Found Family (HoO, Mortal AU)

PIPER MCLEAN

Piper parked her car, stepping out to see Leo waiting for her. He was wearing the same clothes as the previous day. Although he was grinning, the bags under his eyes suggested he was not so happy.

She got out of her car, walking up so Leo. "You ran away again?" She asked, knowing the answer already.
"Yuh," Leo said in a surprisingly accurate Ariana Grande expression.
"You shouldn't have. Or you should've came to my house. Where did you sleep?"
"It's fine. And I didn't. See! Smart. Oh, but guess what!" Leo tried change the subject and Piper let him, not wanting to bother him.
"What?"
"So, yesterday I was like 'Hm, it's cold' so I went into a café even though I had no money and then there were no seats so I sat at a table with Jason Grace!"

"Grace? Really?" Piper honestly didn't believe Leo.
"Yes, really! I don't think he wanted me there- and he left after a while- but ooh guess what!"
"What?" Piper repeated, used to Leo's 'guess what's.
"His scar is from a stapler." Leo grinned, walking up the stairs of the school.
"Okayy?"
"Thought it would be something more exciting but oh well."
"Hm. Yeah. What class do we have first?" Piper asked.
"English."
"Did you do that dumb summer assignment?" Piper grabbed her English textbook.
"What summer assignment?"
"You are so dead."

———

Leo ended up getting a lunchtime detention from Mr.Blofis, meaning Piper was alone for lunch. She wanted to sit with Annabeth again, but she didn't want to bother her and Will.
She eventually walked into the bathroom to hide in a cubicle and go on her phone so no one would see her sitting alone. She regretted it quickly, though. Drew Tanaka was standing at the sinks, putting on mascara.

"Oh, McLean!" She said with a fake grin. "How was your summer?"
"Great." Piper said with sarcasm.
"You haven't gotten any prettier."
"Thanks, Drew."
"You really should start wearing makeup. Although that wouldn't fix you."
"I am wearing makeup," Piper said, not hurt by Drew's comments anymore.
"Oh. Well. It's terrible."
Piper rolled her eyes just as another girl walked out of the cubicle and started washing her hands. Piper didn't recognise the girl and though she was short, she looked too old to be a new freshman.

"Oh! The newbie junior." Drew smiled. "I'm Drew, a senior."
"Okay."
"Aren't you going to introduce yourself?" Drew put down the mascara.
"Hazel."
Piper didn't know whether Hazel was scared of Drew or just unbothered. Drew didn't seem happy.
"Well, you're not much prettier than McLean here. At least it looks like you've showered in the last five years." Drew grinned that fake grin yet again.

Hazel frowned. "You're mascara's smudged."
Piper held back a laugh.
"Excuse me?" Drew looked at the mirror.
"And you forgot to straighten some of your hair. You should invest in a foundation that actually matches your skin tone." Hazel was somehow saying this with a straight face.
"Ugh- I have better things to be doing." Drew walked out of the bathroom. Hazel put up her middle finger as she walked out.

Piper finally burst into laughter. Hazel smiled.
"I'm Hazel Levesque, a junior. I just moved here from Alaska in May."
"Piper McLean." Piper smiled back, hoping to never forget that look on Drew's face.
"I know- I mean- I know your dad. Not know know him but know of him. Like Tristan McLean. You know? I'm sorry-"
"Don't worry about it." Piper was used to people talking about her dad. Leo was one of the first people she met who didn't want to be friends with her just because of Tristan. She didn't mind though, Hazel seemed kind. "Wanna go get lunch? I'm starving and this bathroom smells like Drew."

———

Piper walked to the canteen, talking to Hazel, who was showing her some crystals she'd taken out from her pocket. Hazel was wearing gold bracelets and rings, along with earrings you could see when she pushed her thick hair back. The jewellery did not look cheap.