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Percy Jackson, Pick Up Lines, and Couples
Cabin 11, Camp Half-Blood, Long Island [Summer 2011]
The deep brown haired teen with feathers woven into her hair had her legs crossed on her bed as laughter fluttered and snorted from her. Her shining, ever changing coloured, eyes twinkled in joy as she, along with a few of her young half-siblings and a number of other younger kids, watched The Great Percy Jackson, Saviour and Hero of Olympus, Survivor of Tartarus, make terrible pick up lines. Percy fell onto his knees before her and clapped his hands together like a sinner begging for forgiveness.
“Piper, I hope you know CPR, cause you’re taking my breath away.” Piper didn’t care about the snort as she laughed. The young boys and girls around her let loose a stream of laughter. As she gathered herself Piper fixed Percy with a mischievous serious look that could give a Cabin 12 kid a run for their money.
“Don’t worry, I’ll call an EMT.” Percy’s lips cracked into a large grin. He narrowed his gaze on her.
“You’re so sweet you’d put Hershey’s out of business.”
“Honey, I’m so bitter you’d need a whole candy company just to taste things normally again.” The laughter chorused around them. Percy raised an eyebrow at her, and Piper met it without hesitation.
“There must be something wrong with my eyes, I can’t take them off of you.”
“Don’t worry, I have my boyfriend’s Optometrist on speed dial. I'll have them help you out.” Percy’s grin grew and he realised that probably anyone in the cabins could hear the young kid’s laughter. He couldn’t bring himself to care. He just spoke louder.
“The Hermes kids bet me I couldn’t start a conversation with the prettiest girl at Camp, what do you want to do with their money?” Piper paused, her lips pursed and tapped her finger on her bottom lip. An evil grin spread over her mouth.
“You’d better go pay up then, don’t want to keep them waiting.” A few of the kids muttered words like burn and ouch. Percy didn’t even seem phased.
“I may not be a photographer, but I can picture us together.”
“Good thing you aren’t, your composition is shit, I mean have you seen your photos?” It was Percy’s turn to mutter and shake his head.
“Time for the big guns… You must be a high test score. Because I want to take you home and show you to my mother.”
“That’s pretty good but… A C+ ain’t that impressive Perce.” A number of the kids looked like they were having trouble breathing, a few had fallen off the bunks or their seats. One or two were rolling around on the ground.
“Are you a loan? Cause you’ve got my interest.”
“Boy you don’t even have enough for a downpayment.”
“If you were words on a page you’d be the fine print.”
“That’s probably for the best because you can’t read the fine print.”
“I’m glad I remembered my library card, cause I’m totally checking you out.”
“Sorry but I’m on hold, and you’ve got late fees to pay first.” Piper smiled at Percy, the boy didn’t know it but the few cups of water around them were swirling as he got more agitated, even if it was minor. “That the best you got Jackson?”
“Did it hurt?”
“What when I fell from Olympus? No, but crawling up from Hades wasn’t too pleasant.”
“Well that explains it! My perfect girl has to be hot and be able to handle Cerberus!” Piper’s jaw dropped. Slowly she raised her hands and clapped, her head bowed towards Percy.
“Alright, you win this time Jackson.” Two blondes appeared in the doorway. The first was shorter, a girl with grey eyes in an orange camp T-shirt her long hair was pulled into a ponytail. The second was taller and his hair was cut short, and he had glasses on the bridge of his nose with electric blue eyes that peered through them.
“What have we just walked in on?” Came the first blonde. Percy turned and caught her arm. He pulled and she twisted into his arms.
“Well Wise Girl, you and Superman here hated Piper and I’s pick up lines, so we started using them on each other. I just won.” She raised an eyebrow at him and looked over at Piper.
“You giving us girls a bad name or something Pipes? Seriously, you need to step up your game if Percy beat you.” Piper’s face formed to hold mock offence.
“Sparky are you going to let her talk to your girl like that?” His blue eyes darted between Percy, his friend, and Piper.
“Sorry Pipes, but the last time I did that the four of us were on dish and stable duty for like six weeks. I don’t think any of us want that.” Piper harrumphed.
“Well at least I know Jason’s shirt isn’t made of boyfriend material.” Another smile spread over her lips. Percy laughed and the blonde in his arms shook her head. The blond guy just looked exasperated.
“That’s my cue to leave, Captain Saltwater, Annabeth, Pipes. Boys and girls. Why did it have to be pick-up lines.” Jason slipped back out the door. Piper gave everyone an affronted look.
“See that’s how you test if you’re significant other will really be there for you. Defending your honor in a very important pickup line battle.” Her unserious tone sent a giggle through the young campers. “Now go on, you have things to do and I have a class to go teach.”
The young campers shot out quickly and left the three teens alone in the room. Piper smiled at her friends and hugged Annabeth.
“Come on you two, if I have to make potions so do you.” Piper dragged them from her mother’s cabin and into the fresh Long Island breeze that filled the valley.