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-----My horrible lying skills are put to the test-----
I sit in the rain waiting for Percy to come back after his fight with Ms. Dodds. Chiron and I have already put mist over the mortals' eyes so that they will believe that Mrs. Kerr is the one and only pre-algebra teacher. Out of the corner of my eye I notice Percy coming down the museum steps. Standing next to me was Nancy Bobfit. Just being near her made me want to run away. As Percy comes closer, Nancy says, “I hope Mrs. Kerr whipped your butt”. A look of confusion comes over Percy and I squeeze my eyes shut hoping that the mist holds, hoping that our ruse can convince him that nothing happened and keep him safe. “Who?” asks Percy. “Our teacher. Duh” Nancy sassed. When Percy just blinked and showed a confused face, Nancy rolled her eyes and walked away. Percy turned to me and asked about Ms. Dodds. I panicked for a moment knowing that I am terrible at lying. “Who?” I said, doing my best to muster a confused look onto my face. “Not funny man, this is serious” he said, then walked to Chiron, leaving me alone in the rain. I let out a sigh. I know I didn't convince him, but it was my job to try. I had to protect him from my world. At least for a little while longer. Let the kid be a kid, let him experience middle school. The problem was that in my 21 years of life I’d only ever brought one group of kids to camp, and one of those kids got turned into a tree. How am I going to finish this year? I thought, furies in the school. There is no way lynus is going to get past this.
-----Percy ran away from me-----
I curse as I come out of the bus stop bathroom, Percy nowhere to be found. I can’t say I didn’t expect him to ditch me. I knew he was creeped out from how I was acting. I was shaken up after seeing the fates on the road. The way they cut the string while staring directly at Percy. A string that was in the very color he makes his whole personality. My anxiety shot up just thinking about it. Focus, I said to myself, we have to get Percy to camp. I stopped walking for a second, thinking about where I needed to go. I could take a cab up to Percy’s place or I could go back to camp to figure out what the situation is with Zeus's bolt. To camp, I decided, and headed for the subway. Next stop, much needed information and updates.
-----A very worrying Iris message-----
About halfway through the subway ride to Long island, my bladder acts up again. Sometimes I really do hate my anxiety. The bathroom is empty when I go in and right before I’m about to pee, an iris message pops up beside me. I yelp and turn around quickly buttoning my pants back up. “What the heck! I was trying to pee Chiron” I say, turning back towards the rainbow. “I am sorry young one, but I have very important information to tell you. You must bring Percy to camp today. Hades has made his move and sent a monster after him. Hurry.” Chiron says. At his words I blanch and let out a nervous bleat. “This isn’t good. I was on my way back to camp. How long do I have?” I question, my anxiety showing in my voice. “Until tonight,” Chiron says as the rainbow slowly fades away “We’ll be waiting, make haste”. Then I’m alone in the bathroom again. I quickly go out and hop on a subway headed to the upper east side. Crap, a load of donkey crap is what this is, I say in my mind.
-----A smelly pile of donkey poop is the only thing on the Jackson’s couch-----
After a painfully anxious subway ride and a bit of a walk, I arrive at Percy's front door. Already the smells of something severely mortal, cigars, and BO are hitting me. I knock on the door, trying to breathe through my mouth. Everything in me is telling me that the person lumbering up to the door is not a good one. A balding man with a severe beer belly and a cigar hanging from his lips answers the door. “What do you want?” he grunts, blowing smoke into my face. I cough and try to hold my breath. “I'm here to talk to Percy” I say, trying to prevent lung cancer from secondhand smoke. “That (R-word)” he says, “He and his good for nothing mother went to the beach. Goin’ on a spending spree and takin my favorite car away” One sentence exchanged with this man and I already want to kick him where it hurts. “What address could I find them at?” I say. Adding a few choice words to the end of the sentence, in my mind at least. “ The hell would I know, they went to montauk. All I care about is getting the runty brat out of my house” He says with a little laugh. I’m at my limit. No one talks about my best friend like that. No one talks about anybody like that. I throw some insulting words at him and turn away, walk-running down the stairs to try and get away from him. Misogynistic, evil pig I think. When I get back to street level, the information I gathered is poking through the fog of anger. Think Grover, think. How can you find Percy before tonight? I freeze in my tracks. Duh! I’ll just go down to Montauk and start sniffing. Satyr senses are super helpful sometimes. With this new plan in mind I head away from the building thinking about how I'll get the money for a cab.
-----The beach is bigger than I thought and I can feel the bull-man trying to hunt Percy down-----
The rain is pounding down on me as I run-trot towards a cabin on the edge of the beach. The thunder is brighter and louder than I’ve ever heard, or seen, before. Somewhere along the way I lost my pants and human shoes in favor of my natural goat legs and hoofs. They’re much easier to travel on uneven ground with. If my senses are right (and they usually are) then the minotaur is only a few miles behind us and Sally and Percy are in the cabin I’m heading towards. I bang on the door almost coordinating with the thunderous booms. Sally Jackson, wrapped in a robe with Percy in bed behind her, opens the door. “It’s Grover, we’ve got to go. It's an emergency. There’s been an issue” I yell over the thunder. Sally turns towards Percy with fear and anger on her face. “What haven’t you told me?” she says. Percy quickly gives a recap of the furies and fates then Sally curses. “Grab your jacket, we’re going” she says, and then runs out the door towards the car. “Come on Percy, we’ve got to hurry” I whine. Percy runs out the door and I follow right behind. Just as we get in the car I hear a bellowed roar from behind. “Step on the gas Ms.Jackson. please”. She does and we're zooming through the sand. “So, you two know each other” Percy questions. I twinge, remembering that he knows nothing about what’s going on. “Yes and no” I say, “she knows that I’ve been keeping a watch on you but we haven’t exactly met”. “What do you mean keeping a watch?” Percy asks, staring in shock at my legs. “Keeping tabs on you, making sure you were safe. But I wasn’t faking being your friend” I said, feeling the need to confirm our friendship, “I am your friend”. He shook his head and asked “what are you exactly?”. Explaining to your best friend that you were half goat, actually 21, and from Greek mythology was a little complicated so I just said, “It doesn't matter right now.” “I would really like to know why my best friend is a donkey from the waist down”. I bleated, thinking that if he said that to anyone else he would be hoofed in the face, no matter the situation. I quickly explained what I am and that yes the Greek myths were real and you were part of them. I really tried to speak fast because I could feel the minotaur fast approaching behind us. When we heard a roar behind us that's when everything felt really serious. “Ms. Jackson, could you step on it please?” “I’m trying” she said, hands clenched so hard on the wheel they turned white. “Why do we need to go faster?” Percy asked, “what’s after us?”. “Oh you know, just the lord of the underworld and one of his most bloodthirsty monsters” I said. I heard a roar again, a giant boom of thunder, and then suddenly I was flying. The last thing I remember is hitting my head against the driver's side and the need for food.
-----I wake up in the forest surrounded by angry goats-----
My eyes blink open to the soft light of a rising sun. I’m laying in the grass. The morning dew seeps through the back of my shirt and I take a deep breath, immediately knowing where I am. Home. Camp Half-blood. The forest. Then I remember what happened and I shoot up only to find myself at the feet of the Council of the Cloven Elders. My head still hurts and my clothes have single marks from the lighting strike. “What happened?” I ask, “Where is percy? Is he okay? Did he survive?” Lynus looks down at me. “Those are exactly the kind of questions we should be asking you”. He says, obvious anger in his tone, “This is your second chance, and you still managed to mess it up. The boy had to carry YOU across the camp line. He had to see his mother die and kill the bull while YOU laid comatose on a rock. You have failed Grover Underwood”. I swallow a big gulp. I messed up. Then the mom thing hits me, “Sally’s dead?” I asked even though I already know the answer. Guilt rushes through me causing me to deflate. “Yes” Lyunus says, with the obvious implication that it was my fault. “Once we consult with Dionysus we will revoke your protector's license in shame. A useless goat is what you are. No better than a donkey”. His words hurt me, but not more than my own self deprecating thoughts do. I failed Percy, I failed his mother, I failed my legacy. I hang my head in shame and walk towards camp before he can say anymore. From what I can tell I’ve only been out a few hours. I need rest, but first I need to find Percy. I need to make sure my best friend is okay. I make a promise to myself as I walk. I will protect him. No matter what. No matter where. I will never fail again.