After weeks of not updating, I feed you a filler. An appetizer. You guys should just shoot me, really. :)

Only two days had passed since the boys had spoken with Chiron. Two days, only forty eight hours. But to Jason, it felt like an eternity. Jason couldn't wait to go back to school, regardless of all the scrunched up faces and scoffs Percy supplied at the statement. He couldn't see Piper outside of school, she had made sure of it. She barely left the house anymore, keeping herself locked up in her room. Annabeth was her only link to the outside world.

But Jason wasn't the only reason Piper had isolated herself. Jason had a good feeling that escaping her so-called boyfriend was also a contributing factor. Jason made it a habit of passing by Piper's house at least once a day. Apparently so did Dylan, because whenever he would walk past the house, Dylan would be slamming the door angrily. No one would answer but he did it every day. He was stubborn and adamant. It would be tough dealing with him, monster or not.

But Jason wasn't one to back down either.

So when Monday morning finally rolled around, Jason woke up earlier than usual. He showered, got dressed and ate breakfast, wasting no time to get to school. Though Percy would've preferred to keep his sluggish pace while being rightly pampered by his mother, he couldn't help but admire Jason's passion. And in no time, he was ready too.

"Bye Mom!" Percy called loudly as he left with Jason for the bus. For the first time ever, he would reach the bus stop a few minutes before the Q27 bus came. And not just because of his satisfactory exit time. Jason paced quickly through the blocks, his feet shuffling as he rushed to get to the bus.

As if he's late, Percy thought sarcastically. Things that usually bugged Jason were almost nonexistent, completely irrelevant. The Asian women who always chatted on speaker, the man who eyed him perversely, the adolescent boy masturbating in silence in the back of the bus as if he were in his own room, the chubby lady who always hogged two seats on the bus. Boy were they obnoxious.

Regardless, the morning went smoothly. They reached on time, with extra time to "roam the halls" (which Jason comprehended as "Spy on Piper").

"I'm going to go stand in front of my first period class in case Piper shows up early," Jason told Percy. "You go stand in front of the school."

"Me?" Percy cried. "Why me?"

Jason sported a blank face, gesturing around himself. "Do you have anyone else in mind? If yes, do tell."

Percy glared at his sarcasm. "You're being extra obnoxious."

"You're being extra stupid."

"I am not! Stop acting eleven!"

"Just because you're older than me, I'm acting eleven! Ignoramus..."

"You're acting ignoramus!" Percy spat back.

Jason smacked his forehead, stress wrinkles appearing on his youthful forehead. "You know what, forget it. I don't want to fight. Can you just please go watch for Piper?"

"What for Piper?"

Jason and Percy nearly jumped. Both boys turned around, their stances battle-ready. Riptide in it's pen form stood menacingly in Percy hand while Jason stood with his golden coin lying flat on his curled thumb.

Annabeth snickered amused. "Oh no, a pen and a half-dollar!" she cried sarcastically. Hunching her back, she feigned fear with her face scrunched up.

Percy blushed slightly red, tucking Riptide back in his pocket. He rubbed his neck awkwardly, glancing at Jason who was equally embarrassed, if not more about the "half dollar" comment. "Oh, h-hi Annabeth."

Annabeth giggled, slinging her backpack around her shoulder. "Hey, Pen Boy."

Percy felt himself burn red. He tried his best not to smile nervously but the corners of his mouth kept tugging up, his eyes flitting every which way. A familiar warm feeling filled his torso and he took a deep breath. He hated and loved this feeling. He felt so exposed, yet he loved it.

"So," Annabeth continued. "What are you and Coin-quisador doing here talking about Pipes?"

Though Percy didn't one hundred percent understand the joke, he smiled anyways. Annabeth seemed to find it funny, and her little smile of accomplishment was too cute not to smile at. Plus, the joke had something to do with Jason's coin flipping and cheesy Mexican food so he supposed it was funny.

"I love quesadillas," Percy commented.

"What?" Annabeth asked confused.

"Nothing, nevermind," Percy responded.

Annabeth looked between Jason and Percy, leaving a lingering effect on both of them. "You guys are being weird. Weirder than usual, that is."

Jason smiled sheepishly, sweat beading down his forehead. Not even monster fighting was this stress inducing. Jason just wished the conversation was over already.

"And if it's Piper you're looking for, she's not here today."

"¿Habe me excusatum?"

Jason wasn't quite sure why he had switched to Latin but he wasn't about to stop and question it.

"Piper isn't here today? Why?"

He felt stupid for asking. Maybe she was sick or something. In the world's eyes, he wasn't anything to Piper. Not really a friend and definitely not a boyfriend. But then again, the world didn't know him either.

"She's out with Dylan. I think they had plans for their anniversary," she shuddered, clearly as bothered by it as Jason was.

Jason mentally vomited. The fact that Piper would skip school to hang out with an asshole like Dylan confused and disgusted him. What did Piper see in him? It was illogical.

Then Jason remembered: Dylan is a monster.

Well, most likely.

He looked towards Percy who already had a look on his face.

It was decided.

They were skipping school today.