PERCY JACKSON THE HAMILTON PRODUCTION

23

I might be dreaming. 

The audience loved it.

So, something you might find happens when you're part of an on-stage production, is that, when you're rehearsing, you hear the script so many times, that the funny parts, the sad parts, basically everything, is just numbed into a scattering of random letters that you need to speak in a specific way. And because of that, it just makes it ten times better when you finally perform in and you remember that 'hey this is actually a funny scene' or 'Oh gosh, this is a really emotional scene- I forgot that.'  

And- am I rambling? Maybe. I don't know. Am I?  Well, I am certainly not rambling as much as Piper is right now.

"And- And- And- AND!!!!" Piper added, her arms frantically patting my shoulder from the back seat, "When Leo did his shoulder-thing, in You'll Be Back, y'know the- da da da da daaa, da da da da DIE aaa da- that part where the shoulders move like, up! Down! Up! Down! There was this one kid, in, like, the front row, who fell off their chair laughing. It was hilarious."

I shook my head to myself at Piper's animated storytelling. We, meaning Hazel, Piper, Thalia, and I, was all in Thalia's car, hanging out after the musical had finished. 

My face felt slightly cakey because of my stage makeup, and my armpits probably stank because I was stuck in a long-sleeved dress for half the night, but I honestly couldn't bring myself to care. The first night was always exhilarating, and I simply could not worry about the tiny inconveniences like the aforementioned when instead I could be celebrating this night with my friends.

"Hellooooo!!!" A voice called, and then the next thing I knew, the door to the driver's seat, where Thalia was sitting, was dramatically flung open, giving (a very happy) Leo perfect access to fling himself onto her.

"Augh Leo!" She yelled, trying (and failing) to push his legs off her. Thalia rolled her eyes, "Leoooo!! Off, off!" 

"Oi, I'm not some dog!" Leo cried, mocking offence.

I scoffed, "Yeah well you sure act like one sometimes." 

Leo raised a hand to his heart, "Wow Annabeth, you wound me! In fact," Leo sat up on top of Thalia, who was giving him a very entertained look, "I must sort out a terrible punishment for you. Hm, not just you, all three of you." He pointed to me, then Hazel and Piper, in the back seats.

The three of us exchanged confused (and partly amused) looks.
"And what could you possibly do to us, Leo?" Piper asked, her arms on her hips, closely resembling a cranky mother.

Leo raised his hands like a conductor preparing for a performance, "This!" He yelled, and on cue, all of the doors (apart from the drivers'") were opened. Before I could look at who it was, someone was winding their arms around my waist and heaving me out of the car. 

"MOVE FORTH, MY MINIONS!"  Leo yelled, still sitting upon Thalia, who was cackling at us.

I heard a chuckle from my captor, and (of course) I immediately knew who it was. "Oh my god- Percy!!!" I then started laughing as well, "Put me down oh my gosh!!!"

I looked over and took a couple of seconds to grin to myself, as I saw Piper being carried by Jason, bridal styles. She was posing with a hand on her forehead, and the other laying limp- the perfect damsel in distress get up. 

The Hazel, being carried effortlessly by Frank, in a similar fashion as to what was happening to me.

Finally, they put us down in the middle of the car park, Piper sitting on Jason's lap across from Percy and me; I was sitting cross-legged, my head resting next to Percy, who had his legs stretched out in front of him. Making up the rest of the circle, was Frank and Hazel, both blushing messes, as they remained an 'acceptable' foot from one another, and then Leo and Thalia joined us once again, this time not laughing maniacally at us.