Changing the Future

Chapter 11

I rolled my eyes, already halfway to the door. "Yes, mom," I replied sarcastically, giving Aphrodite one last smile as I set my sunglasses on the top of my head. "I'll be back later."

"Have fun and stay safe!" Aphrodite chirped enthusiastically before disappearing in a whirlwind of rose petals, transporting herself to the throne room for that meeting.

I made my way down the elevator to the mortal world, the security guard choking on his coffee when he saw me. His name was Reginald Brown, something I only knew after several interactions with him involving his coffee flying into his face, multiple static shocks, or vines holding him down as I reached over for the keycard he kept hidden under his computer.

"Hello, Reginald," I said innocently, giving him a wave as I walked out onto the street, hearing him cough as the door shut behind me. Let's just say he knows me well enough that I don't need to hear his whole "There is no six-hundredth floor" spiel anymore.

The wind was blowing much harsher than I had expected, my hair whipping behind me despite the fact it was pulled back into a ponytail. Newspaper and garbage tumbled across the streets, but both people and traffic were indifferent, continuing on with their day. I joined the crowd, heading for the nearby subway in the hopes of spending the rest of my day with Percy.

But Andy, if Percy's in boarding school, how are you supposed to spend the day with him?

Fear not, dear reader, I know my way around various boarding schools well enough by now. And yes, Percy Jackson was currently enrolled in Yancy Academy, forced to breathe in the same air as the dreadful Nancy Bobofit. I'd only met the girl once, purely accidental, and she was about as nice as a plague-ridden rat.

For May, the weather had been really nasty. At least, that's the word in the marketplaces, where I keep up with gossip in the mortal world. Word sure does travel fast amongst the nymphs. Apparently, there'd been a growing number of storms near Manhattan, ones that were strong enough to spawn tornadoes and inundate major roads. There'd also been an increase in the number of storms over the ocean, Hades having ranted about how people had been dying more frequently because of downed planes or drowning.

Glancing down at the watch I'd made – with the help of Hephaestus, of course – I looked at the date and knew exactly why the weather had been this gross. Plus, I knew enough about Yancy Academy. I'd been the one to recommend the school to Sally, after all.

Okay, before anyone attacks me for that decision, hear me out. Grover had already been sent to Yancy Academy two years before Percy was finally admitted, so I already knew if something weird happened, there was a satyr I trusted within the school. Plus, Hades had told me about Alecto's new post a few weeks back, ensuring that Percy would come face to face with Mrs. Dodds, exactly as Rick Riordan had recorded.

I reached Yancy Academy twenty minutes later, sighing at the overkill entrance that the school had. This wasn't a military school, yet there were still four security guards armed with rifles standing outside the brick wall that led into the commons area. Then after sitting through ten minutes of security screening – x-rays, background checks, ID verification, et cetera – I walked to the front office, where they did the exact same thing again.

Good to know that Percy, and all the other students, would be extremely safe, but honestly, this was such a pain to do every time I came to visit Percy. Next time, might as well shadow-travel in and keep my visitor's badge.

The secretary waved me over towards the faded blue couches that adorned the front office, telling me that she'd just called Percy out of class and that he'd be here shortly. I'd gotten her to be cooperative by using a little mind manipulation trick Zeus had taught me about a year ago.