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Piper McLean is buzzing with energy, chaotic, vibrant energy. It’s like an electric beat in her veins and she can’t help but bounce with it. Today she is finally going to tell her best friend of four years, finally going to admit what everyone else already knew. A shuffling from behind her catches her flitting attention.
“Hello Miss McQueen,” Brown curls and a troublemaker’s grin step into her bedroom.
“Hello Leo,” She sighs softly, hugging him.
“How are you and why do you look like your fight or flight instinct has been activated?”
“I’m gonna do it.” She took a deep breath, “I’m gonna tell her today.”
Those warm brown eyes widen, “Really?”
“Yes.” Her nod is firm, “I can’t keep dancing around it and I need to know.”
The grin she is met with could make fires dim with its brightness, “I’m so proud of you!”
“Thank you,” She squeezes her friend, pouring all her gratitude into the hug.
“And hey,” He pulls back to look into her, “It’s gonna be amazing.”
She doesn’t let him see her tears of hope and gratefulness.
An hour later she pulls up to a house in a quiet neighborhood and disrupts the peace with the loud hoot of her car.
“Ay yo WiseGirl,” She bellows, “If you don’t get your cute butt out here I’m not getting you taco bell on the way home.”
There is a crash from inside and then the door is flinging open and blonde curls are flying towards her car.
“How dare you bribe me with taco bell!” Annabeth Chase gasps, flopping into the front seat with a glare.
Piper smiles innocently, “When I think of another way to drag you from your books I’ll stop.”
Her friend huffs, “How do you even know I was working?”
“Let’s see,” She holds up her fingers to count, “I’m one of your two best friends and Percy is with Jason so that rules out him. It’s a Saturday afternoon which means you’ll be doing next week’s work because you finished last week’s stuff yesterday night. I know you’re not hanging with you family because you told me yesterday they're going to the park. Oh and you have pen streaks on your fingers.”
“I hate you.”
“Lies and propaganda,” She grins and then they’re hugging each other.
“So what are we doing today?”
“We,” Piper wiggles her eyebrows, “Are going laser tagging.”
“Hell yes!” Annabeth squeals, high fiving her friend.
“Figured you’d enjoy it. You like any opportunity to pin me down.”
“You know it McLean.”
They arrive at LaserTaser some minutes later and Annabeth clambers out of the car, racing towards the building.
Piper sucks in a deep breath, trying to steel her nerves.
“You coming BeautyQueen?”
And then she’s running after her friend, determined to have a goodtime.
“Hi,” They smile at the front desk employee and friend.
“You two are back here?” Nico di Angelo sighs, but they can see the twinkle in his black eyes.
“What can we say Di Angelo,” She smirks, “We can’t get enough of your charming personality.”
He snorts and rings up their request, “More like the only way you can play handsy without getting in trouble.”
Piper goes bright red and she looks down, unaware of Annabeth’s ruby ears and cheeky smile.
“You know where everything is. Try not to jump through a nonexistent window again.”
“That was one time Nico,” Annabeth groans, “How was I supposed to know the glass I was seeing was a reflection of water?”
“Maybe,” He looks at her dramatically, “Just maybe we can feel before we jump?”
Piper laughs as her friend flips him the bird and stalks off.
“Goodluck Miss McLean!” He smiles, “She’s going to give you hell today.”
“What’s new?” The sparkle in her eyes reflects rainbows as she turns away.
“Are you coming Pipes? Or you just gonna chat up MagicBoy over there?”
“You jealous Chase?”
“I’m gay!” Nico yells.
“Shut up both of you and let’s do this.”
Piper waves goodbye to their little Italian friend and joins Annabeth by the gear station. Finally they’re all set up and ready to annihilate one another.
“You look delicious WiseGirl,” She surveys her friend, distressed Jean-shorts and her white crop top almost completely covered by the heavy vests they have to wear. But it’s the determined gleam in her grey eyes and the escaping blonde curls tied in an I-mean-business ponytail that Piper is really focusing on.
Annabeth sets those intimidating storms on her, “I hope you’re ready to lose.”
“I’m ready to comfort you when you do.”
“As if,” Her friend takes one step closer.
“Watch me Chase,” She mirrors her.
“Oh I plan to,” They’re so close now those blonde curls are brushing against her cheeks.
“Scared?”
“Only in your dreams.” She scoffs.
“That’s not all you’re doing in my dreams.”
Annabeth barks out a laugh, “Kinky bitch. Are you flirting with me right now?”
“You finally noticed?”
“We do not have time for this BeautyQueen.”
“Hey you two,” Nico shouts from the other side of the room, “Either make out or start playing. I have other customers waiting.”
“Shut up Di Angelo,” They both yell. And then they slip into the dark room, put on their 3D glasses and press the giant red button that starts the game.
“Goodluck McLean,” Annabeth’s smile is wicked.
“Same to you.”
The room plunges into complete blackness before neon lights slowly flicker on. The room is tilting and projecting in front of Piper’s eyes as she attempts to make her way to a safer spot. Playing normal laser tag is a feat in itself but playing 3D tag, gods she always comes out feeling like she stepped onto Venus.
A shuffling from some way away grabs her attention and she slowly, cautiously tiptoes towards the sound. She spots a dark figure running towards a barrel and with a secret smile aims her gun and shoots.
The beeping goes off and a long string of curse words follow.
“Rethinking your strategy WiseGirl?”
“I’m going to get you for that,” Is the snarky reply.
Piper quickly makes her way to the little hut on the far side of the room while her opponent is indisposed. She has about thirty seconds before Annabeth can participate again. Slamming into the wood that looked much further away than it was she bites down a scream and crouches under the low roof. She can hear her friend on the other side stalking through various boxes and barrels, so she takes a deep breath and let’s down her guard. Her shoulder is throbbing and she knows she’s going home with yet another bruise from this cursed place. Why on earth do they insist on coming here without padding?
She can feel a presence from behind her and before she can react her vest is beeping, red lights flashing all over it.
“Dammit Chase!”
“Not my fault you were daydreaming.”
“I was actually trying to see how bad my bruise was.
"Aw poor baby,” Piper can hear her friend’s pout and her heart skips a beat.
“Did you smack into the hut again?”
She frowns, “This is not funny. My shoulder is permanently blue.”
“Come here you darling thing.”
“How do I know you’re not gonna shoot?”
“You’re bulletproof right now, but I promise I won’t.”
Piper mulls it over for a second before getting up from her cramped position and feeling her way to her friend. Her hand knocks into an arm and she stops.
“Lets see?”
She pulls her shirt-sleeve down, and shuffles into the dim light on a nearby wall.
“There's nothing there but it does look a little red.” Annabeth observes, brushing her fingers over the area.
Piper winces, more from cold fingers rather than pain but her friend mistakes it.
“Sorry,” The blonde mutters, “Here, I’ll kiss it better.”
And then Annabeth’s lips are brushing against her shoulder and Piper can’t help but inhale sharply. Her knees go weak as she falls back against the wall.
“You okay there BeautyQueen?” Blonde brows furrow, looking down at her.
“Fine,” She manages to choke out.
They stare at each other, eyes like thunderstorms and chocolate opals. The air is static, breathless with anticipation. It’s now or never.
“Annabeth I—” Piper swallows.
Her vest makes a loud beep and peals of laughter surround her.
“Shouldn’t have let your guard down McLean.”
Piper growls and pulls at her friend’s hand before she can walk away. She swops their positions, Annabeth’s back now against the wall, and their bodies flush against each other.
“Can’t handle losing?” The blonde smirks.
“Annabeth Chase,” She breathes, “I’ve been wanting to say this since we were thirteen and now that I’ve worked up the courage I am not letting a stupid laser tag game ruin that.”
A perfect brow raises slightly but she doesn’t stop her.
“I like you. Like like you like you. Actually I may love you but we don’t have to discuss that right now. I’m totally okay staying friends but I needed you to know. It was eating me up inside.” She takes a deep breath and stepped back. “Okay we can go back to the game now just had to get that off my chest.”
“Are you done?” A smirk plays at her friend’s lips.
“What do you mean am I done? I just confessed my love for you and you’re gonna ask me if I’m done? How about ‘oh Piper I feel the same way.’ Or 'no ew Piper I don’t want to date you.’ Are you done? Ugh why do I even like you?”
“Shut up BeautyQueen.” Annabeth laughs.
And then she cups Piper’s cheek and pulls their faces together.
Those grey eyes flash with amusement, hope, wonder, love. “I like like you too.”
Their lips meet and Piper McLean knows she never wants to go laser tagging with someone else ever again.
Suddenly a vest lights up red and a robotic voice says “Game Over. Wise Girl wins.
"Fucking dick!” She nips Annabeth’s lip.
“I don’t lose.”
“Funny I feel like the winner today.”
“I think we both are.”
They smile into each other and the stars dance home.