A Celebration of Grace

1.6: Sad Boi Chapter

PIPER:*voice all shaky and frail sounding* Leo's right. Could you guys chill for today? Please?

EVERYONE QUIETS DOWN AND THE MOOD IS DARK AND GLOOMY AT WHAT PIPER'S VOICE IMPLIES.

FRANK AND HAZEL: *somber* Sorry, Piper.

ANNABETH AND CLARISSE WALK OVER AND HUG PIPER, WHO HAS STARTED TO CRY.

BOTH GIRLS: Shh, it's okay.

LEO: *softly* He would have killed karaoke night.

A MELANCHOLY MOOD SETTLES OVER THE ROOM.

FRANK: * softly with tears in his eyes* could you imagine his singing 'Wrecking Ball'?

HAZEL: *also crying, but not as hard as Piper, who is now sitting on the ground with ANNABETH and CLARISSE* or 'Lighting in a Bottle?'

EVERYONE SITS ON THE GROUND, SURROUNDING PIPER, WHO IS CRYING HEAVILY. THEY FROM A HALF CIRCLE NEAR THE DOOR.

PERCY COMES IN.

PERCY: Hey guys! *notices everyone crying* Oh, no. *his eyes start to fill with tears as he sits down next to Annabeth*

THEY ALL CRY SOFTLY FOR A LITTLE WHILE, ALL HUGGING AND LEANING ON EACH OTHER.

AFTER A WHILE, LEO SPEAKS.

LEO: Hey, remember that time we fell through that warehouse roof?

PIPER: *laughs sadly* yeah and I broke my ankle and you talked to a bitch face in turds before whacking a Cyclopes' on the head with a mallet.

QUIET TITTERS FILL THE AIR.

ANNABETH:*snorts* I'm just remembering when I yelled at him for not having a shoe on.

HAZEL: * softly from where she's nuzzled against Fran (#FRAZEL)* He gave the Fifth Cohort a purpose, you know.

FRANK: *nods and sniffles* we wouldn't be here had it not been for him and his charms.

LEO:*snorts* Remember when he got hit in the head by a brick?

(#BRASON)

PERCY: *chuckles* and then later by Blackjack. Gods, how his brain didn't explode by that, I have no clue.

QUIET LAUGHTER.

SILENCE THEN PERCY SPEAKS, SAYING EACH WORDS SLOWLY, AS IF HE'S AFRAID HE'LL MAKE THINGS WORSE FOR PIPER, WHO HAS STOPPED BAWLING.

PERCY: Hey, let's say our favorite memory or quality about him, shall we?

CLARISSE: *nods and clears her throat* Great idea.

LEO: *eyes bug out but he stays silent*

ANNABETH: I'll start: his confidence. He was always so sure of himself.

PIPER:*voice wavering* His gentleness. Always so, so gentle...

FRANK: *sounding all macho but gentle at the same time* His courage. I will never forget his bravery.

HAZEL: His humbleness. He was always so annoyingly humble, 24/7

LEO:*quiet for a minute before speaking, his voice soft* His loyalty. People leave a lot, I should know,*pause* but he stayed till the very end.

PERCY:*roughly* His strength. I admire his strength.

EVERYONE LOOKS AT HIM, SHOCKED.

ANNABETH: *quietly* didn't you two have an argument about who would win in a fight?

PERCY: *sheepish* Yeah. And then he shocked me. I still would've but,*pause takes a deep breath* I mean, he's strong guy.* pause* Was, a strong guy.

MOMENT OF SILENCE.

PERCY: *hesitant now* Not just physically, but mentally.*pauses again, thinking* It's difficult to explain. *pauses then chuckles softly* anyone would have gone nuts having to be around not just Leo, but also Leo and I combined.

A COLLECTIVE SOFT CHUCKLE COMES FROM THE GROUP.

CLARISSE: I didn't know him all that well, but he seemed like a really good leader. To me at least.

FRANK:*softly* He was. He really, really was.

SILENCE.

COACH:*voice rough* he was a good fighter. A good man, as well. We lost a good one.

EVERYONE JUMPS.

ANNABETH: You're up!

COACH GETS OFF LEO'S BED AND WALKS OVER TO THE GROUP. HE SITS DOWN NEXT TO HAZEL.

COACH:*snaps but his voice is sad so they know he doesn't mean it rudely* you cupcakes were too busy crying to notice.

SILENCE FILLS THE AIR AS THEY MOURN THEIR FALLEN FRIEND, SOLIDER, CAMPER, AND LEADER.