What I Dreamed Last Night, chapter 7

A/N: Crap! Sorry, sorry, sorry. I'm still trying to get my shit together guys, and I apologize. I've been busy, sick and just generally tired, and today, I had forced myself to get up and get to the computer. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Lots of love to the users who reviewed the last chapter: vanessaPJ, Blackberry Explosion, PoeTheDragonWhoEatYou and TEAMLEO. I do not own Shakespeare's plays "Coriolanus" or "Romeo and Juliet."


"You have got to be kidding me."

"It'll work, man! Just trust me!"

Jason Grace, at the current moment, was considering knocking Percy Jackson out in the middle of the cafeteria. His best friend, he's just concluded, is insane.

It's June 20th. Five more days until Prom. The entire school was borderline insane at this point, fights breaking out in the middle of the hallways, the cafeteria, the auditorium. Anywhere fights could break out. Whether it was due to pressure from the exams, Prom or just because the hormones were flying, nobody had a clue. It wasn't just fights either. Kids were about 1000% done with Goode High School. Dark circles were a frequent sight on the children's faces, even the girls who wore makeup forgetting to apply it in the mornings. Drew Tanaka being one of them, who had broke down in Jason's english class because she was as stressed as everybody else. It was pressure that were breaking these kids. Frequent visits to the school therapist began to become a fad, the therapist's office becoming filled with students now.

And Jason was just about ready to join them.

It was nearly five days until one of the biggest nights of their lives, and he still didn't ask Piper yet. Sure, him and Piper have talked at least once in awhile in class, since that fateful accident on the bus. Just small talk in class, maybe a word or two at lunch, but that was it. He hadn't made any real progress with her, and since Piper didn't have a phone, but an iPod, they couldn't talk over the phone even if they wanted to. He still wasn't sure how he was going to ask her to Prom. Would it be too sudden? Too soon? He didn't have a clue. Girls, other then his sister, was a mystery to him.

Though, he didn't trust that Percy quite knew how girls worked, anyway.

"This is a bad idea, Percy," he hisses, as they meander their way through the cafeteria, dodging the smaller freshmen and nodding to the towering seniors above, "I mean, what if she says no? We've barely talked and God, what the hell do you know about girls?"

"My Mom is a girl if that helps-"

"Seriously, Percy. I don't want to scare her. We've finally talked in Math class today, and I mean a full conversation! I don't want to make her uncomfortable, or scared, or you know. God, how the hell do you know when a girl wants you? They're so confusing."

"You got me." Percy shrugs, as they finally reach their lunch table. Setting down his lunch, Percy takes a rather huge bite of pepperoni pizza he had brought from home, as Jason pokes at the tuna salad he had brought. He didn't have much of an appetite, especially after this.

"But what I do know is, that if you act like you're embarassed to be with a girl, that's a major turnoff. You have to be proud! Bold! So, this, Grace, is exactly how you'll ask her out."

"Percy, I don't know about this-" But it was too late. Percy had already pulled the megaphone he had swiped from the drama teacher, and flicked the on switch. Clearing his throat, he stood on their table, Jason covering his head as he did.

"ATTENTION! Can I have everybody's attention, please?"

The cafeteria fell silent at the voice of Percy Jackson. Conversations died just as they had started, the noise falling from loud to medium, to little bursts of words, then silence. Every head was turned and all eyes were looking at the junior who stood on the cafeteria table. Jason hid his head under the table, but without even a question, was dragged over by Percy, who still held the megaphone. Percy dragged him over to Annabeth's table, where she looked absolutely infuriated. The girls held their heads down, as Jason was dragged by Percy to their table, before bringing his lips back to the megaphone.

"My friend, Jason, would like to ask Piper McLean something, so you all wanna shut up while he does!"

Smiling triumphantly, Percy hands the megaphone over to Jason, who tries his best to push it away. However, seeing the small smile on Piper's face, he surrenders and takes it in his hands. Clearing his throat, he procrastinates, adjusting his shirt and clearing his throat some more. His cheeks are as red as could be and when he finally raises the megaphone back to his mouth, he takes a deep breath.

"Piper, er...d'you wanna go to Prom with me?"

The tension in the cafeteria rises as the students realize what they are witnessing. Laughter, insults and all sorts of complaints arise from the students, but they quickly shut up when Percy glares at the students who have begun to complain. Jason, however, his eyes are only on Piper as she widens her eyes. She only looks towards Annabeth, then Percy, then Jason himself, and Jason is sure his entire world drops when she nods.

The cafeteria bursts into applause as Jason drops the megaphone in surprise. Laughing, he strides over to the girl and wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her close, and beginning to spin her around. She laughs, one of the most beautiful sounds he's ever heard, and only spins her around and around as the students begin to applaud. It was a spark of happiness in that mess of pressure, hormones and students that was called Goode High.


"Was that your idea, Percy?"

"You bet it was, Wise Girl."

Drama Class. Last class of the day. Percy, Annabeth and Thalia were placed in the same class, as they had chosen Drama as an extra elective. Annabeth, seeing no harm, thought it would be interesting to try. Percy, who needed an extra elective, simply took it because all he had to do was be overly dramatic and read lines. Though, he was a terrible actor. Mr. Preston would tear out his hair when Percy had to read monologues. Accompanied by Percy's dyslexia and ADHD, they had all agreed Percy was only passing the class because he tried pretty damn hard. Annabeth herself wasn't a bad actress, but she could use improvement. However, if anyone was the best actor and actress in their class, Annabeth had to choose Thalia. Though she looked hardcore, extremely terrifying to the freshmen, and overall mean, she had a sensitive nature when it came to theatrics. Her words were spoken with emotion, with kindness, with an underlying sense of meaning. Though, the best actor gave her a run for her money. Who, at the moment, was performing a monologue from Shakespeare's play, Coriolanus.

"He that will give good words to thee will flatter

Beneath abhorring. What would you have, you curs,

That like nor peace nor war? the one affrights you,

The other makes you proud. He that trusts to you,

Where he should find you lions, finds you hares;

Where foxes, geese: you are no surer, no,

Than is the coal of fire upon the ice-"

"Brava, Luke!" Mr. Preston stood from his chair, and Percy has to roll his eyes as Luke gives him a mere smug grin. He didn't like Luke. He thought he was degrading, he was proud, and he thought himself a lot better then everybody else. A bit of a smug snot, if Percy could put it in words. But if anyone hated Luke more, it was Thalia. She was absolutely fuming. She's always been in a competition with Luke on who could be better at theatrics. "See, students, this is what comes from acting and true heart!"

"Thank you, Mr. Preston," Luke replies humbly, throwing aside the plastic sword that he had been using in the monologue, "But I wasn't quite done."

"Oh, I think that's enough, son," Mr. Preston says, laughing gently, "And though Coriolanus is one of my favorites, we must have enough time for everybody else. Sit down, son. A+!"

Though Luke took his seat with grace and an easy smile, Thalia smirks as she watched him sit down, and give Mr. Preston the dirtiest look possible. If thespians hated anything, it's being cut off during an especially good monologue. Mr. Preston, unaware, called Thalia up to do her monologue. Flashing Luke a mocking smile, she makes her way to the stage, laughing a bit as Annabeth smiled at her. Clearing her throat, she begins her monologue, though really, it was verse. It was a classic, Romeo and Juliet. Used many times, but she knew Mr. Preston loved it.

"O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?

Deny thy father and refuse thy name;

Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,

And I'll no longer be a Capulet-"

"Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?"

Mr. Preston turns around, to see Luke standing in his seat, a defiance in his eyes as he has read Romeo's next line. Percy and Annabeth exchange wild looks, as Thalia stutters for a moment, but she immediately knew the next time. She continues to read, getting back in character, but with a certain fierceness in her eyes.

"Tis but thy name that is my enemy;

Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.

What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot-"

"I take thee at thy word:

Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;

Henceforth I never will be "

The class begins to widen their eyes, and begin to panic as Luke has made his way out of his seat, determined to throw Thalia off her feet, and beginning to move towards the stage. Percy and Annabeth cover their mouths with their hands as they fight the urge to laugh. Mr. Preston, looking shocked, lets Luke move along, and for a moment, Annabeth thinks she sees happiness in his eyes. He really is crazy.

"What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night

So stumblest on my counsel?"

"I would I were thy bird."

Now Luke has done it. He's skipped maybe a million lines in the script, just to throw Thalia off. Mr. Preston does nothing to stop it, as the students are now on their feet, watching Luke climbing the steps to the stage, a challenging look in his eyes. Thalia, momentarily stopped, takes a deep breath, closes her eyes, and continues the line where he had tried his best to throw her off.

"Sweet, would I:

Yet I kill thee with much cherishing

Good night, good night! parting is such

sweet sorrow,

That I shall say good night till it be morrow."

Luke has made his way to the stage by this point, and someone in the back has turned the houselights on the pair, so they were completely isolated on the stage, all attention turned towards them. Annabeth looks back to see Percy holding the houselight, smirking at her. Mouthing, "I'm so dead for this."

"You will be." She mouths back.

"Sweet dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast!" Luke proclaims, as he has been coming closer and closer to Thalia. Thalia, who would very much like to slam his head into a brick, was forced to stay in character, as he took her hand, and gently kissed it, "Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest! Hence will I to my ghostly father's cell, his help to crave-" Luke slipped his arm around Thalia's waist, a small smirk on his face, as he leaned closer to her, "And my dear hap to tell."

The houselights shut as Luke went in for a kiss, and as the lights arose, Mr. Preston jumped to his feet, applauding with such joy, as the rest of the students joined him. As the lights returned, their eyes are turned to the stage to see Luke holding Thalia close, his arms around her waist, her face turned towards him, and a soft smirk on both of their faces, their cheeks red, a bit flustered, as though they shared a secret no one could ever know.

And nobody was surprised when they found Thalia had agreed to go to Prom with Luke that day.