"Hey," Leo said, walking casually by one of his best friends, Piper McLean. She turned to stare at him.

"Hi," She said, and she made a face. "What do you want, repair boy?"

Leo scoffed. "Yeeeeesh, Piper, I know you're a daughter of Aphrodite, so could you please tell your siblings to stop checking me out? I know I'm hot, but-"

"Leo, no ones checking you out!" Piper cut in, but Leo ignored her. 

"Just because you don't doesn't mean your siblings aren't," He replied, and he fiddled with the pencil sticking out from behind his curly mop of hair. 
"Leo Valdez," Piper began, "Can you leave me alone for one minute? I'm not in the mood for this."

Leo stared at her for a minute, and rolled his eyes. "Oh, I see. Girl problems."

Piper glared daggers at him, her kaleidoscope eyes spinning fiercely. "No! Not girl problems, you idiot! Just leave me alone!" She yelled, her voice catching a little and tearing the word 'alone' apart. Leo looked puzzled, and stepped closer to his friend.

"What's wrong, beauty queen?" He asked, and he plopped down next to her. He had stopped twirling his pencil now, and was tapping his foot on the ground rhythmically. Piper brushed her hair behind her ear.

"It's...nothing you'd understand. Or care about," Piper told him, and Leo gave her a side glance.

"Try me," He challenged, and Piper looked up at him. She took a shaky breath, and sighed.

"I'm worried," Piper confessed, her eyes cast downward, avoiding Leo's.

Leo's titled his head and raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

"About Jason. What if he doesn't end up liking me? All of my memories of him are fake," Piper rambled, spiraling on, "And he probably won't like me for real. He'll go for some other girl that's prettier or braver or something."

Leo's face softened. "Pipes..." He breathed. "That's a lot to take in."

"I know." She quipped, but she was crying.

"Hey, hey," Leo told her, "Jason will like you for you, I know he will. And if he doesn't, well, then he's a loser, Piper. You're one of my best friends. Who wouldn't like on of my friends?"

Piper sniffled. "Wow, have an ego much?"

"Yeah, I do," Leo laughed, but he put his hand on her shoulder in a caring way. "Beauty queen, I know it's hard, but remember, if he, for some ridiculous reason, does decide to break your heart, you still have me. And we may not be related, but we're as close as family."

Piper turned to him, and despite her salty tears, grinned. "Thanks, Valdez. I owe you one," She admitted, her hair blowing behind her. Leo shrugged.

"You owe me a lot, Pipes, but for this, you get a pass," Leo whispered. Piper smiled now, for real this time.

"You know, repair boy," said Piper, "You're a good friend."

Leo grinned so wide that Piper thought he would burst. "Yeah I am!"

Yeah, he was.