disclaimer: I do not own these characters by Rick Riordan or the story inspiration, the song How to Be a Heartbreaker by Marina and the Diamonds
Wednesday, December 16th, 2015
Two Days until the Annual Winter Dance at Goode High
A thud landed on Piper's desk as she was taking a glorious nap before AP World History started. Her head jumped and looked up to find the one and only Leo Valdez, his heavy backpack sitting on her desk.
He chuckled to himself. He hadn't been able to talk to Piper one-on-one in a long time. Not that they didn't talk every day, because they did, they constantly had conversations which consisted of Piper teasing him about Calypso and him saying that she would be forever alone, which he was totally lying. He constantly saw guys eying Piper in the hallways. But they never actually talked, about the important things, at least.
"Ugh, what do you want?" she asked snappily. Piper had gotten to her class early only so she could take a short nap.
"Just wondering if ya wanna hang out this afternoon," he asked as he fidgeted with some pipe cleaners.
Piper rubbed her eyes, "Ya, I think Jason is going to hang out with Percy or Annabeth, today."
Leo sat down in the seat next to her, he had to run across campus to get to his next class, but his last class was in the classroom next to hers so they had time to talk for a few minutes.
He put a serious face on, which bothered Piper, and asked, "Kay, honest time now. You've been out of it ever since Jason asked Reyna to the dance. Is there some unsaid feelings on your end?"
Piper laughed nervously, "Why would you think that? He's my best friend, of course, I'm happy for him."
Leo replied annoyed that she wouldn't open up, "You know you've been acting weird, Piper. And you know that you can tell me stuff. Remember? I'm your first muchacho to come to in your time of need."
She sighed and put her head down on the desk and said with her voice muffled, "I don't know."
"A good 'I don't know', or a bad 'I don't know'?"
"An I don't know, 'I don't know,'" Piper answered helplessly.
Leo nodded, grabbed her hand and squeezed it. Piper was grateful. The way the two acted around each other was like they both knew they would never start dating. They loved each other too much; it wasn't the love that you have with a significant other, though, but something more. The type of love that you would rather die first, than live a day without the other person around. The love only two siblings could ever share. And that love seemed to be as important, if not more important, than a love you would have for a significant other, to Piper.
A few more students started to file into the classroom, so Leo let go, a smile on his face. "See you later, alligator," he said over his shoulder as he left the room.
"Just leave already!" Piper shouted back as Leo turned around and winked at her playfully as he went through the doorway.
Annabeth closed her locker shut and grinned to find one of her oldest best friends walking up to her, Jason Grace.
"Hello, my dear old best friend. I believe it has been ages since we've been alone together," he said as he swung his arm around her shoulders.
Annabeth wrapped her arm around his waist and replied, "I believe so, too Mr. Grace. Congrats with Reyna, by the way."
Jason started to blush and looked down at the floor, avoiding Annabeth's eyes. He didn't want to bring up the whole Reyna situation, after all, he only asked her for the stupid game he was playing against Percy. Right after he asked Reyna to go with, him he felt guilt flood through him immediately.
She pushed him playfully to get him to talk, they still had plenty of time since their next class, Honors English, was still a long way away.
"Fine, yeah. Piper's been teaching me ways to finally try and win over Reyna. Looks like she isn't so bad a teacher, her pointers turned out well, since I finally got her to say yes," he answered sheepishly.
Annabeth laughed at him.
"What?" Jason asked, confused.
"You act like you already achieved her undying love for you," rolling her eyes as she smiled, thinking, 'He's an idiot.'
"Well, I mean, I kind of have, haven't I?"
Annabeth shook her head, "Not even close, kiddo."
Jason groaned and changed the subject, "Why do girls have to be so complicated?"
"Because if we were so simple, then it would be too easy. And what fun would that be?" Annabeth retorted with a smirk.
He rolled his eyes, "But I like easy. Easy is practically my favorite word."
"What about Reyna? Or PIIIIIIPER?" she teased.
Jason stopped midstep, "What does Piper have to do with this?"
Annabeth rolled her eyes and continued the walking herself. She couldn't believe that guys were so oblivious, anyone who had eyes could see that the two of them, Piper and Jason, were slowly falling in love. But Annabeth never said any of this to Jason aloud, what fun would that be for the two of them?
Jason entered the gym after school, it wasn't until 3 that he would meet up with Annabeth to get some frozen yogurt, so he decided to shoot some hoops with Percy, who had been absent in their little group the majority of the time ever since he broke up with Annabeth. He saw Percy already shooting free throws and soon joined him.
"So, how've you been?" Jason asked as he made a basket.
Percy shrugged his shoulders and walked towards the extra balls to get another one, "Same old same old. I've been hanging with the team, lately. They've been wondering why you and Leo aren't hanging out much lately."
Jason internally groaned, his fellow teammates were total players, so basically eff-boys. Jason never really liked them but had spent most of his sophomore year trying to fit in with the 'cool kids,' which were them. That lead to him following in the footsteps of the team alumni, which meant that he was a player. After hearing Piper say it over and over again, he had half-accepted it. Half.
Jason shot for a three-pointer, but missed terribly, which resulted into Percy laughing at him as he shot his own. Percy, of course, missed as well.
"So, how've you and Annabeth been doing?" Jason asked gingerly, knowing Annabeth was a sore subject.
Percy gave him a knowing look as he bounced the ball three times, "You probably already know, man. You and her are tight now." Jason didn't hear it, but Percy's voice had a tinge of jealousy wrapped around it.
Jason shrugged, "Not really, I've been spending more time with Piper and stuff."
Percy lifted his eyebrows suggestively as he stole Jason's ball out of his hand. Jason reached to get it, but he had already dribbled the ball and made a basket.
"So, are we still playing that stupid game?" Percy asked as he dropped his hands.
"Hell yeah. Unless you wanna finally admit that I won," Jason answered.
Percy scoffed, "In your dreams, Blondie."
"Hey, so you wanna hang out tomorrow with me and Reyna? We're going to go and watch a movie," Jason asked.
"Reyna agreed to go on a date with you?" Percy asked, doubtfully.
Jason nervously laughed to himself as he shot another basket, "Yeah, there may be a chance that I haven't asked her yet." This earned a scoff and eye roll from Percy. "She'll probably say yes, though!" Jason hurriedly tried to save himself.
Percy shrugged as he rebounded Jason's ball, "I dunno, man. An afternoon to play as a third wheel with you and Reyna? That's pretty hard to pass up." Note the sarcasm in his voice.
"Come on, Perce! I'll even try and invite one of her cute friends!" Jason begged.
"A date with one of Reyna's student body friends? That's definitely hard to pass up." Note his sarcasm.
"Give them a shot!" Jason begged again, he was practically ready to get on his knees.
"Fine. But it has to be someone that I would think is cute," Percy gave in.
Jason smiled and shot a three-pointer that went in triumphantly.
"God, why did you want me to go so bad anyway?" Percy asked as he went to get another basketball.
"No reason," was all Jason said, but if Percy saw his face then there he would see that there was definitely a reason behind Jason wanting Percy to go. A master plan that Jason would need serious balls for. Because the girl that he was planning on Percy double-dating with, definitely would not be happy with who her date is. Could you take a lucky guess to who it is?
"Annabeth!" Piper asked as she was pulling Leo in Forever 21.
The said blonde girl looked up from the clothing rack, she was near startled, "Hey Piper! Hi Leo. What brings you two here?"
Piper started, "Oh, we were going to find Leo..."
She paused as Leo elbowed her in the gut and continued, "My sister needs a dress, yeah. And, um, we were trying to find one."
Annabeth looked between the two as the duo were glaring at each other, only talking with their eyes and Annabeth could take a lucky guess that Leo didn't have a sister.
"Mhm, sure. Well, good luck finding it," she interrupted their eyes-only conversation.
The two broke the conversation and Piper said, "Yeah!"
The three stood there awkwardly as Leo blushed but then broke the silence saying, "Okay, fine. The dress is for me. But it's for a project!"
Piper started laughing hard, and Annabeth even broke into a grin.
Leo stomped his foot, "You guys! It isn't my fault that Home Ec requires sewing! And I can't do that, I don't even know what a dress is!"
"No one asked, but cool story, Leo," Annabeth replied, this made Piper laugh even harder which made Leo more frustrated.
Piper calmed down then realized something and asked, "I almost forgot, I never asked you why you were here."
"Oh, I'm meeting up with Jason later to get some fro-yo. You guys can join if you'd like," Annabeth responded.
The brunette shook her head, "Nah, it's fine. I've seen enough of that blonde to last a lifetime. You two go have fun."
Annabeth nodded.
"Well, we'll see you later! We're off to find Leo a dress," Piper grinned as Leo grumbled and pulled her away.
Annabeth laughed to herself and rolled her eyes and went back to looking at dresses for the Winter Formal. No one had asked her yet, but Annabeth was fine with going alone since she was the lead decorator and boss of the whole dance. It would have been harder if she had a date. Besides, Annabeth liked being the eye in the sky, the hawk, the person that could be called in any time of need.
She stopped at a gray dress. Saying it was beautiful was an understatement. It was a body-hugging dress with swirls of dark gray and light gray twisted and entwined, with the neckline as a mock-turtleneck that was velvet. She fell in love with the dress and went straight to the fitting room.
She tried it on, and knew that it was perfect once she turned around. It hugged all the right places, and she longed to wear her Converse with it, but she knew that Piper would bully her into wearing heels. Not just 1 inch heels, no, proper heels.
She walked out to ask the girl who was helping her, Lacey she recalled her name, to ask what her opinion was, but when Annabeth walked out of the room she stopped with her jaw-dropped.
"Percy?" she asked.
He turned his head and his eyes practically popped out of his head, "Um, hey, Annabeth."
She looked down and remembered that she was a wearing a suddenly embarrassingly tight dress and blushed. "What are you doing here? Shopping for another dress, are you?" she teased.
He scratched his head and nervously laughed, "Um, no, I was uh, with my, um."
Suddenly Drew walked out of the dressing room he was standing in front of in a very short, tight, and low, as in low-low, neckline. She said as she adjusted the dress to make it even shorter, which was practically impossible, "Percy, babe, how is this." She stopped, suddenly noticing Annabeth. "Oh, hi, hun! Didn't see you there. You looking for a dress too?"
She looked down at the dress with a judgemental gaze that made Annabeth insecure. "Yeah, actually," Annabeth answered.
"Mhm. Well, did you hear the good news? I'm going to the formal with this hunk, right here!" she grabbed Percy in a half hug and kissed him on the neck.
He nervously laughed as he saw Annabeth's expression, she finally understood what was going on. "Well, I'll leave you two to it then! See you guys," Annabeth awkwardly said.
Annabeth turned around, but heard Drew say, "Now, how 'bout you come and help me take this off, hun."
Annabeth rolled her eyes and knew that the tiny sliver of hope was gone for Percy asking her. She didn't know why, and didn't like it, but it was still always there in the back of her mind that he would ask her out.
She bought the dress, nonetheless, and walked out to find Jason on his phone in front of Forever 21, which was a little walk from their favorite fro-yo shop.
"Hey, Blondie," she said as she approached Jason.
He smiled as he looked up from his phone and turned it off, "Whatcha got there?"
Annabeth smiled like she had a secret, "Oh, just something for Friday."
He raised his eyes suggestively, "Something to wow a special someone?"
"No, something to make myself feel confident."
Jason raised his arms in surrender, "Can't fight that."
They started to walk to the fro-yo shop and Annabeth teased Jason about him needing to find a suit and tie for the dance to wow Reyna.
Jason punched her lightly, "What about you? Got a date yet?"
She shook her head thinking to herself, 'The only person that I would have sort of liked to ask me out was currently making out with Drew in a dressing room."
"So, wanna hang out with me and Reyna tomorrow? We're gonna go to the movies," Jason asked hopefully.
Annabeth shrugged her shoulders, "I dunno, third wheeling you and Reyna or read one of my new books.. that's a hard choice." Note her sarcasm.
Jason begged her and she grudgingly agreed. Jason grinned, his plan was working out perfectly.
Leo gulped down his third cup of coffee, "I'm gonna get another cup anything for you?"
Piper shook her head and watched her best friend walk over to the annoyed cashier, Leo had hit on her one too many times. They were at one of Piper's favorite hidden coffee shops. It was away from all of the bustling of tourists and Piper felt like she was back in L.A., which was a little bit less fast-paced.
She drank her water as she looked out the window, people-watching. Piper wasn't a very big coffee fan, which made Leo not talk to her for two straight hours, short for Piper but excruciatingly long for him. He walked back with a coffee and a cookie.
"Who's the cookie for?" Piper asked in hope the cookie was for her.
"Me," Leo said as he drank his coffee, this time slowly.
Piper gave him the puppy dog, you can't say no to, eyes, "Fine. You can have half."
She punched the air above her with both arms in success and started to break up the pink icing-ed cookie and eat half. "So, have you asked Calypso to go to the dance with you yet?" she asked with her mouthful of cookie.
Leo stopped mid-gulp, "I have to ask her out?"
"Duh," Piper answered as if it was obvious.
"But, we're dating! You mean I still have to ask her?"
"I'm afraid so, mi muchacho."
"Help me!" Leo demanded/begged.
"Get down on one knee and plead," Piper demanded as she grinned.
"Ugh! Piper!"
"Do it."
Let's just say that Leo hadhelp for both finding him a dress, atux, and asking out his girlfriend to the dance.
WOW! That's one of the longest chapters I've ever written. This was dedicated to more of the best friendships that I love. than Piper and Jason. (Don't worry I've got plenty more of them coming!)
I want to thank all of you that have reviewed, favorited, and followed! You all mean the world to me! :D
Shoutout to Lucia McLean! Thanks for your understanding and all of the other guest reviewers!
Let me know what you thought of this chapter and the overall story! We're so close tot he dance and finding out who the boy and girl are! YAY!
~songsaboutjasper