The Underworld's Child

4 | Congratulations To Us For Serving A Good Punch We Definitely Did Not Make

"We're not visitors, sir," Thalia said. "We go to school here. You remember: I'm Thalia. And this is Annabeth, Percy, and Elora. We're in eighth grade." 

Ninth, Elora thought but she did not interrupt Thalia. Her mother enrolled her in first grade when she was five and a half. She was the youngest in her class not to mention the shortest too. 

The man narrowed his different coloured eyes. Elora glanced at Percy and saw nervousness written all along his face. The man looked at his colleague and said, "Ms. Gotschalk, do you know these students?" 

Elora may be in ninth grade where students like her stress over their finals that will happen in a few more months and she didn't laugh much because of it. She found it hard in the midst of being swamped by homework, tests, try-outs for the national exams, and her everyday school classes from seven-thirty until three-thirty. Now, she had to bite her tongue and think of anything but the name Gotschalk to avoid laughing. A bit of sunshine in the gloomy, dark place. A small relief from the stress. 

The woman blinked like someone had just woken her up from a trance. "I... yes. I believe I do, sir." She frowned at the group. "Thalia. Annabeth, Percy, Elora. What are you doing away from the gymnasium?" 

Before any one of us could answer, she heard more footsteps, and Grover ran up, out of breath. "You made it! You-" 

He stopped abruptly when he saw the teachers. "Oh, Mrs. Gotschalk. Dr. Thorn! I, uh-"

"What is it, Mr. Underwood?" said the man. From his tone, it was obvious that he despised Grover. "What do you mean, they made it? These students live here."

Grover swallowed before replying, "Yes sir. Of course, Dr. Thorn. I just meant I'm so glad they made... the punch for the dance! The punch is great. And they made it!"

Dr. Thorn glared at the group of 5. Meanwhile, Mrs. Gotschalk said dreamily, "Yes, the punch is excellent. Now run along, all of you. You are not to leave the gymnasium again!" 

They didn't wait to be told twice and left with a lot of "Yes, ma'ams" and "Yes, sirs" along with a couple of salutes. 

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Grover led them down the hall to the direction of the music. 

Elora could feel the teachers' eyes on her back but she kept walking without giving any indication of knowledge of the teachers' eyes following them. She walked near Thalia and heard Percy walk closer to Thalia and asked in a hushed whisper, "How did you do the finger-snap thing?" 

Thalia responded. "You mean the Mist? Hasn't Chiron shown you how to do that?" 

By the looks of it, not. She too has not been taught how to manipulate the mist by Chiron. The only reason she knew about it was because of her other friends she rarely sees. It sucks that they did not reside in Camp but were always on the move. 

Grover hurried them to a door that had GYM written on the glass. She was thankful for the lack of dyslexia demigods usually have. She didn't know what she would do if she had to read jumbled words of her history teacher's mostly unreadable sentences on the board. She shuddered at the thought. 

"That was close!" Grover said. "Thank the gods you got here!" 

Annabeth, Thalia, and Elora hugged Grover while Percy gave him a high five. 

It was great to see her satyr friend after so many months. He'd gotten a little taller and sprouted a few more whiskers compared to when she saw him last. As always, he wore a cap on his curly brown hair to hide his goat horns, baggy jeans and sneakers with fake feet to hide his furry legs and his hooves. He was wearing a black T-shirt WESTOVER HALL: GRUNT. She wasn't sure if it was his rank in the school or if it was the school's motto. 

"So what's the emergency?" Percy asked. This was what we came here to do. The reason behind his distress call. 

Grover took a deep breath. "I found two."

"Two half-bloods?" Thalia asked, amazed.

"Here?" Elora asked, equally amazed. 

Grover nodded. 

Finding a half-blood was rare enough. This year, Chiron had put the satyrs on emergency overtime and sent them all over the country, combing through schools from fourth grade through high school for possible recruits. These were desperate times. They were losing campers to the other sides or from monsters. They needed all the new fighters they could find and recruit. But a problem remains. There weren't that many demigods. 

"A brother and sister," Grover said. "They're ten and twelve. I don't know their parentage, but they're strong. We're running out of time, though. I need help."

 "And that's why we're here," Elora said. 

"Monsters?" Annabeth asked. 

"One," answered Grover. He looked nervous. "he suspected. I don't think he's positive yet, but this is the last day of term. I'm sure he won't let them leave without finding out."

He looked at Thalia desperately. Elora wasn't upset by that but Percy might. It's always been the four of them--Annabeth, Elora, Percy, and Grover. Annabeth was the brain, Percy was the muscles, Grover was the optimist and nature-lover, and Elora was whatever they needed at any moment. It was like the past when they went on quests together but now, Thalia is in it too. 

"Right," Thalia said. "These half-bloods are at the dance?"

Grover nodded.

"Then let's dance," she said. "Who's the monster?"

"Dr. Thorn?" Elora asked. 

"Yes," Grover answered. "He's the vice principal."

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Hello! How was it? I hope you guys enjoyed!