When We Were 'Us'

It's Nice To Have A Friend- Percy POV

The coordinator for the volunteer project was a tiny, dark-skinned woman with bright green braids tied up in a bun on top of her head. When Rachel introduced us, myself as Haley and her as Telaya, she offered me a bright smile and leaned her garbage-poker against her leg.

"Haley said he'd like to give us a hand for a couple hours." Rachel grinned. "He's got a good work ethic, despite the... general appearance."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh come on, you met me when this phase was a thousand percent worse."

She snickered. "Ah yes, fourteen-year-old you was... interesting."

I rolled my eyes and turned back to Telaya. "Yeah, if you need a hand I'm happy to help. Just let me know what I need to do."

She smiled and pulled out a ring of keys. "Well as long as you and Rachel know each other, I'll have her show you the ropes. Red, if you wanna grab some more supplies out of the van for him?"

"No problem." Rachel grinned and took the keys. "C'mon, Hal."

"Hal?" I grinned at her as we began to walk away. 

"If I say Haley I think of 4th grade science class. Science was fun, but ten-year-old me was not."

"Hal it is."

Rachel nodded and we reached the parking lot.

"Are you out here by yourself or with others?" She asked as we made our way to an old blue minivan with the same logo as the shirt she was wearing. 

"Couple kids, mostly legacies and clear-sighted mortals. They needed an extra chaperone."

"The fact that a twenty-year-old in a Black Sabbath t-shirt- which is awesome by the way- is considered a chaperone in a camp with actual adults is very amusing." She grinned and unlocked the van.

"Speaking of shirts, put this on." 

I snorted as she shoved another volunteer shirt into my hands. "I thought you said the Black Sabbath shirt was cool."

"It is, but we're supposed to wear the shirts so that if people have questions they know who to ask." Rachel shrugged, smiling. "Just put it on."

I grunted and tugged my shirt off, a couple inches of the neckline into my back pocket to keep track of it.

"Really felt the need to show off, huh?" Rachel rolled her eyes, pulling her hair up into a ponytail.

"If you've got it, flaunt it." I tugged the other shirt on. "When did you get your hair cut?"

She paused, thinking. "A week ago?"

"Looks nice."

"Thanks." Rachel reached into the back of the van and grabbed a roll of garbage bags. "Here, we're probably going to need some more of these."

She handed them to me and grabbed another garbage-poker. "Ready to save the world?"

I laughed. "Very different connotation from what I'm used to."

"Isn't it great?" Rachel closed the van and locked it, pocketing the keys. "Telaya will send people our way if someone needs them," she explained when I shot her a questioning look.

"Okay cool."

We walked back out onto the beach and got to work. Rachel used one bag and I used another, and we sorted the trash we were picking up. Rachel said they sometimes had to sort it afterward anyway, so this way we didn't have to work on it later. 

"Mr. Haley?"

I glanced over as I put a piece of trash in the bag I was holding. "Hey Quinn."

"What are you doing?" She asked tentatively, glancing at Rachel. Honestly I was surprised she was talking in front of someone she didn't know, poor kid was terrified of social interaction.

"This is my friend Rachel, from New York. She's working with a volunteer association today and I offered to help out."

"Oh... hi." She smiled shyly at Rachel.

"Hey kid. I like your earrings."

Quinn's hand flew to the tasseled hoops hanging from her ears. "Thanks, I made them myself!"

I chuckled to myself as the Rachel asked how she did it, prompting a five minute explanation during which Quinn actually took one out to show her.

Rachel had that effect on people. It was hard not to open up to such a friendly face and attitude, and the way she always knew how to get someone out of their shell.

"Hey, if Carmen decides it's time to leave will you come find me?" I asked once they'd finished their conversation and Quinn said she'd let us get back to work.

She nodded. "Sure! See you later."

Rachel shook her head as Quinn walked off. "Cute kid."

"She's great, yeah. She's a legacy but she doesn't have any powers and I think it makes her nervous to talk to people that might judge her for it."

[A/N not gonna lie I sang Its Tough To Be A God when I typed the title]