You Always Have What Other's Don't ~a Percy Jackson AU~

V Piper

Y'all can yell at me all you want for not updating,  I deserve it. But I just wanna say I'm sooooooooo going to live in New York.

Also 10k reads what the fuck people like my writing this is bullshit.

Piper felt all eyes on her as she sat down at the lunch table with a sandwich.
"What?" She asked, growing increasingly uncomfortable by the blank stares.
"Um.. Piper.. aren't you suppose go to that gala with your dad on Friday?"
"We wouldn't want your dress to be too tight."
"No, Piper. Not at all."
Piper sighed, and tossed her lunch into the trash. Her friends smiled triumphantly,  a chorus of "We're proud of you!" filled the table.

But were they? Piper had thought about that question a lot, especially recently. It had always seemed like her friends were living vicariously through her, instead of with her. They cared about what she was wearing every morning, they cared about what she ate, but nonetheless failed to care when she was crying in the bathroom.
That was one time. Piper told herself. They're your friends,  for gods sake.
Her friends we're enjoying their lunch immensely, mostly of them salads, as Piper watched longingly.

But then two girls trotted over with a card bigger than New York itself.
The littler, blonde one spoke first. "Hi! Um, would you be willing to sign a card for Hazel Levesque? She's, um, in the hospital and we wanted to show our support."
"She's been in the hospital longer than Mitchell's held on to his virginity," someone snickered. The entire table erupted in a rich laughter, and with one backwards glare, Piper silenced them.
Piper's "best friend", Drew, spoke. Her smile as fake as her personality. "No, we're okay, thanks for asking though."
Passive aggressiveness seeped through her every word. Drew had the effect in which she could tell people off, but say it in such a way that they would take it as a compliment.
"Oh.. um, are you sure? It'll take like two seconds."
"Yes, I'm sure," she replied impatiently.
Piper paused for a moment. "I'll sign it."
Drew shot daggers of pure hatred in her direction. Piper thought that the pimple on her forehead might have popped.
"Really? You will?"
Piper gave her an authentic smile and nodded. The card itself was basic, the kind hallmark would sell for ¢99. The pink card stock flapped loosely in the December breeze. In boring Helvetica, the words of a generic message was printing on the inside of the card. Hazel's name was add in blue pen to the bottom, to complete the message "Feel Better, Hazel!"
Piper nearly scribbled out her name among the dozens of others, and watched as the girl squealed a thank you and ran off absolutely delighted.
"What the fuck, Piper?"
Piper turned to her, her smile quickly fading. "What?"
Drew scoffed. "No offense, but that was a pretty bitch move."
Piper, perplexed, furrowed her eyebrow. "The girl is in the hospital, Drew. Have some sympathy."
"Well.. we don't even know Hazel, right? It's kinda rude to sign her card if we don't even know her." Drew explained.
Piper eyes almost rolled into the back of her head. No matter how stupid her social standards, Piper knew that Drew would fight her into her old age. She decided it wasn't worth her time arguing about something as stupid as someone else's get well card. Her phone vibrated like a heartbeat in her pocket.

Look up. 3 o'clock.
-J

Piper beamed and looked in the direction on the imaginary compass. Jason stood there his hands shoved into his letterman. He took out his phone, his case the color of superman blue, and three dots appeared on her side of the screen.

Ambrosia's later?

Piper's mouth watered by the thought of the best coffee in town. The café itself was unknown, but great because of it. Just as she finished typing the last word in her reply, her finger hovered over the send button hesitantly. This was so wrong, for the both of them. She feel like Jason's dirty mistress.

But damn, did it feel good too.

Almost on cue, Reyna ran up to him and flung her arms around his neck. She kissed him passionately, but Jason didn't even flinch. Through the entire kiss with his girlfriend, Jason kept his eyes glued on Piper.

She tore her eyes away from the awful make out session and deleted her message to Jason. With regretful click, she shut off her phone.
Drew, eyeing her suspiciously, tried to make small talk. "So Pipes, who are you bringing to the gala?"
Immediately, she thought of Jason, but quickly wiped the thought away.
"Oh.. um, I'm not sure yet."
"Well, clearly you have someone in mind."
Piper clenched her jaw, but didn't give into her petty ways.
Who was she kidding, petty was Piper's middle name.
"I was thinking about Dylan," she said with a spurious smile, poisonous honey dripping through her ever word.
The mention of Drew's ex made her skin crawl. "Oh. How.. Nice.." Drew said with the least convincing grin she could muster.
"So, I have you're blessing?" Piper asked, picking up her bag from the bench. Without waiting for her response, she blew Drew a kiss. "Thanks, bestie."
Piper left the table with the satisfying image of Drew's frustrated red face.

***

The moment she arrived home, Piper collapsed on her bed. Her soft pink sheets felt like a safe oasis ready to welcome her home. Freshly washed, they smelled like Easter and joy. Although the aroma of her room wafted of Spring and flowers, Piper could already see the first drizzle of snow from her window
She sighed and turned on her phone. 43 snapchats, 7 iMessages, and 13 Instagram notifications. Piper only cared for about one of them.

Hey, are we still on for tonight?
- J

Instead of responding instantly, as she usually did, Piper ignore it. Guiltily and reluctantly, she texted Dylan about the Gala. Three seconds later, an acceptance text came from the same guy. She tossed her phone onto the floor and rolled onto her back. Her infatuation with the captain of the football team was getting too much, it needed to end. Jason had a girlfriend, he was cheating on her, it was wrong. What would stop him from eventually doing the same to Piper? He wouldn't even break up with Reyna for her. What's that to say about their affair?

Piper heard her phone buzzed another several times from the floor. She shut her eyes and once again decided it could wait. Was she just not good enough for him? What would she have to do to finally win him completely? A lump formed in her throat. Piper had dealt with being controlled, ignored, and misunderstood enough. If she was going to do something about it, it would have to be bold, and it would have to be on her on terms.
Piper walked straight into her bathroom, despite her phone singing the ringtone she had specifically set for Jason.
Piper practically flipped her entire vanity upside down, ruining her meticulously organized drawers. Finally, she found what she was looking for. A pair of barber's scissors.
Piper stared herself down in the mirror. If this wouldn't get Jason's attention, she didn't know what would.

Piper brought the scissors up around her shoulders, and began to cut her hair.

(I lowkey also rewrote chapter 3 because it sucked so you can check that out too 😘)

You guys know the drill, 20 comments for another update!

I made it about 100 words longer because I felt guilty 😬. Once again, sorry guys! If it helps, next chapter is Jason! Is there anyone you guys want to hear from after that? Frank? Leo? Maybe someone already previously mentioned? Let me know!
-Margeaux

(Also I changed up my profile a bit, don't panic!)