My Soulmate (HoO/PJO AU)

Chapter 34

 Jason's POV

The next few weeks fly by in what feels like minutes.

Soon enough, graduation is only a few days away and all of our classes have lightened the load dramatically.

"Dudes, I'm finally passing a class!" Leo jokes. Though he doesn't like to admit it, he has great grades and all of the teachers love him. "Ms. Landry is giving out 100's just for being in class on time."

"No way!" Percy exclaims. "That is no fair! I swear that that monster of a math teacher has it out for me." He chuckles, but you can hear a slight wheeze to his usually clear laughter, a reminder of what happened to him only a few weeks ago. He now had a cast on his left arm and a boot on his left foot, and if you looked close enough, you could still see the stitches on his chest from the surgery that kept his lung from collapsing. But besides that, he was doing remarkably well for someone in his condition.

"Percy, she does not have it out for you," Annabeth sighs, and part of me knows that she has heard this conversation before. "She just wants you to be more involved in the class."

"So what if I'm playing Flappy Bird. I'm here and that's enough." A chuckle escapes from my lips as I imagine Percy sitting in the front of the classroom playing Flappy Bird enthusiastically with his new blue cast.

Piper takes my hand under the table and I fight a blush. We have grown dramatically closer recently and I've noticed that my tattoo is more detailed than ever.

At this point, it would be crazy to think that Piper wasn't my soulmate. I just don't want to rush things. Rushing things have never gotten anybody anywhere.

We continue to laugh and talk enthusiastically about how weird it is to think that in a few months, we'll be college students.

••••••••••

I walk across the stage in my cap and gown, smiling brightly and shaking my teacher's hands. I get handed my diploma and start walking back to my seat.

I catch Piper's looking at me from her seat and I smile at her and mouth a, "Hey."

"Hi," she mouths back and smiles brightly.

I sit back in my seat and watch the rest of my friends walk across the stage and accept their diplomas as well.

A loud whoop! comes from the croup as Percy walks across the stage. I recognize Grover's voice immediately and watch as Percy starts laughing. I chuckle at the interaction.

Soon enough, everyone is prepared to throw their elaborately decorated caps.

The countdown starts, "Three... two... one!"

Everyone throws their caps and cheers. Some of the students run toward their friends to hug each other and I look around for mine.

Suddenly, I am pounced on from behind and I recognize the laughter as none other than Piper. She latches onto my back and squeezes me tight.

"We did it! We finally did it, Jason," she exclaims. "We finally graduated."

"Don't forget, we still have college."

"Don't be a Debby Downer, we are getting out of this pit of broken dreams and going into the real world," she kisses my cheek at this and I smile at her, not caring about the awkward angle my neck is at to do so.

She lets go and walks in front of me and takes my hands. "Do you wanna go to that diner down the road once we get out of here?"

"Of course," I say and she starts to pull me toward the rest of our group that is now gathering in the middle of the field.

We talk and congratulate some of our other peers while family members come and do the same for us.

These past few weeks were so good, nothing awful happened, and things were getting back to normal. I didn't want all of this to just go away.

I finally made a good group of friends, and after the summer was over, we won't see each other much anymore.

There is no way I am letting any of us get out-of-touch after this.

Most of the commotion dies down soon and Piper and I begin to say our goodbyes. Hugs and promises to hang out over the summer are exchanged, maybe a tear was shed, maybe it wasn't.

When Piper and I start walking to the diner, a nervous feeling rises in my stomach. Soon enough, I'll be leaving Piper to go to college. For all I know, she could be halfway across the country this time next year.

We enter the diner and are immediately sat at a small booth in the corner. The waitress takes our order and hurries off to the kitchen.

"Where are you going to college?" Piper asks after a minute of silence.

"I got accepted to USC. how about you?"

"Yale. It's always been a dream of mine."

I pale as I consider the time between the two. "I'm glad you got accepted there. You were really worried about it when you applied."

"Jason, do you think we're soulmates?" She asks suddenly.

I look at my tattoo and nod. "Yeah, I do."

"Then don't worry about the time between Yale and USC, If we are soulmates, we'll make our way back to each other." I was about to ask how she knew what I was thinking before she spoke again. "You had that look on your face that tells me you're thinking. I just took a guess."

"Do you really think we can come back to each other after years apart?" I ask.

"We technically don't have to be apart. Long-distance relationships still work. We could try it," she says. "But yes, I believe we can."

She takes my hand that was previously resting on the table and pulls me closer. Her lips brush mine in a tentative kiss that was all too amazing for how fleeting the touch was.

A soft glow comes from our tattoos and written in handwriting that was undeniably Piper's, was her name.

Right when I was about to bring Piper back in for a proper kiss, our waitress comes back with the food.

Suddenly, I begin to blush.

Something we hadn't ordered had been put on the table.

A strawberry milkshake topped with whipped cream and a heart drawn out in strawberry syrup. Two straws are sticking out the sides and I can feel my heart flutter.

I look toward the waitress and all she gives me is a smile.

This is it, guys. I can't believe it took me three years to write a book, but it happened. Thank you all so much for continuing to stick with me and support me. I am so unbelievably happy to be done with this book after so long. 

I hope that all of you continue to support me in my future writing and continue to like this book.

Thank you all so much,

Zebra2606