Hello everyone!
I'm sorry for not updating for so long! I had a string of terrible migraines and I had to go to A & E last week with chest pains (which are the scariest thing in the world when you have had open heart surgery!)
Nevertheless, I found enough time to finish writing this one-shot. After recent events, I needed a bit of humour in my life, and I hope it delivers. :-)
Disclaimer - I don't own PJO. Obviously.
Enjoy!
There was a cacophony of shouts and yells erupting from the Rec Room in the Big House. Any observer would have been startled to see the normally docile Athena cabin waving pieces of wood around, nearly bludgeoning the poor satyrs, who were on their knees terrified, as the self-proclaimed wise campers screeched; "YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG!"
What was the cause of all this commotion?
Simple.
The pool table.
Well, that's what it would turn out to be, anyway, for now, it was just a disassembled pile of wood and green felt in the middle of the floor.
Percy Jackson stood in the doorway, confused and slightly alarmed by the sight of his girlfriend, Annabeth, crouching protectively over the heap, waving the instructions as if it was a white flag. Percy couldn't help but chuckle at the look on her face.
Annabeth, unfortunately, heard it and zeroed in on Percy.
"Seaweed brain! Get over here!"
Percy paled, but fearing the wrath of his girlfriend, cautiously made his way over to the middle of the room, dodging flying projectiles such as pool balls and broken pool cues. He grimaced at the sight of Clarisse using a cue as a spear, who was narrowly avoiding the first years running around.
As Percy walked up to Annabeth, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"Annabeth, what's going on?"
The daughter of Athena turned towards her boyfriend, the irritation clear on her features.
"Chiron decided that we needed a new table for the Rec Room, and instead of getting a normal table, the Stolls intercepted the order and we ended up with a pool table," Annabeth explained impatiently.
Percy's mouth dropped open.
"The campers destroyed an entire table?!"He questioned disbelievingly.
Annabeth shook her head.
"No, the Stolls ordered the table from IKEA. We've been trying to build it for forty-five minutes!"
The son of Poseidon laughed, the relief and humour of the situation taking over. Annabeth had a hard time seeing the funny side, however. And her face darkened unbeknownst to her boyfriend.
"Well Percy" She spat venomously, "If you think it's so funny, you can do it yourself!" Annabeth turned to address everyone in the room as Percy began panicking. "Everyone out of this room now!"
Immediately there was a flurry of activity around the door as no one wanted to face a furious Annabeth. Percy started to stammer an apology, but by then it was too late. Annabeth had stormed out of the room.
Percy gazed despondently at the large pile of miscellaneous pool table parts. How was he going to do this?
PJOPJOPJOPJOPJOPJOPJOPJOPJOPJOPJOPJOPJOPJOPJOPJOJOPJOPJOPJOPJOPJOPJOPJOPJPJO
Annabeth opened the door three hours later and stared in absolute horror at the thing in the centre of the room. Percy stood beside it, grinning proudly, oblivious to Annabeth's reaction to his creation.
"Percy, what the… how… did you…. What?" She finished faintly and incoherently.
Percy's smile dropped, the hurt on his face was prominent.
"What's wrong with it?" He challenged sullenly. "I did it!"
"Percy one of the legs are on the wrong way! And the fabric side is supposed to go on top, and how did you manage to balance it with only two points of contact! Just, just give me the instructions."
Percy shuffled over to her and reluctantly parted with the instructions. Annabeth sighed to herself and smoothed out the instructions. Surely it couldn't be that hard?
Percy left the Big House feeling quite miserable. He had tried, but some of the instructions were in Russian! And he was sure that one or two of the parts were broken as they weren't fitting together the way that the instructions said that they should. Maybe they could get a refund?
His soliloquy was interrupted by a snigger coming from behind the Hermes cabin. It must be the Stolls. Sure enough, as Percy neared the back of the cabin, he saw the twins, holding something in their hands. It was a piece of paper- no, instructions.
The second page of English instructions for the pool table.
Annabeth was not going to be happy.
That's all there is! Sorry it's short, I have a bunch of work and I didn't really have much more to this story in mind. Let me know if you want more of this kind of thing!
- Peach