The Titan's Curse

The  Friday  before  winter  break,  my  mom  packed  me  an  overnight  bag  and  a  few  deadly  weapons  and  took  me  to  a  new  boarding  school.  We  picked  up  my  friends  Annabeth  and  Thalia  on  the  way.  It  was  an  eight  hour  drive  from  New  York  to  Bar  Harbor,  Maine.  Sleet  and  snow  pounded  the  highway.  Annabeth,  Thalia  and  I  hadn't  seen  each  other  in  months,  but  between  the  blizzard  and  the  thought  of  what  we  were  about  to  do,  we  were  too  nervous  to  talk  much.

Except  for  my  mom.  She  talks  more  when  she's  nervous.  By  the  time  we  finally  got  to  Westover  Hall,  it  was  getting  dark.  And  she  told  Annabeth  and  Thalia  every  embarrassing  baby  story  there  was  to  tell  about  me.  Thalia  wiped  the  fog  off  the  car  window  and  peered  outside.

Oh,  yeah.  This'll  be  fun.  Westover  hall  looked  like  an  evil  knights  castle.  It  was  all  black  stone  with  towers  and  slit  windows  and  a  big  set  of  wooden  double  door.  It  stood  on  a  snowy  cliff  overlooking  this  big  frosty  forest  on  one  side  and  the  gray  churning  ocean  on  the  other.

Are  you  sure  you  don't  want  me  to  wait?  My  mother  asked.  No,  thanks,  Mom,  I  said.  I  don't  know  how  long  it  will  take.  We'll  be  okay.

But  how  will  you  get  back?  I'm  worried,  Percy.  I  hoped  I  wasn't  blushing.  It  was  bad  enough  I  had  to  depend  on  my  mom  to  drive  me  to  my  battle.  It's  okay,  Miss  Jackson.

Annabeth  smiled  reassuringly.  Her  blonde  hair  was  tucked  into  a  ski  cap  and  her  gray  eyes  were  the  same  color  as  the  ocean.  We'll  keep  him  out  of  trouble.  My  mom  seemed  to  relax  a  little.  She  thinks  Annabeth  is  the  most  level  headed  demigod  ever  to  hit  8th  grade.

She's  sure  Annabeth  often  keeps  me  from  getting  killed.  She's  right.  But  that  doesn't  mean  I  have  to  like  it.  All  right,  dears,  my  mom  said.  Do  you  have  everything  you  need?

Yes,  Miss  Jackson.  Dahlia  said.  Thanks  for  the  ride.  Extra  sweaters.  You  have  my  cell  phone  number.

Mom.  Your  ambrosia  and  nectar,  Percy.  And  a  golden  draftma  in  case  you  need  to  contact  camp.  Mom,  seriously,  we'll  be  fine.  Come  on,  guys.

She  looked  a  little  hurt  and  I  was  sorry  about  that.  But  I  was  ready  to  be  out  of  that  car  if  my  mom  told  one  more  story  about  how  cute  I  looked  in  the  bathtub  when  I  was  three  years  old.  I  was  going  to  burrow  into  the  snow  and  freeze  myself  to  death.  Annabeth  and  Thalia  followed  me  outside.  The  wind  blew  straight  through  my  coat  like  ice  daggers.

Once  my  mother's  car  was  out  of  sight,  Thalia  said,  your  mom  is  so  cool,  Percy.  She's  pretty.  Okay,  I  admitted.  What  about  you?  You  ever  get  in  touch  with  your  mom?

As  soon  as  I  said  it,  I  wished  I  hadn't.  Thalia  was  great  at  giving  evil  looks.  What  with  the  punk  clothes  she  always  wears?  The  ripped  up  army  jacket,  black  leather  pants  and  chain  jewelry,  the  black  eyeliner  and  those  intense  blue  eyes.  But  the  look  she  gave  me  now  was  a  perfect  evil  ten,  if  that  was  any  of  your  business.

Percy,  we  better  get  inside,  Annabeth  interrupted.  Grover  will  be  waiting.  Dahlia  looked  at  the  castle  and  shivered.  You're  right.  I  wonder  what  he  found  here  that  made  him  send  the  distress  call.

I  stared  up  at  the  dark  towers  of  Westover  hall.  Nothing  good,  I  guessed.  The  oak  doors  groaned  open  and  the  three  of  us  stepped  into  the  entry  hall  in  a  swirl  of  snow.  All  I  could  say  was  hua.  The  place  was  huge.

The  walls  were  lined  with  battle  flags  and  weapon  displays,  antique  rifles,  battle  axes  and  a  bunch  of  other  stuff.  I  mean,  I  knew  Westover  was  a  military  school  and  all,  but  the  decoration  seemed  like  overkill.  Literally.  My  hand  went  to  my  pocket  where  I  kept  my  lethal  ballpoint  pen  riptide.  I  could  already  sense  something  wrong  in  this  place,  something  dangerous.

Thalia  was  rubbing  her  silver  bracelet,  her  favorite  magic  item.  I  knew  we  were  thinking  the  same  thing.  A  fight  was  coming.  Annabeth  started  to  say,  I  wonder  where?  The  door  slammed  shut  behind  us.

I  mumbled,  Guess  we'll  stay  awhile.