17Hazel Levesque quickened her pace to match the two older girls as they walked on with one still rambling and the other rolling her eyes, but with perhaps a small amused smile written on her lips. They walked through the town; she always had some sort of excitement to go about like this.
"Did you ever hear that there were a million types of dark purple, girls? I hadn't until Silena and Lacy had to point it out that I shouldn't wear such."
The two girls had to sigh as Piper rambled on about how atrocious it was to be in her house during preparations for parties. Her use of vivid language and imagery might've been slightly exaggerated or not but they listened nonetheless. "Just picture walking into a room with thousands of clothing thrown onto the floor-all different colours. Some of which I had never even seen before, and then to hear horrible sobs coming from some other cousin down the hall because she couldn't fit into her skirt like she used to."
Hazel rubbed her chin with a thoughtful look on her face. "Well I do reckon your family is strange." Piper did not argue on that subject, and she nodded firmly at her. "But a party is a party, who are you going with?"
Annabeth shrugged her shoulders, "With Percy I suppose," she remarked absently while Piper stood with her mouth agape in complete and utter shock.
"We need somebody to accompany us?" Annabeth nodded as she looked over the different fabrics for a dress. Piper wrung her hands nervously. "If I had known that before I would have not said I was going!"
"It is not something you need to have, but they must expect us all to bring a companion, right?"
"Wrong," she said. "I am not going with anybody."
Hazel scrunched her nose and looked at Piper curiously. She readjusted her brimmed hat on her head and said "Why not go with somebody as friends? You can go with-well you can ask Mitchell."
"As if I would go with my cousin...and he's going with Lou Ellen from the other side of town." Piper retorted with a huff at her friend. Honestly, nobody understood her when it came to things like this.
Even the reasonable Annabeth looked at her with a disapproving glance. "Piper, it is just one party."
"Yes, it is, and even if it will be very agitating I am still to go," she tried putting some confidence in her voice like it all took a big amount of effort, and then she added meekly "Because Silena is still forcing me."
Annabeth shook her head slightly, "Well I have no problem with parties, just so long as you keep going to the church like a lady should."
"I am not a lady." Hazel said with a solemn face.
"We're both hardly." Piper added.
"You shall be very soon if you're able to go to conventions." said Miss Chase.
"Your father wasn't in church in any of last month's Sundays," Hazel said pushing the other topic to the side. She ruffled her golden-brown curls slightly. "Why ever not?"
Piper pondered the question for a while as they continued to walk past the small town shops. "Unlike my mother, he isn't as much of a religious person."
"That seems rather strange, I've never heard such about him."
"It isn't scandalous really-my mother attends and he's alright with that. I'm glad he doesn't forcefully inflict his beliefs into our minds." Piper said. "Like the fact that he thinks Miss Jane's hair is real, but we all know it is indeed a wig."
Hazel twisted her face comically and suppressed a smile. "It is a wig."
"Yes, I know so too. He thinks differently because he believes she wouldn't do such, but I know so because she sat in front of me last Sunday and scratched her little head-and I would've paid to see her reaction if she actually knew that it tilted her wig to the side. It slanted completely. I understand that some people may like to wear wigs for the glory of it-or something like that- but you must know how not to get caught."
"What nonsense you go on about Piper!" Annabeth exclaimed with such an expression on her face that Hazel almost laughed.
"It isn't nonsense!" Piper protested. "It's the perfect truth! I never liked her anyway..."
"It isn't nice to gossip about people like that, you of all people should know that."
"But it isn't gossiping, I was just recalling a very true event that occurred before my very own eyes."
"Define the word gossip," Annabeth said.
"A pure act of reciting an event that occurred which has not yet been established as accurate. Yes, yes I know! But anyway, the way you go on about Mrs Hera isn't nice either."
"I have my reasons, she cleared off any way of me getting closer to my college goal. Ask Percy and Thalia! They were there the entire time."
"Why what happened?" Hazel asked.
The blonde girl pursed her lips with utter distaste as she recalled the memory. "The lady has connections you see, and she even told the trustees over at the school to not take me in! But Mr Zeus Grace is also high up in social statuses, isn't he? Well Thalia went into the place and chewed them off about accepting me-and I am thankful and embarrassed at the same time for that. But she never liked the woman either. Mrs Hera and her father used to court, you know."
"Oh that's absolutely horrid to see those whom your parents had once dated." Piper made a face. "My mother used to have so many beaux and I still find it very unsettling."
"Isn't it awful?" Hazel exclaimed making such a face.
"Yes," Annabeth agreed with a wise expression on her face. "But one day, when we're all old with children, they'll find it horrible too."
This time it was Piper who made a face, either at the thought of being old or having children-or perhaps both. "That's why I'll save anybody looking upon me and doing so."
For a moment nobody said anything, enjoying the comfortable silence that fell over them. It was a nice day to simply talk of all the things to talk about with a few chums, and they kept stopping every once in a while to peek into a few stores then carry on walking through. Summer break was very enjoyable indeed, and Piper wished it would last forever-because soon after she would have to decide if she wanted to go on pursuing a proper education or not.
She could've tried to become a head teacher, like Annabeth was hoping on achieving, or something along the lines with 'higher qualification'. But everyone assumed that a girl would go for something like that. But even with no ambition, it was hard to fit into the crowd of studious and well-brought up people.
Or maybe she didn't have to fit in with them. She spotted Clarisse la Rue going about in the post office as they passed on. Clarisse was a tough but rather well-off girl, hoping on going off to college like the rest at the end of the season. Probably gone to see if she got any report on any place, Piper thought. A lot of people were dropping off to see if any word had gotten back from the college.
But unlike the others who would be able to go on to teaching at smaller placers, Piper heard that her father would never let her do such a thing. Apparently there was something unsatisfying about working for others' educational value, so Clarisse would either end up marrying or staying an old maid with her mother if she didn't get a chance to go to college.
"Clarisse's family do have a large farm, but it's very unlikely that she will end up working with her father and brothers there. Her father doesn't look upon her...very highly." Piper recalled her mother saying. She felt very sorry for her-if she had been in that situation she would most likely end up being an old maid.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt that her life was a little similar to Clarisse's. Yet it seemed different because she seemed to have made the choice for things to be that way. She hoped that Clarisse did end up going to college, because she deserved it.
"Piper, watch where you're going!"
Dazing off into her own world, she hadn't noticed the cart that seemed to be lying on the ground. It was almost too late when her shoe kicked it away and if it wasn't for Annabeth's fast reflexes and strong grip she would've stumbled down as well.
"What's this?" A man turned around at the commotion.
"Oh my goodness, good gracious! Sir I beg your pardon I am so very sorry!" Piper exclaimed to him, feel very embarrassed at the whole situation. "I wasn't looking my way, I am sorry!" She felt ridiculous and clumsy, thank the Lord that there hadn't been anybody else to see it but Annabeth and Hazel.
"Oh." The man said simply. His horse buggy appeared to be carrying a pile of other carts. He bent down and picked up what she had kicked away. "Lucky there wasn't anything in this," then he looked at her and tilted his head slightly. "Aren't you one of Aphrodite's daughter?"
"Yes." It was much more horrid to think that he knew of her, after what she had just done.
But the man just gave her a funny smile and nodded towards her. "It's alright." For a moment she thought he was talking about the fact that it was alright to be a McLean, and she was rather puzzled. It finally occurred to her that he was referring to the fact that she had almost tripped over his cart. "I didn't need the cart anyway; the people are taking longer to gather the crops this year."
"Ah." was all that Piper said.
He nodded again at them "Well I better be off now," And just like that he drove away.
"Mr Hermes is always in such a rush." Annabeth said as they watched his buggy go up the road.
"I see that."
"People are taking longer to father crops?" Hazel asked incredulously.
"Maybe they just need more help now these days." She replied. Piper didn't say anything for a while.
For some reason she thought of Clarisse's father again and herself, not being ambitious. She suddenly had an urge to do something, and something that was very different in society.
"Do you want to work on a farm?" Piper asked the two of them.
Annabeth frowned at the abrupt change of topic. "It has never occurred to me, besides my father never owned any land. You know that. He's a professor."
"Right, but since boys are more likely to go on with their family's land then why can't girls?"
"I don't think a girl would enjoy it," Hazel mused. "It isn't much to sow the crops and all."
Piper McLean laughed out loud at her comment, "But I doubt any girl has ever tried! I feel as if I want to give it a go-show all those other ladies that one of us can do it. I love animals anyhow; don't you think it's a good idea?"
They didn't. "It's not just about petting animals Piper, there is much more to that." Annabeth said, still frowning at the idea of it all. "I honestly do not know how you would ever get such an idea."
"I still want to give it a go." She said, determination ringing in her voice. "Just imagine the beautiful scenery and me collecting the vegetation. Perhaps I would have to wake up early, but I wouldn't mind that at all."
Hazel furrowed her eyebrows at her. "Piper, what are you thinking of?"
"Well maybe I could try and work a little for the season, don't you think? I could try a day or two for somebody-you know, just giving it a go. I'm sure I can find somebody who is in need of some extra help!"
"Farming isn't all that easy." Annabeth warned again.
"Yes, yes," Piper said absentmindedly. "Don't worry, I'll only see after the party-but at least I have some sort of plan to do until the summer break."
She was secretly hoping for some joy coming out of this. Surely it was an odd occupation for a girl to be looking at but it seemed reasonable for that time of year.
Hazel gave her a funny look. "Well you're strange jus' like your family. Never in the world would I have thought up something like that, Piper. You must be desperate for a job."
"I am desperate, perhaps not for only a job though. Maybe I can find a use for myself."
Hazel nodded. "Honestly, I need a little pay as well, and I doubt I'll be able to find another place close enough to teach at." She smiled at her. "I'd like to try it out as well, and I think I know a good place to do it too!"
"Oh you girls and your fancies," Annabeth sighed. "Just don't dilly dally about it before the party, because if you haven't something decent to wear they most probably won't let you attend. I'd get sewing with the dresses if I were you."
Piper waved her comment off to the side. "Yes, yes, Miss Annabeth Chase. I'm sure Silena won't forget to remind me since the party is only in a few days.
"Oh girls, just look at this fabric! I don't have quite a taste but I must say that this is really a nice colour. Just think of all the things I could do with it if I had the skill."
A/N And that's chapter two! I suppose it wasn't much but it looks like Piper and Hazel are going to try and start with the working soon! Alright, next chapter there'll be more excitement, and I think I can say that Piper is going to meet somebody...I wonder who ;) Please R&R (which also happens to be the initials of this story!) Your reviews always mean a lot to me :)