TUESDAY
Frank was walking Hazel to her next class, the one she had with Nico. His blood ran cold in his veins when Hazel stopped dead in her tracks and grabbed his arm with a little too much force.
"Oh, my gods!"
Frank started to search frantically for the threat, but he only saw students in their lockers.
"What? What happened? Are you hurt? Are you seeing a monster?"
There are no monsters in this world!
You never know.
"No, I just forgot about the play!"
"The... play? What play?"
"Peter Pan!"
Oh, the drama club play. I was thinking something about a game.
"That's okay, Hazel. I already bought our tickets."
Her panicked face gave way to a surprised smile.
"You did? That's so nice of you, Frank. But no, I need to make the others go to!"
Ouch! Can she let go of our arm? They're squeezing it.
Frank gently rubbed her hands, and she loosed her grasp.
"Which others?"
"The demigods. I promised a... friend? I would drag as much people to the play as I could. And I completely forgot!"
Why did she hesitate on 'friend'?
I have no idea, but I won't push her.
Frank held her hand, still rubbing it to calm her down and dragged her to the side so they would get out of the middle of the hallway. He started saying.
"Well, you can send a text to them..."
Hum... your girlfriend? Really?
Hazel was probably thinking the same thing, because she was looking at him as incredulous as if he suggested she should get a green wig and dance in the middle of the hallway.
"Maybe I can do it for you?"
She debated with herself and Hannah, but ended up nodding.
"You're amazing, Frank. What if they ask why they should go? How are we going to convince them?"
"Well, we can just say it's an excellent opportunity for them to feel like normal teenagers who go to a normal school."
"That's an excellent idea!"
"I'll text them for you."
"Thanks, Frank! Hi, Nico."
Good God! This guy comes out of nowhere!
He's a little too silent for his own good.
He creeps me out a little.
You get used to it.
Did you?
Well... I'm not scared of him.
Creeped out?
... Maybe a little.
Ha!
But I can, I saw what Nico can do, and that's some creepy stuff.
Nico just nodded to both of them, keeping his distance, but with a warm look in his eyes when looking at Hazel.
"Hi, Hazel. Frank."
Hazel let go of Frank's hand to take a step closer to her brother.
"Nico, are you going to the play? Peter Pan?"
Nico turned to look at Frank.
"Are you going with Hazel, Frank?"
Why is he asking this?
I have no idea.
"Uh, yes."
Nico nodded in approval, before waving goodbye.
"Good, then I don't need to go."
Huh.
Okay then.
Frank landed a hand over Hazel's shoulder, to give her support, since her brother's refusal obviously hurt her.
***
F: Hey, guys. Did it work?
PJ: What worked?
J: Frank? Why are you texting me?
W: If what worked?
F: Group text. I guess it did.
R: Why were you trying group text?
A: Why are everyone texting during class?
A: Frank, I didn't expect it from you. Percy maybe, but not you.
PJ: Hey!
R: Is there a reason why you did this Frank?
W: I don't care for his reasons, I'm bored, anything is better than class.
J: I'm with Will.
A: Frank, stop this nonsense.
F: Actually, I did it as a favor for Hazel.
PJ: Hazel? Why is she not saying anything then?
R: Maybe because none of you shut up long enough to let her text. You know she takes her time.
W: Can we go back to our world? I can't stand being a girl anymore!
PJ: I can't stand classes anymore! When I finally finished high school and Annabeth stopped pestering me about studying...
J: I always wondered what I missed being raised inside the legion.
PJ: BANG! Mortal world, school AGAIN!
J: Now I know, and I'm missing our crazy world more than ever.
R: It's a shame that they don't really try to make the teaching less boring.
A: Even I agree on this one.
W: I don't care about study! I care about being a guy again! I would study even... give me a terrible subject.
PJ: Math.
R: Reproduction of flatworms.
J: Industrial Revolution.
A: Quantic. It's fascinating, but really confusing.
W: Whatever, I would study all of those if I could be a boy again.
W: No, this is not a promise!
PJ: That's actually a terrible curse. "I wish you have to study calculus for the rest of your life and never understand!"
F: Guys.
PJ: Or "that you dream about all kinds of insects reproducing!"
A: Flatworms are not insects.
PJ: You got the idea.
F: Guys.
J: What is your least favorite subject, Frank?
F: GUYS! Can we focus?
W: We're focusing. Least favorite subjects.
R: Do you have one of these, Annabeth?
A: Knowledge is power. However, some knowledges are always a bore.
PJ: I'm totally saving this. If I can't send it to our world, you're my witnesses.
F: Guys, are you going to the play? Peter Pan?
J: Frank, don't try to change the subject.
R: Give us an example, Annabeth.
PJ: I can't wait to hear this.
A: You mean read this.
J: Annabeth, stop copying Frank and trying to change the subject.
F: Guys, Hazel promised a friend she would convince as many people she can to go.
W: Wait, why is Nico not here?
J: Why is Piper not here?
F: I added her, I don't know why she's not answering.
J: Does anyone know where she is? I didn't see her today.
PJ: I had a class with her yesterday.
W: I have a class with her tomorrow.
R: Annabeth, you didn't answer.
J: Where is Piper?
PJ: Ask Claire, that crazy girl is always with her.
J: Does anyone have her number?
W: Piper's?
J: Of course not, Claire's.
W: I do.
PJ: You do?
W: Claire is such a sweetheart she was even friends with this annoying person that is my... host?
J: Host makes you look like an alien.
PJ: As long as he doesn't rip her stomach to get free...
R: That's a disturbing image.
PJ: Ever watched this movie, Reyna?
R: What movie?
PJ: That was a no. We're totally watching it.
F: GUYS! Are you going or not?
W: Going where?
J: You lost me, Frank.
F: The play.
J: When?
W: Saturday.
F: Are you going?
W: It's not like I have an option; her friends are dragging me.
J: If I can talk to Piper, maybe.
R: No, I'm busy. Personal problems, don't have time to waste with it.
P: I'm going. Jordan and Jay bought tickets, so Jodi made me buy it today because she doesn't want to babysit them alone. Annabeth, I bought yours too.
A: I'm not going.
F: Why not?
A: Because if I go out with Percy again, I'll have to face my step mother again, and I don't want to go through the same nightmare from Halloween.
R: What happened that Halloween?
J: Besides getting wet.
W: Did your carriage turned into a pumpkin?
W: Wait. Did you get wet?
A: Someone threw me in the pool.
W: Who?
A: You really need to ask?
PJ: In my defense, everyone jumped in the pool. And I didn't throw you. I jumped. Coincidence or not, I was carrying you at that time.
A: Coincidence? Really?
A: And you were the first one to jump! Everyone just followed suit.
PJ: See, that proves how awesome was my idea.
R: Why jumping in a pool?
PJ: Why have a pool and not jumping in?
W: Wait, you have a pool?
J: No, the party they went was in a house with a pool.
A: Wait, how do you know that, Jason?
J: Leo.
PJ: Right, he was there with some other guy.
A: Who was that, by the way?
PJ: No idea.
J: He's a guy that works with Leo.
J: Frank, aren't you going to invite Leo?
F: Right, that is probably a good idea.
***
J: Can't reach Claire either.
Both Piper and Claire not answering their phones.
Do you think they're okay?
I'm thinking about trying her office. It's where they spend their time, right?
When Frank knocked the closed door and Piper opened, he tried to mask his surprise.
"Are you ok? You look..."
Piper sneezed, turning her head to her side.
"Like a truck ran over me, I know. I got the flu, and slept terrible."
She sneezed and coughed a couple of other times, before motioning for Frank to get inside.
"Trish! My father called! He's taking me out to dinner tonight! Just us! Yay! And guess what, Aunt Mary is coming for Christmas! And she's pregnant! I can't wait to have another cousin! Hi there! Who are you?"
Did she breathe during this sentence?
Is she hyper or just excited? She keeps bouncing on her feet.
Piper motioned tired with a hand to the girl with glasses.
"Felix, this bubbly creature here is Claire, Tri... my friend."
Wait...
He whispered to Piper.
"Uh... the one who can't meet Leo?"
Claire perked up.
"Who's Leo?"
Hyper and with excellent hearing.
Piper's voice was tired when she answered.
"The one who sang with you in karaoke."
Too late, they already did.
"Oh, yes! He's an amazing singer."
Has she heard the same Leo we did?
"You only think that because he sang with you."
"Trish, I love you, but you don't know how to recognize true talent."
Piper rolled her eyes, groaned with pain and turned back to Frank.
"So, why are you here, Fr... Felix?"
Claire shrugged and left them alone.
"Hannah wanted to ask if you would come to the play. I tried texting you, but you didn't answer."
"Yeah, sorry about that, my phone ran out of battery and I forgot the charger. You were saying... the play? Peter Pan?"
"Jason said he's going if you go with him."
"I... don't know, I need to see if I'm going to Claire."
"Why not both?"
Piper raised an eyebrow and groaned again.
Apparently, facial expressions are painful.
Can you take a step back? We live alone and I rather not get sick.
Frank discreetly took a step back.
"And make her a third wheel? Besides, I'm not sure how Claire would react to Jason. Or John, in this case."
"Wait, she doesn't know you two are dating?"
"Well... neither Trish or I have any idea of how to tell her, so..."
Frank opened his mouth, but Piper interrupted before he said anything.
"Don't even bother. We know, we need to tell her, we owe her that, just... not yet. Let me ask her."
Piper waved her hand until Claire saw her through her peripheral vision and came to stand next to them again.
"Hey, Claire, are we going to the play together?"
"Huh... I was thinking about going with Daniel, actually, that's why I didn't say anything to you about going. I had no idea you would want to! I'M SO SORRY! I can cancel or talk to him and you go with us and..."
Damn girl, breathe. You're making me dizzy by saying this without breathing.
Piper held two hands in front of her.
"Woah, wait! I don't want to be a third wheel!"
Claire scrunched her eyebrows.
"Third wheel between who?"
Piper motioned with her hand between Claire and an imaginary guy beside her.
"You and this... Daniel."
"'This' Daniel? But... you know him..."
She put her hands down, coughed, before talking again.
"I do? When I met him?"
"Last winter? We went to visit my aunt and..."
Recognition lit Piper's expression.
"Oh! That Daniel? I had no idea you were talking about Danny."
Claire sighed.
"You know he hates to be called Danny."
"That's the only reason I call him Danny and he knows it."
Claire laughed quietly before gesturing to her phone over her table.
"So, do you want me to text him and ask if it's okay for you to tag along?"
Piper shook her head and then held it groaning with pain.
"No, no need to bother. I was just asking to know if you were counting on me without me knowing, but if you aren't, then we're good. You can go back at doing... whatever you were doing. What are you doing, speaking of it?"
Claire looked to the sides, not facing Piper.
"Huh..."
Piper let go of her head and narrowed her eyes to the other girl.
"Claire, please tell me you're not going through the box of secrets without me."
"I'm not going through the box of secrets without you."
"You said that only because I ordered you to, right? Tell me the truth now."
Claire sighed and let her head hang.
"Fine, I'm going through the box of secrets without you. SORRY!"
"Claire!"
She took off while waving to Frank.
"I'm going now, bye, nice to meet you person I just forgot the name!"
Frank laughed a little before looking at Piper.
"She reminds me a little of Lacy."
"Bubbly and talkative? Yeah, me too."
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before looking at him again.
"So, the others are going?"
"I'm taking Hazel, Nico is not going-"
"What a surprise."
"Yeah, well. Jason is only going if you answer him-"
"I'll meet him and explain why I didn't answer."
"Will is going, Will's friends are dragging him. I mean-"
"I got it, she-Will's friends are dragging he-Will."
"He-Will and she-Will?"
"Trish's idea to tell them apart. It works. Who else? Reyna?"
"She said she has been busy with personal stuff and is not in the mood to waste her time going when she has so much to do."
"She always have so much to do. I guess Adam will have to do."
"Who?"
"Doesn't matter. Percy and Annabeth?"
"I'm not sure. Percy said yes, Annabeth said no, and I think he have been trying to convince her in private and I have no idea how that turned out."
"Why Annabeth said no?"
"She said that she doesn't want to go through the same nightmare from Halloween with her step mother, but I have no idea what happened. Maybe her step mother tried to forbid her to leave?"
"You've been watching too much Cinderella, Frank, that's not what happened. But I'll talk to her later, see if I can convince her. but only later, because righ now, I would kill for a bed and some aspirin, because this headache is killing me."
"Why don't you go home?"
"And leave Claire unsupervised with the box of secrets? Hell no. Well, good to see you, Frank, and text Jason saying I'll talk to him later, please?"
"Sure. Well, get better?"
"I hope so. Now, I have to stop Claire."
A/N: Hi, I'm alive! I know, it has been too long since I last updated, but so much changed from then... love life, college, friendships, family, problems with notebook and cellphone and a minor writer's block. Well, longer chapter to make up for it. 2530 words, according to Word. 2278 according to Watt. How in hell they don't count the same number of words? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and I'm already working on the next chapter. No need to pressure me or track me down to threat me. Since I'm cute, I dedicated this chapter to my new bf. Since I'm not THAT cute, he's responsible for me being away since March, 21st, he has been casting a spell around me that distracted me from everything else. Yell at him, not me. And no, I have no problems of throwing my bf under the bus. Love you, my IR :*