A Work of Art
Mostly just Percy and Rachel hanging out, being bros, with a bit of Rachel x Annabeth added in at the end. Rated M for language, like many high-schoolers Rachel and Percy very much enjoy cursing.
Rachel really fucking hated school. It was honestly pretty hilarious, Percy mused to himself as he listened to another of Rachel's rants about how school was stifling her creativity and destroying her will to live at the same time. Percy had never really understood Rachel's anger towards her school, Clarion Academy was one of the best in the country and it was supposed to be really good for teens with ADHD. In fact, Percy had almost gone there but they pulled his scholarship at the last minute because he'd gotten in a fight with some bitchy redhead and his mother couldn't afford to pay the full tuition. Funny how things worked out, he couldn't go to Clarion because of a bitchy redhead and now his best friend was a bitchy redhead at Clarion. Rachel flopped back, lying so she was lying in the hood of Paul's car. Percy scooted back until he was leaning casually on the windshield, jostling Rachel's arm out of his way. Rachel frowned up at him, "Rude." she drawled. Percy chuckled flicking her forehead. "Come on red" he teased, "At least the girls at Clarion are really cute." "Ha, ha Perce, real funny. Way to make fun of my non-existent love life." Rachel responded rolling her eyes, "Just 'cause you want to get with Kelli doesn't mean I do. Plus we both know that everyone else at Clarion is as straight as a ruler."
"Hey," Percy complained, "At least you don't go to fucking Goode." Rachel nodded in reluctant agreement, "True, true." Percy could see Rachel formulating her next witty remark when his phone buzzed. Percy shifted to pull his phone out, sighing when he saw the message. "Who is it?" Rachel questioned pushing herself up so she was sitting and leaned over to read Percy's text. "It's Charlie again, our next attack on Luke's army isn't till school starts up again after break, but he and wise girl have been all over me about it."
"Beckendorf? Isn't that Selina's boyfriend?"
"Yeah," Percy responds distractedly, his tongue poking slightly out of his mouth as he types out a response. Percy's phone buzzes again almost as soon as he sets it down, "Fuck" Percy breathes out as he checks his phone again, "They wanna meet up at the library in an hour."
"Gods, do these people have no life?" Rachel enquired, "It's Saturday afternoon in the middle of spring break! I don't know about Annabeth, actually I don't think I've even seen her since two summers ago when you made me lead you guys through the labyrinth. But shouldn't Beckendorf have something better to do with his time?" Percy raised an eyebrow, "Like you've got anything going on."
"Um, actually, I do!" Rachel responded teasingly, "I am supposed to meet Grover and Juniper at 'Pan's coffeehouse' for the weekly roundtable on the pressing concerns of deforestation and pollution. This week's topic 'Dare, we love you but man oh man do we hate your dad!' I've been looking forward to it all week." Percy rolled his eyes, "I stand corrected red. I'm assuming you need a ride?"
"No Jackson," Rachel deadpanned as she slid off the hood of the car and walked around to the passenger door, "I was hoping you'd leave me on this beach and I would get to spend the rest of the afternoon walking home."
"Well, since you asked so nicely, I suppose." Percy smirked as he opened his own door and slid into the driver's seat, "Oh, ," Percy says as he puts his seatbelt on, "It's truly an honor to take the daughter of one of the wealthiest real estate developers anywhere she wants to go! What's your destination ma'am?"
"Yeah, yeah Jackson just take me to the coffee house" Rachel said, somehow managing to roll her eyes and smile at the same time. Percy smiled back at his best friend, "Sure, just don't play that trashy mixtape Thalia made for you."
"Percy!" Rachel faux-gasped, "Are you saying Thalia and the Huntresses isn't the best band and the only thing us mortals should ever listen to? I should call Thals and tell her you said that! And to think, you two used to be so close." Rachel wiped away a pretend tear. "Gods red, has anyone ever told you how much of a hassle you are?" Percy enquired. Rachel laughed lightly, "Just my mother and father every damn day of my life"
"Well at least you're-"
"Don't even go there Jackson!"
"Hey, you don't even know what I was going to say!" Percy half-shouted indignantly. Rachel laughed and turned on Thalia's new album and Percy will never admit it but he and Rachel shouted along to every word.
"Traffic is shit, but I'm almost there… how's that sound Percy?" Rachel asked, reading back over what she'd typed. "Yeah, sounds good" Percy respond distractedly, only to immediately slam on his horn "Are you kidding me! Learn to drive dipshit!" He shouted at the car that had just cut him off. "Sorry about you missing your meeting Rach."
"It's alright, now I get to hang out with you and annoy your goody-two-shoes demigod friends for a few hours." Rachel responded cheerfully, "I'm gonna send it!"
"Rachel I honestly do not give a fuck about the text message, Wise girl probably already planned in me being late."
"God Percy, you should be grateful. If it wasn't for me you would never have bought a phone and you would've had to iris message her or some shit."
"Are you ever going to let that go?"
"No," Rachel scoffed, "It's comedy gold!"
A few minutes later Percy found a parking spot and he and Rachel climbed out of the car, stretching after the hour and a half ride. "Now Dare, remember to be on your best behavior. Try to make a good impression." Percy requested.
"Am I ever not?" Rachel retorted as they entered the library.
Percy checked his phone, "Ok, It says they reserved study room four for the next few hours." Putting his phone back in his pocket he motioned to Rachel and together they maneuvered through the bookshelves to the study rooms, only one was in use and as soon as they got close enough to see the people inside Rachel tripped and almost fell. Percy laughed as he followed Rachel's line of sight to Annabeth who was laughing at something Charlie had said. As soon as he'd noticed, Rachel had grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pulled him back behind a nearby bookcase. "What the hell red?" Percy hissed, trying to restrain his annoyance. "What the hell me?" Rachel whispered back just as fiercely, "What the hell you? You didn't tell me your bitchy quest buddy had glowed up to be an actual model!" Percy laughed quietly, now that he understood why Rachel grabbed him it was time for some good natured teasing, "Who Beckendorf? Yeah he's a looker, you don't usually go for guys with girlfriends though." Percy stated, a little too cluelessly. Rachel glared, " I don't go for guys at all, and I'm not about to start." Rachel sighed heavily, "My type is more girly, with long golden hair in soft waves, the kind the ocean tries to imitate but can never perfect. Girls with icy gray eyes like twin hurricanes, tanned skin that looks like the sun loves her so much it came down and kissed her." Percy rolled his eyes, "Cut the bullshit red, I'll re-introduce you to Annabeth." Rachel's eyes were big and full of adoration, "Jackson, you will? I always knew there was a reason you're my bestest friend!" Percy grinned, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll even only tell her the good things about you. C'mon." And with that Percy grabbed Rachel's wrist and gently led her around the bookshelf to the study room. Percy tapped gently on the glass, startling Annabeth out of her book. "Ahem" Percy coughed awkwardly, "Sorry I'm late, we were actually way out of town when you texted. We got here as fast as we could." That's when Rachel elbowed him painfully in his side, "Right, um, so this is Rachel. Wise girl, you might remember her from the time she threw a blue plastic hairbrush at Kronos, if it's ok with you two she's going to be hanging out with us today, hope you guys don't mind." Percy glanced uncomfortably at Beckendorf who shrugged, and jerked his head towards Annabeth as if to say "Up to her, bro". Annabeth frowned in consideration, checking Rachel out, in what Percy assumed she thought was a discreet way.
'In retrospect' Percy thought, 'bringing these two together was probably a bad idea.'
Hey everyone!
So here's this, my second story. It might be a two parter I'm not sure yet, if anyone shows ANY interest I will write up some more stuff. Please review, let me know if there was too much cursing. I tried to make it accurate to 16 year olds (and how they talk with their close friends, obviously people talk differently to different people. I think you can see this a little with how Percy's dialect changes when he talks to Annabeth and Charlie) but tell me if you think I went overboard.
**Notes: just pretend Clarion is co-ed, I know I could've changed it really easy but I didn't feel like it. Sorry