𝙸 𝙲𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚜

𝚂𝟹𝙴𝟽: 𝙼𝚢 𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚎

Inspired by Community S3E13: "Digital Exploration of Interior Design."

Piper POV

"Okay, okay, don't look yet... Don't look yet... Leo, please put the bandana back on—it's a surprise!"

Everyone knows what Hazel's taking them to see. She's been talking nonstop about the wild success of her business project, "Hazel's Sandwich Hub." Turns out, her feasible business plan combined with the open real estate in the dining hall made for a great spot for a new sandwich shop. Yes, Piper will miss the baked potato bar, but Hazel's Sandwich Hub is going to have just as many vegan and vegetarian options as there are meat options. Finally, she doesn't have to go back and forth between tofu subs and baked potatoes every other meal. Lately, she's been wondering why her friends started a criminal organization over that tofu sub. It's kind of soggy, and if you look at the tofu a little too closely—Piper's going to stop there.

"Almost time..." Hazel grips Piper's arms as she lines her up against one of her friends.

"I can't wait to see what it is!" Percy's voice says even though he knows what this is.

Piper takes a deep breath, ready to fake surprise.

"Okay, open your eyes... now!"

Hazel gasps in horror, and at first, Piper thinks it's because the sandwich shop is red and white instead of pink and green with rhinestone accents like she had them all vote on during a study session one day, but that's not the case at all. Yeah, the sandwich shop is red and white, but that's not the worst of their problems.

Piper has to fight from gagging at the smell of the chicken. There's chicken all over the place—breaded and fried chicken, chicken nuggets, chicken on salads, grilled chicken, spicy chicken, and chicken sandwiches galore. The fryer snaps, crackles, and pops as the person manning the station drops—you guessed it—more chicken into the oil. Boxes of probably soggy waffle fries lay underneath a heat lamp like pet lizards. There's a dispenser for those fancy little ketchup packets you can either squeeze or dip into, and another one for various sauces including the classic barbecue, garlic and herb ranch, Polynesian sauce, honey mustard, and so many more which Piper doesn't care to discover. A brand new poster plastered on the wall reads EAT MOR CHIKIN on a sign strung to a cow.

It's a vegetarian's nightmare.

It's a goddamn Chick-fil-A.

It's certainly not Hazel's Sandwich Hub.

Piper looks down the line, where her friends are assembled to see the surprise. It's safe to say none of them are faking their surprised faces. She swears a little fly buzzes into Frank's mouth before he finally closes it.

"I... I don't understand..." Hazel says, her voice cracking.

Right. Piper's the one good with words. "Hazel, I am so sorry this happened."

"That's supposed to be my sandwich shop. Dean D said he bought the tiling and the posters and everything. I saw the posters," she says as she blinks back tears.

Instead of speaking, Frank holds out his arms for a hug, which Hazel accepts. She buries her head in his New Rome hockey sweatshirt and sobs.

"I don't even like Chick-fil-A," Percy says.

"Yeah, screw their homophobic chicken," Annabeth adds.

Percy jumps. "I mean, it's bad chicken. The whole 'not supporting a homophobic corporation' thing is just a bonus for me."