Apparently, Percy is an avid texter. He texts Luke a good thirty times in less than five minutes and that's mere seconds after he leaves Luke at the History building. For the rest of the week, Luke loses count after what has to have been the millionth text.

i bought coffee

this coffee sux

no wait

i just had to get used to it

All of these are separate messages, although they come within five seconds of each other. Luke reads them with a grin and pockets his phone, except it vibrates again and he has to switch his coffee cup to his other hand to retrieve it.

i c u

He stops and looks around. He doesn't see Percy anywhere. The sidewalk is practically empty and the only shop is seemingly closed. Maybe he passed Percy a few seconds ago.

look up

up

look up luke

Luke obeys and glances up towards the top of the buildings. Luke spies Percy waving madly from a small balcony jutting from the second story of the closed shop. For a moment, he considers calling up to him. But that wouldn't work and Percy would laugh at him for weeks probably months afterwards. Instead, he turns back to his phone and types out a quick message.

Try not to fall off.

When he looks back up, Percy is reading the message.

don't worry i won't i spend a lot of time up here

Of course Percy would spend a lot of time on a small, dirty balcony above a shop with boards across the windows. How does he even get up there? Luke wonders. More importantly, isn't that illegal?

I'm going to be late.

He looks up and Percy is pouting.

come on

See you later, Percy

don't be like that

Like what? Responsible?

skip class

No.

u can sit up here w/ me

No. Thank you, though, for the offer.

its not an offer its a command

Luke quirks a brow at his phone.

Are you seriously going there?

yes

No.

y not

I have a class. In 5 minutes.

There's a long pause. Luke begins walking again knowing that, at this point, he's going to be late for class. It'll be the first time since Sophomore year that he's been late and he's almost disappointed. There's a very limited amount of people that can claim to have been punctual and present to every class two years in a row. Especially in college.

He's busy mourning this loss of unique accomplishment when he recognizes the sound of running footsteps behind him. It doesn't even register that he could possibly be getting mugged. He turns around to face Percy with a smirk on his face.

It is Percy (thank God).

Percy who is heaving and putting his hands on his knees. Clearly, he's not a runner.

"Are you all right?"

Percy gives him a look.

"Okay."

Finally, Percy straightens and, still breathing a little heavier than normal, holds out his phone.

Luke rolls his eyes.

"You couldn't have texted this to me?"

Percy shakes his head and makes a "go on" gesture.

Sighing, Luke looks down at what he assumes is a highly important message.

please please please please please please please please please please

And on and on and on.

Luke looks back up about halfway through the pleases. Percy is wearing a self-satisfied smirk and raises his eyebrows when he catches Luke's eye. Luke sighs and hands the phone back.

"I have an impeccable attendance record, Percy." He says, "This will completely destroy me."

Percy doesn't even the have the decency to pretend to be sorry. He merely grins and begins jogging back the way he came. Luke jogs after and easily overtakes him. Unlike Percy, Luke is a runner. He likes to run whenever he can. In high school, he was even on the track team. He wonders what Percy did in high school. He knows from their earlier conversations that Percy is a Freshman, so high school wasn't long ago. However, Percy hasn't mentioned any particular interests or hobbies. He mostly talks about his mom and a friend named Grover.

They don't talk while they jog down the sidewalk and around the side of the boarded up building. Luke makes a face when Percy slides one of the windows open and slips through.

He sticks his head in to find Percy looking at him expectantly.

"This is illegal."

Percy shrugs.

Luke shrugs.

There are old, decrepit stairs in the back of the shop. Percy climbs them easily but Luke is a little more cautious. They look like the slightest breath of air could knock them over. Maybe Percy is freakishly light? Maybe he has hollow bones like a bird. If his back weren't turned and quickly disappearing, Luke would ask him. As it is, he can only follow to the best of his ability and pray that the stairs don't collapse. At least, not at the very top.

After the stairs comes a short hallway with a door at the very end. The door, obviously, leads to the balcony. There are doors lining the walls on either side, so Luke assumes the building was built as an apartment.

Percy holds the door open for him.

"Impressive." Luke deadpans, "A balcony almost as horrendously decrepit as the stairs. Is this really worth potential jail time?"

Percy frowns.

not that bad

"No." Luke agrees. What he means is "not as bad as it could be," but something tells him he should keep that thought to himself. Instead, he takes a seat in one of the lawn chairs someone dragged up. He has a feeling it was Percy.

better than class huh

"Better than class, yeah."

u need to know asl

"Age, sex, location?" Luke feigns ignorance and Percy blows out a sigh.

what do u want to learn

"Whatever you want to teach me." Luke says honestly, "I'm all...hands?"

good 1

Luke smirks and Percy sticks his tongue out.

"How about...yes?"

Percy brightens and holds up a fist. He makes it nod, like someone's head. It's like he's controlling an invisible sock puppet. Luke mimics the movement and Percy gives him a thumbs up. This makes Luke very, very happy.

"Okay, what about no?"

Percy holds up his thumb, middle, and forefinger. He brings the middle and forefinger down to meet his thumb. Luke copies the movement.

"Oh, come on. Give me some hard ones." Luke jokes.

Percy signs a firm "no."

Luke signs a less firm "yes."

They continue like this for a few minutes.

"Okay, teach me...good."

Percy touches the tips of the fingers of his right hand, palm facing away from Luke, to his chin. He brings his right hand down to meet the open palm of his left hand. It makes a small smack.

"What about bad?"

The tips of his fingers touch his chin again, like in good, but this time he flings them out and down. The palm ends up facing the ground.

"Not so hard."

ur a natural

"Maybe I was meant to be with you." Luke says casually and then immediately realizes how it must sound. He tries to think of something to make it less awkward but Percy is faster.

u think

Luke nods his head. Well, hand.