The Olympian Of McKinley High

Chapter 9: Shame With A Side Of Blue Waffles

"I'm telling you Annabeth, nothing happened! It was by far the most relaxing school day I have ever had." Percy said to his girlfriend through the Iris Message. He was sitting on his bed in the ugly yellow room, taking advantage of what was left of the sunlight that streamed through his window. He had eaten dinner with his family and the Fabray's and had then excused himself for the night. He was still rather confused by Quinn's behavior because once they were back at her house, she returned to her kind and sweet self.

"Really? I'll have to come see this magical town of Lima some time. It sounds nice." Annabeth said from the other side of the Iris message. She sat on the beach again with the churning ocean behind her. Percy smiled at the familiar scenery. He missed camp already.

He looked out the window again, gaging how much time and sunlight he had left. "I'm going to have to go Annabeth." He said sadly. He had been talking to her for almost twenty minutes, and it wasn't nearly enough.

"Okay." She said with a small frown. "Good night Seaweed brain."

Percy waved goodbye as the image began to fade. When the sunlight was completely gone, Percy finished getting around for bed and fell asleep.

His mind was void of dreams.

***

The next morning, Percy awoke bright and early. He decided that he would make everyone breakfast for a change. He quickly got dressed and packed his bag for school before tip-toeing out of his room and down the stairs towards the kitchen.

He set about collecting the ingredients needed to make waffles. As an after thought, he reached into one of the pantries and pulled out a bottle of blue food dye.

People started arriving in the kitchen some ten minutes later. Percy had already made a small pile of still warm, blue waffles and he stood next to the plate proudly as his new friends and family slowly entered the room.

The first to arrive was Quinn. She was dressed in a long, lacey skirt and a midriff black top. She smiled at him when she saw the plate of waffles, but was obviously confused by the color of them. Percy smirked.

"It's a running joke between my mom and I." He explained simply, resulting in a nod from Quinn. She sat down at the Island after grabbing a few of the blue squares and only hesitated for a second before taking a bite out of it. She hummed in satisfaction when the piece hit her taste buds.

Judy, Sally, and Paul all entered the Kitchen together. Sally beamed at the blue food and helped herself. Paul laughed a little and Judy just looked confused. She also looked surprised. She had never had someone make her breakfast before.

"Thank you very much Percy." She said as she joined everyone at the island. Percy smiled and started to clean up after himself. He hadn't really made a mess per say, but he definitely had a few things to clean. Judy immediately stopped him in his tracks. "Oh no, Percy. You cooked so I'll clean. I insist!" She added when Percy opened his mouth to protest. He shrugged it off and finished eating what was left of his own breakfast.

Once Quinn had finished eating too it was about time to leave for school. A round of goodbye's echoed through the house as Quinn and Percy walked down the hall towards the front door. They both got into Quinn's car and sat in silence as they started on their short drive.

Percy felt it. The small shift in behavior. Quinn went from being relaxed and calm to tense and nervous. Percy didn't understand it at all.

They pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car. Quinn smiled apologetically towards him once more. "I'm sorry but I'm not walking in with you again. There are some friends I want to meet." With that, she turned and walked through the parking lot towards the side of the school building.

Percy hesitated for a second before he moved to follow her. He knew he was invading her privacy, but he couldn't stand not knowing what was going on. He followed slowly, always making sure he could see her ahead of him. He followed her behind the school towards the football field. He watched as she ducked underneath the bleachers and sat on a stool. He continued to watch as she pulled out a cigarette and lighter. He watched her light it.

He was disappointed. He understood that he really didn't know her all that well, but from what he had seen, Quinn wasn't some sad and depressed teenage smoker. He walked out of his hiding place without really thinking and stood in front of her.

Quinn looked up with a complete look of shock written on her face. She sat with the cigarette alit in her hand as she stared at the boy she had come to call a friend. She was ashamed of herself in that moment. She only felt worse as the silence continued on for what felt like a millennia. Percy stared hard and coldly at her, only to shake his head sadly and turn away from her. He slowly walked back towards the school. Away from the bleachers. Away from Quinn.

Quinn flicked the cigarette out of her hand and buried her face as the tears started to fall.

***

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