Daylight

1. End of Beginning

"Give him some room, please." Mr Brunner said. Flora put her hand out to help Percy. He took her hand but immediately let go when he got up. "What happened?" Percy asked. He looked around before looking at Mr Brunner. "Where's Mrs. Dodds?"

"I didn't do anything to him!" Nancg shouted as a teacher led her away. "Everyone, go back to your lunches. It's all right. Percy just needs a moment, that's all." Brunner quickly told the rest of the kids. He didn't mean Grover of Flora, though.

The rest of the classmates walked away, and Percy spoke. "I don't understand. Didn't anyone just see that? Where's Mrs. Dodds?" Brunner looked over at Flora and Grover. Grover looked down, Percy looked at the two, and Flora said, "Percy, there's no teacher here by that name." Percy looked at Brunner and then back to Grover, who shook his head.

"All right, class, let's move along. Let's go. Finish your lunch." Was the last thing they heard from Brunner before he left them.

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"The truth... can be so very hard to determine..."

Flora looked down at her hands as the headmaster spoke to her, Percy, and Grover-- well... mainly to Percy. "But in this case, the truth seems very hard to deny."

She could feel Percy's eyes staring at her, as if he knew what she was thinking. "Mr. Jackson, a number of your classmates saw you, Mr. Underwood, and Ms. Gardiner arguing with Ms. Bobofit, yet you have offered no explanation for how she ended up in that fountain, other than, uh... I didn't touch Nancy."

The headmaster looked at Percy while Grover and Flora kept their heads down. "Now, isn't there anything else you'd like to say for yourself?" Grover looked over at Percy to see what he'd say.

"I didn't touch Nancy." Was all that came out of Percy's mouth. The headmaster sighed. "Okay. Mr. Underwood and Ms. Bobofit?" The two looked up.

"Do you two have anything to add?" They stayed quiet for a few seconds. When Grover was about to speak, Flora cut him off. "I do." Percy had quickly looked at her. "Go on." The headmaster told her.

Flora fidgeted with her hands before taking a deep breath. "Percy had told us earlier in the day that he wanted to get back at Nancy for all she'd done to us."

"Flora?"

Flora just ignored Percy calling her name. "And he isn't being truthful about what happened at the fountain."

"Flora!" Her head finally turned to look at Percy. "Excuse me." Percy looked over at the headmaster when he heard him speak. "Are you saying you saw Mr. Jackson assault Ms. Bobofit?"

Percy looked at Flora again. Flora looked down and then back to the headmaster. She hesitated before speaking, "Yes... I did."

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There was a knocking on Floras dorm. Over and over again. Flora got up from her bed and opened it. "Grover?"

"Something bad is happening. Something really, really, bad is happening." Grover said as he walked into Flora's room. "One of the monsters is after Percy... and you. Oh my god, I told Chiron you should stay at camp!"

"Grover--"

"I'm never gonna be able to go on my quest for Pan--"

"Grover!"

Grover finally stopped pacing and looked at Flora. "Grab your things. We'll go to Percy's... bring him to camp early. Chiron will understand. Okay?" Grover nodded.

"Okay."

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"Grover stop running--"