LOOK, A DISTRACTION!!!

Jason hated the school shirts even before they had anything to do with Leo Valdez's blood. But now that he was dripping in Leo's blood, Jason didn't know what emotion was hitting him the strongest: Hatred for that stupid, dumb shirt that no one even liked, hopelessness for the antagonizing truth that was their lives, or the regret he was feeling swell in his chest like a giant water balloon, just waiting to pop and drown him in misery.

Jason should've at least gone with them.

The classroom was completely silent. Even Piper's sobs had been quieted. Annabeth held her in a tight hug like they would both fall apart if either let go.

Jason wished he could hug Piper. It seemed so stupid, didn't it? She was Piper McLean. And Hell, if Jason was not an emotional mess over her right now. Jason was an emotional mess over everything right now.

Yesterday, or that morning even, his biggest problems were just that he was a living puppet of the school. Jason, make the basketball team no sweat. Jason, give these flowers to your perfect puppet girlfriend. Jason, be everyone's perfect role model. Jason, don 't freak out, there's a gun pointed at you.

He had wanted his life to change, yeah. But he never wanted this. He didn't want this terror, this horror, this fear that was emitting from everywhere. He didn't want to think that these might be his final thoughts and no body would ever know them. He didn't want to know that there were 285 different shades of red to the naked eye or that all of them were on his shirt.

"They'll be okay." Frank said rubbing his hand over his face. Even in the dim light, Jason could see the cooks seat that had broken out on him. "Oh good god and mother Mary, they've got to be okay."

His arm was around little Hazel. Her eyes were red, her cheeks paraded with the remains of dried tears, but it seemed as if she'd cried everything she had. Her head was tucked into the taller boy and they just sat there together.

Percy Olympian wouldn't meet anyone's eyes. His black bangs shivered as he stared at the white tile floor, refusing to look up even the slightest.

Annabeth glanced at him worriedly from over Piper's shoulders but did nothing to soothe his obvious guilt. Thalia watched the door, playing with her metal bracelets. Her fists opened and closed like her knuckles were hurting her.

Jason looked out the window. He couldn't really see the police line, but he wasn't sure he wanted too. The blurred figures were enough for him to know there was no way.

Jason Grace, 17. Died in a school shootout.

He wondered if his name would even make the newspaper. Surely, this event couldn't be ignored. There would be papers on this incident, the country would mourn them. Maybe some clever techno-genius would make a depressing article about how the how people should be more aware of others feels.

A couple years from now who anyone even remember his name?

Everyone always talked about their plans for the future. Jason remembered a project they had to do in history (the teacher was shit; Spent all their time talking about future and current events than the French Revolution, which was on the SOLs) where they each had to write a report on what they were planning to do as adults. He remembered some girl named Gwen had wanted to travel to Africa. Beckendorf wanted to look into making neuro technology that could be used to help people with mental illnesses. Clovis wanted to marry rich and have nothing to do but sleep all day.

It took a moment for Jason to remember what he had done. It clicked after a moment, he hadn't turned one in. With all his extra credit it hadn't even budged his grade.

But now, how would Jason Grace leave his mark on the world?

He supposed a red splatter wasn't the worst thing it could've been.

He frowned at the sight of movement from a couple windows over. Faint shouting each his ears. His eyes refocused and he drew in a breath so sharp he nearly choked.

"What?" Frank asked suddenly alert.

Jason couldn't answer he turn his body to peer across the well trimmed lawn. There was no mistaking that movement. It was a human. Jason pressed his face against the window, suddenly feeling his heartbeat in his throat.

It wasn't just one person, it was three. Jason squinted his eyes trying to make out the faces. He must have been so tired he couldn't see straight. He knew that black blur though. He knew that purple jacket and last person's that run stance.

Nico Di Angelo stumbled slightly and Reyna nearly tripped over him. Coach Hedge was right behind them no doubt yelling encouragement or strong curses. They took off sprinting towards that blurry police line.

Annabeth let out a sob, that could have easily been either betrayal or happiness. Thalia glanced back at them her face was just like the white board up front: one word scribbled across her features, Disbelief. Hazel covered her mouth inhaling sharply, her golden eyes finding some tiny bit of water that hadn't been let out yet.

Piper pulled away from Annabeth, making eye contact with Jason. Her beautiful multicolored eyes were darker, tears springing up again. Her lips trembled, the words getting stuck in her mouth. Didn't need to hear anything to know what she was trying to say. He fell away from the window feeling his chest erupt in pain.

"L-L-Leo..." Piper whispered but it sounded like a grenade in the room.

Jason hit the floor holding his shirt. His blood stained shirt.

His fist tightened until he couldn't feel his fingers anymore.

His blood stained, god awful school spirit shirt.

"I'll...see you...later."

Why?

Why did he have to... Jason could even think. He didn't want to speak. His throat closed up. Leo couldn't have... he wouldn't have... The short scrawny little boy, still new to the school. He showed up and suddenly everything seemed to change. Jason barely even knew him. It wasn't fair!

None of it was Fucking Fair!

Hazel let out a scream that was quickly muffled by Annabeth. The blonde girl shoved her hand in the other girls mouth wincing as Hazel bit her. Anything to quiet the sudden burst of noise.
The black blur of Nico Di Angelo was lying on the ground, not moving. Annabeth had tears rolling down her face as Hazel drove her teeth into her skin.

"Get Up!" Thalia hit the glass pane with her fist, rattling it, "Get the Hell up!"

Piper knelt next to Jason as if she couldn't bare to stand another second. It wasn't possible. No one could be dead. Jason....Jason had promised no one else was going to die. They'd just been talking to Leo and Nico. They had just been talking to real, living people who felt emotions and pain and fear.

"Oh my gods!" Frank whispered, "He's getting up!"

The black blur was moving again but Jason could barely see it. He should have gone with them to help with Leo. He should have forced Coach to let him come. Leo was his friend. But what could he have done that those three couldn't have? He didn't know much about medical things. His medical expertise ended at overdosing on Ibuprofen and Tylenol and using IcyHot.

He pulled Piper into a hug, careful of her gunshot wound still. He needed something normal...something that could wake him from this dumb nightmare. He held Piper so tight he thought she might slip between his fingertips.

Her hair was a mess, but it still smelled like her conditioner: Generic soap and craft glue. In all his time of knowing her, Jason still wasn't sure why it smelled like craft glue. But it smelt like safety. How dumb, Leo was probably dead somewhere and here he was hugging a girl who was so out of his league he could barely even think with her around. Was his chest suppose to feel like he'd gotten impaled?

Piper hugged him back, her entire body shaking. Jason could feel her tears soaking his shirt. But he didn't care.

He couldn't care.

He couldn't think of anything outside them. He felt like he was falling to pieces and only Piper's craft glue scent could put him back together.

He wanted to hold her tight, feel her form against his, hear her beating heart, listen to every breath come in and out of her lungs. He wanted to feel reassured that she was just alive. That she wasn't going to leave him alone here.

"Please..." He whispered, his voice cracked, "Just don't leave me, Piper. I-I can't..." He breathed in her scent, "I can't lose you."

Jason thought he felt her nod.

"We need to leave." A voice said but it sounded distant. Someone else with different problems.

"But where?" Another voice answered, "Where can be safe now? How much longer is our luck going to hold out that we'll find some place empty and the monsters won't find us wondering the halls like human hunting targets?"

"There's got to be somewhere."

"I've read all the school maps, Thalia, there's no place." The voice quivered, "No place that the monsters won't find us in soon. So unless you have a magical door to another dimension we can disappear in then get comfy." He voice paused before adding, "Because we are going to die in this room."

Piper's chin furrowed into Jason's shoulder. Jason held Piper close. Make it go away. Make it go all away. no more fighting, No more fear. Just Piper, just Piper and him.

A little gasp echoed in the room.

"I do."

"What?" All the others in the room said at the same time.

"I-I do, oh schist! How could I be so stupid!" The voice shrilled, "I-I do have a door! Remember back when we all first met? In the hallway? And- and I ran? I know of a spot that's not on the school maps! A tiny bomb shelter!"

"Bomb shelter?!"

"Under the janitor's closet by the culinary classroom."

"You couldn't have mentioned this earlier?"

"I-I forgot!"

"How do you forget-"

"Thalia drop it."

Another voice spoke up suddenly. One Jason hadn't heard in a while.

"Even if we could reach the Janitor's closet, none of us know how to open any doors. It was just Nico and Leo." There was a noise like someone standing up for the first time since school had started that morning: eons ago. "If we leave this room we are all dead."

"Not necessarily."

Jason froze, He looked down at Piper. His Piper. Her voice was quiet but the words semiscared him.

Everyone looked at them. Frank, Annabeth, and Thalia looking surprised, Hazel looking...hopeful. Percy looking emotionless.

"I...I heard Travis explain it to Leo." Piper sniffled, drawing away from Jason slightly. It felt like Jason was coming off a life saving drug. She used a hand to wipe off a tear, but her face remained puffy with sadness. "I can probably replicate the motions to open the door."

"Piper..." Annabeth said.

"You too?" Thalia said bluntly, "What is with you people and not telling us these important things!"

"I'm sure I can do it." Piper said again, "Just let me try somewhere safer first, like on this door." She looked at the door.

Jason couldn't find any words to describe how much he was terrified of this. He was so sick of being scared. He just wanted Piper, okay? He admitted it! He just wanted to be alone with Piper! He didn't care about anyone else anymore, not even Thalia. He wanted Piper to be okay, he wanted to grow old and have kids. He wanted to be something other than a sad new headline of an incident that never should have happened.

"I'll...see you...later..."

If Leo was as dead as it looked, Jason didn't want Piper to see him again for at least another thirty years.

Was he going to be that selfish?

He didn't say anything as Piper stepped outside. He didn't say anything as they listened to Piper jiggling the door knob. He didn't say anything when Piper shoved the door open. He didn't say anything at all.