The babysitter

Twelve

" Are you sure you want to pay for me, too?" I asked, rubbing my neck as I pulled my jacket around me. I felt bad that Dick was paying for me since he barley knew me.

" Yes, it's fine, Percy." He gave off a friendly sigh of slight annoyance. He just wanted to show Percy a good time before having to go back to his job in Blüdhaven. Plus, the small amount of information he has gotten from certain looks she's gives when she zones off and the neighborhood where she lives, she doesn't treat herself very often. Dick wanted to let her be free for a few hours before going back to her life that she doesn't deserve.

Percy breathed in deeply, then made a mental note to keep track of all the stuff he was paying for so she could pay him back later. She didn't want someone to waste money on her. " Where are we going first?"

" There's this carnival in Blüdhaven, so I figured that we would go there after lunch." Dick walked over to the garage off the loop of the driveway. He went to the passenger's side of a black Toyota Camry. It was an older model with a few small dents and minor scratches. He opened my door and gestured to it while bowing, " My lady."

I laughed and got into the car. After he shut my door he walked to his side and got in. He almost started the car before glancing at me and stopped. Glaring at me expectingly, I shrugged, " What?"

" Seatbelt."

I scoff teasingly, " You're such a goody goody."

He rolled his eyes, " Do you know how bad it would be if I got pulled over by my coworker and then they see you don't have a seatbelt on? Plus I could be saving your life."

" Are you saying you drive recklessly enough to get pulled over?" I ask innocently.

Dick scrunched his nose as he starts the car. " Whatever Jackson, you don't even have a car."

" Yeah, so I drive less recklessly then you." I shrug then look out the window, this is my first time going into the rich neighborhood since the manor is closer to the edge.

Dick grunts a few times trying to get a point, then gives up. I smirk as the silence grows longer and longer, " So, what made you want to be a cop."

Dick looked at me, then back at the road, " I wanted to help people the best I could."

" Like Nightwing?" I asked. I bit my lip trying to stop myself from laughing as Dick choked. He tried to regain his composure.

Then he sniffed and flicked his nose with his index finger mirroring Harry Styles. I only knew this because cabin ten talks about it all the time. " Yeah, I guess I just really wanted to make a difference. Ever since my parents died when I was younger, I wanted to put the guy who did it behind bars. And after that, I didn't want that to happen to anyone else."

I turn by attention from the buildings to Dick. Having no idea what to say since sorry doesn't help and you hear it a lot, but it's basically the only appropriate thing you can say without sounding insensitive. " I'm sure they're proud of you."

" I hope so." He mutters, as he takes an exit to get off the road.

" Dick." I heard him hum something in response, " I know they're proud of you. You help people everyday. And if your parents were anything like you, they would be over the moon."

Dick blushes and glances to his left, trying to hide his face but can't look away from the road. " But what about your parents? What are they like?"

" Um." I scrunched my eyebrows.

" You don't have to talk about it! I was just wondering." Dick blurted out, trying to make sure I didn't have to say anything I didn't want to.

" No, it's fine. I barley know my dad. He was lost at sea when I was born but I've met him a few times. But my mom, she was amazing. I never got in trouble for the shit I did, and she always believed me when I said I was just there at the wrong time and the wrong place." I smile, remembering the loving mother. Her dark brown hair, curly with a bit of gray showing through. Her blue eyes always sparkling, " And she made all her food blue, because she got into a fight with my stepdad. She was the most caring person I will ever know."

" She sounds like an amazing person." Dick smiles.

" She was, she really was." I smile.

After we got to the restaurant, Dick followed the waitress to the back of the diner. Sliding into the booth I look at the menu. " What do you normally get?"

" A cheeseburger. They make the best cheeseburgers." Dick slightly moans at the thought of the food.

" I'll just get that, then." I close the menu and lean back against the cushions of the booth. The diner was 60's themed with glossy booth seats and checkered tiles on the floor. The walls were decorated with stickers and pictures.

" What's your favorite milkshake?" Dick asked.

" Um, probably chocolate." I shrugged, not really caring since milkshakes were milkshakes.

" Alright." Dick nodded and started asking questions about me while the waitress came to get our food order.

After she left, Dick went back to asking questions until Molly, the waitress came back. She placed down two cheese burgers and two chocolate milkshake. Next to the burgers were a basket of fries. After taking a bite of the cheeseburger, I moaned and relaxed into the chair. " Your right, this is really good."

" Told you." After a few moments of munching on food, " Can I ask you something?"

" You just did." I smirk.

He rolls his eyes, " Would it be better blue?"

My eyes widen at the thought, then nod, " Everything is better blue."

He chuckles but gets interrupted by my phone ringing.

Frowning, I looked at the caller ID. My frown deepens as I answer it. I hold up a finger to Dick as I scoot out of the booth. " Hey, Neeks, what's up?"

" Percy, you need to come back to camp." Nico sniffed.

" Why, What's wrong?"

" It's Jason. He's..." Nico couldn't finish his statement. Kind of ironic that the ghost king couldn't tell me about a death.

" He's gone?" I ask quietly. Nico didn't answer, but his sobs did.

1094 words

6/21/21

Nico's a bit out of character at the end but Jason was basically his first and only friend. Besides Reyna.

Pieces Angels and Stay Safe