TW: Rape heavily implied

There was frantic knocking at the door, I set down my controller and got up,

"Help please," I picked up my pace swinging the door open, to reveal Piper, her make-up running down her face, messy hair, and her dress messed up revealing some of her bra.

"You okay? Looks like you lost a fight?"

She looked terrified standing there shaking and I instantly felt guilty.

"Come in,"

We stood in the kitchen and I gave her a cup of water,

she started to silently cry

"What happened, talk to me," I eased Piper into a seat and I noticed dried blood inside her thighs. I felt my body fill with anger but I pushed it down

"Ca-can we talk about something else?"

I didn't want to talk about something else,

"Alright, Ms. Dodds gave us no homework, right?"

she nodded, going into more awkward silence, trying to not talk about the elephant in the room.

"What about Mr. Bruner, have you written the essay yet? " I offered

"It's due tomorrow,"

the back of my head instantly felt itchy,

"yeah, I was curious if you could help me with that, I've seen your scores,"

she chuckled softly,

"what would I get out of it," I thought deeply about that offer,

"I already gave you a cup of water, I can make you my moms' blue cookies, and give you a hoodie with sweatpants,"

A small smile was on Piper's lips,

"deal," I asked reaching out my hand

"Are the clothes clean, and can I, get a shower," She said, I nodded

"no shit they're clean, I'm not gonna give you shit-stained pants," she chuckled at that, I'll consider it a win

"and yes I normally charge extra for a shower but since I'm feeling kind I'll give you one for free,"

"deal," She accepted the 'terms' and we shook on it.

I handed Piper my clothes and she showered. I don't know what I'll do when I see them, my mouth strained to focus on my moms' cookies. I've been baking with her since we got away from Gabe.

They always did a good job of making me feel better.

Piper walked out of the shower wearing gray sweatpants and a black hoodie with her hair rolled up in a tower.

"Wow, I didn't know the bad boy Percy would be such a good baker,"

"Well, aren't you a pretentious little shit?" I turned to her with a smirk on my face, her eyes still red from crying.

I sat at a chair signaling for her to have the couch, she took a bite of a cookie.

"When's your mom going to be home, you said she was going to be here soon,"

"Maybe half an hour or so,"

"Do you want me to go home, I can email it to you,"

"No, no you're good, don't worry we love having you here, you wanna stay for dinner?"

"If you guys don't mind, I know money can be tight right now,"

"We always make extra, we can fit a plate in with you,"

We sat in a comfortable silence, Piper was writing my essay munching on the cookies and I occasionally showed her a funny video.

My mom walked through the door holding groceries, and I realized I didn't tell my mom about her.

"Percy honey can you help me- oh my sorry I didn't know you were coming over,"

"She was helping me out with some homework, would she be able to stay for dinner?" we did the puppy dog eyes we practiced when we were young, she looked annoyed but we knew she liked to cook for guests,

"You're lucky I always make enough food for leftovers,"

"Thanks, you're the best Sally," Piper ran over to hug my mom,

"Now help me get the groceries out, "

My mom and Piper made small talk while we all helped cook, they talked about boys, Particularly Jason and my English teacher, ew, I was honestly not feeling too trusting of him after Gabe, he's a nice teacher but who knows how he is at home, Gabe seemed nice at some point.

We rested in the living room watching movies, she scooted closer to me saying something about being cold, we just rested like that.

She silently cried in my arms for the rest of the night, my mom didn't make her go home, she's cool like that.

The next day at school I hit up Thalia, Nico, and Leo about a party yesterday. Luke had one, he lives at the edge of a nice neighborhood across the highway near my house, some more people said Luke and Ethan followed her upstairs.

I told them Piper came to my house crying about something.

They agreed to it, we normally don't do this type of thing, we're trouble makers but more of hacking a vending machine for free food, inviting Grover on a golf cart ride to get to class, changing the Peta donation to the local no-kill shelter type of trouble, of course, there's the casual vandalism and spiking the punch at dances but it's always good to give off a good impression first.

Now anyway we are going to jump some rapists because it's the right thing to do.

I told Piper I forgot something in my other class and convinced her to go on without me. I found my friends outside of where Luke and Ethan usually chill when they're ditching class.

We walked up to them,

"Hey, do you guys want anything?" Luke asked but we just ignored him, he put out his cigarette and they faced us,

"You know it's rude to ignore someone," he said disappointed.

"Why are you fighting for some ruined bitch anyway,"

We started running towards him, and we reached them, the hallway took away the numbers advantage, and I punched Luke and he punched me. I know I could take more hits than him due to the constant beatings of Gabe, who's mysteriously gone missing after losing one too many poker games.

Anyway, I was able to get in close, I was throwing fists and elbows panting hard with a bloody nose and swollen eye, I stole a look at Thalia and it looks like she and Nico got Ethan handled.

"Hey, guys stop!" I look over to the teacher running over here and that's when I feel a pinch against my head knocking me against the wall, fuck. The teacher calls for backup and runs in between us, Luke and Ethan dirt out of there before the teacher gets them, but Thalia, Nico, and I just give each other blood-filled smiles.

Piper wasn't too happy with my week-long after-school detention, it was going to be longer but my mom's dating my English teacher ew.

We were happy to have set her up with a prank for her to get her detention with us, anyway, we bought chickens from a meat plant and she released them in the school making the staff run around all day, we later gave them to Rachel whose dad owns an animal sanctuary.

Two months later

Piper was sitting behind the counter at my job in the gift store aquarium, we have rarely been separated since that night, I don't mind she's surprisingly a good wing-woman,

she was sitting on my phone trying to find something embarrassing to make fun of me about, and I sat there watching the same fish documentary that's been playing since before I got here,

"Oh my god, I forgot you dress up as Sebastian from the little mermaid," I knew it was a mistake to set up that shared drive with Mom,

"Hey, you dressed up as a girl who got legs just so she could spread them," a mom gave me a dirty look while the six-year-old just looked at her confused as she dragged her kid out.

Piper glared at me too but I just gave her a smirk,

"I'm not judging you, I'm all for women's rights, you go girl be the bad bitch you were always meant to be," My smile grew at the teasing, Piper stood up and started hitting me.

"You're just pissed you can't get any because you're a crab,"

"do you wanna go there," I challenged and she looked at me defiantly,

"Bring it,"

"Crabs fuck, the dudes have tentacle penis,"

she looked appalled,

"They also prefer missionary, weirdly vanilla for having a tentacle penis,"

"Thanks, now I can't get that image out of my mind,"

"Anything for you beauty queen,"

We sat in a comfortable silence after that,

"Are you going to ask Annabeth to the dance?"

"Yeah, I'm just trying to think about how, she likes school, architecture, and owls, none of that is easy to work with,"

"Try something like Hogwarts,"

"Let's say that I somehow successfully acquired an owl to do that, how do you think she'll react to an owl flying at her, even if it's a little owl it has an eight-inch wingspan and its eyebrows make it look constantly pissed off. Listen, Piper, I love you, but that's a terrible idea for asking her out, prank brilliant idea absolutely genius, I'll keep that in mind,"

"How about Jason, have you talked to him yet,"

Piper looked down embarrassed,

"You know it's not your fault, have they been giving you issues again?"

"No, it's not that, what if he doesn't like me anymore because of it,"

"then he doesn't deserve you, look at me, " I stared into her eyes,

"The past shapes you, but it doesn't define you, what you went through was traumatic but you define what it means for you, and if Jason doesn't see you as the woman you are because of someone else's actions then fuck him he doesn't deserve you, you're wonderful you will meet a good man someday or woman if you swing that way"

There was a small smile on her face

"thanks, seaweed brain,"

"Anytime, that's what friends are for." I was my co-worker walking towards us.

"Now, let's get lunch I'm starving,"

Piper groaned

"Their vegan options suck here,"

"you should've packed your food then you knew I was working today,"

"Hey Percy,"

"Yeah,"

Thank you, for everything,"