Chapter 8

Percy's head was hurting. He was lying on the couch, messaging his temples as Leo paced back and forth restlessly. Unfortunately, as much as he cared about his dear friend Leo, Percy just didn't care enough to hear his rantings. Something about… Cal.. Calypso? Strange name, Percy thought. But her name sounded familiar… But that didn't matter to Percy at the moment. After he met the blonde upstart, his head was hurting. A lot.

"Dudes! Are y'all even listening to me?"

"No," Percy dully stated. "We try our best not too."

Leo feigned a hurt expression. "Wow. Feels bad man."

"Honestly," Frank said as he shifted his position from his chair, "It seems to me you just have a crush on her."

Leo held up a t-sign made with his hands. Timeout.

"Woah, let's not make such a preposterous accusation here."

Jason, who was reading from his book, looked up and raised his eyebrows.

"Don't give me that look, Grace."

Percy got up from the couch and attempted to pinch Leo's cheeks.

"Aww," Percy said in the most condescending and sarcastic manner possible. "We were giving up on you, Valdez."

Leo scowled. "Excuse me?"

Jason laughed. "He's right. We were starting to think that you were going to build yourself a robot as a girlfriend."

"…Excuse me?"

"Oh, you know," Percy joked. "Build a robot and install a very, very naughty program that will let-"

"PERCY!"

Percy and Jason were too busy laughing while Frank's face glowed red after that vulgar joke.

"Douchebags." Leo murmured. "I have douchebags for friends."

Percy fist bumped Jason. "Thanks, we try our best."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Well, at least I'm not the one who's dying over a blonde chick I can barely talk to."

"Touché."

Jason gave a wide grin. "You should have seen him this morning when the blonde bumped into him."

"Don't you laugh, Grace." Percy glared at him. "You're the one who lost a pair of balls when talking to that Piper girl."

"At least I could hold a conversation with my crush."

"Stuttering doesn't count as one, bro."

Leo crossed his arms. "Oh, and Y'all were making fun of me for arguing with a girl."

"At least I could hold a 5-minute conversation with her."

Jason and Percy stared at Leo.

"Okay, maybe the 'conversation' involves a lot of yelling. Like a lot. But still, at least I can,-you know-TALK."

Frank watched his three friends arguing, trying to out-snark each other. He was amused at their desperate attempts in denial of their infatuation. It sort of cute to watch. He checked his phone to see that Hazel had texted him.

Hey, what are you up to right now?

Frank looked up at his phone to see Leo, Jason, and Percy yelling at each other.

Just having some bro time with the guys.

Hazel responded. Lol, I bet you guys are talking about the girls today, right?

She may be younger than the rest of his friends but she was extremely perceptive. Do you consider yelling in the same intellectual hemisphere as talking? Than yes.

Ugh. Boys. Are you willing to meet up with me later today?

Frank smiled. Hey, hey, hey, I thought I had to be the one who had to be assertive in this relationship.

Right… And how long did it take you to ask me out? Lol, jkjk. But still, it took you forever.

Frank shrugged when he read the message. It was true. He used to act like his friends were acting at the moment when he liked Hazel: too scared to do anything.

True dat… But still…

But still what?

Frank stared at his friends once more, recollecting his own memories of romance.

You can't really expect anyone to act rationally when it comes to romance.

Okay, mister. You can lecture me and recite poems all you want. So are you coming?

Frank got up from his seat. He may not know much about romance but as the only person in the room with a girlfriend, he felt some sort of qualification to make his statement: Percy, Jason, and Leo were in deep, deep trouble. But as he remembered his own memories with Hazel, he thought that perhaps, it would be trouble that would be worth it in the end.