Project Percy (Kotlc Meets Percy Jackson)

Chapter 18

"How was your first session?" Leo asked as he handed Percy a tray and made room for him in the lunch line.

"Oh, fine. Except I didn't understand anything." Sir Parmenides had lectured him on the concept of time and what it meant, and Percy didn't understand a word. He'd caught Sir Parmenides making notes about it. Probably to send to Mars, with how his luck was going.

"That's metaphysics."

"Why do we have to learn all this boring stuff, anyway?"

"I dunno. Something about the nobility? My parents aren't in it, so I don't really know."

"Hey, what are you doing here? I thought you had detention."

"I still have to eat," he grumbled, filling his tray with brightly colored foods.

The lunch line wound through a series of stalls, like a food court at the mall. Percy just grabbed whatever was blue. All the food he'd eaten at Sally and Poseidon's was blue, so maybe he'd get lucky and pick up some of that banana bread soup.

"Sorry I got detention on your first day. Are you going to be ok without me?"

"Sure." He'd eaten lunch alone his whole life. What was one more day?

Except there were no empty tables inside the cafeteria, which took up the whole second floor of the glass pyramid. Percy scanned the faces, hoping to find Annabeth, but but all he saw were strangers, many of whom looked away, like they were trying to discourage him from joining them.

"You can sit with me and Annabeth," a voice said. Percy turned to see Piper. "You can pay me back later."

"Annabeth?" Percy asked.

"Yeah. She's over there." Percy turned to where Piper was pointing and saw Annabeth's blue-gray eyes.

"You just saved my life, Piper."

"You're welcome."

She led him to the table. Annabeth was sitting there with a blond boy and a dark-haired girl. The boy's eyes were sky-blue while the girl's were electric blue. The girl was also in the green uniform of the Level Fours.

"That's Annabeth, Jason, and Thalia."

Annabeth looked up, and her eyes widened. "Percy!" She moved her tray over and gestured for Percy to take a seat.

"Hey, Annabeth," he said and sat down. "Nice to meet you guys," he said to Jason and Thalia.

They both nodded.

Jason held out his hand to shake. "Like Piper said, I'm Jason, and that's Thalia, my sister. I haven't manifested yet, but she's a Charger."

"Nice," Percy said. "No idea what that is, but nice."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "I can control electricity. Most boys, including my brother, aren't worth my time, but you got Clarisse to hate you in less than a day deserves a chance." She said it like he should be honored.

"Clarisse hates me?"

"Oh yeah. But you're better off. She's evil."

"So I keep hearing."

"Are you going to eat?" Annabeth asked.

"Right," Percy said. He took a small sip of blue soup. It tasted like liquid lasagna.

"Why did you get all the blue stuff?" Jason asked.

Percy shrugged. "I have no idea what anything is, and my other choice was copying Leo."

"Leo Valdez?" Piper asked. Percy nodded. "Tan skin, brown hair, mischievous grin. He's a little..." She looped a finger around her head.

"He's cool," Annabeth said. "His family just got a bad rap because of all that stuff with your mom."