-POV Noah-
High school is a genuinely horrible place. I'm just finishing with my freshman year, and I already don't like it here. The people are as fake as their "designer" clothes, the students and teachers alike meat ride me to the high heavens, and the classes are too easy.
Ignoring the fact that words and letters allude my eyes to this day, I could've easily skipped a few grades, but then I wouldn't be able to get my dopamine from all of the glaze the student body drops on me, so I guess this school has its uses.
The good news is that I've got a few friends here, and plenty of acquaintances, but not too many of them are all that interesting. Most of the kids I can think of are simply pretentious. Flash and his cockiness, Liz with her pick-me attitude, MJ with her daddy issues and need to fit in, Harry with MJ's issues on a bigger scale, and even Speed, who's just a weirdo in general. I'm just tired of seeing him barking at people in the hallways.
All of them are people I'm "cool" with, and all of them are straight up horrible influences. I try not to stay near them too much, "You are the company you keep", and all, but when you're me, the popular kids themselves will flock to you.
The girls here aren't much to write home about either. The only one that I can say is really worth anything is Gwen Stacy. She's pretty high profile; with her looks, intelligence, and her father's position as the police captain. She's even the type of girl who'd actually give those who may not deserve it her time and energy.
I think I even saw her hanging out with some random guy. Can't remember his name though….
I think Flash calls him Penis or something like that, so that's what I'll go with. Although that karma must be hitting him pretty hard, because I witnessed "Penis" punching him in the face at lunch not too long ago. It was actually pretty funny.
The only reason I've been so concerned about Gwen at all is because I'm considering asking her out after this very period. I've thought about this heavily for the past 2 days, and I think I'm ready.
I've mapped out her potential routes between now and next period, and approximately when she can be where.
I've got a 5 minute window, I've got to get this right.
-(30 Minutes Later)
I sped through the halls of Midtown High, making sure not to look like an idiot while doing so. Keeping up my image is more important than some of these kids' lives.
I spotted her leaning against a locker staring at her phone, an unreadable expression on her face.
Her blonde hair was somehow flowing around her, despite the nonexistent wind in this school. She's wearing that same black and white sweater-skirt combo that she always does. (I wonder just how many of those she may have at this point).
At this point I've gotta consider the fact that she must be aura-farming. If she is, then I've gotta admit that it's lowkey working, but she can't out-farm the master. I'll just have to find something to do during our date; you can't force the aura, you must let it come naturally.
I walked up to her with a playful smile on my face, trying to bring up her (what seemed to be) bleak mood.
"What's going on with my favorite nerd?", I said. She looked at me, looked back at her phone (no change in expression, might I add), and then put her phone in her pocket with a sigh. Looking upon me once again, she smiled slightly and replied. "Nothing much, just got told that my friend was on a bus that got overturned. Apparently, the situation was mysteriously resolved."
"That sounds...interesting", I replied with the exact same smile I've kept plastered on my face this entire encounter, "Is he alright?"
"Yeah he's fine, he's just a bit shaken up, so he just won't be at school for a couple days", she replied, looking incredibly worried.
I truly do not care, but she doesn't need to know that.
"Was there something you needed from me?" she asked, her smile much less forced.
There's the question I'd been waiting for.
"I've got a question, if you don't mind me asking", I said without a hint of nervousness showing.
"Would you like to go out with me sometime soon?" Her smile turned into a look of surprise.
"That's it? Sure, I'd love to!", she said without a moment of hesitation. "Central Park, 6:00 P.M.?", I asked, my grin a little wider. "It's a date!", she did a little bounce when she said that, and her hair went up and down with her. It was pretty satisfying to witness if I'm being honest with myself. With that interaction's goal accomplished, I spent some more time talking to Gwen before we had to make our way to our next class.
That turned out to be just as easy as I expected. I could go brag to the guys about bagging the police chief's daughter, but something about that doesn't seem right to me, which is weird, because that's usually what I immediately do when I get another girl.
Oh who am I kidding, that's exactly what I'm going to do.
-(Not Even Ten Minutes Later, in AP Biology)-
"All you did was ask and she said yes!?!? You've barely even actually talked to her man!", Flash stated in shock. His black from "the lunch incident", as he likes to call it, is starting to become more prominent. "I'm seriously shocked over here." Liz said, her eyes wide and her left arm interlocked with Flash's right.
"Yeah, that's kind of hard to believe man, that girl's a tough nut to crack. Although, if anyone can do it, then maybe you can." said Harry.
"Yeah, life must be good when you're 'Noah The Track Star'", said MJ.
"This is literally my first year on the team", I replied with a slight smile and an eye roll. "And yet you've managed to surpass the varsity level." she replied just as quickly.
"Yeah, yeah, save the glaze for the rest of us", Liz said.
MJ's only response was a huff before she turned away and went back to her paperwork. I, on the other hand, let my thoughts wander back to the topic of "the date". I have to make my date with Gwen as perfect as we could be together. Gotta make sure that I'm not too energetic, but my meditation's been helping with that.
It's usually worse when I'm out in the sun and among nature though, so I'm not sure if said meditation will be enough. I'm in New York though, so maybe I should just pick a few fights to pass time after school beforehand.
That should do the trick
-POV Thalia Grace-
I don't think I like the Hunters of Artemis; gods forbid she hears me say that.
They're disrespectful, egotistical, and just plain bullies. They even tried to make little Annie and I abandon Luke during our journey to camp half-blood, back when all we had was each other. Then there's the siblings. Bianca just went and abandoned Nico the moment an opportunity came around, and I can't get behind that.
Wanting to be your own person and being independent is one thing, but abandoning your family is taking it a bit far. That being said, I can't change what happened. I'll just do my best to cheer Nico up from time to time, he seems like such a bright kid. Maybe not in front of everyone else though, because if Percy ends up saying something, I WILL blast him.
In other news, it's so…weird being here after all these years. I can't tell you what's changed besides Grover and Annie's age and Luke's current "status". It took a lot of threats to get her and Grover to stop crying apologies out to me, but even when the crying stopped, the apologies themselves didn't. "Sentimental idiots", I mutter to myself, blatantly ignoring the small smile I'd gained from that trail of thought.
My smile was wiped off of my face when my thoughts shifted once more.
Coming back from death gave me a whole lot to think about, and thinking's something I don't like doing. At all.
It even brought me into thinking about what my life would be like if I wasn't a demigod. No fighting, monsters, and badly-dressed deities on my tail. It sounds like a distant tale; a faraway dream, even. My mind drifts to all the things that could've been. It was then that I thought of her, and her instability. The insatiable love she had for a man that did not value her the same way. She destroyed our family; all our lives, my life. At this point, I've come to the decision that I still would've left home and found something new, demigod or not. The addition of my father into my family only highlighted my mothers insecurities.
Poor Jason, my baby brother….
NO! I won't think about this any more. I've been given a second chance, a chance to be something and someone greater than I once was, and that's a cause for celebration. The thinking and questioning part can come later. In fact, It might just be time to go rile up some hunters soon.
Speaking of the hunters, I've been told that there's gonna be a capture the flag game in two weeks, but this camp has never beat them. That's not surprising, given the fact that they're going up against an immortal group whose sole purpose is to hunt, but maybe the losers have a fighting chance with Percy and I here.
Even with all the confidence I've got in myself and the dunce we call Percy, I'm just not sure if we're enough. The hunters, annoying as it is to admit this, are skilled. Half of the camp hasn't even hit 16 yet, me included, and I'm one of the older people here. It's almost embarrassing, but we should be able to whip these kids into shape. If we don't beat the hunters in this game, then I swear to the gods that they'll have more to worry about than just Chiron's disappointment.
Now where the hell's that Mulan soundtrack?
-POV Noah-
There's dried blood under my fingernails. I can feel it; that foreign roughness in the space between my skin and the nail. I have to ignore it though; I have to pretend. Going out and beating criminals right before a date was my idea, and my idea alone, so I'll just have to deal with it.
It isn't too hard to find criminals in this city, they're running so rampant that I've heard stories about some guy in Hell's Kitchen dressed in all black running around and beating criminals up too. Hell's Kitchen is probably monumentally worse than my neighborhood. All in all, I had a pretty fun time. It would've been better if it actually helped me release all the pent up energy I've got here.
If Gwen notices my anxiety, she sure isn't showing it. My energy levels are through the roof. I'm pretty sure that I've had to stop my hands from shaking multiple times; I'm holding Gwen's hand and I don't want to have to come up with a lie just to make sure she doesn't think I'm an addict. Thankfully I'm not getting any antsier, seeing as the sun's gone down. Thank the lord for that. I might just be okay now.
Using my incredibly awesome skills of observation, I believe that she's enjoying our date so far. I haven't seen that smile leave her face since we got here, and it's been three hours. At this point, I think she might get hurt from smiling so much.
Eh, I'm sure she'll be fine.
I think it's time to finish this date off, because even though she hasn't said anything, I know that Gwen must be tired of walking so much. As I lead her to a nice patch of grass to lay in the sun, hand in hand, my mind starts to wander.
I'm a freshman in high-school, almost a sophomore, and I still don't know what I want to be in life. I get that there's not too much pressure on me to find anything yet, but I know that if I don't start thinking about it now then I won't have an idea until it's too late.
My generation is filled with people who have bright futures. Gwen herself already has an Oscorp internship. Mine has the potential to be the brightest, but my problem is that I don't want to work. Not traditionally, at least. Whether it be slaving away at an office, or just being part of any economy in general. It's not like I'm lazy; I've got too much energy for that, and all the determination and willpower to do anything that needs to be done. The crazy thing about it is that I just can't place my finger on why none of it seems right to me. I've just got this feeling that I was meant for more than all of that.
The storm brewing in my mind distracted me so much that I didn't realize that Gwen and I were already laying down on a small hill. The grass is soft, and the moon is bright. I can't let these conditions go to waste. I've got to set the mood right if I want this date to go right.
I turn to Gwen and say, "It's nights like these where I feel so free. My mind is clear, and there's a great view in every direction."
"Even that piece of dog poop over there?", Gwen said, trying to stifle a giggle. Now, I could acknowledge the blush on her face, or the fidgeting motion of her hands, but instead I'll just mess with her. She's not the only one with jokes.
"Yeah, that dog poop has a history behind it, you see. 7 years ago the dog's owner would take her to the park 3 times a week, and that's where they'd let it loose every single time. It was like their little tradition. Until one day, where the owner took the dog to the park, and then never took her home. Day and night, every local park visitor could hear the sorrow in the dog's cries. Since then, no one's gotten rid of the poop, as it's a testament to a bond that few would ever wish to sever between man and their best friend."
"Wait really? That's so sad…", Gwen replied, a look of pure empathy crossing her face. I think I've messed up the mood a bit with that last joke to be honest. NOT. This is all according to my masterfully laid out plan.
"Nah", I replied, a cheeky grin plastered over my face, "that's just Chuck's from when I walked him Wednesday. I never picked it up." I replied, and this time I lost it and busted out laughing. "You dick, I almost cried from that story!" Gwen said with a small laugh of her own while hitting me lightly over the top of my head.
Our laughter died when we both noticed that something was…off. "Noah, where's everybody else?" Gwen asked suddenly, her tone laced with caution.
"I'm not sure, there's usually plenty of people still here by now, even if they're on their way out."
In the very next moment, the earth trembled, and birds flew. Something is amiss, and I'm afraid that Gwen and I are about to be in the middle of it. Now that I'm listening more intently…that sounds like….footsteps…..
I had no time to think further, as one moment Gwen was beside me, and the next, I was flying through the air and hit the ground with a hard thud. "NOAH", Gwen's screaming out my name, but I'm still too disoriented.
My respite, if you could call it that, came when I felt myself being gripped heavily around my torso and lifted in the air. Now I can finally see our new friend. A one-eyed, greasy haired, grey skinned, 25 FOOT TALL creature. It's skin is dry enough to almost consider it a husk, if it weren't for the massive frame of whatever I'm looking at. I'm at a loss for words right now. This was just supposed to be a simple date…
"Greetings, Son of Apollo. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Arges The Bright One, and I'm going to make the rest of your short life a living hell." The monster said with absolute glee in his voice. Said voice also lets me know that it's a male that I'm dealing with. (Like that helps at all. My observation skill is leveling up.)
"Well thanks man, at least I know who it is I'm going to be dealing with." I was barely able to reply with the grip he had around me, and it looks like he's not even trying to hold me so tight. Now both my outfit and plans for the date are ruined, an Gwen may have incurable trauma. But hey, at least he has the manners to introduce himself.