daylight | percy jackson

luke gets in aria's bad books

"Luke!" Percy called out, excited to see the older boy.

Luke whipped around, surprise etched on his marred face.

"Percy! Oh thank the gods! Is Annabeth there with you?"

Annabeth, slightly blushing, peeked around Percy's shoulder, smoothing out her jacket.

Luke gave a look of relief.

"Is Grover there?" he asked again.

Grover gave a small wave and a soft smile at him, awkwardly looking at the "camera".

Luke faltered. "Uhh what was the other girl's name. Sorry, I forgot."

Aria was not impressed. With a crossing of her arms she said in a monotone voice.

"It's Aria."

Luke tried to give her a warm smile. "That's right. Riri! My fault. My mind's been a little distant lately."

"Again," Aria said, "it's Aria."

His smile faded. Good, she thought. Now she certainly didn't like him.

"So, uh, are you guys good?" Luke asked, moving past the awkwardness.

"Yeah, we're fine," Percy replied. "Just thought we were going to talk to Chiron. Where is he by the way?"

Luke leaned in as if sharing a secret. "Chiron's down in the cabins. We have been having a lot of issues with the campers."

Grover spoke up. "What kind of issues?"

Just as Luke was about to share, the ambient sounds of the city were suddenly drowned out by a booming bass. A vibrant car pulled into the car wash, its windows rattling with the intensity of the music. The rhythmic beats echoed through the building, momentarily disrupting the conversation.

Luke raised an eyebrow, glancing at the source of noise. "What's going on?"

"I'll go deal with it. Aria, Grover, you're with me." Annabeth said.

As they approached the blaring car, Aria peered through the tinted windows. "Ugh of course it's a 30 year old man going through a midlife crisis"

They reached the car, and Annabeth, with her no-nonsense attitude, approached the driver's window. "Excuse me, could you turn the music down? It's disrupting the area."

The driver, a man with an audacious grin, leaned out of the window. "Why don't you mind your own business, little girl."

Aria, unimpressed by his attitude, decided to take matters into her own hands. With a swift motion, she opened the car door and, with a dagger in hand, placed it against the man's neck. Her voice was calm yet assertive. "How about you show some respect or find another place to blast your fucking god awful music?"

The man's confident smirk faltered, and he quickly complied. "Yes, ma'am. No problem."

As the car drove away, leaving the car wash in relative peace, Grover looked at the girl with a new found awe, his mouth dropped. "Well, that's one way to handle it." he said.

Back at the rainbow, Percy, off call with Luke, looked slightly pale and visibly worried. Aria, noticing his demeanour, asked with a playful tone, "Jackson, why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"

Percy shook his head. "It's nothing, don't worry. Let's go eat."

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THE GROUP found themselves in a classic 50's- style diner. Booths lined the walls, each adorned with shiny chrome accents and red leather upholstery. The chequered floor tiles beneath them, gleamed under the harsh lighting, and the scent of freshly brewed coffee permeated the air. The jukebox near the entrance hummed with gentle tunes, occasionally crackling at certain parts.