Hey, look! Instead of a month, it only took, like, two weeks to update!😂 Ahh, enjoy my mess of a story.

"Thank you," Leo said with a smile.
*****

Not too long after Leo and Jason had settled with a multitude of books in one of the two small study rooms in the school library, Reyna came in and dropped her own large and wonderful pile of resources on the table.

She plopped into the nearest seat and heavily sighed, gesturing to the endless amounts of probably useless information in front of the three. "So, how specific do I need to be about what we're supposed to do because neither of you listen in class?"

"I listen!" Jason defended.

Reyna scoffed sarcastically. "Yeah, because you weren't texting Percy under your desk the whole time this was explained."

Jason broke their eye contact, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck and grabbing the closest book before opening to a random page and pretending to be interested. Reyna then took a few minutes to tell the two inattentive boys what they were supposed to be doing, patiently ignoring the complaints. The three then sat around in silence for twenty or so minutes, researching the topic. Eventually, once all three agreed that they had decent enough notes, Jason went to retrieve something that he'd forgotten in his locker.

Silence filled the room until Jason was likely a hallway or two away from the library. At that time, Reyna struck up an off-topic conversation to fill the time. "So, what's the deal with him and Percy?"

"Like hell I know," Leo answered, shaking his head, "I'm not sure I really want to, either."

"What do you mean?"

Leo shrugged, closing the book he was previously looking through. "Percy's great and everything, even though I'll never understand him. I like having him around and stuff, but...I don't know. Jason almost got suspended yesterday. Jason. And I just can't help but feel that maybe he did it because of Percy."

"How do you know Percy was involved at all?" Reyna asked, sitting back in her chair and looking over at Leo.

"At lunch," Leo informed her, "Jason was telling him what happened, and apparently Chris said stuff about you, Thalia, his parents, and Percy."

Reyna sighed, pressing her first two fingers to her temple. "Don't remind me that my name is involved in that. I'm surprised Chris knows who I am."

"Everybody knows who you are."

She waved Leo off, and while the two both wished the conversation could continue, they returned to their work when Jason came back in.

"So, like, when is this due?" Leo asked either of the two.

Reyna provided a quick "Monday" as she continued working on whatever she had thought of in the previous two minutes.

Leo sighed. "Ah, shit."

*****

Piper and Leo were both already in Jason's car when he left the school building. However, he decided to add a minute or two onto the ever-so-simple trip to his vehicles when he saw a familiar head of tousled black hair limping his way down the stairs in front of him. He sped up his walk a bit, meeting Percy at the bottom of the steps.

"So, do you have a ride or are you just walking?" Jason asked, raising his eyebrows.

Percy held up his index finger to tell Jason that the first choice was what his future looked like before glancing away towards the parking lot entrance.

Jason momentarily fiddled with his fingers before continuing to speak, "How are you today? Like genuinely?"

Percy shrugged, as he typically did when Jason asked how he felt. While Jason said nothing regarding it, he did notice that the other boy seemed a lot more hesitant before doing so. He couldn't tell if he should've been relieved or worried.

"You just looked a bit off today-I mean, unless you feel great, in which case you looked totally fine. Also, I'm really sorry about Chris. He just said some things, like I told you at lunch, and I don't know what came over me or why I did it or-," Jason was cut off by Percy's reassuring shoulder tap in the same manner he'd been quieted in the green-eyed boy's apartment a not many days before.

The blonde opened his mouth to spill more nonsense from it, but was stopped when Piper jogged up to him and gestured to the car. "Our friend is being a dumbass."

Jason sighed, turning his attention to Percy. "You're one hundred percent sure you have a ride?"

With a playful eye roll, Percy nodded and unlocked his phone, showing him the text from his mother confirming that he would indeed be going home with her.

"Okay, well I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" Jason said, surprised to find himself disappointed that he had to leave. Another nod was his response. He smiled at Percy before the two waved, and Jason walked over to the car with Piper.

"Are you sure he appreciates you worrying about him 24/7, Jase?" Piper questioned him, climbing into the backseat.

"I do not worry about him all the time," Jason tried to defend himself.

Leo chimed in from the passenger seat. "Yes, you do."

Jason sighed, putting on his seatbelt and starting the car. "Can you blame me for worrying, though? I mean, you guys can't just be perfectly calm around him, right?"

"Well, yeah, some stuff he does stir up a bit of concern, but whatever is happening in his life, it's obvious he doesn't want people knowing," Piper answered half-heartedly. She, without a doubt, worried as well, but Jason had gotten in a fight. It was still taboo to Piper, and she certainly didn't think he got that wound up over his deadbeat parents. She was sure the remarks Thalia and Reyna contributed, but the voice in the back of Piper's head continued to evaluate the situation.

As Jason turned out of the parking lot, he kept one hand on the wheel and flung the other around aimlessly as he spoke, "That's exactly my point, Pipes. He's hiding something, and it's enough to make him never want to talk. Haven't either of you wondered what he sounds like or anything like that? Leo?"

"I'd like to remain the Sweden of this carpool," Leo stated.

Piper corrected him, "Switzerland."

"Same difference."

She rolled her eyes, hopping out of the car once they pulled into the Graces' driveway. "So what's first on our agenda? Trig or snacks?"

The two boys both answered with what was obviously the correct option in unison.

"Food."

I didn't know how to end it, so food just acted as my solid go-to. Anyways, this chapter was incredibly boring, I know. We'll get to the good stuff soon enough.

That's really all I have to say. Hope all my Americans had a great Fourth of July!

Byeeee!