As the time approached mid-noon, the familiar sound of the school day's final bell rang in Jason's ears. Of course, he wasn't actually inside the school. From where he stood, he caught a glimpse of the first crowd of teenagers hustling to get off the premises as quickly as possible. Soon enough, kids were pouring from the front entrance of the high school, and Jason was quick to pinpoint the familiar faces throughout the mass of unfamiliar ones. Even though Jason had been on Half-Blood high's campus plenty of times, the place still seemed so foreign to him. The atmosphere, students, and general body seemed so much different than Jupiter high. Holding his gaze on the statue of the Greek god, Dionysus, that was erected in the center of the quad, the blonde hardly had time to react to the arm that quickly linked around his own.
"What is it, Sparky? So busy critiquing our dear Dionysus that you didn't even notice your girlfriend's arrival?" Even before looking her in the face, Piper's huge grin was evident in her voice. Actually looking at her glowing smile was a treat, though.
"You know, most high school's have a flagpole," Jason responded as his lips quirked up in return.
"I don't know, it's kind of cool having the Greek god of alcohol as our mascot. Gives us a rebellious flair..."
"A rebellious flair? Nice one, beauty queen! Try teenage alcoholics!" Leo's voice rang out opposite from Piper's, and soon enough, he was beside Jason as well.
"Pretty sure he's the god of wine, guys. All these years, and you haven't established that? Psh, amateurs," Jason played as they all began making their way off the campus.
"Fine, try... sophisticated," Leo grinned, "But not too sophisticated for mac & cheese. Let's grab lunch."
Jason Grace's life had fallen into a routine pattern through his high school years, and very rarely did anything disrupt that pattern. There were expectations to fulfill, funds to be earned, duties to be taken account of... His time was occupied accordingly, rarely thrown to the birds, and that's how he preferred things. Simple, to the point, and considerably mundane to most normal teenagers. What could he do? Really, if there was no plan, he tended to become unreliable.
Unreliable, not to mention insecu-
Jason dropped his hand to Piper's and laced his fingers through hers, taking a tight hold on her hand. She squeezed back as she casually used her other hand to shove french fries in her mouth, her attention fixated on whatever topic Leo was blabbing about. Piper was incredible; definitely among one of the most intellectually stimulating people Jason had ever met. Maybe it was cliché, but he was perfectly fond of a girl with a big mind and...
chomp, chomp, chomp.
an even bigger appetite. He admired her lack of abuse towards her beauty. While it appeared that many girls their age were extremely focused on vanity, Piper's mind was elsewhere, and she actually put more effort into avoiding confrontation that she was- as Leo would say- a total babe. Despite the fact that she appeared to cut her hair with a lawnmower and wore raggedy clothes either from thrift shops or dumpster diving, Piper was the crown jewel that only those who actually paid her the time of day got to admire. Not to mention her eyes, which sparkled like stain glass ornaments in the sunlight. Yeah, her eyes definitely got Jason every time.
Then there was Leo, who was this amazing constant in Jason's life. Jason had come to appreciate and admire Leo like a brother now that they had grown older. Although, some time back, during a more experimental phase, "brother" wouldn't have been the most appropriate word. The two had had their happy ending sleepovers, which always ended in mutual agreement that no, they would never be anything more, and yes, they would never mention it to Piper. Like, ever. Not because they were scared of what she'd think, but mostly because she would tease them to no end considering their status as best bros. Jason could see it then.
"So, Jason, who's a better kisser? Me or Leo?"
"Pipes, come on, were were like, 13..."
"If you have any unfinished business with my boyfriend, Valdez, there's a closet over there. I'll just mind my business and pretend I'm as clueless as you lead me on to be for years!"
"Ew, Piper, come on now! I wouldn't mess around with him anymore. Gosh, I have some pride!"
When Jason wasn't with his little crew, which was often considering they went to separate schools, he involved himself in both the academic, athletic, and urban community. At school, he was a president of the student counsel, working alongside with his co-student counsel president and ex-girlfriend Reyna. He was also a proud member of the aeronautics club. If that wasn't a handful, Jason had a night job at one of New York's most acclaimed music shops, The Starving Musician. Random? Maybe a bit, but in all honesty, his job at the shop had broadened his musical spectrum and whipped him into a much more receptive youth. Constantly dealing with different types of people and their wide extent of music needs does that to you, apparently. Jason had taken the job from his friend Percy after deciding he was tired of being broke and leaching off his dad and it would also make him seem really cool. Not to mention the job occupied more of his time and satisfied the 11th grader's ADHD. If he was exhausted, he wouldn't have time to over-think things, or to sit around his room, twitching with anticipation to fill in the period of boredom he used to face most nights.
That was his life. Wake up, school, student counsel/aeronautics (besides Wednesdays, in which Jupiter high got released early, granting him the opportunity to hang out with Piper and Leo), work, sleep. He was the golden boy who everybody looked up to, and who cared indefinitely about his peers, but take away the distractions and he was as confused and burdened by his future as every other adolescent. With no distractions, his mind tended to wander, and wander, and wander...
He was pulled out of his thoughts by a bump on the shoulder, and was struck by the realization that he was no longer holding Piper's hand. She had released his death grip to bop him with her fist, resulting in a very confused looking Jason.
"You okay, Jason? You seem a bit distracted-"
"Yeah, I'm fine," he responded quickly, refocusing his attention on his friends, "What about you guys? How's school been? What's the latest at Degrassi?"
Piper and Leo shared a knowing look as Jason chomped on his sandwich, suddenly aware that the blonde hadn't heard a word they'd said.
"School's been fine, but, yeah. You know, you seem really tired, bud. Don't you think you should lay off all the responsibilities a bit?" Leo drummed his fingers against the table, anxious to do something with his hands. Piper watched her suitor closely for a reaction, hopefully an agreement, to no avail. Jason simply shrugged his shoulders as he finished off the last of his lunch and wiped his hands on his jeans. Piper grunted in disapproval and shoved the napkin dispenser down in front of him, earning a small laugh from Jason.
"What do you mean 'all the responsibilities'? Come on guys, being a part of some high school clubs and making minimum wage as a counter boy at some hipster music shop isn't remotely close to having a lot of responsibilities. Now, working as a chef at a grilled cheese joint is a responsibility I probably couldn't handle. ISN'T THAT RIGHT, FRANK?" Jason shouted over his shoulder, accompanied by a friendly wave of the hand at his fellow member of the student counsel. Frank was just checking in to work, his apron barely in hand, but he smiled and returned the gesture to Jason before disappearing into the kitchen.
"Ugh, you know what we mean, Jason! It is a lot of responsibility for a 16 year old. It's like we barely even see you anymore," Piper added, brushing some hair from her face. Jason sighed and clasped his hands together, slowly growing irritated by his friends' parental nagging.
"What do you suggest I do? I can't leave student counsel and I've barely had this job for two months. It's not wearing me out guys, I promise, and that's final," Jason concluded before playfully kicking Leo in the foot and then turning to peck Piper on the cheek. If he said he was okay, the two knew better than to keep bugging him about it. Leo's mouth twitched a bit until his lips formed an unsure smile.
"Alright, golden boy, you win, but since you're working, you're treating us to a movie, right?" Leo fluttered his eyelashes and edged forward a bit towards his best friend.
"Oh, lay off, Valdez. I haven't even been paid for the month and you're already abusing the dark magic that is my paycheck?" Jason grinned, and Leo shrugged.
"It was worth a shot. Guess I'm not as persuasive as your shady gal pal over here. Though, I'm sure that mouth of hers can do a bit more than persuading..."
The table jumped from how hard Piper kicked him, earning a shout of pain from the shorter boy followed by the sound of their trays falling to the floor. Immediately, the group burst into a fit of laughter, and just then, enveloped in the warmth of bonding with people he loved, Jason felt perfectly at ease.
"I know this one!" Piper wiggled around in her spot, perched atop the checkout counter. "It's Styx! Renegade!"
"That'd be two points for Piper and," Jason checked the receipt in which he was keeping score of his friends' little competition, "twelve for Leo."
Leo shot the two a devious look before doing a fist pump. Piper scrunched her nose up and rolled her eyes, her legs swinging and creating a little thud! every time her calves came back in contact with the counter.
"I guess I don't have time to sit around playing SongPop all the time, like some people," Piper teased, causing Leo to thin his lips and wave her off dismissively.
"Don't flatter yourself, beauty queen! I just have basic knowledge of good music engraved into my crazy little brain."
"Little's right," she reciprocated, causing Leo's mouth to fall open, before the three burst into giggles once again.
"Alright, sheesh, I walked into that one!"
"You know I only play because I wuv you..." Piper jumped down from the counter and wrapped a friendly arm around Leo, who was now playing with his cell phone. "But it's getting dark out. We should get going."
"Agreed. You okay alone here, Jay?" Leo asked as he shoved his phone into his pocket and began to make his way toward the shop's door, Piper following closely.
"I don't know if I can handle my last hour here without you guys bickering like Romans," Jason said sarcastically, adding a dramatic sigh for emphasis. "BUT I guess I'll just have to manage."
Without notice, Piper spun around and ran back to the counter, reaching her arms over to wrap them around Jason's neck and smack a kiss against his jaw. Jason liked how she was several inches shorter, and how generally soft and gentle (when she wanted to be) Piper was. Although most people were shorter than Jason, who measured in at a towering 6'1, there was something nice about being able to snuggle someone so much more petite than himself. He rubbed a small heart-like pattern into her back before they released each other, their eyes momentarily locked.
"Watch yourself, golden boy. Text me when you get home?"
"Yeah, I will."
"I love you," she confessed softly, earning a momentary pause from Jason.
"Love you too, Pipes."
8:45 PM
The Starving Musician closed in 15 minutes, and as Jason stared up at the store's logo, a dark silhouette of a man playing a saxophone, he couldn't help but agree that he was also starving. Yeah, Maybe not so much a musician, though, he thought. His eyes scanned the equipment that was scattered among the shop, his mind wondering what it would be like to have a special grip on an instrument. The cashier had played the clarinet when he was younger, but those were days he would rather not reminisce. He slid out from behind the counter, scanning the floor for something easy to pick up and mess with. Of course, during his time there, he'd played around with the instruments when there was a lack of customers, but he didn't even have a basic idea of what he was doing. The instrument that captured his attention most was a purple Epiphone bass that, when picked up, seemed to fit into his grasp perfectly. It was lightweight enough to the point that it didn't strain his arms after time, and seemed to rest against his body to no discomfort.
Maybe after saving up for a car, he'd take the thing home with him?
Grace, you don't have time to learn an instrument. How would the ability to play a guitar benefit him? There weren't a lot of opportunities for musicians that he could think of, but so many people picked up on playing, so there had to be some appeal. He stared down at the instrument, the shade of purple seeming almost electric in the fluorescent light.
Yeah, he saw the appeal. As he was reaching down to take the instrument into his hands, the sound of the bells tied to the door sounded, causing the boy to straighten up in his spot.
"Welcome to the Star-"
"Save it for the customers, Grace." The familiar sound of Percy Jackson's voice caused Jason's tense status to slip away, resulting in him fully facing his friend with a smirk.
"Jackson, I thought the words I can't make it in work today meant just that," he responded before turning back to the instrument and pulling it off of its stand. Numbly running his fingers over the strings, he turned his attention back to Half-blood high's student body president as well as Jason's fellow coworker and comrade. "Why did you decide to show up ten minutes before the shop closes, anyways?"
"That's a nice instrument you're holding there, man," Percy said, completely ignoring Jason's question. He took a few steps towards Jason, his eyes focused on the bass in tow. His demeanor was focused and Jason wondered if he was processing his knowledge of the instrument based on its appearance, like some sort of weird musical robot. Jason had met Percy by coincidence, during the Summer, when he was invited to a beach party that consisted mostly of Half-Blood sophomores. The Jupiter high boy felt completely out of place as his friends socialized with their peers on and off, wondering if it would be smart to jump in on their conversations, but then decided otherwise. Percy noticed him off to the side and immediately threw himself into conversation with the guy, and despite the fact that it was a little weird that Jackson was so similar to Jason, Jason liked the guy. He was friendly, obviously a natural born leader, and was passionate about his intentions and beliefs. Since then, they'd maintained a pretty upbeat friendship.
"Early 2000 model, definitely an Epiphone Thunderbird. Maple wood neck, edging close to... 30 inches, maybe longer; good for a man of your stature. Polished mahogany body, heavy duty yet light enough to carry around... The specs are incredible, you have great taste, I mean, if you like it," Percy said, now scanning Jason's face. "Yeah, you like it, I can tell. Ever played bass before?"
Jason blinked, only able to grasp some of the gibberish that poured out of his friend's mouth.
"No, never. I mean, if by played you're referring to randomly strumming the thing for twenty minutes, then sure, but otherwise, nope," Jason admitted. "So why are you here, again?"
"Oh, I just played a bit of hooky, is all. Had to come grab my keys since my folks are out."
"Percy Jackson ditching work for no reason? Wow, that's shocking."
"Not for no reason, I had somewhere to be," he smiled broadly and retrieved what appeared to be concert tickets.
"So the great PJ ditched work to stand in line for concert tickets. That's laughable."
"They're actually passes to Battle of the Bands. I told Annabeth I'd bring her, although it's obviously not her cup of tea, or coffee, or whatever she drinks." Percy shrugged and eyeballed the little slips of paper. "I don't feel too bad. She brought me to her science convention thing a few months back, told me it'd be fun. It was, but I had to get revenge. We're the powerhouse couple."
Annabeth was Percy's girlfriend, and although Jason had only met her enough times to count on one hand, just the mention of her mere existence made Percy glow. She was a smart girl, with curly blonde hair and watchful eyes, and from the moment Jason met her he knew her and Percy were a match made in heaven. Funny, him and Percy were even similar in the way that they pursued relationships with intelligent girls who could kick their asses.
"It feels right, doesn't it? Holding that instrument. I mean, you're cradling it like a baby. You have your heart set on it?" Here we go again, Jason thought.
"Yeah, it's a nice instrument, I just wish I had time to pick up on it right now, but I don't, nor do I have the proper fundings."
"I'm taking a wild guess that baby is marked up for at least four hundred," Percy calculated, stroking his chin. "That's not so bad considering some Fenders run over a thousand. Would you play it if it was yours, Grace?"
The question hung heavy in the air. In the strange situation that Jason ever did own an expensive guitar, he would force himself to play, because
a.) he put the money down on the thing so it would be a waste to not play it
b.) chicks dig bad boys, but his reasoning would be leaning more towards a.
"Well, yeah, I guess I would,"
"Then it's yours."
Jason froze, nearly dropping the Epiphone on the ground. "Wait a second, did you just say 'it's yours'?"
"Yup."
"Can you clarify what you mean by that?"
Percy just laughed and clapped his friend on the shoulder. Jason wasn't sure how he felt, but to sum it up in one word, perturbed would fit nicely. In an instant, Percy snatched the tag off of the bass, reading the price before quickly fishing his wallet out of his back pocket.
"So that's it, you're just buying me a..." Jason glanced at the tag and his heart almost leaped out of his throat. "Percy, that's nearly five hundred dollars. I can't let you buy it for me."
"Listen, Grace. It's a wonderful thing to fall in love with an instrument, especially your first real instrument. The cool thing about making music is you can always come back to it, no matter how distracted you are and whatnot. I can tell by how perfectly it settles in your hold that you guys are perfect for each other. Kiss the bride?" Percy was now at the cash register, popping it open to throw in what must've been two months paychecks.
"You're missing the point, man! That's a lot of money! I know we're friends, but why would you do this just because I think a bass is a pretty color?"
"Listen, I have a car, I have my instruments, and I've been working here far longer than you have. I'm making more money, have saved up more money, and really, this won't affect me in the long run. Take it with grace and play your little heart out. My treat."
Jason was still laden with shock, unsure how to properly react to Percy's act of kindness. He didn't want to accept such an expensive gift from someone he'd only know for a short period of time, but Percy was leaving him with not choice. He insisted that Jason take the bass home.
"I don't know what to say... Thanks, man. I just really hope I can find the time to learn it. I think I'll feel guilty forever if it just sits in my room forever. Seriously, though, thank you, I mean it. I'm going to get you back as soon as I can think of a way." And have the money. Yeah, that was a small factor.
"Oh, I have an idea, no cost to you besides your time," Percy replied, his tone devious. Jason raised an eyebrow before walking to the front of the store and flicking off the "open" light.
"Oh, yeah?"
"Start a band with me," Percy blurted, and Jason knew that by accepting the guitar he had signed his soul to the devil. How hadn't he seen this coming?
"A band?" Jason acted surprised, but all along he'd subconsciously assumed there'd be a catch.
"Yeah! It won't be sitting in your closet if you have an extensive reason to play it, right?"
"True, but..." Jason's voice wandered, and a slight sadness washed over Percy's face.
"You're pretty busy, right. I know how it feels, Jason, to have people constantly expecting things from you, but you're a teenager. You deserve to explore and try new things just like everyone else. Lay off the responsibility, sometime. It feels good." Percy retrieved his keys, guilt now pumping through every vein in Jason's body. As he edged towards the front of the shop, he turned once again towards the blonde.
"Need help closing up? I don't mind, just don't let Jim know I was here."
Jason shook his head and waved him off. "Nah, man, go on ahead, I've got this. Thank you, again."
"Don't mention it. Really, don't tell the boss and we're good," Percy shot him a wink and pushed open the door, but before he stepped out into the night, he turned his head to the side, his foot keeping the door from slamming into him.
"If you change your mind, though, you know how to reach me."
Jason found himself alone in the shop, and as he leaned the guitar down against the wall, he couldn't help but feel impending guilt in his chest.
God damn it, Jackson. Such a sneak, Jason thought. He knows perfectly well that he's lured me into a trap.