{Percy}

Carey hadn't bothered us lately. In fact, she'd only tried flirting. Now it was prom, and I was happy about Annabeth and I finally getting a break.

In fact, I had a gig at prom. I'd been singing at the last school dances, and now Principal Branigan wanted me to sing at prom a few songs. I was gonna sing the male version of Blank Space. I was singing the one Tyler Ward had made/rewritten, also the male version of Sparks Fly.

I was singing 5, I think:

~Classic
~Sparks Fly (male version lyrics Endless Summer)
~Blank Space (male version, lyrics by Tyler Ward)
~Shut up and Dance
~Centuries, by fall out boy

But the twist on Sparks fly was when it said 'hit me with those green eyes baby as the lights go out' I changed the lyrics to 'hit me with those gray eyes baby as the lights go out.'

It was now Monday, and prom was Friday. The plus about Goode is if you play at Prom you practice with the prom band all week 3 hours a day. That meant I missed most of my classes, but I could bring Annabeth in to where the performers were eating privately. Leo was even singing. Leo was singing Light Em Up.

But now it was lunch, and after a heated practice, we finally got to eat. The band that was playing for us, The Rockey Guys, was extremely awesome. Their only problem was they didn't have a Lead Singer because he'd just quit. The old lead singer, Rod Thompson, who they had nicknamed Rad Rod, had quit because he was graduating soon and got offered a scholarship all the way in Florida, a big distance from New York...

So The Rockey Guys were looking for a new lead, and this was the only gig they could get without a singer.

I sat with J.D., the drummer, at lunch. He's in my grade, and he has a sick underage tattoo of the band symbol on his arm. He always wears sleeveless shirts, so it always shows. He's pretty sick, and muscly, so the tattoo looks good on him.

"You know, Percy, you're a great singer. You ever thought of joining a band?" J.D. asked.

"Uh," I think. "Yeah. I always liked music. It's cool. So what kind of music do you usually play?"

"We're like Fall Out Boy," JD said. "Pop-rock."

I nodded sounded sick. "Leo might join."

"Yeah, he's cool. And he plays base. We lost our base player last year from a fight, so we need one. Plus, his curly hair is longish, so he has that shake your head rocker thing going on." JD nodded enthusiastically, "and that special effect at the end of his show, he catches on FIRE! And you made a WATER special effect!"

I grin. "Yeah, we're good with effects."

"Awesome," Replied JD. "So our guitarist, Cam, go talk to him. I'll come with you."

JD and I walked over to Cam, who was talking to Leo.

"Yo Cam, found our new lead singer." JD smirked.

"I found our new base player, JR." Smirked Cam.

"JR?" I asked.

"Jake Rocker," replied Cam with a smirk. "We need a nick for you and Leo, Percy."

"Flame boy?" I reply. "Leo, Flame Boy."

"Yo great, Typhoon." Cam said. "Now we got Flame Boy and Typhoon."

Leo stuck his hands in the air with the rocker hand symbol. "FLAME BOY!" He yelled.

"Typhoon!" I yelled, holding my hand up with a peace sign.

Cam and JR nodded approvingly. "Oh, yo we got band practice tonight at 8:00. Cause we got a gig in 3 weeks, we're doing a song cover. One is See You Again, by Carey Underwood, for a funeral..." Cam shrugged.

"Um, maybe we should calm down on the drums and rock guitar than..." I offer.

"Yeah, we do acoustic for stuff like this," he replied. "Our keyboard guy, Joey is only used once and a while. Mainly events like this."

"Epic," Leo said.

I ate my sub from subway with the rest of the band, and then we got back to practicing. I loved this life- the life of a rocker. Eat, rock, sleep, VIDEO GAMES!!!!

Nice to meet you
Where you been?
I can show you incredible things
Magic, madness, heaven, sin
Saw you there and I thought
Oh my my
Look at that face
...

We finished rehearsals for prom, and left the school. Argus was outside, waiting. I looked at my watch. 3:20. We left, and got to the penthouse. Leo came in my room, and I saw a ladder. I climbed up, and almost died. the room was the size of our penthouse, but there weren't any rooms- just 10 or 12 sound booths with instruments like drum sets, electric guitars and bases, high dollar keyboards, accounting guitars, and more things our bad could use. The room itself had mats and mirrors for choreography, which we wouldn't do, and the rest was full of practice areas and instruments. The floor was hard wood.

Leo gaped, and went to the nearest base. He started shredding.

"OOOOH YEAH FLAME BOY!" I ran to a microphone and started practicing a routine for concerts. Moving around, and in instrumentals shaking my hair or getting on my knees.

"What...?" I hadn't noticed Annabeth had came in.

"Sup girl." I said with a grin that told her I was embarrassed.

"Percy," she sighed. "Tell me you're not singing that at prom..."

"That was Bon Jovi!" I argue. "If anything they need to play it every day here, not just on prom..."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Do you want some bad medicine?"

"Um, no," I decide. Leo puts his base down.

We walk out, and I see Annabeth go into Piper's room. I hear somebody say, "does this look good?" and then Annabeth said, "oh, it's beautiful! Here let me get mine." And then she ran out and into her room. She looked at me.

"No peeking," she giggled. Oh gods. Did she just giggle?

"Um, right." I walk over to Jason's room and bang on the door.

"Jason! We're gonna go tux shopping, you wanna come?" I yelled. He unlocked his door and opened it.

"Sure, why not?" He asked, and then went to the elevator. I opened it, and Annabeth cleared her throat.

"Wallet? Phone?" She asked.

"Oh, I've got my phone," we all murmured, and then wondered off to get our wallets.

***

We walked in the tux shop.

"What are you thinking about getting?" Leo asked Jason.

"Blue tie and black suit. Simple, I guess." Jason shrugged.

"I would get a red tie but that doesn't go well..." Leo shrugged.

"Leo," I said. "She likes you for you. If she hasn't dumped you so far then she likes you for you."

Leo narrowed his eyes in a friendly way. I stuck my finger an inch from his nose.

"Whale," I said, and then Jason and I laughed. I started looking at tuxes until I found what looked pretty good. Annabeth and I had agreed to surprise each other, so I hoped my tux went good with her dress.

The tux I thought looked cool was a sea green tie, black suit, and black shoes. Seemed nice enough.

I check the tag. "Gees..."

$112

"That's ok, you can always wear it to your wedding," Leo said behind me.

"If I can still fit into this." I laugh. "I didn't expect anything cheaper, that's why I told my dad to get me money for my birthday- and not sand dollar money either..."

Leo laughed. I took the tux to the register, paid, and waited on Leo, who was looking at a tie that had screws, nails, and hammers on it. I rolled my eyes, and wait for everybody to finish shopping outside of the store.

Then somebody wondered up. I looked up expecting to see Carey. Instead my mouth just dropped open.

"Hi," said Aphrodite.

"You- you're... Ok." Was all I could manage.

"I'm making it harder on you and Annabeth. And Piper." Then she squealed, "And I tempted you and you still loved Annabeth. Eeeeee!!!"

I looked around. Could nobody hear that? She'd just squealed at the top of her lungs and nobody noticed?

Then I remembered the mist. Damn, I'd been living so much like a mortal that I was acting like one.

"There's only 2 more months of school. What could Carey possibly do?" I asked.

She giggled, and held her heart. "Don't tempt me to make it worst."

"Wait, why do you like making people's lives miserable?" I demand.

"Because it's so sweet!!" She squealed.

😒 I frown. "What if I broke up with Annabeth because of you?"

"See! I'm toying with your brain again, giving you negative thoughts." She clapped her hands. I put my hands to my temples. "Well, I'm going to go! Tata!"

And with that she zapped away. I muttered, "preppy love goddess who ruins lives and tortures your mind. That's worst than when dad sunk the Titanic."

I've always questioned my father about the titanic

Me: Dad, they were in love!!

Poseidon: I was having a bad day.