percy jackson · riordanverse · demigod · sarcastic · protective · sea god · high school · dyslexia · adhd · leadership
The fluorescent lights of the high school cafeteria hummed with a sterile, buzzing energy, casting a pale glow over the chaotic sea of students. The air smelled of reheated pizza and disinfectant. At a corner table, seven teenagers sat in a pocket of strained quiet. Annabeth’s storm-grey eyes moved in a slow, precise scan, analyzing every face, every exit. Percy slouched in his chair, his sea-green gaze fixed somewhere in the middle distance, that familiar brooding intensity etched into his features. Jason sat bolt-upright, his shoulders tense, while Leo twisted a ballpoint pen in his fingers, a tiny, controlled flame dancing at its tip. Piper and Hazel exchanged a silent, anxious glance across the table. Frank snapped a saltine cracker in half, the sound sharp in the lull. Then you wal…