I sat still as I stared below. Not at my test paper, which I barely filled out during the hour I received it. Instead, I was looking at my wrist, where nearly the entire thing is wrapped in bandages. The wound is almost completely healed after a week following the incident. It was the first time my hallucinations actually struck me and caused pain.
Yes, it was just that, a simple delusion caused by my stupid, broken brain. There is no way my pre-algebra teacher suddenly turned into a she-bat demon and tried to kill us. Well, I always thought she was kind of a demon, but that's only a metaphor; I didn't think she was actually a monster! Still, regardless, it's all just a hallucination created by my brain. Mrs. Dodds isn't a monster that attacks us; it was all fictional.
I scratched my head and drummed my fingers on my table, while biting my lip. I was repeating that to my head, but I, myself, wasn't convinced. I don't recall hallucinations being able to physically hurt someone, and not to mention, someone else was also with me. I turned my gaze to the seat next to me. Our desks are separated because of the test, but I was close enough to see his frustrated scowl.
Percy's green eyes narrowed at the paper; no doubt his dyslexia is messing with him. Another thing about this crappy academy is that, despite being built for children like us, they barely do anything to accommodate our disabilities. I released a heavy sigh for Percy as I drifted back to my paper. We didn't talk much after the incident concerning Mrs. Dodds, who apparently never existed. I shook my head and went to write my paper in restless peace.
***
"What, seriously!?" I exclaimed, looking at Percy in shock, who looked exhausted. "Yeah, I'm not going to Yancy next year."
I bit my lip. More time has passed since the incident, and Percy has started to get mentally exhausted and irritable. Even snapping at me, at times, though he usually apologizes a second later. Percy was struggling at school, even with Grover and mine's help, he could barely get a D. Now he's pretty much lost his motivation, and honestly, I don't blame him.
The teachers here are harsh and barely patient with a kid who has Dyslexia and ADHD. Not helped by ever since the incident, bullies like Hobofit dialled up their tomfoolery, which eventually led to a full-on fight between my friend group and her large group of cronies. Despite outnumbering us by a lot and Hobofit is backed with kids bigger and older than us, while three of us are well us. One kid who is handicapped, another kid, AKA me, a kid who barely does anything physical and then Percy. And guess what, we WON that fight.
Well, I say 'We' but it's more Percy's win. He was ridiculously strong; he was overpowering everybody, and Grover, while not a fighter, was whacking people with his crutches while apologizing. I, on the other hand, was grabbing fistfuls of dirt and flinging them at the bully's eyes. By the end of it, we were covered with bruises and cuts, but Hobofit and her crownies were groaning in pain or trying to get dirt out of their eyes. But of course, because Nancy cried the hardest, we were the ones who got punished.
Grover and I got hit by detention, while Percy, because of his numerous troubles, won't be joining Yancy Academy next year.
"It's their fault!" I say, but Percy just shakes his head.
"Honestly, I don't really care. Yancy Academy could eat dirt for all I care. I just want to go back to my mom."
I sat on my bed looking wearily. I knew it was selfish of me, but I wanted Percy to stay with me. He and Grover. Grover told me he's planning to leave Yancy Academy. That means I'll be alone again, just to wander the halls as the others look at me like I shouldn't be born.
I released a heavy sigh. I grabbed my binder from the desk and lightly smacked his head. "Dude!" Percy flinched, rubbing his head.
I smirked. "Come on, let's study so you don't completely end your year here as a bum."
***
Exams are finally done (Thank the Lord!), and the three of us celebrated in my dorm by eating pineapple pizza and all kinds of soda. It was a good time, but eventually the day comes when the students have to return home to their house and family. I, on the other hand, have to go back to the orphanage. A smelly, mouldy building where almost every kid there passes gas. I don't have friends there; they don't bully me like the kids from Yancy, but they usually ignore my existence.
They are too busy trying to look good for potential people that want to adopt. I didn't really care about that, at least not today. After being rejected and returned to the orphanage for the seventh time, I pretty much don't care anymore. Still, it wasn't all too bad when I found out Percy's apartment was just a couple of blocks away from the orphanage I was staying at.
So I could see him during the summer. During the bus ride, I noticed Grover looking anxious and twitchy, his eyes darting everywhere as if expecting a monster to bust through the bus to swallow him whole. He's always been the fidgety type, but there wasn't any reason for him to freak out like this. I opened my mouth to ask him if he was okay, only for Percy to speak first.
"Looking for Kindly Ones?" I blinked. "What?"
Grover nearly jumped from his seat, looking at Percy with shock and panic. "Who-what? How did you-?"
"I may have been eavesdropping on you and Mr. Brunner the night before the exam."
Grover swallowed a lump in his throat. I just look between them. What the heck is going on? Like what, did Grover have a secret stash of 'Special' candy or something crazy? Grover bit his lip and fidgeted.
"How much...did you hear?"
"Not a lot," Percy admits. "Something about the summer solstice and a deadline?"
Grover cringed. I grabbed Percy's shoulder and I gave him a 'Be Quiet' look. I then turned to face Grover.
"Listen, you don't have to tell us anything. Percy is just sticking his nose where it doesn't belong." I said.
Percy huffs and lightly shoves me off, "It does involve me, Clay. He and Mr. Brunner are talking about me."
Well, that makes things a bit more complicated. We both looked at Grover, who was sweating profusely. He took a deep breath before fishing something from his pocket shirt and handed it to Percy. I peered over him to see that he had been given a business card
Grover Underwood
Keeper
Half-Blood Hill, Long Island, New York
(800) 009-0009
I snorted. Seriously, a twelve-year-old has a business card? And what kind of job is a Keeper?
"What's Half-"
Grover quickly shushed Percy. "That's my summer address."
"Oh, cool, guess I can visit you time to time-"
"Uh, sorry, Clay, you're not...invited."
I blinked before frowning. Percy narrows his eyes at him.
"And why is that?"
Grover gulped. "Well, he...uh."
I felt a little hurt. Actually, scratch that stung a lot. I bit my tongue. I wanted to feel mad or any other emotion, anything other than feeling like this. Grover looks guilty, but didn't really say anything about the reason why I'm not invited. Percy pressed on, getting a little heated while Grover was sweating more profusely.
I sighed internally before putting on a smug grin.
"Ah, I get it. You only invite people who smell a lot."
"What?" Percy demanded.
I smiled at him. You are the one who usually leads to your face getting punched. "Oh come on, dude, usually you smell like rotten fish, and that's on a good day, Grover probably invited you, because both of them smell kind of awful."
"I don't smell!"
"Why you-!"
Percy started to tickle me on the ribs, which caused me to yelp and, in revenge, pinch his nipples, which caused Percy to scream like a girl, while reaching out to tickle Grover's rib which caused him to flinch and let out a bleat. Not too long, we were messing with each other, laughing. The bus driver had to shout at us for us to get off at each other. We couldn't stop giggling like maniacs. Though it became quiet and awkward once the fun wore off.
I glanced at Grover, and our eyes met. His brown orbs were one of guilt and pity before turning away. I released a sigh and stared out the window, occasionally flinching every time I spotted some weird creature just roaming the dark alleys. Eventually, the bus stopped because apparently there was something wrong with the engine and the driver, while muttering out curses, told everyone to get out, which we did. We were on a stretch of country road.
Nothing too interesting, so I pretty much blacked out thinking about some stuff I would do later if it weren't for that darn ad again repeating in my head, messing me up.
"Tell me they're not looking at you. By the gods, no..." Grover whispered, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah, kind of weird. Do you think those socks fit me?" Percy said.
I looked at where they were looking. Just a good distance away were three old women sitting on a chair using a tree as a shade. Oddly, they weren't wearing normal clothing; instead, they were wearing a white robe with a hood covering their heads. Another weird thing about them is that they are knitting a giant pair of socks.
Speaking of the socks were glowing an electric blue. I heard Grover take a massive intake of air when the old lady in the middle pulled out a golden and silver scissors.
"We need to get on the bus."
"What?"
"Now!" Grover says urgently to Percy, and they scurry off back to the bus.
I stayed behind as I watched them cut the string. Then something freaky happened, the three of them opened their eyes at the same time, they were colored gold, now only that, it was glowing. They were looking at me. I flinched before I took a step back and jogged back to the bus, ignoring my beating heart. I sat beside Percy again, who also looked pale.
But Grover looks ready to pass out. I took one glance at the window to see the old ladies, only to find them completely vanish.