An: Enjoy this absolute monster of a chapter. It's nearly 2000 words, so I'm really proud of myself for writing it. :) I also forgot to do a disclaimer so : I do not own Percy Jackson or any characters you recognise.
Two weeks later.
Annabeth's POV
I yawn and stretch, careful not to wake Percy, who was sleeping next to me. I glance at the cheap clock on the wall and sigh. 5:00 am. I had to get up and dressed now if I wanted to get to my job on time.
Me and Leo work at a fast food place near here, The Red Inn. Bills don't pay themselves and although Piper's dad could quite comfortably help out, he refuses to associate with Piper after she got into a "scandal" after swearing at a paparazzi. The paparazzi went away after a quick bout of charm speak and some of Hazel's mist magic, but the damage was done, according to her father. He doesn't know about demigods, of course, he just thinks the paparazzi hate Piper now. Therefore, all of us that can get jobs, get them.
So far all of us apart from Frank, Hazel and Thalia had jobs. Piper and Reyna are attendants at a local bowling alley, Percy works afternoons and sometimes night shifts at the aquarium in the posh part of town, and Jason, Nico and Will do odd jobs for the old people who live around here. There aren't that many old people, come to think of it. Most of them die because of the gangs, and, if that doesn't get them, the dirt and germs does. All of our jobs are fairly new, we only got them a week or so ago.
Me and Leo get our first paycheques in about 2 weeks, so we are being careful and surviving off of Reyna and Piper's weekly cheque. I'm sure, if we asked, Chiron or Sally would be happy to help, but I guess we are all too proud. Besides, Sally is pregnant. We visit her a lot, and it's sweet to see Percy so excited about getting a little sibling.
When the money started running out about 3 weeks ago, going to Chiron was the exact thing we didn't want to do. Camp Half Blood is suffering, and it isn't making enough money from the strawberries to support all the demigods in hiding. 4 teams of demigods on the lookout for new demigods have had to be brought back to camp half blood, as expenses are just too high.
"Annabeth?" Percy mumbles groggily "Where are you going?"
" Just to my job, Seaweed Brain, I've got to deal with the early morning rush."
"M'kay" He replies, before falling back to sleep. He must be exhausted, the aquarium has released a new exhibit, "The Night-time wonders" and poor Percy has been put in charge of the tours.
I step out of my room, but not before grabbing a knife, and meet up with Leo in the hallway. I spot a granola bar on the side of the kitchen cabinet and grab it, splitting it in half to share it with Leo. He accepts it with a grin, and shifts the knife he's holding to his left hand in order to eat the bar. His ratty hoodie has a hole in, and it reminds me to fix my own. I'm pretty good at sewing, one of the perks of being a daughter of the goddess of arts and crafts.
We walk in companionable silence to The Red Inn, knives always out. The Red Inn is in the nice but not rich part of town, so it's about 15 minute's walk. Once we arrive, the owner, Liam, sets us straight to work. We clean up any dirty dishes and mop up until the first customers begin to arrive. The morning rush starts at about 6:00, so it's just go go go until 8:45, when we need to leave to be at school at 9:00. Our school starts pretty late, and we get two hour's lunch break because we were allowed to move our study periods to the period after lunch, when those of us with jobs that have a rush at lunch (me, Leo, Piper and Reyna) head off to work. Piper and Reyna's work is on the same street as our work, so we walk together when it's time for the lunch rush.
When we arrive at school, I have a multitude of small burns from french fry fat on my hands, and a back ache from bending over to clean the floor. I smell vaguely of fries, but deodorant works wonders. I spot the others by Hazel's locker, and walk over to them. They are talking about some homework our teacher had set, and how much easier it was to work now that the Hephaestus Cabin had invented a pen that translated Ancient Greek or Latin to English.
"Hey Annabeth!" Hazel says with a smile, "How was work? Did you cook any really good fries?" I grimace at the thought of fries.
"Ugh, I'm going to be eating them every lunch from now on, it's the only meal that I get a discount on at work. Maybe when I get my cheque, I can spend a bit on some decent food." I see Percy's hurt face and hurriedly speak again. " Oh, Percy, your bolognese is amazing and cheap, but I'm really missing some protein. I don't know if I can survive any more carbs, fries in particular. "I remove my hoodie and gag at the smell of fast food that clings to it.
Leo sees my expression and laughs, saying "Yeah, I know how you feel, it's only been a week, and the smell of fries seem to follow me everywhere, like a bad ghost"
Percy pulls his hoodie over his head and does a very bad impression of a ghost, that involves a lot of Woooo-ing and too many goofy faces. We all laugh anyway, and, for now, everything seems normal. I forget about the mist for a bit, and just enjoy being with my friends.
After school
Josh's POV
What's going on? The clips we had of the tions and the monsters fighting have disappeared, to be replaced with an ordinary person with a few lizards. It happened about to weeks ago, on the weekend, when Percy and his friends went back to that summer camp they're always burbling on about.
Dad was being weird. When I spoke to him about the tions, he just frowned and stared at the wall. He remembers them, and I found him recording what he thinks about them in a journal the other day, but he just clams up and ignores me when I try to ask him about them. Weird. Time for school, again, and boy, is it boring.
Hazel, Percy's friend, is being a tad strange. She's sitting with her friends, in lunch, but some of them are missing. Annabeth, Leo, Piper and Reyna are gone.
"Hey, Hazel" I call "Where's the rest of your little gang?" She glares at me and speaks in a low voice. "Leave me alone, Josh, or I swear you will regret it."
I frown. Bit harsh. Wait, hang on. Percy has bags under his eyes and their breath smells strange , the kind of smell you get when you haven't been eating properly.
I am about to turn away, but I turn back and throw something to Frank.
"You like peanut butter sandwiches?" I ask "My dad always forgets I hate them, so you can have them for all I care" Frank catches the foil-wrapped sandwich and glares at me, a clear signal to leave him alone.
He tucks the sandwich into his bag, and I hear him say to Hazel that they can split it with the others later. I smile a secret smile into my hand. There. Just because I'm not Percy's closest friend anymore doesn't mean I can't help them out with a bit of food here and there. Percy is a stubborn guy, and too proud to accept what he views as charity from anyone. Being rude to him and his friends while I give them food means they will accept it because they don't think it's charity. Which it isn't. I'm giving them food I don't like and helping them in the process. It's a win win situation.
Annabeth's POV
Hello future demigods,
It's hard doing homework while also working at a fast food place, but I have to do it if I want to eat. Wow, I'm whining so much, I sound like Drew Tanaka. I'm recording this between customers, so, future demigods, if this is choppy, I don't care, I'm trying to make a living, shut up and deal with it. it's during the lunch rush, and my boss is not here, Probably with his boyfriend, or getting high in a random club. He's a good boss though. He pays his workers on time, (only one more other than me and Leo, and we don't really cross paths much), doesn't hurt us, and pays us decent wages. He gives us a discount on fries, and he's not cruel, just a bit addicted.
(Long period of silence, stifled customer noises in the background)
Now, Demigods of the future, if you are listening to this I assume it's relatively safe. I'll only say this once, so listen carefully. The protection spell Hazel did only aids the mist for about a month. It is meant to be a temporary solution while we figure out what to do. Also, never get a job in a fast food place. It absolutely stinks.
Anyway, it's time to go back to school. I've got Maths last, and an after-school detention on my own for being late to second period yesterday. It's not my fault I was late. I recognised a customer from work and had to duck out of sight. I'm not ashamed of my job, but the school we go to is a nice one, and nearly everybody there has comfortable lives, with two parents and a house with a white picket fence. There lives are mostly perfect, and I feel like I taint that with my poverty. It's stupid, and very unlike me. My fatal flaw is Pride, for Hades' sake. I'm just feeling a bit strange at the moment, not eating enough has been messing with my head. Ok, so, off to Maths I go. It's not the end of the world, working in a fast food place, it's just tiring.
An: THANKS FOR READING! Ok, quick question: How long do you want the story to be? do you want like, 50 chapter or do you want 20? 15?30? depends on what you guys want :) REVIEW! Some ppl r probably gonna protest about the jobs thing. It's my story, I own the plot therefore, leave me alone if u have complaints. :)
Luv u guys x
