1 I BATTLE THE CHEERLEADING SQUAD

The last thing I wanted to do on my summer break was blow up another

school. But there I was Monday morning, the first week of June, sitting in

my mom's car in front of Goode High School on East 81st

.

Goode was this big brownstone building overlooking the East River. A

bunch of BMWs and Lincoln Town Cars were parked out front. Staring up

at the fancy stone archway, I wondered how long it would take me to get

kicked out of this place.

"Just relax." My mom didn't sound relaxed. "It's only an orientation tour.

And remember, dear, this is Paul's school. So try not to…you know."

"Destroy it?"

"Yes."

Paul Blofis, my mom's boyfriend, was standing out front, greeting future

ninth graders as they came up the steps. With his salt-and-pepper hair, denim

clothes, and leather jacket, he reminded me of a TV actor, but he was just an

English teacher. He'd managed to convince Goode High School to accept

me for ninth grade, despite the fact that I'd gotten kicked out of every school

I'd ever attended. I'd tried to warn him it wasn't a good idea, but he

wouldn't listen.

I looked at my mom. "You haven't told him the truth about me, have you?

She tapped her fingers nervously on the wheel. She was dressed up for a

job interview—her best blue dress and high-heeled shoes.

"I thought we should wait," she admitted.

"So we don't scare him away."

"I'm sure orientation will be fine, Percy, It's only one morning."

"Great," I mumbled. "I can get expelled before I start the school year."

"Think positive. Tomorrow you're off to camp! After orientation, you've

got your date—"

"It's not a date!" I protested. "It's just Annabeth, Mom. Jeez!"

"She's coming all the way from camp to meet you."

"Well, yeah."

"You're going to the movies."

"Yeah."

"Just the two of you."

"Mom!"

She held up her hands in surrender, but I could tell she was trying hard not

to smile. "You'd better get inside, dear. I'll see you tonight."

I was about to get out of the car when I looked over the steps of the school.

Paul Blofis was greeting a girl with frizzy red hair. She wore a maroon Tshirt and ratty jeans decorated with marker drawings. When she turned, I

caught a glimpse of her face, and the hairs on my arms stood straight up.

"Percy?" my mom asked. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing," I stammered. "Does the school have a side entrance?"

"Down the block on the right. Why?"

"I'll see you later."

My mom started to say something, but I got out of the car and ran, hoping

the redheaded girl wouldn't see me.

What was she doing here? Not even my luck could be this bad.

Yeah, right. I was about to find out my luck could get a lot worse.

* * *

Sneaking into orientation didn't work out too well. Two cheerleaders in

purple-and-white uniforms were standing at the side entrance, waiting to

ambush freshmen.

"Hi!" They smiled, which I figured was the first and last time any

cheerleaders would be that friendly to me. One was blond with icy blue eyes.

The other was African American with dark curly hair like Medusa's (and

believe me, I know what I'm talking about). Both girls had their names

stitched in cursive on their uniforms, but with my dyslexia, the words looked

like meaningless spaghetti.

"Welcome to Goode," the blond girl said. "You are so going to love it."

But as she looked me up and down, her expression said something more

like, Eww, who is this loser?

The other girl stepped uncomfortably close to me. I studied the stitching

on her uniform and made out Kelli. She smelled like roses and something

else I recognized from riding lessons at camp—the scent of freshly washed

horses. It was a weird smell for a cheerleader. Maybe she owned a horse or

something. Anyway, she stood so close I got the feeling she was going to try

to push me down the steps. "What's your name, fish?"

"Fish?"

"Freshman."

"Uh, Percy."

The girls exchanged looks.

"Oh, Percy Jackson," the blond one said. "We've been waiting for you."

That sent a major Uh-oh chill down my back. They were blocking the

entrance, smiling in a not-very-friendly way. My hand crept instinctively

toward my pocket, where I kept my lethal ballpoint pen, Riptide.

Then another voice came from inside the building. "Percy?" It was Paul

Blofis, somewhere down the hallway. I'd never been so glad to hear his

voice.

The cheerleaders backed off. I was so anxious to get past them I

accidentally kneed Kelli in the thigh.

Clang.

Her leg made a hollow, metallic sound, like I'd just hit a flagpole.

"Ow," she muttered. "Watch it, fish."

I glanced down, but her leg looked like a regular old leg. I was too

freaked out to ask questions. I dashed into the hall, the cheerleaders laughing

behind me.

"There you are!" Paul told me. "Welcome to Goode!"

"Hey, Paul—uh, Mr. Blofis." I glanced back, but the weird cheerleaders

had disappeared.

"Percy, you look like you've seen a ghost."

"Yeah, uh—"

Paul clapped me on the back. "Listen, I know you're nervous, but don't

worry. We get a lot of kids here with ADHD and dyslexia. The teachers

know how to help."

I almost wanted to laugh. If only ADHD and dyslexia were my biggest

worries. I mean, I knew Paul was trying to help, but if I told him the truth

about me, he'd either think I was crazy or he'd run away screaming. Those

cheerleaders, for instance. I had a bad feeling about them….

Then I looked down the hall, and I remembered I had another problem.

The redheaded girl I'd seen on the front steps was just coming in the main

entrance.

Don't notice me, I prayed.

She noticed me. Her eyes widened.

"Where's the orientation?" I asked Paul.

"The gym. That way. But—"

"Bye."

"Percy?" he called, but I was already running.

* * *

I thought I'd lost her.

A bunch of kids were heading for the gym, and soon I was just one of

three hundred fourteen-year-olds all crammed into the bleachers. A

marching band played an out-of-tune fight song that sounded like somebody

hitting a bag of cats with a metal baseball bat. Older kids, probably student

council members, stood up front modeling the Goode school uniform and

looking all, Hey, we're cool. Teachers milled around, smiling and shaking

hands with students. The walls of the gym were plastered with big purpleand-white banners that said WELCOME FUTURE FRESHMEN, GOODE

IS GOOD, WE'RE ALL FAMILY, and a bunch of other happy slogans that

pretty much made me want to throw up.

None of the other freshmen looked thrilled to be here, either. I mean,

coming to orientation in June, when school doesn't even start until

September, is not cool. But at Goode, "We prepare to excel early!" At least

that's what the brochure said.

The marching band stopped playing. A guy in a pinstripe suit came to the

microphone and started talking, but the sound echoed around the gym so I

had no idea what he was saying. He might've been gargling.

Someone grabbed my shoulder," What are you doing here?"

It was her: my redheaded nightmare.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare," I said.

Her jaw dropped like she couldn't believe I had the nerve to remember

her name. "And you're Percy somebody. I didn't get your full name last

December when you tried to kill me."

"Look, I wasn't—I didn't—What are you doing here?"

"Same as you, I guess. Orientation."

"You live in New York?"

"What, you thought I lived at the Hoover Dam?"

It had never occurred to me. Whenever I thought about her (and I'm not

saying I thought about her; she just like crossed my mind from time to time,

okay?), I always figured she lived in the Hoover Dam area, since that's

where I'd met her. We'd spent maybe ten minutes together, during which

time I'd accidentally swung a sword at her, she'd saved my life, and I'd run

away chased by a band of supernatural killing machines. You know, your

typical chance meeting.

Some guy behind us whispered, "Hey, shut up. The cheerleaders are

talking!"

"Hi, guys!" a girl bubbled into the microphone. It was the blonde I'd seen

at the entrance. "My name is Tammi, and this is like, Kelli." Kelli did a

cartwheel.

Next to me, Rachel yelped like someone had stuck her with a pin. A few

kids looked over and snickered, but Rachel just stared at the cheerleaders in

horror. Tammi didn't seem to notice the outburst. She started talking about

all the great ways we could get involved during our freshman year.

"Run," Rachel told me. "Now."

"Why?"

Rachel didn't explain. She pushed her way to the edge of the bleachers,

ignoring the frowning teachers and grumbling kids she was stepping on.

I hesitated. Tammi was explaining how we were about to break into small

groups and tour the school. Kelli caught my eye and gave me an amused

smile, like she was waiting to see what I'd do. It would look bad if I left

right now. Paul Blofis was down there with the rest of the teachers. He'd

wonder what was wrong.

Then I thought about Rachel Elizabeth Dare, and the special ability she'd

shown last winter at Hoover Dam. She'd been able to see a group of security

guards who weren't guards at all, who weren't even human. My heart

pounding, I got up and followed her out of the gym.

* * *

I found Rachel in the band room. She was hiding behind a bass drum in

the percussion section.

"Get over here!" she said. "Keep your head down!"

I felt pretty silly hiding behind a bunch of bongos, but I crouched down

beside her.

"Did they follow you?" Rachel asked.

"You mean the cheerleaders?"

She nodded nervously.

"I don't think so," I said. "What are they? What did you see?"

Her green eyes were bright with fear. She had a sprinkle of freckles on her

face that reminded me of constellations. Her maroon T-shirt read

HARVARD ART DEPT. "You…you wouldn't believe me."

"Oh, yeah, I would," I promised. "I know you can see through the Mist."

"The what?"

"The Mist. It's…well, it's like this veil that hides the way things really are.

Some mortals are born with the ability to see through it. Like you."

She studied me carefully. "You did that at Hoover Dam. You called me a

mortal. Like you're not."

I felt like punching a bongo. What was I thinking? I could never explain. I

shouldn't even try.

"Tell me," she begged. "You know what it means. All these horrible

things I see?"

"Look, this is going to sound weird. Do you know anything about Greek

myths?"

"Like…the Minotaur and the Hydra?"

"Yeah, just try not to say those names when I'm around, okay?"

"And the Furies," she said, warming up. "And the Sirens, and—"

"Okay!" I looked around the band hall, sure that Rachel was going to

make a bunch of bloodthirsty nasties pop out of the walls; but we were still

alone. Down the hallway, I heard a mob of kids coming out of the

gymnasium. They were starting the group tours. We didn't have long to talk.

"All those monsters," I said, "all the Greek gods—they're real."

"I knew it!"

I would've been more comfortable if she'd called me a liar, but Rachel

looked like I'd just confirmed her worst suspicion.

"You don't know how hard it's been," she said. "For years I thought I was

going crazy. I couldn't tell anybody. I couldn't—" Her eyes narrowed.

"Wait. Who are you? I mean really?"

"I'm not a monster."

"Well, I know that. I could see if you were. You look like…you. But

you're not human, are you?"

I swallowed. Even though I'd had three years to get used to who I was, I'd

never talked about it with a regular mortal before—I mean, except for my

mom, but she already knew. I don't know why, but I took the plunge.

"I'm a half-blood," I said. "I'm half human."

"And half what?"

Just then Tammi and Kelli stepped into the band room. The doors

slammed shut behind them.

"There you are, Percy Jackson," Tammi said. "It's time for your

orientation."

* * *

"They're horrible!" Rachel gasped.

Tammi and Kelli were still wearing their purple-and-white cheerleader

costumes, holding pom-poms from the rally.

"What do they really look like?" I asked, but Rachel seemed too stunned

to answer.

"Oh, forget her." Tammi gave me a brilliant smile and started walking

toward us. Kelli stayed by the doors, blocking our exit.

They'd trapped us. I knew we'd have to fight our way out, but Tammi's

smile was so dazzling it distracted me. Her blue eyes were beautiful, and the

way her hair swept over her shoulders…

"Percy," Rachel warned.

I said something really intelligent like, "Uhhh?"

Tammi was getting closer. She held out her pom-poms.

"Percy!" Rachel's voice seemed to be coming from a long way away.

"Snap out of it!"

It took all my willpower, but I got my pen out of my pocket and uncapped

it. Riptide grew into a three-foot-long bronze sword, its blade glowing with a

faint golden light. Tammi's smile turned to a sneer.

"Oh, come on," she protested. "You don't need that. How about a kiss

instead?"

She smelled like roses and clean animal fur—a weird but somehow

intoxicating smell.

Rachel pinched my arm, hard. "Percy, she wants to bite you! Look at

her!"

She's just jealous," Tammi looked back at Kelli. "May I, mistress?"

Kelli was still blocking the door, licking her lips hungrily. "Go ahead,

Tammi. You're doing fine."

Tammi took another step forward, but I leveled the tip of my sword at her

chest. "Get back."

She snarled. "Freshmen," she said with disgust. "This is our school, halfblood. We feed on whom we choose!"

Then she began to change. The color drained out of her face and arms.

Her skin turned as white as chalk, her eyes completely red. Her teeth grew

into fangs.

"A vampire!" I stammered. Then I noticed her legs. Below the

cheerleader skirt, her left leg was brown and shaggy with a donkey's hoof.

Her right leg was shaped like a human leg, but it was made of bronze. "Uhh,

a vampire with—"

 "Don't mention the legs!" Tammi snapped. "It's rude to make fun!"

She advanced on her weird, mismatched legs. She looked totally bizarre,

especially with the pom-poms, but I couldn't laugh—not facing those red

eyes and sharp fangs.

"A vampire, you say?" Kelli laughed. "That silly legend was based on us,

you fool. We are empousai, servants of Hecate."

"Mmmm." Tammi edged closer to me. "Dark magic formed us from

animal, bronze, and ghost! We exist to feed on the blood of young men.

Now come, give me that kiss!"

She bared her fangs. I was so paralyzed I couldn't move, but Rachel threw

a snare drum at the empousa's head.

The demon hissed and batted the drum away. It went rolling along the

aisles between music stands, its springs rattling against the drumhead.

Rachel threw a xylophone, but the demon just swatted that away, too.

"I don't usually kill girls," Tammi growled. "But for you, mortal, I'll

make an exception. Your eyesight is a little too good!"

She lunged at Rachel.

"No!" I slashed with Riptide. Tammi tried to dodge my blade, but I sliced

straight through her cheerleader uniform, and with a horrible wail she

exploded into dust all over Rachel.

Rachel coughed. She looked like she'd just had a sack of flour dumped on

her head. "Gross!"

"Monsters do that," I said. "Sorry."

"You killed my trainee!" Kelli yelled. "You need a lesson in school spirit,

half-blood!"

Then she too began to change. Her wiry hair turned into flickering flames.

Her eyes turned red. She grew fangs. She loped toward us, her brass foot and

hoof clopping unevenly on the band-room floor.

"I am senior empousa," she growled. "No hero has bested me in a

thousand years."

"Yeah?" I said. "Then you're overdue!"

Kelli was a lot faster than Tammi. She dodged my first strike and rolled

into the brass section, knocking over a row of trombones with a mighty

crash. Rachel scrambled out of the way. I put myself between her and the

empousa. Kelli circled us, her eyes going from me to the sword.

"Such a pretty little blade," she said. "What a shame it stands between

us."

Her form shimmered—sometimes a demon, sometimes a pretty

cheerleader. I tried to keep my mind focused, but it was really distracting.

"Poor dear." Kelli chuckled. "You don't even know what's happening, do

you? Soon, your pretty little camp in flames, your friends made slaves to the

Lord of Time, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. It would be merciful

to end your life now, before you have to see that."

From down the hall, I heard voices. A tour group was approaching. A man

was saying something about locker combinations.

The empousa's eyes lit up. "Excellent! We're about to have company!"

She picked up a tuba and threw it at me. Rachel and I ducked. The tuba

sailed over our heads and crashed through the window.

The voices in the hall died down.

"Percy!" Kelli shouted, pretending to be scared, "why did you throw

that?"

I was too surprised to answer. Kelli picked up a music stand and swiped a

row of clarinets and flutes. Chairs and musical instruments crashed to the

floor.

"Stop it!" I said.

People were tromping down the hall now, coming in our direction.

"Time to greet our visitors!" Kelli bared her fangs and ran for the doors. I

charged after her with Riptide. I had to stop her from hurting the mortals.

"Percy, don't!" Rachel shouted. But I hadn't realized what Kelli was up to

until it was too late.

Kelli flung open the doors. Paul Blofis and a bunch of freshmen stepped

back in shock. I raised my sword.

At the last second, the empousa turned toward me like a cowering victim.

"Oh no, please!" she cried. I couldn't stop my blade. It was already in

motion.

Just before the celestial bronze hit her, Kelli exploded into flames like a

Molotov cocktail. Waves of fire splashed over everything. I'd never seen a

monster do that before, but I didn't have time to wonder about it. I backed

into the band room as the flames engulfed the doorway.

"Percy?" Paul Blofis looked completely stunned, staring at me from

across the fire. "What have you done?"

Kids screamed and ran down the hall. The fire alarm wailed. Ceiling

sprinklers hissed to life.

In the chaos, Rachel tugged on my sleeve. "You have to get out of here!"

She was right. The school was in flames and I'd be held responsible.

Mortals couldn't see through the Mist properly. To them it would look like

I'd just attacked a helpless cheerleader in front of a group of witnesses.

There was no way I could explain it. I turned from Paul and sprinted for the

broken band room window.

* * *

I burst out of the alley onto East 81st and ran straight into Annabeth.

"Hey, you're out early!" she laughed, grabbing my shoulders to keep me

from tumbling into the street. "Watch where you're going, Seaweed Brain."

For a split second she was in a good mood and everything was fine. She

was wearing jeans and an orange camp T-shirt and her clay bead necklace.

Her blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Her gray eyes sparkled. She

looked like she was ready to catch a movie, have a cool afternoon hanging

out together.

Then Rachel Elizabeth Dare, still covered in monster dust, came charging

out of the alley, yelling, "Percy, wait up!"

Annabeth's smile melted. She stared at Rachel, then at the school. For the

first time, she seemed to notice the black smoke and ringing fire alarms.

She frowned at me. "What did you do this time? And who is this?"

"Oh, Rachel—Annabeth. Annabeth—Rachel. Um, she's a friend, I

guess."

I wasn't sure what else to call Rachel. I mean, I barely knew her, but after

being in two life-or-death situations together, I couldn't just call her nobody.

"Hi," Rachel said. Then she turned to me. "You are in so much trouble.

And you still owe me an explanation!"

Police sirens wailed on FDR Drive.

"Percy," Annabeth said coldly. "We should go."

"I want to know more about half-bloods," Rachel insisted. "And monsters.

And this stuff about the gods." She grabbed my arm, whipped out a

permanent marker, and wrote a phone number on my hand. "You're going to

call me and explain, okay? You owe me that. Now get going."

"But—"

"I'll make up some story," Rachel said. "I'll tell them it wasn't your fault.

Just go!"

She ran back toward the school, leaving Annabeth and me in the street.

"Hey!" I jogged after her. "There were these two empousai," I tried to

explain. "They were cheerleaders, see, and they said camp was going to burn,

and—"

"You told a mortal girl about half-bloods?"

"She can see through the Mist. She saw the monsters before I did."

"So you told her the truth?"

"She recognized me from Hoover Dam, so—"

"You've met her before?"

"Um, last winter. But seriously, I barely know her."

"She's kind of cute."

"I—I never thought about it."

Annabeth kept walking toward York Avenue.

"I'll deal with the school," I promised, anxious to change the subject.

"Honest, it'll be fine."

Annabeth wouldn't even look at me. "I guess our afternoon is off. We

should get you out of here, now that the police will be searching for you."

Behind us, smoke billowed up from Goode High School. In the dark

column of ashes, I thought I could almost see a face—a she-demon with red

eyes, laughing at me.

Your pretty little camp in flames, Kelli had said. Your friends made slaves

to the Lord of Time.

"You're right," I told Annabeth, my heart sinking. "We have to get to

Camp Half-Blood. Now."