Okay, so maybe a ratty old blue bus isn't exactly the most romantic place to meet the love of your life but that's how they met. And like in all stories, it started with a ring.
...
Percy groaned.
"Ow..." He complained, rubbing the incoming bruise on his temple. The laughter of his friends rang inside his throbbing head, causing for his scowl to deepen.
"Not funny, guys." He grumbled as he arose from his spot on the floor. Having been staring off into space and nearly on the verge of passing out, the bell spooked him back into reality. His body had sprung out of his desk and headed towards the floor, where he would then slam the side of his head onto. His fellow classmates exchanged glances with each other before proceeding to give Percy a bewildered look.
He only glared at them.
"I'm out of here." He whispered angrily under his breath, gathering his supplies into a pile and dumping them inside his bag. He slung the strap over his shoulder and headed for the door despite his so called friends' pleas for him to slow down.
The boy was merely a foot away from the exit of the school before he heard the shout of his best friend and cousin, Nico Di Angelo. "Perce, c'mon, man! Wait up!"
His loyalty had got the best of him yet again; Percy sighed to a stop and with the roll of his eyes and the swift shake of his head, his gaze averted to his approaching friends.
"Geez, when did you get so fast?" Leo Valdez bent over, resting his hands on his knees as he gasped for air. The ends of his brown curly hair began to wilt like the petals of a flower lacking water with the small amount of sweat that had started building up on his scalp; His warm brown eyes going wide. Let's just say Leo wasn't the most athletic of the four.
"I'm not fast, you're just slow." Percy joked dryly. A deep chuckle rumbled pass Charles Beckendorf's lips. His chocolatey colored skin glistened against the sun that peeked inside the windows the school possessed. Charles's large biceps flexed as he clapped his hand on the back of his step brother's back, who then responded with a yelp of pain.
"Don't worry, bud. You'll get there." Charles reassured. Leo sent a glare towards his brother and shoved his hand off his back, straightening out his spine. Percy intervened before the two could erupt into another spontaneous match of brotherly wrestling.
"Wanna go back to my place to practice? My neighbors went to Philadelphia for a couple of weeks so we don't have to worry about them calling the cops for another noise complaint?" He offered, hope evident in his words. Nico was the first to speak. His olive skin stretched back into a sideways grin; Jet black hair, which was very similar to Percy's, flopped into his dark brown, nearly black, eyes.
"I'm in."
Before the other two could respond, Nico's voice boomed the one word that made the boys instinctively start pumping their legs towards Charles's truck, "Race!"
...
Percy's foot was barely inside of his neat and cozy two story house when he was immediately tackled by a huge black blob, which triggered some laughter to bubble pass his lips.
"Mrs. O'Leary, down, girl!" He commanded with a broad smile as the dark furred St. Bernard lapped its slobby tongue all over the boy's features. The dog obeyed her master's orders and placed her front paws back onto the carpeted floor, her tail wagging crazily.
"Guys, do you smell that?" Nico stuck in his head over Percy's shoulder, sniffing the air inside of his friend's home. Percy slid the back of his hand over his nose in attempt to get the musky scent of dog breath out of his nostrils.
"No," He whined. "All I smell is dog saliva."
"Percy? Is that you?" Sally Jackson called from the kitchen.
"Yeah, it's me, ma." Percy kicked the door closed with the heel of his shoe once the three boys behind him entered. Charles joined Nico in sniffing the air and Percy scrunched his eyebrows together.
"What're you guys smelling...?" He trailed off once the scent finally wafted into his nose. His brother, Tyson, trudged out of the kitchen and into the living room with them, dark bags under his eyes, just as Percy had recognized the smell.
"Is that what I think it is?" Percy asked to no one in particular, his smile growing more and more by the second.
His mother toddled into the room, following Tyson's trail with a large yellow plate in her hands; A mouthwatering pile of newly baked blue colored chocolate chip cookies stacked atop each other in a neat order.
Sally had barely enough time to place the plate on the coffee table that rested just in front of their leather couch before the boys attacked them, groaning when the immense heat burned their tongues.
She laughed. "I've told you guys before, wait then eat."
Percy chuckled goofily in response and slapped Nico's chest with the back of his hand, beckoning him to go to the garage.
"Thanks for the cookies, Ms. Jackson." Nico said as his best friend dragged him away by the sleeve, but not before patting the mop of hair that belonged to little ten year old Tyson Jackson, who simply smiled at the two. Both children of Hephaestus, a world known businessman who owned every Home Depot in the country, followed in pursuit.
"So," Percy started off, grabbing a stray sheet of music off the floor.
"Rejects, it is then." He mumbled. Leo groaned.
"But I'm terrible at that song." He complained.
"Well, that's why we're practicing," Percy hooked his hand onto his microphone, looking back at Leo who stood with his shoulders slumped, his electric guitar in hand. "To not be horrible."
Charles rapped the tip of his drumsticks against the drums that were labeled with the band name, The Four Horsemen.
Nico plucked a cord on his bass guitar and grinned when he heard the noise come out of the small amplifier on the floor beside him.
"You guys ready?" Percy inquired, wiping his clammy palms against the fabric of his jeans and grabbing the strap of his old electric guitar to settle it onto his shoulders.
The three boys let out a chorus of several different agreements.
"Alright," He raised his voice. "Let's do this!"
Rejects
5 Seconds of Summer
P - Percy
N - Nico
A - All
(P) Back at school, they all thought I was an
Outcast, car crash
"A hopeless fool", they said to me
And my girlfriend said I messed up,
Will I ever grow up?
In the end,
I'm not gonna!
(A) What was I thinking?
Everyone sees it
It's not a secret
That I'm just a reject
Sick of the system
Don't wanna hear it
It's not a secret
That I'm just a reject
Percy backed away from the mic with a wicked grin, nodding his head to the long lasting melody they had going on seconds before leaning forwards to continue singing along with his band members.
I'm just a reject
(N) My teacher said
I was mentally disabled, so unstable
So I'll stay in bed
All day
Save your breath
You can talk at me but I'm not listening
If this is a test,
Then I'm probably failing
(A) What was I thinking?
Everyone sees it
It's not a secret
That I'm just a reject
Sick of the system
Don't wanna hear it
It's not a secret
That I'm just a reject
(P) They try to save me but I'm too far gone
And they call me crazy so I played along
And you wanna change me, but I'm on my own...
(A) La da da da da, la da duh
La da da da da, la da duh
Percy, once again, stepped away from his microphone stand to play his guitar by Leo as he part he just couldn't get right came up. And when Leo successfully played the guitar lick, all boys laughed with great spirit, Percy returning to his mic while doing so.
What was I thinking?
Everyone sees it
It's not a secret
That I'm just a reject
Sick of the system
Don't wanna hear it
It's not a secret
That I'm just a reject
(P) I'm just a reject
He felt his arm getting tired from playing but willed himself to keep going, seeing as they were nearly done. And as a true performer says, the show must go on.
I'm just a reject.
Percy leaned his forehead against the mic, out of breath and a smile on his lips.
"That's how you do it!" Arising from his seat, Charles continued to praise the band, "I knew we could do it."
"Who says we're not good enough for that record label? I don't think so." Nico joked loudly.
Sometime yesteryear, the boys had just formed the band.
To say the least, it was a hot mess. If they hadn't bore multiple pimples, scrawny arms (yes, that included Charles), and high pitched voices, then maybe they could've won the battle of the bands and that record label included. It's not that they were bad. They just weren't as experienced as they were now. The formation of the band was actually quite interesting.
Percy had just discovered his singing voice and put it to use every chance he got. Just one problem, he had stage fright. Nice, one day, had overheard him singing his lungs off inside the music room as he was passing by. He, being Percy's best friend, helped him out of his fright of singing of singing in front of an audience by daring him to do many embarrassing things in public.
One of those things included running around the mall with no shirt and no pants, which is where he met Charles and Leo.
And the rest of history.
"Let's go do something." Leo blurted out a little while after he and Charles had wedged themselves onto the loveseat the garage had.
"And you couldn't have said that before I sat down." Nico whined as he laid sprawled across the other couch that rested across from the two brothers. Percy sat on top of his legs, which earned him a slap on the back of the head, and frowned.
"Do something like what?"
"I don't know, anything really. I just don't want to sit here like a bunch of couch potatoes." Leo crossed his arms over his chest.
"There's nothing wrong with potatoes." Nico mumbled against a couch pillow, his eyelids closed shut. "I love potatoes." He added sleepily.
"Well there's always a party going on at Drew Tanaka's house, why not go to that?" Charles suggested. Percy sat forward, wariness in his features. "Wait, don't you have to be popular to get in?"
"We could always just sneak in." Leo piped up as he squeezed himself out of the little space he'd been sitting in.
"Sounds dangerous," Nico remarked. In a split second, his hands pushed against the couch and elevated his torso off the cushion, his position resembling a seal.
"I'm in."
...
If another drunk girl walks up to me and asks if I'm Calum Hood one more time, I swear to god I will-
"Perce, my man! Why're you hanging out by yourself over here? Come to the dance floor! Loosen up!" His wasted newly acquainted friend interrupted his thoughts with his loud shouting and a red plastic cup in hand.
Percy plastered a faux smile across his lips. "Oh no, I'm good here, Connor. Plus. I'm not much of a drinker."
Connor stumbled towards the green eyed boy, steadying himself by placing his hand on Percy's shoulder. "I call bullshit, Perce. Y-You can't tell me you haven't drunken any alcohol before, you're sixteen! I'm pretty sure you've had at least one shot of tequila or something." He slurred.
Percy resisted the urge to correct his poor grammar. "I haven't in a while."
Connor shook his head and ran his sweaty hand down Percy's face.
"I'm disappointed." He muttered before disappearing into the crowd of teens.
"Okay then." Percy whispered under his breath.
It was true. He wasn't much of a drinker. At least not anymore. The boy had a history of drinking underage, way underage, around the time his father passed away. Let's just say those times weren't exactly the greatest of times for dear old Percy. Throughout the whole party, all he had to drink was Dr. Pepper and Coke-a-Cola. If he were to say he was having a great time, he'd be lying.
Watching your friends make out, or for Charles' sake, dance with complete strangers whilst you sat alone by the countertop inside the kitchen wasn't exactly his idea of a fun Friday night.
Several hours had passed by and Percy was fed up
"Okay, we're going home!" He had announced to his drunk friends as he proceeded to drag them out of the jam packed weed smelling house and onto the street.
He disregarded their protests.
"I'll call you guys a cab,"He said, fishing his phone out of his pocket.
"But what about my car?" Charles whined, flicking his hand towards the sea of cars in the front yard of Drew's home.
"We are not driving home with you as the driver and you guys know I'm terrible driver, who, as a matter of fact, doesn't even have a license nor a permit." He laughed wryly as he began to dial the slightly familiar number to Bob's Cab Service and kept an eye out on the trio to make sure they didn't run off at the same time.
Being the only sober one around, it was his responsibility to make sure they got home in one piece and, after what seemed like an eternity passed by, the taxi driver had finally arrived.
Percy closed the taxi door and reached into his pocket for his wallet; He pulled out a twenty.
"This should cover it. Nico's house isn't that far from here," He turned his attention to the boys in the back seat as he handed the driver the money through the open window. "You guys will stay at Nico's, alright? Don't go out on any adventures."
He could tell they were hardly even listening. All of their attention was solely on the back window, as Leo kept messing with the button and all boys watched as it went up and down, up and down...
Percy sighed and met eyes with the chubby, old driver. "Can you see that they get home safely?"
The man only nodded and sifted his gear into drive. Percy waved goodbye to his friends. "I'll see you idiots tomorrow."
An assortment of goodbyes flurried out of the car. Ranging from, "bye Perce" to "au revior" and he couldn't help but laugh as they drove off to chase the horizon, giggles sounding down the street until they disappeared from sight.
...
Percy's feet hurt from walking so much. The nearest bus stop was miles away and he was glad he had time to sit and wait. About ten minutes later and the bus arrived.
He frowned in the slightest at the decor of the bus. The blue paint was coming off due to old age and rust was in place of it. The bus was small and ratty. The inside was even worse than the outside. Percy tried his best not to grimace at the stench of piss, beer and cigarettes as he paid his fair and walked pass the drunk homeless people and the man dressed in running gear, who stood out like a sore thumb, to make his way towards the back. The seats had a gray tint to them and stains of different colors and mold formed in the tears of opened seats.
The brown color at the center of the seat to his right deterred him.
His nose crinkling, he reached into his pocket to retrieve his headphones just as the bus began to drive off.
It wasn't long before a buzz like sound started to ring in his right ear. His frown deepened and he glanced around to find the source of this buzzing noise. It grew louder and louder only in the tiniest bit but then Percy looked out the back window and spotted a young woman chasing after the bus in her heels, evidently getting close to giving up.
A yell broke out of him as he shot out of his seat to head towards the back set of doors. "Hey! Stop the bus, someone wants to get on!"
When the bus came to a full stop, a light lit up and a sound sounded indicating that the back doors had been unlocked and Percy pushed them open for the woman. He held out a hand for her the second she caught up.
Suddenly the moans and groans of the homeless completely faded away and it only felt like it was just the two of them. Percy couldn't help but marvel at thi magnificent stranger. Her piercing gray eyes stared straight into his sea green ones and she smiled politely.
Oh her smile, Percy could just sigh at her smile. His heart felt a ton lighter just looking at that darn smile.
Her light blonde was slightly mussed up during the run but she still managed to pull it off, the curls framing her beautifully sculpted face. She wore an unbuttoned salmon blazer over a white buttoned blouse. Her black jeans were tight against her slim legs and the heels she'd ran in looked incredibly uncomfortable.
She breathlessly said, "Thanks." as she took his hand. Percy found himself loving how perfectly their hands fit together.
He wordlessly and gently pulled her inside, unable to find his voice to speak.
She waited a few moments to stare at him in the way he stared at her but then the inevitable interruption had to happen.
"Hey, lady, you gonna pay or what?" The bus driver's rough voice boomed and both of them shook out of their trance.
The unnamed female finally released her hand from Percy's and was the first to look away. She glanced around the shabby bus's even shabbier interior but the smile on her face didn't falter. Almost as if she was used to this bus and obtained great memories from it or instead she was thinking of something, or someone, that made the smile stay utterly visible even after seeing the poor condition the large automobile was in.
Seconds later, she was looking back at Percy but it only lasted for a short moment for she smiled at him one last time before she made her way to the fair box where she then paid her money.
Meanwhile, Percy had sat back down at his seat, his hands in his jacket pockets. He was so entranced by this woman, he nearly sat on the brown stained seat on accident.
He felt this longing to be by her side again. So when she sat next to him, to say he was happy would be a major understatement.
"Hey," She smiled that beautiful dazzling smile at him and he was putty in her hands.
"Hey." He breathed. It was a miracle. The terrible raunchy stench was overcome by her intoxicatingly wonderful scent of strawberries and Percy was ecstatic.
"Thanks again for stopping the bus for me, by the way." She tucked a lock of her hair behind the shell of her ear and held her hand out for a handshake.
"Annabeth Chase." She introduced.
Percy grabbed her, the crooked dopey grin still as wide as ever on his lips.
"Percy Jackson, nice to meet you."
She nodded in recognition and let go of Percy's hand to place it back in her lap. She looked away, her face slightly flustered. She inhaled and exhaled deeply. At that moment, Percy could tell that's all she was going to say. She's a little shy, he realized. He took the silence as an opportunity to start up a conversation.
"So, want to tell me your secret?"
Her eyes widened as her brows rose towards her hairline. "I'm sorry?"
"Your heels." He pointed at her black four inch high heels. "How'd you run in them so fast?"
"Ah," She breathed, laughing to herself when she apprehended just exactly what he meant. "Lots and lots of practice."
"It was pretty impressive," He acknowledged. "I know I probably would've fell ages ago at the pace you were going."
She looked amused as she frowned. "Why would you be running in heels in the first place?"
Percy blushed in the slightest but played it cool. "Ah, you caught me. Hi, I'm Percy Jackson, slacker by day, drag queen by night."
That emitted a dorky laugh from the woman. "What's your drag name? I have to look you up one of these days."
"I'm new to the business. I haven't got a name yet."
"What about Jazzy Jackie?"
"That sounds like the title to my autobiography."
Annabeth laughed. The sound warmed Percy's chest. He chuckled to himself and averted his gaze to the ground to avoid her seeing his blush. He liked that it was easy to talk to her and joke around. There weren't many strangers you could do that with.
After a few moments of silence, he gave in.
"What are you doing out so late anyways? It's pretty dangerous being out on these streets with it being way past midnight."
"I'm old enough to be out alone late at night if I want."
He forced a laugh out of his throat. "And how old is that? Seventeen?" He questioned, sarcasm dripping from his words.
"No, twenty one." She corrected. "And what about you? Aren't you like fifteen? Shouldn't you be worrying about the time of the day?" Her gray eyes squinted into a daring look that made Percy's blood run cold. He cursed at the gods for making him meet such an amazing person who he couldn't have. But then an idea struck him.
Why not just do what any other guy would do?
Snorting, he lied right through his teeth. "For your information, I'm nineteen."
I'm sure I can pass as a nineteen year old, he meekly thought to himself, hoping she'd believe him.
She looked surprised. "Wow, really? I thought you were younger."
"I thought the same. You look so young. " He admitted.
The sanguine that painted her cheeks darkened. "I don't look that young. I found my first gray hair the other day."
"Still. You look young." He pressed. She looked cute when she blushed.
Annabeth grinned sheepishly. "Thanks. You do too."
Throughout the rest of the bus ride, they continued to talk. Whether it be about Annabeth's job as an architect or Percy's impressive knowledge on all things concerning food and blue food coloring, the two clearly just loved to engage in a conversation with one another.
So when Annabeth's stop came, they were both disappointed to see the other go.
"Well, this is my stop." She said monotonously. She grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder. She took her time to get up, as if she were delaying her leave.
Or waiting for something to happen.
Or both.
Percy spoke up when she neared the doors.
"Hey, can I have our number?"
She looked relieved to have a reason to come back to him. "Sure." They quickly exchanged numbers, scrambling to enter each digit for the bus driver was rushing them.
Annabeth moved to leave again but not before she looked over her shoulder at Percy.
"See you later... Jazzy Jackie." She winked.
And then she was gone.
...
Percy arrived at home a quarter past three.
His house was dark and quiet, the only noises being the creaking of the old house, the panting of Mrs. O'Leary as she greeted Percy at the door and his mom's soft snores as she slept on the couch.
His heart warmed at the sight. She must've fallen asleep waiting for me, he thought to himself.
Shooing Mrs. O'Leary away, he paved his way to the laundry room to grab a warm blanket to cover his mother with. Reaching to turn on the light, he nearly screamed.
When light spread around the small room, a tired little boy laid in a laundry basket with a blanket in his tight little fist.
When Percy recognized it was Tyson, he chuckled. Tyson tried to get a blanket for his mother as well but fell asleep while doing so.
Placing the folded blanket in Tyson's lap, Percy reached down to pick him up. He laid his younger brother on his mother, trying his best not to wake either of them up, then proceeded to cover them with the same blanket. Sighing with exhaustion, he kissed them both on their foreheads and whispered a 'goodnight' before heading to his room. He collapsed on his bed the moment he got inside, not even bothering to change into something more comfortable.
And with that, Percy fell asleep with a smile on his face and the thought of the mysterious pretty blonde girl who he met on the ratty old blue bus.
/
Y'all, this is a long chapter.
I hoped you guys liked it though. I worked real hard on it.
If you're coming from my old fanfic on ThatMusicalAuthor, welcome to the new and improved version of the story. The new and improved version of me.
The next chapter is coming very very soon so get ready for that.
Thanks for reading.
Peace.
Disclaimer: All rights go to their respective owners.