If there was anything Percy hated, it was probably coffee. His hatred for coffee was similar to his mom's ex-husband, Gabe - whom Percy called Smelly Gabe in secret of course. He didn't want to get in trouble, but still, he hated the guy.
And he still hated coffee.
It wasn't because of the color of the beverage, that could be served either hot or cold, bitter or sweet - whatever the heck an individual prefers. It was because of its diversity and why it can't be served in one goddamn flavor.
For example, what is black coffee? Percy thought coffee was brown. It should be brown. It's a stereotype. He hated stereotypes. Is black coffee bitter or sweet? Percy wouldn't know since he doesn't drink caffeine ever. Anything but coffee. According to his friends who are addicted to coffee like Percy was addicted to TV Shows (Jason declared that their coffee squad, excluding Percy, should be called The Coffee Lovers) and have literally tasted various flavors of coffee, said that black coffee tasted bitter. Percy wasn't sure what kind of bitter Jason, Nico and Leo meant. Bitter like Bitter Gourd? Or bitter as in, this-needs-more-sugar bitter.
Or maybe The Coffee Lovers meant bitter like Percy Jackson Bitter. Percy wouldn't know. He never asked again.
The breeze the wind breathed out was cold. The jacket that clung unto Percy was not providing him any sort of warmth as he hugged the fabric tighter against his body. His footsteps were anything but loud as he walked on the cemented sidewalk. The city was dead as the night. With only a few cars with closed windows that passed by, Percy nearly thought he was the only person in this town.
He cursed under his breath when he realize how stupid he really was for letting Leo use his motorbike. Now it was into pieces, spending the night in Leo's garage.
"I promise I won't do anything to your baby,"Valdez had told him, holding Riptide like it was his own, accidentally greasing the handles with his oil-stained palms in the process. "Oops."
He should've disagreed with Leo's agreement which involved Riptide and the new girl he had gotten himself a date with. What was her name? Key-oni? Percy was sure she was only a girl seeking pleasure. Pleasure that involved Leo's body.
Percy shuddered.
Now, he was walking alone in the cold, dark night, with nothing but his old, black jacket to keep him alive to get coffee for The Coffee Lovers.
Percy was over dramatic, annoyed and cold, that was for sure.
If he only he had won the game, then Percy wouldn't be in the cold, dark night alone and lonely and miserable and -
He shouldn't have backed off the freaking dare. He would've been at home, drinking canned Coca-cola in his apartment, watching reruns of The Walking Dead on his laptop. Jason would've done his homework, Leo would've done all his chores, and Nico would've been his person butler for a whole month.
He really shouldn't have chickened out.
But Percy did the right thing, didn't he? He couldn't possibly break Rachel's heart in exchange for a month of relaxation.
Oh well, at least they're still bffs.
Percy halted. He was at a gasoline station. He wasn't going the right way, was he?
He spotted a parked car near the gasoline's convenience store. Raising his eyebrows, Percy approached it.
What had Jason told him?
He pondered for awhile. Then,
"It's near the gasoline station five blocks away from here. You can walk it."Jason's words echoed in Percy's head like he was a part of the boy's conscience.
He saw a guard sitting on a chair outside the store. He was alone, but the officer wasn't sitting outside the station's convenience store, he sat outside the goddamn coffee shop Percy had been looking for for exactly three minutes.
He sighed. Thanks for the specified instructions, Grace.
The walls outside were made of glass, including the door. Percy pulled it open. The plastic sign intimidated Percy. He would've ignored it and pushed it open, but he didn't. It was payback for Jason's "specified instructions" done the Percy Way. The handle was cold, or maybe it was just his hands. It was cold anyway.
A bell rang above somewhere, it made Percy's mood shift into more annoyed mood. The corners of his mouth tugged down and his eyes showed that he was a victim of annoying people. Also, it was like Percy was in the Antarctic. They should really go Green and use fans for a change. Percy scowled at the woman on the cashier.
"Um, okay?" He heard her mumble, her voice not high-pitched or annoying. Her name was Piper, according to the name tag clipped onto her uniform. It wasn't like those stupid name tags on fast food chain restaurants, where after the employees name was printed into bold, capitalized letters, there would be follow-up words like: I'm happy to serve you!or maybe, Have a good day! It was minimal, and Percy adored that.
He wasn't starting to like this coffee shop's way of management.
No, not at all.
Percy knew that 80% of the world's coffee shops have the same type of font, the same type of top-class quality name tags. Based on his own data, of course. He wasn't the type of person who would know the percentage of the top-class name tags in stores that sell caffeine for the tongue's pleasure.
"What can I get you?" Piper asked with a hint of impatience and annoyance in her voice. Percy looked at her, realizing that he must have been staring at the menu for too long.
He remembered Jason giving him the list of drinks they wanted. It was crumpled in the pocket of his jeans somewhere...
He fished out a piece of paper from the front pocket, handing it to Piper, who immediately started to do the 'magic', as Jason would call, once she finished reading the list. Percy took a seat in the darkest corner of the room as he waited. He hoped she worked fast, since he was starting to have hypothermia and he was being victimized by boredom in every passing moment.
The bell from the door made a sound, making Percy scowl. From where he sat, he was able to see the people coming and out of the place. He would have despised shop if it wasn't for its lonely atmosphere and wonderful name tags.
A girl was the cause of the noise. She pushed the door open, making Percy roll his eyes (Was she stupid or something?He thought, irritated.) Blonde curls secured by a band of black elastic fibers, they seemed to swing in ever step she would take. A pair of glasses rested on her nose as she walked toward the counter, where Piper was busy making Percy's order. A black backpack whose straps are too long were placed neatly on her shoulders. It looked heavy, but the girl carried it with ease. Her tan legs were emphasized by the shorts she wore, making them look long. Underneath her black jacket was a Star Wars T-shirt. Catching Percy's gaze, Blondie raised an eyebrow, making him look away, startled.
Gray. Her eyes were gray.
After the girl told Piper her order, she immediately paid for her drink, unlike Percy, who didn't give a care. But hey, Piper didn't complain or reprimand him from doing so.
The girl's shoes made squeaky sounds as she made her way to the seat away from Percy. It was lonelier and darker there. Maybe she liked it that way.
No offense to her, but she looked like a Class A loner. Enough said.
Nobody spoke. Only the sounds of a blender murdering ice, Bossa background music, and the AC humming could heard. The aura wasn't tense. No it wasn't, not at all. Blondie, Piper and Percy merely minded their own businesses.
It kind of annoyed Percy.
He was not the type of person who would ignore people and mind his own 'business'. Perseus Jackson was born a laid-back socialite. He can't just ignore the pretty blonde that happened to wear shorts and a Star Wars shirt in the middle of the night! He must do something!
Think of a plan, think of a plan.
Before he could he even think of a plan, Percy found himself standing up and heading to where the girl was sitting. Earphones plugged into her laptop, she seemed to indulge all of her existence to the mechanical object with such concentration that she didn't notice Percy had taken a seat across her.
"Hey," Percy started. She didn't look up. "Hey, Blondie." That had gotten her attention, for her eyes darted from her laptop to Percy's. She scowled.
"My name is not Blondie." She gritted her teeth. Percy rolled his eyes and smiled nonetheless.
"Yes, hello to you too," Percy mumbled, letting out a small sarcastic laugh. "I'm Percy."
The girl whose name is not Blondie, but Percy will still call her Blondie anyway, raised a curious eyebrow. Her gray eyes were beginning to startle him every time they make eye contact, which was twice already. He should be more careful, or he might suddenly jump from his seat whenever she would look at him and that would be very embarrassing.
"Why should I tell you, Percy?" His name seem to be foreign in her tongue, for the way the syllables of his name rolled out of her mouth was accompanied by a hint of uncertainty. Awe dawned over him as he seemed to have found an escape in her eyes. It made Percy smile. "You might be a kidnapper."
"You're not a kid, so I wouldn't throw you in a sack in the back of my car." Percy joked. All the playfulness suddenly drained from her eyes, and Percy realized how wrong his words had sounded. "Oh, shit, I'm sorry," he said, feeling choked. "I'm not a kidnapper or a robber or a bad guy. I'm just getting coffee for my three friends because of a stupid dare and I'm just trying to make a conversation with a pretty girl and - " Percy stopped talking. Her lips had tugged up to show a small smile. He felt like choking harder.
She must think I'm an idiot now, Percy thought bitterly.
A new presence approached them, and both heads turned to look at Piper, who had Percy's order placed in a paper bag. Piper eyed them strangely, then handed Percy his order.
"You forgot to pay," Piper said simply. She had her lips pursed, and Percy felt guilty for making her wait and for not paying.
He handed her the cash, which was the exact amount. Piper returned to print Percy's receipt, then walked back to her spot, cleaning up.
Percy glanced back to Blondie, who said, "So I guess you're leaving?"
He scratched the back of his neck. It wouldn't hurt if he stayed for a little while, right?
"You must be back before the clock hits 23,"Jason had told him, glancing at his 24-hour watch. He looked back at Percy. His electrifying blue eyes mocked his green ones. "Or else."
"Nah." Percy said. A grin was plastered on Percy's face. "Wouldn't want to miss the opportunity talking to a gray-eyed Blondie."
She rolled her eyes. "Annabeth," she said. "My name is Annabeth."
Percy smirked. Finally!
"Annabeth." He never met an Annabeth before. "Cool name."
Annabeth rolled her eyes like she didn't believe him. They looked like rocks experiencing a landslide. "Yeah, sure. Whatever."
"Want me to take it back?"
"Sure," she muttered again. "Whatever floats your boat."
"I don't have a boat."
She suppressed a groan.
"Wow." Annabeth breathed out a sigh. "We just met and you're being annoying."
Percy sent her a smile displaying full-on mischief. "Sorry," he said, though he didn't sound very sorry. His grin remained, "I seriously don't have a boat though."
"So," Percy began, when she didn't respond. "What made Annabeth go to a lonely coffee shop in the middle of the night alone?"
"I go here everyday," she replied with a smirk. "Eventually, I became friends with the employee who worked night shifts here." Sneaking a glance at the girl on the counter, Annabeth's smirk only grew when Piper gave Annabeth a wave in the midst of the task she was doing, then resumed cleaning the counter.
"Ohh," teased Percy. Annabeth certainly didn't look like the type of girl to socialize. "A socialite." Sarcasm stained his words.
"Sort of." Percy noticed the small frown on her face. There was a hint of doubt as she spoke. "I'm kind of a loner."
I knew it.
Before Percy could respond, he heard Piper call Annabeth.
Standing up, Annabeth excused herself from Percy. With squeaky shoes, she made her way to the counter. Annabeth propped her elbows lazily. She mumbled something to Piper that was beyond Percy's hearing, making Piper raise an eyebrow. Occasionally, Piper glanced at Percy, then returned her attention to Annabeth, who continued to speak. She must have said something ridiculous, for Piper rolled her eyes at her friend before handing her the beverage.
Annabeth returned to her seat with the sound of her shoes still squeaking against the tiled floor and a cup of steaming coffee in her hand. She sat down and shot Percy a face of confusion. "What is it?"
Percy looked at her. "What is what?"
"You have a funny look on your face," she said, her voice laced with nothing but dullness. "Something wrong?"
Percy eyed the drink in her hand, and Annabeth let out a laugh, realizing. "You hate coffee!" She said it like it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever said. "But why? It's good!"
Percy grumbled in disagreement.
"Oh, come on. It's not that bad!" She grinned, trying to open (key word: trying) the lid of her drink. It looked like she was struggling. "Here, try some of mine."
Percy noticed her having a hard time. He would have laughed, but he held it back. He wasn't an asshole. "Let me help you." He motioned Annabeth to hand it to him. She raised an eyebrow, but handed it to him nonetheless.
"So Percy," she was the one who was attempting to converse now. She pointed her finger to the paper bag Percy placed on the floor. "If you despised coffee so much," she grinned, "why are you in a coffee shop?"
Grimacing, Annabeth had the nerve to laugh at the face Percy was making. "We just met and you're already annoying," he said.
She shook her head. "'Just' is not the appropriate word. I'd say: we met twenty-one minutes ago, and you're already annoying."
"Yeah sure." Percy felt the lid was beginning to become loose. He pulled it up, Annabeth smirked.
The bitter aroma of black coffee greeted Percy's nose. He pushed his seat back, making the table move slightly, and nearly spilling Annabeth's drink and his friends' drinks. Annabeth laughed while Percy groaned.
"Percy, you seem to be afraid of caffeine," Annabeth said when her laughter died down. She grabbed her drink from the table and took a sip of the bitter coffee. She smiled. "Perfect."
"How can you even drink that without scrunching your nose in disgust?" Percy asked in disbelief. Out of all the coffee Percy knew, he hated black coffee the most. "It's disgusting!"
Emphasis.
"Stop whining." Annabeth pouted, "and don't offend my taste in coffee."
"Oh man," mumbled Percy. "I think I'm going to be sick."
"What a boob."
Percy frowned. "I thought you were a good girl."
"You only thought, but you never knew." She scrunched her nose at the thought, then sipped her coffee again, and the look of disgust washed away from her face. The grimace on Annabeth's face seemed to have transferred to Percy. Annabeth sighed.
"So tell me, Percy." She took a sip. "Why do you hate coffee so much?"
The whole thing was like a TV show, it was stupid.
"It would take too long for me to answer your question, detective," Percy said, grinning.
"Then I will listen, son. That's what we detectives do." Annabeth scoffed, "That was stupid, now tell me."
Percy sighed and gave in. For the next twenty minutes, he explained why he hated coffee, when he hated coffee, what are the flaws of coffee, but never once put a positive thought to coffee. When he was finished, his throat was dry and he felt like all the life from his body was gone. He just wanted to sleep.
Then Annabeth said, "That was a pretty interesting explanation."
"Yeah," he managed to say, eyes fluttering close. They wanted to close forever.
He heard her chuckle. "You seem tired, want some?"
Percy knew she was offering him coffee. He shook his head.
"Don't even try."
"Well, I will." Percy opened his eyes and saw Annabeth putting back her laptop in her bag. She slung the sling of her bag over her shoulder, then looked at Percy. "Meet me here Saturday, next week," she said, coffee in hand. "See you around, Percy."
Percy watched her say goodbye to Piper before heading out of the café. She didn't look back.
Ψ
Percy took out the duplicated key to his apartment. It created a soft sound as it dangled onto fingers. Somehow, they were able to shine in low-light places. The knob clicked open. Opening the door to his apartment, the sight of his three, unhappy friends weren't what he expected to see.
"You're an hour late, Jackson." Nico stated the obvious. He was sitting on one of couches Jason brought to their flat. There was a mischievous glint hiding in the corner of his eyes. Percy glanced at Leo, who was smirking, and Jason, who was stifling a laugh.
"You know what that means?" Leo's smirk grew. Percy groaned.
"ONE MONTH EXTENSION!"
Jason was in a laughing fit after that. Leo hollered and punched Nico's arm. The black haired boy glared at him but smiled, ignoring the pain on his shoulder.
His friends were jerks, but Percy was stuck them, so there wasn't much he could do.
"So," Nico began. He pushed Leo away from him, who groaned and looked offended ("You're pushing the opportunity of loving a handsome man like me away, Nico!" Leo cried, which Nico simply ignored). "What took you so long?"
The lie swept past his lips before his conscience could even stop it. "Got lost."
Leo quirked an interested eyebrow, a smirk toying his lips. "Is that so?"
The silence that hung over the air made Percy shift uncomfortably, and his mind flashed back to the café, where nobody too had uttered a word. That was until Percy decided to converse with a girl named Annabeth.
"Yes?"
"Oh really?" Leo grinned, placing a finger underneath his chin, he said, "I can see this invisible glow on you."
Annoyed, Percy shot the brown-haired boy an aggravated look. Leo raised both of his hands in defense.
"Jeez, okay." Rolling his eyes, Leo placed his head on Nico's lap, making Nico cringe. "But seriously," This time, it was Jason's voice that was filling up the room with sound. "Are you okay?"
Of course I'm fine, just get your coffee and let me hide myself from the world in my room.
"Obviously." Percy handed the blonde the coffee. "Enjoy." He curtly said before heading off to his room, where he could finally escape from those gits, whom he considered as his best mates.
Jason was nice enough to spare him a word of gratitude, though he knew Percy wouldn't hear it (but Jason doesn't know he does). Percy simply didn't acknowledge it.
Shutting the door of his room behind him, Percy removed his jacket from his body, throwing it in one of the piles of clothes that were littered in his room. Immediately, he found himself staring at the dull ceiling. It was white and too plain for his liking.
It should've been blue, Percy thought, a lump forming in his throat as the thought of his room, where everything was blue, consumed half of his thoughts. Then he remembered his mother, Sally Jackson, and everything went downhill from there.