Hope Jackson: And the Portal to the Other World

Hope Jackson

By: head-full-of-words

Chapter 1

My name is Hope Jackson and I live in a crazy world. Some would even call it broken. I'm fifteen and have black hair like my dad, and storm grey eyes like my mom. My parents named me Hope because they 'hoped' my life wouldn't be as crazy as theirs was. Well, turns out mine is almost as bad.

My dad, Percy Jackson, saved the world - twice. And my mom, Annabeth Chase, was his sidekick, which I think is super cool. Dad says she claimed she wasn't his sidekick, but Dad still calls her that. Dad gets punched every time he calls her his 'sidekick'.

Most of the time we live in New Rome aka Camp Jupiter and my parents work and I go to school. But sometimes I'm called away to do other things. Like help save the world.

Today started out just like any other day. I woke up (duh), brushed my teeth, ate breakfast, pulled on some jeans and a blue t-shirt. Blue is my favorite color, just like Dad.

I walk down to my favorite cafe' where I meet my best friend every day. Her name is Maya. With her almond shaped brown eyes, cinnamon colored hair, and bronze skin, she is one of the prettiest people I have ever met. Her parents, Frank and Hazel, are some of my parent's friends who helped save the world. They're pretty chill.

"Hey," Maya says as I join her at the cafe' table.

"Hey, how was your weekend?"

"Good. Sorry I couldn't hang out; my parents made me stay home to have 'family time.'" She puts air quotes around family time.

"Yikes, that sucks. Did you get all of your homework done?"

"Yeah, that English assignment Mr. Frederick assigned almost made my brain fall out of my head."

I laugh. Since we're only legacies of demigods, and well, gods, we don't have dyslexia or ADHD like our parents. But that doesn't change the fact that we hate school. We'd rather be out riding pegasi or learning how to wield a sword, you know, the average lessons in the life of a demigod. Those things will actually come in handy someday. I don't think learning about multiplication and photosynthesis are what will save us when we're trying to vaporize a monster into dust.

Maya hands me a hot chocolate and we sip in silence as we wait for our friend Alec.

Alec is the son of Leo and Calypso Valdez. He has olive skin, brown eyes, and spiky brown hair. He never raises his voice and makes everyone in the room feel 100% more chill. His dad, Leo, is the one who actually saved the world. He fell out of the sky for everyone (it's a party trick he never told us). Plus, he made me this awesome bronze bracelet that when I press the green jewel in the center it turns into a sword. He says he's working on a shield for me, but with all of his other projects, I doubt I'll see it till I'm in my grave.

Anyways... Alec doesn't really like mechanics, which I find strange because his dad's whole life is about them. But he's still good with tools. Alec prefers to hang out with Maya and me and go and learn how to fight. He also enjoys writing, his mom loves it but his dad . . . well, we don't know how he feels about it. He's as skinny as a stick but he still can beat me in an arm wrestle. My little brother Luke got the muscles in the family. And I got the smarts. Or, that's what they say anyway. I don't believe them.

We hear our names being called and we glance up. Alec is darting across the street in his usual jeans and purple SPQR t-shirt. He likes to represent his camp all day, everyday. He's like a freaking giant advertising banner when it comes to the place.