set a while ago.

She'd only been out this long because of them. Stupid summer school--summer school detention, which was apparently a thing.

The street lamps lit up the sky of New York, where she dodged passerbys in Long Island. Her parents had moved there sometime last year when her dad had taken a new job and her brother got accepted into a nearby college.

Nancy herself would be going into her last year of highschool next year, and she was dreading it. High school was hard.

After Yancy, her parents ignored the suggestions of her teachers and enrolled her in a normal high school. With plenty of normal kids, and normal classes, and normal everything. Even with all of that, she struggled. Her grades weren't terrible, and the teachers were okay. But while she went to school everyday, her family drifted further and further apart. She lost any friends she had, which meant no one to confide in.

Last year, Nancy had been so desperate that she tried to clean up her act a little.

The only thing she gained from that was strange looks and an enormous serving of isolation.

She kept telling herself that she wasn't the young orange freckled kleptomaniac she used to be, but it was useless. She was a pick-pocketing brat that wasn't going anywhere.

The stress was getting to her, though.

Nancy had been seeing strange things all over New York. The other day, she'd seen her neighbor's dog with a snake for a tail and a lion's mane. Nancy had asked Echidna, her neighbor, what it's breed was, and when Nancy turned back to look, it was a small chihuahua nudging her ankle.

And that was after many other incidents. Nancy had considered talking to a therapist, but her financial status wasn't in the best condition, and her parents would just brush it off and tell her to grow up.

"Get out of the way!"

Nancy slid to the right, avoiding a large man in a business coat who was obviously trying to get out of the rain.

Nancy didn't bother telling him off, instead slid her hand into his pocket and found a couple of one dollar bills. "Thank you!" she called. "This'll go towards college."

She didn't look back, but she could feel the confusion of the man behind her. Stealing was obviously not okay, but the way she thought about it, the few dollars she'd received was an apology for his rude behavior towards her. He was not the only one who didn't want to be there, and it was no excuse.

Nancy continued walking. She actually wasn't planning to go to college anytime soon, so she slipped into the nearest coffee shop, one of the only places where she could find a cup of iced coffee for under five dollars, and walked out onto the damp sidewalk with a second wind.

The sky had cleared and the rain had ceased, so Nancy took a deep breath and stepped forward.

She'd only gone a foot before something unseen to her swiftly bumped her shoulder, causing her to spin a half circle and drop her coffee.

"What the--!" Nancy turned furiously to the rude person who'd wasted an entire cup of perfectly good coffee.

But the thing perched behind her was anything but human. Well, some of it was human.

It was a woman, or would be, if not for her blood red eyes and fangs and...

Holy crap, is that a donkey leg?

Nancy shook her head furiously to get the image out of her mind. But when she opened her eyes again, the same thing stared back at her. Except this time, her hair was in flames. Literally.

"Well you're not a man," it hissed, "but I'm hungry."

Nancy started, speechless. She looked around, but the New Yorkers surrounding them went on with their evenings, passing her as if she was the only one seeing this.

Yeah, she probably was. This was getting ridiculous. "My hair's not that short," she spat. "And I don't have any money."

Nancy's recent hair crisis wasn't something anyone in their right mind would ever bring up. After lots of unnecessary details, she had it cut short. It was still as red as ever, only there was a lot less of it.

She turned around, jumping at the sudden speed of the creature. "How did you--?"

"Oh, darling. Your mortal money is of no use to me." The monster licked her lips, stepping forward. Nancy was forced back with each step.

"'Mortal money?' We use the American currency here." Despite the stillness of her voice, Nancy was getting slightly concerned.

Either she was hallucinating and needed some sleep, or this was just another day on the streets of New York.

Nancy's back thudded against the filthy wall of the cafe's side, and she realized this thing had pushed her into an alleyway.

Stupid Nancy! She knew she should've spent the extra couple dollars at a coffee shop in a more decent area. Now she was being jumped for her cheapness.

Or maybe she should've made that call.

"You demigods are getting easier and easier to kill," it smiled.

Kill?

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I'm no...demigod."

It laughed. "I'll admit, your scent is faint, but I know halfblood scum when I smell it."

Nancy swallowed. Although she hadn't the slightest clue as to what this weirdo was talking about, she knew she'd have to channel her inner trickster and decieve to get out of this.

"I'm sure your sense of...smell is impeccable, much like your looks, but I'm sure you've mistaken me for someone else."

Laying on the flattery a bit thick, but women like this seemed to like this kind of thing. Her old teacher, Ms. Dodds, sure did.

The thing laughed. "Pretty, but I'm never mistaken."

Nancy's heart stopped when it lunged, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Whitenoise rushed in her ears, and she dug her fingernails into the boards behind her.

And then there was a grunt, a shriek, and a popping noise.

Nancy opened her eyes. The first thing that registered was the blondie standing in front of her. Intimidating grey eyes studied her own blue ones, and Nancy let out a breath. Then she noticed the very real, very sharp sword clutched in the girl's hand.

The girl gestured to a pile of strangely colored dust on the ground behind her. "Nice job distracting her. I was able to jump in at the perfect angle." She looked back at Nancy. "You okay?"

Nancy's lips parted. "Um..."

You okay?

So casual, the girl tossed it around like it was nothing. But it was very rare Nancy was asked something like that.

"What was that?"

The girl sheathed her sword. "That was an empousa. Usually they go after men and try to seduce them before sucking their..." she cleared her throat.

"Annabeth. Annabeth Chase."

Nancy ignored her outstretched hand. "Nancy. Are you also going to try to kill me?"

Annabeth laughed. "Nah, I'm like you." She brushed her hands off. "Walk with me?"