Percy Jackson was not happy, being stuck in the cold hockey locker rooms, with only a towel did that to a person. He looked into his locker and happily shouted. The idiots left his phone, he scrolled through his contacts and stopped hovering over Will. They haven't talked for a week, he sighed before scrolling again to Nico Di Angelo. It rang twice before he answered. "Hello? Percy?" Nico's voice asked questioningly.

"Hi, Nico, I need a favor from you."

"What?" he asked a little apprehensive.

"A ride home from school…and clothes," he whispered.

Nico sighed this time, "I'm on my way Percy," he hang up.

Percy pulled his towel tighter around him, the cool air was getting to him as he scrolled through his contacts and saw Jason Grace, and he considered just calling for a hello and decided against it. The locker room door creaked open and Nico Di Angelo, with his aviator jacket and dark brown eyes flamed with anger, walked toward him.

"Thanks Nico," Percy said gratefully grabbing the clothes Nico brought and heading into the stalls in the bathroom, just because he and Nico were close didn't mean Nico had to be that close to him.

"Perce." Nico called.

"Yeah?" Percy asked pulling on the jeans and shirt.

"You seriously need to do something about this, I know you and Will aren't talking because of this, and to be fair we're all worried," he said.

Percy sighed biting his lip stepping out of the stall. "I know you guys are but can you blame me? I've told you guys I have my reason and they are reasons I'm not willing to share," Percy said with finality in his voice.

Nico sighed and grabbed his car keys out of his pocket, "Come on Perce I'll drop you off at home." He said with resignation.

Percy grabbed what he had left out of his locker and walked with Nico to his truck. He was halfway home when he realized he hadn't finished his art project. "Dang it," he muttered.

One all-nighter coming up. He thanked Nico as he ran to his door and got in, "Hey Mom," he said kissing her on the cheek as he swiftly ran to his room grabbing his easel and a medium horizontal canvas.

He laid his phone on his dresser as he set up, changing out of Nico's clothes into his painting outfit, already splattered in dozens of colors. He started with the inside before working in. He painted the white edges as if looking into photograph and before he knew it, Hazel, Frank, Leo, and Nico were staring back at him. He shaded in the reflecting light on their irises before he grabbed the canvas and laid it in front of a fan, drying was much easier this way. He looked at the clock and the red numbers of 5:30 stared at him. He sighed thankful for the night of no homework before jumping straight into bed, knocked out in seconds.

He woke up two hours later still as tired as he was before, but his Art project was dry so Percy was happy. He walked down stairs after changing and grabbed some toast and bacon stuffing it in his mouth as he walked back up the stairs and grabbed his stuff to hurry towards the bus. His Mom's snores were still audible as he left to get to his bus stop.
He brought his phone out of his backpack which, in his rush to get to the bus stop, he threw into the large bag. He opened his contacts app and looked at his latest contact, Matthew Ruttingham's voice echoed in his head as he texted the blue eyed hockey god. Would you like to go out, today, on a date? He held his breath and waited, the vibrating of his phone made him look at the newly received message, I'd love too I can pick you up from the museum at 7:00? Percy smiled and texted once again, Can't wait, see you at 7:00. Now all Percy had to do was find the perfect outfit.

Percy raced to his seat in art, his painting clenched in his hand as he sat in his seat. Rachel, his all-knowing friend, gave him a huge smile. Annabeth, with her typical need to know trait shining through, asked, "Okay, now tell me what's going on right now, she won't tell me anything and you know what that does to me Percy,"

Percy shuttered, "Trust me, I remember Annabeth, but I'll tell you, I have… a date tonight." Percy whispered.

Rachel squealed happily muttering 'I knew it! I knew it!' under her breath.

"Oh man, you and your boyfriend can go on a date with Piper and me! Who is it?!" Annabeth asked excitedly.

Percy bit his lip, "He doesn't actually go to our school, or high school period… because he graduated already," Percy muttered sheepishly.

"How old is he?" Annabeth inquired suspiciously.

"He's 22," Percy muttered.

"Well at least he isn't 23, Annabeth muttered rolling her eyes.

Percy's cheeks turned red, "His name is actually Jason….Grace" he whispered.

Rachel's green eyes glimmered as she snickered, "You mean the hot blonde on the wall next to your bed?"

"Yes," Percy grumbled blushing.

"Well what's happening on the date," Annabeth asked.

"I'm not sure, he's picking me up from the museum, that's why I really need your help in finding something to wear," he mumbled.

"Percy you gave us almost no time," Rachel scolded.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "We can skip the rest of the day, my parents will probably ground me for a while but this is a milestone Percy very important," Annabeth said.

Rachel nodded and Percy sighed again, regretting his choice slightly.

Mrs. Arthur walked in and smiled, "I hope you guys are all ready to present your paintings, don't forget to give everyone a moment to interpret your piece before you decide to give it a description, many of you won't have a description and some of you will, let's start with the front and work back, Amelia come on up dear," she said before taking her seat as the bell rang for fourth period.

The paintings were endless, people, places, abstract, building, randomness. Every one different from the other, some amazing, some…not so great. It took about an hour but the presentation finally landed on Percy. He walked to the front and set his covered painting on the easel. Percy took a breath and slowly uncovered his first work for the year. The painting looked back at everyone like a picture, the 4 humans with large smiles looking back at everyone as Hazel's curly hair and Nico's pale skin contrasted as well as the outstretched arm of Frank as if the painting was a selfie.

The teacher clapped, "amazing Percy, you are very proficient in life like drawing, did you know that?"

Percy blushed and with his painting in hand walked back to his seat. When the class ended Percy was grabbed by his two best friends. They rushed to his place, completely destroying Percy's closet finding the perfect outfit.

"Come on Percy put this on," Annabeth ordered pointing Percy toward the bathroom in the hallway. Percy quickly changed and walked out.

"Stunning, even I would love to go on a date with you right now Perce, and I'm ace and aro," Rachel said approvingly.

Percy smiled at them, "Thanks guys, really, I'm just so nervous," he admitted.

"Percy all you have to worry about is telling Jason your age and it has to happen now okay?" Annabeth asked.

Percy nodded hesitantly. "Okay,"