He didn't plan on smelling like flowers all day. Or chocolate.

But If he was totally honest, Jason Grace didn't even plan on having flowers or chocolate in the first place. He already knew Piper was allergic to Daisies, and that she despised Cherry flavored chocolate. So when some popular girl practically threw the flowers and chocolate into his hands he tried to protest.

He didn't get very far.

He never did.

The bouncing girl bubbled happily and fixed his Half Blood High Football jacket. Holding the flowers Jason couldn't help but feel like he was getting ready for a wedding. Which sucked, because he knew when he finally did get married it wouldn't be to any girl her actually liked.

As was he life, for now and ever.

He hated his life.

He knew what he was suppose to do. What he did every time they gave him flowers to give to Piper. He'd go cruising up to her where she waited by the front office. He'd complement her hair and give her a quick kiss on the cheek. She'd giggle falsely (yes he was quite aware it was fake,) and then he'd pull the red heart box of chocolate from behind his back and present his gifts to her.

He'd look into her kaleidoscope eyes and tell her the flowers weren't nearly a beautiful as she was. And then they'd kiss. A sweet and tender type.

If Jason wasn't already in three of the school sports, he'd make a brilliant actor in the school play.

But something so unexpected happened in the three minutes he took to smile falsely at his teammates as the jeered and laughed at each other until Jason had to find Piper, Jason wasn't even sure what to do.

A kid ran into him.

A short and scrawny kid, ran into him.

The small framed boy slammed into Jason, crushing the Daisies and chocolate into his chest and bouncing off like a ping pong ball straight into the line of metal lockers. Jason stumbled back off balance and fell backwards.

The entire hall got quiet. Students slowed to a stop, looking at them and barely containing giggles. However long that lasted, Jason rolled his eyes as the entire football team roared with unbridled laughter.

Had Jason cared, it might've been embarrassing.

But then Piper ran up, panting slightly and hopping in her flats as she tried to fix the heel of them.

"Leo!" She said, first.

Jason felt a spring of emotion. He wasn't sure why. Weren't they the ones play-dating? Shouldn't she at least be worried for him first?

The scrawny kid who had run into him groaned, and sat up cautiously. He must have been new. His shirt was old and faded, with cargo pants that looked mostly empty. He had a funny type of complexion, like one of Santa's elves got lost in a desert somewhere, without sunblock.

He groaned something about dumb lockers, and weakly opened his eyes.

Piper winced for him, and suddenly looked at Jason.

"Jason." She said, and her whole demeanor changed. She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. Jason looked down at himself, and chuckled slightly.

"Sorry, baby," he said, "These were for you." He held the crushed chocolate out to her.

She rolled her eyes in a playful gesture. "So sweet!" She said, a grin suppressed in her lips. "Thanks, Jase." She got on her tippy toes and kissed his jawline.

Jason liked to think that the kiss actually meant something. He wished a crackle of electricity would flow between them. A perfect match. The perfect match. He wished that he could look at Piper and smile, not because that was what was expected, but because he actually liked her.

Hell, he'd even settle for knowing her.

But that was just it. The empty kiss. Like crushed chocolate, or ruined flowers. It wouldn't matter in a week. It probably wouldn't even matter in an hour.

Piper's eyes broke away from him catching a glance of the scrawny kid. What had she called him? Leo?

He wore a strange blank expression. Almost like they were a puzzle he wanted to figure out but didn't want to put the effort into. He still looked dazed from his one sided locker fight but he must have been okay.

"You okay?" Jason said for good measure reaching down to pull the kid up.

The boy ignored his hand, something flashing on his face so briefly, Jason wasn't sure what it was. Leo clung to the lockers and steadily got to his feet.

"Fine." He huffed.

"Then you can go to class now." Piper said with a motherly tone.

Leo stiffened, Jason suddenly could read his body language. His knees were bent slightly poised just right to spring past them both to the exit. His expression was a blank as ever.

Jason wondered that if Leo really did run, would he try to stop him? Would he step in front blocking the smaller kids escape?

He still hasn't come to a decision when Leo's shoulders slumped forward in a sigh of defeat.

"I can't..." Leo said almost so quiet the blond athlete didn't hear him, "I can't..."

"Can't?" Jason snorted, "Of course you can. Come on, I bet you have Gym first block, right? All the new kids get gym first block. That's easy, Coach is practically harmless! I'm in first block. I can take you."

Piper frowned, appearing almost miffed by his statement, but quickly it morphed into a smile. Actress.

Always an actress.

She deserved an Oscar. They all deserved Oscars.

"That's prefect!" She squeaked with delight, "Oh, Leo! You'll have so much fun! Jason is a blast! I'll catch you guys later! Love you Jase!"

She sent him an air kiss before jumping back into the swamp of other high schoolers walking around before school starts. Jason almost wished she hadn't done that. Because now he was stuck with this weirdo new kid, who seemed quite content to not be in school today.

"Why do you do that?"

Jason looked quizzically at Leo, searching for the meaning of the general question. "Do what?"

"That." Leo pointed at him and then the place Piper had been, "You and her, it's so...unnatural. So....rehearsed."

Jason forced a smile, hoping it wasn't as fake as it felt. "So I heard we're playing Dodgeball in Gym today."

"What-?"

"Are you any good at dodgeball?" Jason cut him off trying to keep clear of the subject the newbie was edging at. "I'm pretty good. Enough to be captain that is."

"Why-?"

"I also need to pick my team, so either you're good and on it or you suck and you get pounded with rubber, cannon sized, balls." Jason somehow kept the light happy tone in his voice.

"Was that a threat?" Leo asked

"Nope," Jason assured him, "It's the fact."

"Why?"

"Because Coach Hedge likes to play survival of the fittest."

***

"Cupcake Grace! Mind explaining to me why you're late?!"

Jason did not know why Coach Hedge called them Cupcakes. Maybe was because they were mostly shorter than the coach and easy to hit? Maybe it was because he was always hungry and thought they would taste good?

Whatever the case, it didn't help that Jason almost smelled like a cupcake also.

"Got a newbie, Coach." Jason said, loudly.

Hedge scowled, his signature baseball bat hefted on his shoulder like he was about to beat someone's brains out. He wore his Chuck Norris Collector's Addition Work out shirt, and mismatching Nike running shorts. His red and white Baseball cap sat on his head easily.

Leo walked beside him emotionless, though a small smile was tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Coach Hedge regarded Leo like fresh recruits to the military. "What's your name, newbie?" He barked.

"Leo Valdez, sir!" He replied proudly.

"Alright, Valdez," Coach grunted, "I want no slacking from you! When I give you orders you obey! Got that Cupcake?"

"Loud and Clear, Coach!" Leo smirked.

"Was that sarcasm, Cupcake?"

"Absolutely!" Leo grinned.

Jason could practically see Coach Hedge's face turning red. He knew this was not going to turn out well...for anyone.

"Mr. Valdez!" Coach hollered even though they were standing right next to each other. "You've just earned yourself five laps around the track, and if you can't make them in seven minutes, you'll be running the entire bock!"

If Leo was worried he didn't show it. He grinned wider, which seemed to annoy Coach even more. "Yes, sir! Coach Hedge, sir!"

Jason almost felt bad for the new kid. He remembered the first time he'd had to do that too. A misinterpreted snarky statement to his sister.

Oh, Thalia.

Upon instinct Jason glanced towards the girls locker room. The door was firmly closed, but the already dress girls were standing outside in groups. He spotted his sister immediately. Her black hair was crisp with her new highlights, looking out of place in her Half Blood High, orange and grey gym uniform.

She was glaring, her arms crossed looking the opposite direction of all the other girls. Or more specifically, one girl. Her Ex-best friend.

Jason tried to catch her eye but she was determined to stare through him.

Jason sighed, and Leo and Jason entered the locker rooms. Jason grabbed the Loner closet key ring from the hook and opened the door to the extra gym suits storage room.

Behind them, the other kids in the block were talking and yelling and shoving each other in a rambunctious tones. The air was filled with a rancid smell that Jason had become use to.

Leo scrunched his nose, at the smell.

"What size are you?" Jason asked, "Small? Extra small?"

"Scrawny." Leo said flatly.

"Extra small it is." Jason tossed him the faded uniform and led the Latino Elf back towards his locker.

His teammates slapped him on the back good naturally. A couple commented on his star plays as he passed, with Leo trailing, but Jason could see the fiery jealousy that hosted in their eyes. Everyone's jealous.

Why wouldn't they be?

Jason was star player at everything he tried. Captain of the football team. Play maker of the basketball team. Home run specialist on the baseball team. He never missed a practice. He always got straight A's.

And he had the hottest girl as a girlfriend.

Jason never asked for all this. He never wanted it. He hated it. No privacy. No normal days. No mess ups.

Leo kept grinning, but Jason was sure it would only last oh-so-long. Coach Hedge didn't joke about making people run. Judging by Leo's small frame and spurious attitude, Jason could guess he was going to die.

But Leo stretched his shoulders, taking in a deep breath, (Jason didn't recommend doing it, the stench was overwhelming after a couple of those), and asked where the track was.

"Outside." One of the basketball guys said. He had blond hair. Super blond hair and a natural beach tan. Solace, Jason remembered, Will Solace. He spent his summers working on his skill just to stay ahead of Jason.

Jason kinda felt bad about that. He didn't even have to try hard, it came like a reaction, and here was Will who devoted his life to be better than him at something.

Will flashed Leo a smile, giving him a good once-over. "Why? You doing laps, newbie? Please tell me it's because you messed with Coach's microphone!"

"Nah." Leo grinned, "Smart mouthed him. But what's this about a microphone?"

Coach Hedge almost always had a microphone. He kept it in his office. It had its own neat place like a shrine between the pictures of his family and his Chuck Norris DVDs.

"Valdez!" Coach Hedge yelled into the locker room. "Those laps aren't running themselves!"

Leo partially skipped out of the locker room. The other guys regarded him tensely. Jason knew they thought he was either a threat to their positions or a punching bag for their amusement. The girl's couldn't have cared less. He could see the poplar girls gossiping happily, and the others bunched in groups doing hair or trying to sneak their phones outside too.

Thalia was alone.

They filed out to the schools track field, a highly polished track runner's dream. Jason didn't know quite that much about track, but he knew that the field got redone every year, because those days it was difficult to practice any of his over-bearing sports.

Coach started Leo at the start line while the rest of the class poised to watch. Some looked interested, some just looked thrilled to be out of class. Jason sat on the bleachers next to Thalia. She didn't acknowledge him.

Hedge stepped back and Jason couldn't help but lean forward.

Then Leo started running. No gun shot start, just a timer and a pair of running legs.

Leo got to the first curve, and turned onto the straightaway.

"Hey."

Jason divided his attention between his sister and Leo. "Hey." He replied.

Thalia watched dejectedly as a group of girls squealed about sitting while one was braiding another's hair.

Leo had wrapped his way to the other straightaway, and Jason could see he was still smiling.

"You okay, Thals?"

"No."

Leo passed Coach Hedge saying something that Jason couldn't hear.

"I thought he meant it." Thalia said, suddenly. "I seriously did. This time. Gods, Jase, why am I such an idiot?"

Jason glanced at her but she was glaring dagger holes at the back of a particular girls head. Her hands were curled around the bleachers until her knuckles matched the white metal color.

"All this time!" Thalia bristled, "I thought we were friends. All this time! And then I find that he's been cheating on me. With. My. Best. Friend?"

Leo had warped around the track again. Jason was beginning to think the kid was a lot faster than he was letting on.

"I'm not even mad at Luke anymore!" Thalia said, "it's not him! It's Zoë! Gods! I hate her!"

If Zoë heard her or felt Thalia burning the hole in the back of her head she didn't turn around to show it. Jason knew Thalia wasn't just angry. He knew she was hurting. Painfully, might he add. Their breakup was horrible.

Jason couldn't lie. He thought Luke meant it too when he told his older sister he loved her. He could've clearly seen something between them, when ever they touched or kissed or looked in the others direction.

They had something real.

Something Jason and Piper didn't.

Leo had made it around again. Starting his fourth lap with three minutes left. It was pretty impressive. You could see he was working now, his strides longer. But he kept that clairvoyant grin on his face, as if it gave him the energy to keep running.

"Wow," Thalia said watching Leo, "I think he might actually beat it."

Jason nodded. Leo didn't seem to be slowing down. If anything he was running faster. His head down, body a blur, how did he do that? Was he a track runner at his other school?

"You know, I just wish we could go back to the middle school years." Thalia said, "Before we even met Nightshade. When it was just Luke, Annabeth, and I."

Jason tore his eyes away from the track completely watching his sister.She didn't meet his gaze, which worried him. "But then we wouldn't know each other."

He didn't know if she caught the underlying tone in his voice. But it was more than obvious, that he met But then you wouldn't be stable. She didn't reply.

The other kids must have started to notice Leo finishing his last lap. The only thing between him running the rest of the block and everyone playing dodgeball, was a straightaway sprint. Will got up shooting encouragement to him. And soon even the girls were watching adamantly.

No one cared if he was going to run until his heart burst, they just wanted someone to beat Coach Hedge's challenge.

Leo dove across the finish line.

A literal dive.

Coach held up the timer, the kids were standing waiting to see if this new kid had actually beat the challenge. Even Thalia looked interested.

Coach turned away. And he looked pissed.

Leo did it. Leo had done it.

Five laps in seven minutes.

Leo still hadn't gotten up from the dive.