How Not to Make Friends in Five Minutes

  “Why don’t you go polish your spear or something?” Annabeth said to Clarisse, who was walking toward the three of them with an arrogant smile carved across her face.

  “Oh, look. Miss Know-It-All,” Clarisse replied. “My spear’s polished enough to go right through that pretty face of yours Friday night. Don’t worry.” She stepped closer until they were face to face. “Go feed the crows.”

  It sounded like a simple insult. But the way she said it made it feel like something worse. Almost like a curse.

  “Hope you’re ready to lose,” Clarisse added. Yet for a brief moment, one of her eyelids twitched, as if she were not entirely sure of her own words.

  “Is everyone around here always this friendly?” Percy said to his brother, watching the exchange between the two girls with open curiosity.

  That made Clarisse turn instantly toward the two boys who had been standing there, observing.

  “And who are these toothpicks?” she asked, looking them up and down with open contempt.

  “Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. And that’s Clarisse, daughter of Ares,” Annabeth introduced calmly, as if she were commenting on the weather.

  “The god of war,” Harry said softly, as though something clicked into place.

  “Got a problem with that?” Clarisse shot back.

  “I think that explains the smell,” Percy said immediately.

  As always, Harry thinks it. Percy says it. It works the same way every time. Earning him a sideways glance from his brother.

  Clarisse’s expression shifted, irritation flashing across her face.

  “We’ve got an initiation ceremony for the newbies. Looks like you two haven’t been through it yet,” she said, stepping toward them with heavy strides, as if the ground itself should move out of her way.

  “Clarisse…” Annabeth warned, though she did not truly step in to stop her.

  Harry simply let out a quiet sigh and took a step back, bored. He slipped a hand into his bag casually, his attention drifting to the surroundings as if this were nothing more than a familiar scene playing out again.

  Percy, meanwhile, watched as Clarisse suddenly raised a hand and lunged straight for his throat.

  He shifted aside, slipping out of her grasp effortlessly.

  She saw her hand close on empty air, but she did not stop. She tried again with the other hand, this time putting more force into it.

  Percy ducked. Missed again.

  Clarisse looked down.

  Percy was no longer there.

  He had vanished right in front of her.

  Then she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

  She turned her head sharply, only to find Percy standing just behind her, wearing a mocking grin.

  “How about trying to be faster? You might at least catch my shadow,” he said, amusement clear in his voice.

  The taunt seemed to flip a switch inside her. Clarisse spun around and threw a punch straight at Percy’s face.

  He sidestepped it calmly.

  At that moment, one of the girls with Clarisse joined in, trying to leap onto Percy’s back.

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  With a simple shift of his footing, Percy turned his body, causing her to crash straight into Clarisse instead. The two collided with a solid thud.

  “Get off me!” Clarisse snapped, shoving her aside roughly, while the third girl, seeing the chaos, jumped in as well and lashed out with a kick.

  Percy jumped, avoiding it easily. When he landed, he rolled across the ground, narrowly evading another punch from Clarisse that passed through the space where his head had been only a second earlier.

  Annabeth’s eyes widened at how effortlessly Percy dodged every attack. But then confusion flickered across her face.

  Some of those hits should have connected.

  But they did not.

  Something was off.

  Her gaze shifted slightly toward Harry.

  And her eyes widened again.

  Right beside Harry, exactly where he had been from the start, Percy was still standing there. Calm. Watching with interest as the three girls continued fighting… another Percy.

  “Raaah!” Clarisse roared in frustration, furious that she could not even touch a single strand of his hair. She began throwing faster strikes. Punches. Kicks. Even accidentally hitting her own friends in the process.

  And when one of her punches finally connected with Percy…

  It went straight through him.

  Confusion flooded her face.

  She spun toward where Harry and the real Percy were still standing.

  “Ah… you broke your illusion,” Percy said in an amused tone to his brother.

  “Well. It was a pretty simple one. It wasn’t going to last long,” Harry replied calmly, almost defensively.

  “Oh. So you’re one of those weirdos like the other weaklings who play with sticks and do circus magic,” Clarisse said with open disdain, glaring at Harry.

  “Are you going to hide behind those little tricks instead of fighting like a warrior?” she added, turning toward Percy. “Or are you a coward?” she finished with a cruel smile.

  Percy did not answer immediately. He simply looked at her.

  For a second, the playful expression on his face faded into something serious. This was not just mockery anymore. It was a direct challenge.

  Just hearing those words made Harry let out a quiet sigh. He glanced at Percy, who returned the look in a way that needed no explanation.

  Harry rolled his eyes before pulling his hand out of his bag, letting what looked like a book fall loosely at his side.

  “I didn’t want to fight you because a knight does not fight over every little slight. But if you are challenging me to a duel like a knight, I cannot refuse,” Percy said, his tone carrying a hint of pride as he straightened his posture.

  He settled into a guard so precise it was obvious his training had not been for nothing. Even Annabeth could see that, in that moment, he left very few openings.

  Clarisse, as an experienced fighter, noticed it too.

  Her smile widened.

  She charged forward and threw a punch straight at his face.

  Percy raised one arm, deflecting the blow, and with the other hand delivered a quick strike to her liver. In the same motion, he aimed upward toward her chin.

  A clean way to end it fast.

  But Clarisse slipped the second hit and answered with a kick aimed straight at Percy’s stomach. He crossed his arms to block and was forced to take a few steps back from the impact.

  Clarisse pressed a hand briefly to her side where he had hit her, a flicker of pain passing through her expression. Then, with a sharp grin, she rushed him again, launching a kick toward his face.

  Percy ducked under it and swept her legs out from beneath her.

  Clarisse hit the ground.

  But the instant her back touched it, she rolled and pushed herself up with her arms, rising back into guard almost immediately.

  By now, the noise was drawing attention. Campers began drifting closer, forming a loose circle that slowly tightened around them.

  Harry stood with a calm expression, watching everything without a hint of concern. Annabeth, on the other hand, looked genuinely surprised at how Percy was holding his own against a daughter of the god of war.

  When Harry noticed the growing crowd, he frowned slightly.

  “Percy,” he said, low enough that only his brother could hear.

  Percy caught sight of the ring forming around them and gave a short nod, just as Clarisse lunged again with another punch aimed at his face.

  He moved with the same ease he had shown from the beginning. This time, he caught her wrist and turned inside her guard.

  Clarisse tried to brace herself. To dig her heels in.

  Too late.

  Percy did not even look like he was using all his strength.

  And then, as if he had finally grown tired of playing, he lifted her and slammed her into the ground with a heavy thud.

  The impact forced all the air out of Clarisse’s lungs.

  “Well, sorry about that, but my brother’s not very happy in crowds,” Percy said before turning and walking off calmly alongside Harry. Annabeth followed without hesitation.

  Clarisse, barely managing to draw in a breath, pushed herself up enough to watch their backs as they left.

  “Jackson! This… isn’t over!” she shouted, struggling to steady her breathing. The pain in her back made it difficult.

  Around her, a few campers watched her discomfort with poorly hidden amusement.

  Her friends, who had been taken out of the fight early by attacking the illusion, hurried over and helped her to her feet, quickly escorting her back toward the Ares cabin.

  Not far from there, Harry and Percy walked away as if nothing unusual had happened, while Annabeth kept staring at them.

  Percy noticed.

  “What’s with you?” he asked when he saw how thoughtful she looked.

  “Fine. I want you two on my team,” she said, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

  Harry and Percy both raised an eyebrow at the exact same time, looking at her without having the slightest idea what she meant.