I own nothing…
"What is it that girls do exactly? For a wedding I mean."
Percy instantly looked up from his cereal, to his almost step-father. Paul was reading the paper in his pajamas, like Percy was wearing, and referred to Sally's absence. She had said yes to his proposal- of course - and set off with her best friend to prepare a wedding. It had been a month since then and she was already setting up a venue and florists. Percy was happy for his mother and Paul, but he kind of missed his mom now that she was gone all the time. It was Saturday, so she was especially busy today.
"You're asking me? Paul, I don't even know what girls do to get ready. All I know is that the Aphrodite girls get all squeaky and squirmy, walk into their cabin, and come out looking pretty."
"Fine, fair enough. What do you know about girls?"
"What?" He said, blushing. "What do you know about them?" He asked in contrast. The only girl he was close to for like ever was Annabeth, who he had not talked to because he was friends with Rachel. He didn't understand anything and he knew it.
"Well… I don't know. I'm 'old' so of course I have more experience with them than you do but that doesn't mean I understand them. Your mother is the only woman I've really loved. I haven't had too many serious relationships." Percy was glad Paul spoke honestly.
"Hm… don't they like…" Percy faltered- his only friends, that were girls, were extremely different; he had no room to compare them, per say.
"Okay, they are delicate," Paul started, thinking hard. Percy's ADHD broke his concentration.
"Are we seriously talking girls?"
"Not really, just about them. Think of it as a life lesson you will need in the future."
"But all my girl friends- urm friends that are girls are really different. It's not like I can really get a good grip on them."
"Hah, no man can. But from what I know, and have witnessed your mother is unique from the girls I have dated." Percy overlooked the dating comment, but thought about what that was. His mom was motherly, but of course none of his friends would posses that quality.
"What's that?"
"She does not have a temper. I have never witnessed Sally get angry, like ever," Paul said dramatically.
Percy laughed as he put his bowl in the sink. He wiped his eyes again; he was still tired.
"Well, all my friends are smart, especially Annabeth. But only half of them are concerned with makeup, and I'm not sure why…. Um, they all are different." Paul laughed.
"Well every girl is different," he laughed again. "I guess we should just meet them at the parlor huh?" Percy had a headache from thinking- he had not the foggiest clue about girls.
After getting dressed and getting in the car with Paul, they headed to the parlor next to the floral place Percy's mom was at. Apparently she needed to get the grip on the perfect flower in order to match them with her venue. Which was a church of course, but Percy was very bored looking at flowers after the lunch- he had seen the Demeter cabin decorated in them all the time. And the smell of them didn't phase him- the Aphrodite girls always smelled like them.
"Hi, is that your mother?" Percy looked to his right to see a girl about his age nodding to his mom and Paul.
"Um, yes, why?"
"Oh, you look like her in a way, I'm Mallory," the girl said while holding her hand out. She was pretty, with light freckles and blonde hair that was pin straight. She wore a floral dress and leather jacket- an interesting combo for the middle of spring.
"Uh, I'm Percy. Why are you here exactly? I imagine girls don't hang around here for fun?" Percy didn't know Mallory was flirting with him because he was cute, or that he was flirting back with that comment. But she laughed.
"No, I don't. My mom owns this shop."
"Huh, that's cool." Mallory realized he was clueless and took it to her advantage, in a sweet manor.
"Why don't I show you around the shop?"
"Um I don't know if-"
"I'm sure it's fine! I can just go grab the flowers your mom was looking at, will you help me?" Percy was a gentleman, even if he was a clueless one, but he walked to the back with her to grab the flowers.
Sally saw Percy walk to the back with the girl and she wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing having a handsome son. He attracted the female sex more than she would like but he was too bashful to act on any of them…Or even know what's going on for that point, she laughed. Just then Annabeth walked in the shop with her camp shirt on and jeans. Sally wanted Annabeth to be at her wedding even if she had to bring it to her, the young woman was adored by her and Paul. Paul, in thinking of him, turned when the bell above the door rang and looked surprised.
"Annabeth? What are you doing here?" She smiled at him and gave him a small handshake, to humor him and Sally.
"I'm here to see your fiancé, as a matter of fact. I hear your wedding plans are coming along nicely." Annabeth said it out of polite respect; they both knew about her and Percy's fight before camp let out. The only reason Annabeth came was for Sally, and she was relieved not to see Percy.
"They are. I wanted to ask you personally if you would come? Percy has been dying to see you too." She was surprised to hear that.
"He said that?"
"A mother's intuition doesn't need to be heard." So Sally observed that… Annabeth didn't know what to think.
"I- I'm honored. I would love to come to your wedding," she said as she hugged Sally. It was so good to see Percy's mom happy, she had heard of all the hills and mountains she overcame.
"I'm not sure Percy will be to happy about that remark," Paul chided.
"What about me?" Percy walked out from behind the counter following another pretty blonde sporting a leather jacket. And pulling it off much to Annabeth's annoyance. Just as he looked to Paul he saw his best friend, which he didn't register at first. His instinct was to hug her hello and ask why she was at a flower shop on this Saturday morning. But then he recalled the fight they had on the hill, and what she didn't want to tell him. This was a time for Rachel to help him.
"What are you doing here?" Percy wasn't trying to be rude but the shock came out wrong as he looked to Annabeth. Mallory frowned, acknowledging the two's previous acquaintance.
"I am here to see your mother," She said sharply. She changed her tone as Sally looked between the two worriedly. "She invited me to the wedding," she said with a forced relaxed tone. That blonde had her hand on Percy's arm and he wasn't doing anything about it, but that girl looked too sweet to know what she was doing, like Percy.
"Well, that's good to know. I guess we'll see each other before summer again." Percy didn't know what to do because he was kind of mad at her, but she wasn't yelling at him right now. Granite, that was only because his parents were here.
"A bridesmaid? Family friend?" Mallory asked in a polite tone- she could tell Annabeth liked this boy.
"Close family friend," Annabeth replied with a fake smile. This daughter of Athena was on to this girl now; she wasn't sweet at all, in fact she was sneaky to the extreme and planning on getting Percy alone to do who knows what. The response was a threat and Mallory could tell. Percy looked between the two girls anxiously. He didn't know why Annabeth was using a threatening tone with a fake smile, but he knew it wasn't good when she did that.
"Are you one of Percy's friends?" Annabeth inquired rather smugly.
"No, my mother owns this shop," the girl said proudly. Percy only inched closer to Paul.
"Can you distract Mallory while I get Annabeth?" He whispered. Paul was chuckling lightly at Percy's expression. Paul didn't know they were all at danger of experiencing WWIII. But Paul covered Percy's back and asked about the color difference in calla lilies, just as Mallory's mother came back with petal dye for the flowers.
Mallory wasn't deterred as Annabeth glared on, until she saw Percy grab Annabeth's hand. She looked up to see Percy dragging her away behind rows of flowers. She wanted to win that debate, but not by Percy dragging her off.
"Why am I over here? I was talking with her!" Annabeth rubbed her wrist for dramatics to emphasize her point and make him feel bad.
"Talking?! You were not talking!" He whisper-yelled.
"Then what do you call that?"
"I don't know. You were glaring at her and rubbing something in her face."
"You…. You're so obtuse!"
"What? How does this turn to me?"
"You said that? Percy you never, ever, say that! Even if it is completely, 100% their fault. Women will twist and bend any argument to assure they are right."
"Well… It didn't apply to me! It's not my fault." Percy sat on the couch next to Paul with a Coke in hand later that day.
"Not only that, but you need to know three things, that I have realized are the most important thing ever. Are you ready?"
"Will I stop being yelled at if I hear this?"
"I guarantee you will be let off the hook four out of five times. It's only three simple sayings."
"I'm all ears."
"Okay. 1. 'Of course you're right'. 2. 'I love you', and 3. 'Do you need help with that?' If all an apology here and there but overall they apply to all situations, and every woman."
"How do you know this?"
"I am a sage, my good child."
"Paul, I swear if you keep telling Percy gibberish I am going to ground both of you," Sally said while walking by with the laundry. Paul took this opportunity to show Percy a valuable life lesson, so he nudged him and spoke up.
"Of course honey, I'm sorry," he said holding up one finger. "You're right," he said putting up a second. "Do you need help with that?" Paul got up with three fingers up to show Percy, who looked on in doubt.
"It's okay, I can handle this."
"Okay, love you honey," Paul said sitting down with four fingers up. Percy looked on, waiting for a response.
Sally emerged from the room with an empty laundry basket, which she sat down on the couch.
"You're too sweet," she said kissing him on the cheek. She walked back to the laundry room while Percy and Paul nudged each other excitedly.
"Holy Hera. How did you- I can't even-"
"I know," Paul said dramatically. "I'm a wizard."
"A girl wizard?" Percy laughed.
"Get out of here kid!" Paul shoved him and got up to retrieve another Coke.
But as Paul walked to the kitchen, Sally walked over to Percy.
"Don't rely on those few things all the time, honey. Us women only like to humor you, we always know what you are up too," she said ruffling her hair. "So while Paul may think he found the golden key, he is wrong. But I'll tell him later," she winked.
I just thought having Percy and Paul talk girls would be funny, so bam! Thanks for checking this out, R and R
