Twang, twang, twerm!

Jason grimaced and frustratedly re-positioned the guitar against his torso. How long had he even been playing? It felt like hours, but in reality, was probably edging closer to thirty minutes. It was past 9 o'clock, but luckily, his bedroom was located on the side of the house opposite of his dad's, so as long as he wasn't hooking the thing up to a ramp and throwing a concert in his room, the noise was hardly a concern.

Mentally preparing himself to actually sit down and practice the instrument was another factor. It had been two weeks since he'd accepted the gift from Percy, and as suspected, it resided in his closet, collecting dust and burdening him with a guilty mind. It's not like it was by choice; Jason had other priorities to attend to in the first place, such as school, clubs, and friends. After days and days of being urged on by Percy at work, Jason finally decided he'd set aside time to sit down and pick up on the bass, only to prove that it was more of a challenge to learn than he'd initially hoped.

As he readied himself for more practice, his session was plagued by interruption as his phone began to vibrate atop his nightstand. Without even setting the instrument down, Jason leaped across his room and snatched his cell phone off the table, quickly checking the caller ID before thumbing answer.

"'Ello?"

"Bay-beee," Piper responded in a mocking yet affectionate tone. "I'm surprised you answered, actually. Isn't it past your bedtime?"

"Ha ha," Jason coined. "Very funny."

"Something tells me you didn't actually think that was funny..."

"Sorry, I think you m might actually be right about it being past my bedtime. I'm extra grumpy tonight. Agh, it's been an altogether crappy day, I guess... Oh, snap, sorry,- again- did you need something?"

Piper snorted on the other end.

"Yeah, I can tell you're tired. I just wanted to remind you about my mom's birthday on Friday," she paused. "Can you still make it, or...?"

"Definitely, I wouldn't forget-" Jason nearly froze before he was able to finish his sentence. "Wait, that's tomorrow. Shit, shit, shit! I told Percy I'd-"

This time, he froze mid-sentence, momentarily submerging the call in heavy silence.

"Uh, if something's come up, it's fine by me-"

"No, I'll totally be there! I just need to sort a few things out, but you can count on me. I'll remind Sadie to whip up the bruschetta in the morning. Just, uh, hang tight, okay?"

"What did you plan with Percy?"

More silence.

Jason scratched his ear awkwardly, not completely sure how to break the ice.

"...Band practice?"

A girly guffaw sounded from Piper's end, followed by a squeal of excitement.

"A band?! When did this happen? Jason, this is seriously cool! I didn't even know you could play an instrument!"

"That's the thing," Jason smirked against the phone, "I don't yet."

"I'm sensing some miscommunication here. You joined a band..."

"Yup-"

"Yet you don't play an instrument?"

Jason blinked, wondering where exactly she was taking things.

"Uh, yeah. I thought I said that..."

"So you joined a band because you look good then, right?"

Jason wasn't exactly sure how to answer his girlfriend. Why would Percy ask him to join a band because of how he looked? Then again, a sense of closure washed over the blond, as if a question that had been nagging at him was suddenly answered. Oh, riiight. Someone could have slapped him in the face and screamed that truth at him, but Jason would've still been oblivious if it weren't for Piper.

Why did Percy ask me to be in his band? Because I look the part, or am capable of looking the part.

"Pipes, you're the smartest person in the whole wide world."

"You know it."

"I'm kissing you so hard tomorrow."

"Ugh, shut up, lover boy. Go finish your homework or something," Piper played, a smile evident in her voice.

3:37 AM

Pretty girls, my pretty girlfriend, brownies, weird band guys who force you to learn guitar, bad vibes... Bad... Vibrations? No, literal vibrations. Something's vibrating-

With a groan, Jason blindly patted his bed, his fingers desperate to silence the annoying sensation that had pulled him from his slumber. His fingers wrapped around his phone, and the screen lit up with none other than Percy Jackson's ID photo; a seahorse with angry cartoon eyebrows drawn on. Was it worth precious sleep to talk to him? Probably not. Then again...

"Do you know what time it is?" Jason slurred sourly into his phone.

"Jeez, chill, I just barely got ahold of the guy playing keyboard with us tomorrow!"

"This couldn't have waited till morning?"

Percy burst into a small fit of laughter on the other end.

"Jackson, are you high?"

"No, I also wanted to ask if you've seeked out any drummers," Percy responded, as if that was a valid reason to disrupt Jason's beauty sleep.

"Nnnngh," Jason groaned into his pillow.

"Grace, you know how hot it gets me when you moan like a moose into your blanky..."

"Want me to ask Leo in the morning?" Jason asked more abruptly than expected, hoping to get the point across to his new-found bandmate.

"...Isn't he your best friend? You have a best friend who knows how to play the drums and you didn't consider this days earlier?"

"I'm new to all of this, okay? I didn't put much thought to it until-"

"This phone call?"

"Dude, I'll text Leo in the morning. He'd probably kill me if I woke him up at this hour for that."

"Anything else I should know?"

Jason rubbed his eyes, tempted to hang up and turn his phone off to avoid the bugger that was Percy Jackson.

"I'm catering my girlfriend's mom's birthday tomorrow, so I won't be able to stay long."

A wailing noise could be heard from the line, probably loud and grueling enough to disturb Jason's household more than his wretched attempt at bass.

"You're definitely high as balls, man. See you on the morrow."

Beep.

"Seriously, guys, focus. Winter Fling is in two weeks, and the drama and dance department are overflowing with students! Not to mention we're incorporating the art exhibit in this year, so there'll be twice as many parents stuffed into the theater," Reyna proclaimed as she rubbed her temples, clearly the only leader in the Jupiter high council focused on the upcoming events.

Frank scratched his chin, watching the other members and awaiting their reactions before putting his own ideas forward. He kept glancing down at the time on his phone, obviously eager to be elsewhere.

"Reyna, all this stress can be avoided if we can all just agree on my idea to separate the fling into two separate events, one next-next Friday and the other on the following Friday!" Octavian snapped, clearly annoyed, as per usual.

"The Winter Fling has never been a "two part" event, and frankly, we're not breaking that tradition, especially considering that will put stress on the drama department. They won't be able to use the theater for an entire week. We'll be held responsible for the idiots who decide to book it off campus, and trust me, there are idiots in that class who will ditch campus if they're going to be stuck in the north-wing hall for an entire week!"

"Oh, boo-hoo! Lock them in a spare classroom, or a closet, for all I care! There's no way we're fitting hundreds of parents in that theater at once, not in a domestic matter, at least," Octavian sneered. Him and Reyna shared a hateful stare, causing Frank to uncomfortably text on his phone while things blew up.

Jason sat idle in his seat, eyeballing the two quarreling teens. Although Octavian was being obnoxious (also as per usual), the guy had a pretty decent point. Sure, Jupiter high was all about tradition, but with the huge amount of students enrolled, it wasn't a completely unreasonable idea to separate the event into two parts. There were spare rooms the drama kids could stay in during the week...

"Hey, maybe Octavian's right," Jason finally interrupted.

All council members turned to look at him, and when he met eyes with Reyna, a familiar spark of betrayal was evident in her eyes. Tradition meant a lot to her- to the whole school- but sometimes it just wasn't efficient.

"...Well, unless we expand our horizons. What if the event is prolonged... Started at an earlier time, and we set up different venue areas for the different departments? Drama and dance in the theater during separate time slots, art and whatever else comes along in the cafeteria? There can be intervals, and everybody can just... Switch off."

Everybody's faces filled with consideration, besides Octavian, who merely snorted loudly.

"We'd have to get permission to use the freaking cafeteria, and we all know how long it takes for the school to get back to us on these things! Come on, is that-"

"Actually, Jason's idea isn't at all bad. I can go to the Principal and get approval almost immediately, if it means keeping the fling to a one night experience," Reyna cut in, earning a death glare from Octavian.

"I was thinking along those lines, too," Frank finally spoke. "We can start the event, at, say, five o'clock, instead of seven, and run it until midnight. It'll be a Friday, the first day of winter break as well, so there won't be much of an argument there. I'll go with you to talk to the principal, Reyna. It's probably the best idea yet."

The council members' faces filled with relief as Reyna tapped her gavel against the stone block in front of her, signifying the closure of discussion.

"Jupiter High student council is dismissed, on that note."

Fellow members began to pile out as the leaders collected their notes and belongings, and Octavian could be heard in the distance, undoubtedly trash-talking Jason and probably going on about how nobody ever listens to him. Jason stood, quick to collect his things, and hightailed for the door.

"Jason."

He froze in place at the sound of Reyna's voice, and quickly turned to face her. She slowly approached him, as if not to startle the boy. She had grown more mature since the time they had stopped dating, not only physically but also in the way she carried herself. Reyna had the aura of an adult, a leader, clearly someone aware of what's going on around her. Her hair had grown longer, her features sharper, and she stood with the confidence of a ruler. Jason always liked to think she'd end up as president, or something along those lines.

"Thanks for putting that out there; it really is a smart idea," she praised, her demeanor calm. Jason's eyes flitted to Frank, who was pretending not to watch them, but was obviously eavesdropping.

"Hey, you would've figured it out. Can't let Octavian take control of things. That would be like... Octavian taking control of things," he joked, earning a smile from his former girlfriend. Suddenly, her disposition changed, and something nostalgic washed over her face. Uh oh.

"I miss you," she confessed, lightly enough as to apparently not alert Frank of her words.

Jason shifted his weight uncomfortably and re-positioned the strap to his guitar case, which was flung over his shoulder. Reyna's eyes danced over the strap, and now curiosity flooded her features. She opened her mouth to speak, only to have Jason to beat her to it.

"You know... I'm with Piper, Reyna."

Suddenly, the curiosity and nostalgia disappeared, and was instead replaced with bitter anger.

"Is that seriously all you think of me? As your bitter ex who's just begging for another chance, Jason? Why can't I just miss your presence; your friendship? Why do you avoid me like the plague, and act like I'm some sick puppy who intends to make you feel bad for what's in the past? Isn't there such thing as platonic liaison after break ups, or is that just another responsibility for you?"

Jason was completely frozen, his mouth agape. That escalated quickly.

"Reyna, I-"

"Save it. You know, I'm happy whatever ties we had are broken, then. Sorry for "coming on" to you, or for letting you know I miss you, but I really don't regret ending things. I guess it's better we stay strangers," she teethed, before swiveling around the shocked youth and prying open the door.

"I gotta lock up the classroom, boys."

Frank locked eyes with Jason, his eyes wide in shock. He mouthed, 'What just happened?' to his acquaintance, only to result in Jason dropping his gaze in shame. Once they were all out of the room, Fran waved Jason off and began to quickly make his way towards the school's main office, Reyna following slowly behind.

"Reyna," Jason insecurely called to her.

She turned to look at him, not stopping, but merely slowing her pace.

"I'm really sorry."

"Yeah, well, I feel sorry for you. Don't forget to bring the gross testing stats on Monday, okay?"

With that, she quickened her pace to catch up with Frank, and Jason nearly slammed his head into the wall for being an idiot.

"Band practice at work?" Leo ran his hand through his curls as he followed Jason through the busy New York streets, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as the midday sun shone down on them.

"Actually, Percy's just hooking us up with drums, and then we're heading out to some unknown location where he'll likely tell us this is just a big joke and then continue on to drug us and kill us."

"That's reassuring," Leo huffed as he wiped at his hairline. "But, seriously. He had to buy you the guitar, and something tell's me he can't afford to throw down on drums, so how exactly are we acquiring a set of expensive bad boys?"

"Maybe he's selling his body on the corner as we speak, I don't know," Jason grumbled as they approached the block The Starving Musician was located on. "He just has his heart set on starting this band, so without a doubt, he'll find a way to get the things."

As the two got closer to the shop, Percy's pickup truck could be seen parked in front of the shop, and none other than Percy Jackson was hoisting what appeared to be the last part of a drum set into the back carry area. Once he finally got the thing hoisted up, a loud clash! could be heard, followed by a shout of surprise as two drum barrels bounced onto the pavement and rolled away.

"A little help!"

Leo and Jason immediately broke into a sprint, quick to grab the runaway drums and hoist them back into the carry area. The boys panted harshly, both now covered in sweat, as Percy closed the panel and tied the set down. He let out a breath of relief and leaped down onto the pavement, fanning his face with his hand.

"Thanks, guys, those things are heavier than expected. Plus, nothing better than watching two teenagers frantically chase drums down the street," Percy quipped, before reaching his hand out to Leo, who immediately took it.

"I believe we've met before... But, not like, officially met. Leo, right?"

"The man, the legend, the... Latino."

"I'm Percy. I'm sure you've had the joy of listening to Jason complain off the bat about me."

"Ah, yes, complaining is an art Jay-boy here has mastered."

Jason rolled his eyes, but was clearly happy the boys were bonding. Maybe this band was a good idea after all. As the boys slowly made their way into the car, though, Jason nearly put a pedal to things.

"Whoa, hold up, Leo, I call shotgun."

"No way, man! First come, first serve. You get to be the backseat driver."

"But that's not fair, I'm taller than you!"

Percy looked at the two, unimpressed, and shut his door.

"Scrunch up in a little ball, then!"

Jason nearly pulled Leo out of the seat and threw him to the curb, but decided against it. He pursed his lips at his best friend, aware that he was pulling this just for the sake of getting under Jason's skin, and crawled into the back seat.

"You heard Leo, Jason. Curl up in a ball..."

"I'm fine, actually," Jason retorted, his legs clearly cramped against the back of the seat. "I just don't understand how it's possible for a truck that's this big to be so small inside. Are those clown cars at the circus, like, the reverse of this?"

"I think you're just a giant, man," Leo responded.

"Don't worry, if you're lonely, you'll have company soon," Percy winked into the rear-view mirror, earning an eyebrow raise from Jason. Oh, right, they still has to pick up the keyboardist.

"Are you sure this guy is gonna fit back here with me? We can strap him to the roof..."

"He's remarkably smaller than you, to say the least."

"All this crap went down in student council? Jeez, I would've joined Half Blood High's if I knew it's that much fun," Percy said, his elbow propped up on the driving wheel as he tapped his chin. Leo squinted out the window, the sun sitting lower in the sky, indicating it was nearing nighttime.

"It's not fun, not at all, and I'm pretty sure Reyna has a death wish for me now."

"Oh, come on, I doubt she wants you dead for something as stupid as that. She probably just thinks you have literal jello for brains. Let's face it, all teenage guys are dirtbags," Percy admitted, earning an approving nod from Leo.

"Yup. See, you were a dirtbag without even trying. It's natural instinct for us to jump to conclusions and mess up everything!" Leo added enthusiastically, before slamming his arm against the window sill. "Okay, where is this guy, and why is he taking ten years to get in the freaking car?"

"His name's Nico and I don't know anything except that he has no perception of time, so I had a feeling this would happen."

Jason glanced at the time on his phone.

6:30 PM.

Piper's mom's birthday was at 8, and at this point, the group would probably only have twenty minutes to actually practice considering they still had to get to their destination and set up. Jason stayed quiet, not wanting to make Percy feel rushed, when the door opposite of him was yanked open. A wave of hot air poured into the air conditioned car, causing Leo to twitch in discomfort. Suddenly, a keyboard was shoved into Jason, who nearly shoved the thing back out, but instead re-propped the thing into a more comfortable fixation. Following this, in crawled a skinny boy, who, as Percy mentioned, was relatively shorter and skinnier than Jason.

"Hey, sorry that took so long. I had some, uh, ordeals to attend to," spoke Nico in a smooth tone; not the high-pitched-barely-past-puberty squeak that Jason had expected. The two locked eyes for a moment, Jason clearly unmoved. For some reason, he had expected a strange character, but this kid was all too... normal? Probably verging on goth, but normal.

"Nico, my man! It's all good. Up here's Leo and your backseat buddy there is Jason. You ready to burst out some sick tunes?"

"More than I'll ever be," Nico laughed, clearly nervous. He was obviously younger, even if just by a small shot, so it was respectable. Jason turned to the boy, immediately gaining his attention.

"Sorry for the cramped space, by the way. Cursed with being a mobile tree trunk, here," Jason apologized and pointed to his legs for emphasis.

"Well, then, I guess it's a good thing I'm not one," Nico played in response, earning a smile from the older blond.

"Short team for the win!" Leo fist pumped in the front seat, and with that, they were on the road once more.

"Uh, where exactly are we, Percy?" Nico was leaning over the front seat as to speak directly to him. Percy glanced around skeptically, and turned down a rural road, only to nearly step on the breaks.

"Wait, this isn't right. I followed the directions to the q, but I have no idea where we are," Percy said, scratching his skelp.

"Jason warned me you were going to kill us. This is wonderful," Leo complained, desperately looking around, as if he would somehow figure out where they were supposed to go.

The sky was growing dark at that point, and as far as Jason's knowledge went, they were past the outskirts of the city. Piper lived in the heart of it. Part of him itched to say something, or to apologize and tell Percy they could get together later because he had to leave, but another part of him didn't want to soil the night for them. Nico still leaned against the seat, staring out into the scenary as it fell to the shadows. Jason's phone buzzed and he quickly checked his messages.

Piper, 7:15 PM

Hey, what time do you think you'll be here? You can come a little late if you need, we have a lot more food than expected, but I just want you here.

Another idea popped into Jason's head.

"Um... Percy, we might not find this place. Is there anywhere back in the suburbs we can practice? Just for tonight?"

"Well, I guess we can find somewhere-"

BGGGGGGRRRRrrrrrr...

The entire car went still, and the boys fell completely silent.

"Percy?"

"Uh, yeah, Nico?"

"You forgot to fill up your tank before we came out here, didn't you."

"...Surprisingly, no."

"Then what just happened?"

"I'll tell you what's happening," Leo interjected. "The serial killer is going to appear in, like, ten seconds, unless we send someone out to 'look for help'. Now, it ain't going to be me, but-"

"This is going to be a long night," Jason sighed.