Percy Jackson One Shots and Short Stories

#41 - She's With Me

Piper felt her eyes widen in surprise. For some reason, she'd always thought Drew was a boyfriend stealer. To be fair, Piper wasn't technically dating Jason when Drew had tried to swoop in and charm him away. Percy and Annabeth hadn't been dating either when she'd made a move on Percy.

Brady shook his head. "I don't think so?"

Drew's gaze flickered to the Hephaestus table, where Olivia was sitting, beside Lara. The girl was glaring straight daggers into the back of Drew's head, stabbing at her pancakes in a way that made Piper feel a little uncomfortable.

"Just wanted to say hi," Brady stammered out. "Um, hi."

Drew then did what the camp had named "The Hairflip". It was the move she usually pulled to mesmerise the boys she met, and when paired with her killer smile, even Piper had to admit she was good at it.

In this case, however, she performed the move with a touch of exasperation. "Go back to your girlfriend," Drew said firmly. "You're not free. Don't be a dick."

Piper choked on her orange juice, disguising her laughter as a cough. She caught the small smile that Drew sent her way.

"You heard her," Freddie told him curtly. He was one of Piper's half-brothers, the sibling she related most to. They weren't as caught up in the whole looks and love equation as the rest of their siblings.

Drew gave Brady the shooing motion, making him turn his back with red cheeks as he slumped on the way to his table.

"Gods, some people need a lesson in common sense," Drew said disdainfully. There's the tone we love, Piper thought with a touch of relief. She was just wondering if someone had pulled a switcheroo with the real Drew.

When Olivia slid into the seat next to Brady and they struck up a conversation, Piper turned her attention back to her sisters.

"That was good of you," she said quietly.

Drew didn't even look at her. "Yeah, well, guess I'm not as bad as everyone says."

That was just the beginning.

<<< >>>

The next time Piper remembered the events over breakfast, it was the morning of the next day. She was awoken by a loud shriek, instantly jolting awake as her right hand scrambled for Katoptris.

"What's going on?" she demanded, leaping to her feet as her adrenaline-flooded veins sent her heart into overdrive.

Shaking gasps and soft sobs rushed over Piper as she realised who had screamed — Drew.

"Oh my gods," Piper tossed her dagger back into her bed as she waded her way through the piles of clothes on the floor towards her sister's bed. "Drew, what—"

A chilling cold rippled down her spine as Piper angled her gaze to the ceiling just above Drew's bed. Her wracked pants filled the silence as their other siblings got up.

The words "BACK OFF" were crudely sprawled across the wooden boards, the red ink dripping onto Drew's cheek.

"Let's get you cleaned up," Piper hurried, beckoning her other siblings to come forward.

Everyone was frozen.

"Is-is that blood?" one of her younger half-sisters whimpered.

Piper hesitantly reached out and wiped off a drop of paint on one of Drew's white pillows. She sniffed it and exhaled heavily. "No, spray paint. Whoever did this obviously meant it as a threat."