Sea of Monsters

Chapter 6

In social studies, as we busied ourselves with drawing latitude and longitude maps, I couldn't help but sneak out my phone. Turning on my phone it showed a family photo of everyone standing near the statue of librity. I swapped over to my gallary where I clicked on a picture that featured Annabeth, it was taken during her vacation in Washington, D.C. She stood proudly, wearing denim shorts and a cropped white camp sweater. Her hair was up in a ponytail as she stood confidently in front of the Lincoln Memorial, arms crossed as if she'd personally designed the place herself. Annabeth had texted me this picture right after spring break.

Ah, let me explain. So the Hephestus cabin had figured out how to allow us to use phones, by replacing the metals with divine metals it changed the electric current allowing safe use of the phones. All Beckendorf's idea actually. He had took Nubia Red Magic 3 smartphones and transformed them into the Odyssey phones.

The Odyssey is a cutting-edge technology brand exclusively designed for demigods, providing them with secure and discreet communication tools that do not attract the attention of monsters. These devices are specially crafted to blend seamlessly with the mortal world while catering to the unique needs and abilities of demigods. Let me say, they are really cool. From what I heard he was building a dragon next or something.

Anyways Just as I was about to shut off my phone, an unwelcome interruption arrived in the form of Matt Sloan, the resident school bully. He leaned over and snatched the phone right out of my hands. As his eyes widened upon seeing Annabeth's image, he couldn't resist making a snide remark.

"No way, Jackson. Who is that? She is not your—"

I clenched my fists and warned him through gritted teeth, "Give it back, Sloan."

Sloan, unfazed by my warning, passed the phone to his unsavory companions, who snickered maliciously. They were on the verge of about to break the phone, as if they could, when a heavy science book came crashing down, knocking one of Sloan's accomplices out cold. Seizing the opportunity, I retrieved the phone from their hand and slipped it in my pocket.

"I told you to give it back," I spat, anger simmering beneath the surface.

"You're such a loser, Jackson. Good thing I'm going to—" Sloan's taunting words were abruptly cut short as a well-aimed punch to his face rendered him unconscious.

"Gods, I hate bullies," I muttered to myself as the school bell rang, signaling the end of the class. I cleaned my fist with my shirt as if it was contaminated.

I grab my things and follow Taylor out, she opened her mouth to say something when I heard a girls voice call out. And I couldn't help but grin.

"Percy!"

I motioned for Taylor to go ahead, assuring her I'd catch up with her in gym class. Once I was alone, I turned grabbed where I assumed there hand was and pulled the person into an empty classroom. I closed the door behind us before turning to the invisable person.

"Didn't know I had a stalker," I quipped, my voice filled with playful humor.

In response, the air seemed to shimmer and distort before revealing Annabeth in all her glory. She appeared somewhat exasperated but still managed to greet me with a warm hug.

"I'm not stalking you, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth retorted, rolling her eyes good-naturedly despite her earlier annoyance. "Percy, what's going on?" she asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

I took a deep breath, knowing I could trust Annabeth with my worries. "It's Grover," I began, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. "I think he's in trouble."

Annabeth's eyes widened at the mention of Grover, her expression mirroring my concern. "What happened?"

"I do not now, not to mention I have to deal with the Laestrygonian giants," I explained, keeping my voice low. "They're hanging out with that annoying brat."

Annabeth's shock was palpable, but she quickly composed herself. "Laestrygonians in school? That's not good."

I nodded grimly. "Yeah, and that's not all. I've got a new stepsister, Taylor. She's a Kijin."

Annabeth's eyebrows shot up, and she looked taken aback. "A Kijin? As in, an ogre?"

I nodded again. "Exactly. And I'm almost certain she's the daughter of Poseidon."

Annabeth's eyes widened even further, a mix of surprise and curiosity dancing in them. "Poseidon? Percy, that's... unusual."

I shrugged, feeling a sense of responsibility for Taylor's well-being. "Well, Poseidon is the father of monsters so not really unusual. I already plan to take good care of her, Mom and Paul practically adopted her the day they meet."

Annabeth studied me for a moment before speaking. "So, what's your plan?"

I sighed, feeling the weight of my decisions bearing down on me. "I'm leaving for camp today. I know something is wrong at camp, so I need to get there right after dealing with the monsters."

Annabeth nodded in understanding, her confidence in me unwavering. "I'll wait for you, Percy. We'll figure this out together."

"I will meet you outside the school, than." I responded.

Before she vanished, her invisible Yankees cap in her hand, she couldn't resist teasing me a bit. "By the way, it's cute how you saved my picture as your lockscreen."

I felt my face heat up, and I stammered, "I, uh, didn't mean to... it's just..."

Annabeth chuckled softly, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Don't worry, Seaweed Brain. I am glad that you did. I might have done the same with your picture."

With that, she vanished, leaving me alone in the classroom. "Right, time to kill some annoying giants... and ruin a brat's entire life."

<-------------------------->

I stepped into the gym, sporting the school's uniform: sky-blue shorts and a tie-dyed T-shirt. The gymnasium, with its echoing sounds of bouncing basketballs and students chattering away, felt like a world away from the strange and dangerous adventures I often found myself embroiled in.

Coach Nunley, a character who appeared to be plucked from a different era, held court at his small desk. His appearance was nothing short of ancient, complete with bifocals, a toothless grin, and a greasy wave of gray hair. If I squinted, he even bore a resemblance to the shriveled-up Oracle back at Camp Half-Blood, minus the green smoke, of course. Well, at least not that I had observed during his time here.

My competitive nature kicked in, and I couldn't simply let Matt's earlier threat slide. "Earlier, Matt, you told me you would destroy me. Is that correct?"

Matt, wearing a smug expression, casually shrugged in response. "Yeah, so what?"

I could feel a challenge brewing, a desire to prove myself even in the most ordinary of settings. "Here's an idea," I proposed, my voice carrying a hint of determination. "Taylor and I will take on you and your newfound friends over there."

Matt's eyes practically sparkled with confidence. "Ha, this will be easy! Prepare to die, Jackson!"

Before the competition could commence, Coach Nunley finally roused himself from his magazine-induced trance. He shuffled some papers on his desk and cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the entire class.

"Listen up, folks!" Coach Nunley's voice was raspy and carried the weight of countless years of yelling at unruly students. "Today, we're playing a good ol' game of dodgeball. Now, for those of you who might be unfamiliar with the rules, pay close attention."

He went on to explain the ins and outs of the game, the objectives, and the basic strategies. Dodgeball was simple enough: eliminate all the members of the opposing team by hitting them with the ball while avoiding being hit yourself. Coach Nunley made it sound like a cross between a war strategy and a chess match.

"Now, before we start," he continued, "we need some team captains. Jackson, since you're so eager to challenge Sloan, you'll be one captain. Sloan, you'll be the other."

"Ready to get murdered, Jackson!?" Sloan called from across the gym. I cracked my knuckled as I stretched my muscles seemed to make the uniform quite tight.

"The only one who if going to die is you, Sloan!" I laughed. "Right after I ruin your life and make you regret ever picking on my sister."