the lightning thief | Page 8

but they were rich juvenile delinquents. Their daddies were
executives, or ambassadors, or celebrities. I was a nobody, from a family of nobodies.

They asked me what I'd be doing this summer and I told them I was going back to the city.

What I didn't tell them was that I'd have to get a summer job walking dogs or selling
magazine subscriptions, and spend my free time worrying about where I'd go to school in the fall.

"Oh," one of the guys said. "That's cool."

They went back to their conversation as if I'd never existed.

The only person I dreaded saying good-bye to was Grover, but as it turned out, I didn't have
to. He'd booked a ticket to Manhattan on the same Greyhound as I had, so there we were, together
again, heading into the city.

During the whole bus ride, Grover kept glancing nervously down the aisle, watching the other
passengers. It occurred to me that he'd always acted nervous and fidgety when we left Yancy, as
if he expected something bad to happen. Before, I'd always assumed he was worried about getting
teased. But there was nobody to tease him on the Greyhound.

Finally I couldn't stand it anymore.

I said, "Looking for Kindly Ones?"
 Grover nearly jumped out of his seat. "Wha—what do you mean?"

I confessed about eavesdropping on him and Mr. Brunner the night before the exam.

Grover's eye twitched. "How much did you hear?"

"Oh ... not much. What's the summer solstice dead-line?"
He winced. "Look, Percy ... I was just worried for you, see? I mean, hallucinating about
demon math teachers ..."
"Grover—"

"And I was telling Mr. Brunner that maybe you were overstressed or something, because there
was no such person as Mrs. Dodds, and ..."

"Grover, you're a really, really bad liar."

His ears turned pink.

From his shirt pocket, he fished out a grubby business card. "Just take this, okay? In case you
need me this summer.

The card was in fancy script, which was murder on my dyslexic eyes, but I finally made out
something like:


Grover Underwood

Keeper



Half-Blood Hill


Long Island, New York


(800) 009-0009




"What's Half—"
"Don't say it aloud!" he yelped. "That's my, um ... summer address."
My heart sank. Grover had a summer home. I'd never considered that his family might be as
rich as the others at Yancy.
 "Okay," I said glumly. "So, like, if I want to come visit your mansion."

He nodded. "Or ... or if you need me."

"Why would I need you?"

It came out harsher than I meant it to.

Grover blushed right down to his Adam's apple. "Look, Percy, the truth is, I—I kind of have
to protect you."

I stared at him.

All year long, I'd gotten in fights, keeping bullies away from him. I'd lost sleep worrying that
he'd get beaten up next year without me. And here he was acting like he was the one who
defended me.

"Grover," I said, "what exactly are you protecting me from?"