I changed my mind about not writing anymore, at least temporarily. As of now I most likely won't continue the other two as they aren't written well and they don't hold any interest for me, but hopefully this develops into a project I can be proud of. Thanks for reading :)

The start of the new semester was becoming increasingly worrying for Percy. He knew he had to study more, but it was so hard to concentrate these days. It felt like every time he sat down to focus on his schoolwork, his mind wandered and he found himself aimlessly staring into space. He'd snap himself out of it for a few minutes, but in no time he was back to drooling, his sea-green eyes glossed over like the cover of his calculus textbook.

It probably didn't help that his roommate was Leo Valdez.

Percy didn't have anything against the guy of course. The two of them got along famously, most likely because they were both terrible at studying and much preferred to dork around and order take-out rather than focus on their studies. Percy's grades were definitely showing it.

Today was different though, at least Percy argued that in his head. October's midterms were just around the corner, and if he didn't pick up his grades and pass his classes with at the very least a C+, there was a good chance he wouldn't have his scholarships renewed for the following semester, and he'd surely have to take out some larger student loans. He could already see the soft smile his mother would give him, even though he knew she would be secretly disappointed in him. He couldn't bear to do that to his mother.

CRASH!

The sudden noise jarred Percy out of yet another daydream. It sounded like someone had tipped a dresser over onto a tub of wine glasses filled metal beads. A few moments later the noise was followed by several unrefined grunts and much swearing. With a heavy sigh he lifted himself from his bed and abandoned the textbook he'd been staring at for hours.

The layout of their dorm always seemed strange to Percy. For whatever reason, the original architect had decided to put the only two rooms in the dorm directly adjacent to each other on one end of a long narrow hallway. The other end led to a small bathroom and an equally small kitchen. Despite the interior being renovated with new tiling, carpet, counters, and paint, it wasn't the best living conditions given what he was paying in room and board, but this was to be expected for a building erected in the 50's.

Percy stepped out of his room into the hallways, the wooden floor cooling his bare feet beneath him. He knew he'd regret knocking on Leo's door come test day, but it was probably a good idea to make sure his eccentric roommate hadn't accidentally jumped out the window during one of his experiments.

"Leo? What the hell was that?" he asked, knocking loudly.

A few moments later the door flew open, way faster than Percy thought doors were made to swing. He was surprised the hinges didn't break off right then and there, but gods know that wasn't the first time Leo had done that. His short scraggly roommate stood perfectly framed in his doorway with the most bewildered look painted across his face. He was wearing nothing but a frilly green apron that you'd only see in an infomercial at a retirement home and a baggy pair of jeans that certainly weren't ripped when he bought them.

That wasn't what was unusual though, as Leo always dressed like that when he was either cooking or tinkering with some spare parts he brought home from the campus workshop. His usual disheveled self wasn't what shocked Percy, it was the catastrophe he'd created behind him. It turned out Leo actually had tipped over his dresser for whatever reason, bringing his entire toolbox and all the junk on top with it.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he managed. It was a good question.

"There was a cockroach," Leo replied coolly. Apparently this was an everyday event for him.

"That's disgusting. Did you kill it?" Percy hated cockroaches. He was fairly certain everyone hated them though, they were awful creatures.

"Nah, I'm pretty sure it's under my dresser," he waived to the mess behind him. "Wanna help? I figure if we torch it then it won't be able to lay eggs in our hair while we sleep."

Percy shuddered in disgust. "Sure, but let's be quick about it, I've got studying to do after this, and so do you."

"Yea yea. I'm fine hombre, my grades are gucci. That's what happens when you only take electives your first year, especially electives you're good at."

Percy knew he was right. The one elective he'd taken this semester was a small course in marine biology, and he was loving every moment of it, mostly because it was the only class he actually did well in without trying. A science credit was a science credit, and he'd always loved the ocean anyway. Long Island University wasn't known for it's maritime studies, but at least they offered something for the students who showed some interest. That being said, Percy only had nine other students in his class. Apparently marine biology wasn't very popular.

Leo once again snapped him back into reality. "Alright so here's the plan. You lift the dresser up and I'll kill it with this Bunsen burner," he said lifting up a rusted metal box.

"How about we don't burn down the building and instead you swat it with a shoe?" Percy responded. He was used to these sort of antics.

"Lame. On three?" Leo grabbed a loafer.

"One." Percy prepared to lift the huge dresser off the ground.

"Two."

"Three!" Percy heaved against the dresser as hard as his toned arms would allow. With much more effort than expected he shoved the furniture up as far as he could, his veins bulging on his forehead.

Leo expertly slammed the shoe down on the large brown cockroach that limped around in circles. Apparently the two ton dresser had only slightly injured it.

"Amazing," Leo announced. "If humans are ever wiped out, these nasty bastards are going inherit our world."

"What the hell kind of clothing do you keep in here Leo?" Percy finished propping the dresser back up against the wall. If Leo hadn't bolted all his drawers shut with metal latches they'd have had a much bigger problem on their hands.

"Oh I don't keep clothes in there, those go in the closet," he replied motioning over to a pile of laundry spilling out of an already filled wardrobe.

There was no way to tell what was clean and what wasn't, but apparently Leo knew since he never smelled bad.

"My dresser is for my work," he continued, popping open a latch and pulling out a dresser packed with an assortment of screws, bolts, nuts, nails, hinges, and an innumerable amount of scrap metal. "The foot locker they gave us at school can't fit all my stuff so I had to improvise."

Percy looked at him incredulously. "Don't tip this thing over again, you're going to kill the people beneath us when this falls through the floor. This building is over sixty years old you know."

"Nah, I've already got that accounted for. I've done the math. Want some eggs?" he asked, lifting up the Bunsen burner as he walked down the hallway towards the kitchen.

"Uh...no. Speaking of math I need to finish my lab. Try not to burn the dorms down since I'm leaving you unsupervised." Percy shook his head, giving one final glance at the mess Leo had left behind. He closed the door to his own room and picked up where he left off, studying to the muffled sound of Leo whistling in kitchen.

Somehow, it helped him concentrate.