memory (hiatus)

Chapter 9: Clumsy Chums

Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or any of the Riordanverse. Rick does, and the plot is the only thing copyrighted to me. 

Warning: mentions of suicidal thoughts and violence. It's not too necessary. To skip, just go to Piper's POV and skip Leo's. 

Leo's POV:

Sometimes, recess got lonely. Jason and Percy liked to throw a football around at recess, because they were the athletic types, Jason was a runner, Percy was a swimmer. Leo wasn't very athletic generally. Nico did who knows what at recess, and honestly Leo didn't really want to spend time with him that much, as Nico sometimes creeped him out. 

And besides those people, he didn't have many friends. They were honestly the most important people to him, and he'd do anything for them. But.... sometimes they were just too occupied. Percy was almost always with Annabeth now, and Jason was obviously developing a crush on Piper. Leo had nobody like that. But he would, someday. Until then, he had to keep waiting and keep trying, flirting, teasing. 

Take the morning for example. Friday was Hazel's first day of school, and they sat together during during the All School Meeting, watching Jason present. Of course, Hazel was a grade younger than him and Nico's sister, but she was really nice and funny. 

"And in the fourth week of school, we will have our annual camping trip," Jason said. "Now let me turn it over to my co-prescription, Reyna."

Or something like that. Leo wasn't really listening. He was thinking about all of the trigonometry homework that was assigned. Math was annoying sometimes. It was whatever, but boring. He preferred building things with his hands, a trait he'd inherited from his father. 

"Are these meetings always this long?" Hazel whispered. 

Leo chuckled quietly. "Yeah. Next you have grade meeting."

"Oh, joy," Hazel said, giggling a bit. 

A perfect example of how to make friends at least. 

By lunch, he was feeling less happy. Percy and Jason were throwing a football again; Annabeth was who knows where; Piper, well Leo wasn't sure she was quite counted as a friend yet; Hazel and Nico were touring the campus; so Leo was alone once again. 

He eventually ended up at the library to get started on his homework. That was a new level. He was part of the popular group, yet here he was, trying to find a book on trigonometry. 

"Why did?"

Leo peered in between books and saw Annabeth and Rachel talking. Leo's eyebrows probably jumped a mile high. He immediately crouched down, hiding himself from view. Annabeth would kill him if he eavesdropped. He invested himself in the trigonometry book, trying to block out the conversation, but, well, if he heard a few words accidentally, then it wasn't exactly eavesdropping, right?

"I don't fit in with your group, Annabeth. They all see me as the girl with panic attacks."

Leo was confused. Their group had never seen Rachel as that.... right?

"You're so much more than that."

"I've changed over the last couple years, Annabeth. I can't paint anymore, I can't draw. It just triggers the shootout memories."

Leo almost gasped, but managed to hold it back. Shoot out memories? He knew Annabeth and Percy had busted some crime in their years....... had Rachel been involved?

"That was our fault."

"No, it wasn't. It was my fault. And I can barely look Percy in the eye, because that just triggers the plane crash."