Just something I wanted to try.

"Scram, punk! Graffiti somewhere else!" I scold, causing the kid to run off.

Turning on the lights to my bodega, the neon lights shine bright on Half-Blood Heights.

I'm still tired last's nights closing, a record time of 1:30 AM. It's five now, and I stretch my arms, and ignore the drowsiness.

Every morning -every single morning- this same kid, Graffiti Luke attempts to ruin my shop sign and every morning I bust him. I'm thinking of calling the police.

Slowly, the community wakes up and I start my famous coffee. I wave hello to everyone; some people look annoyed while others smile back.

Jason (the guy who sells piragua every single morning) calls out, "Ice cold piragua! Parcha, China, Cherry, Strawberry, and just for today, I got mamay!" Jason's one of my closest friends, but extra work combined with his sudden dating of the head of the beauty salon, Piper, has caused us to drift.

"Yo, Sparky. How are ya?" I yell over to Jason, whose handing out piragua to the kids.

"Same as always, Leo." Jason's face falls and I leave him alone.

I never introduced myself, did I? My name's Leo and you've probably never heard of me. Reports of my fame are probably tall tales by now. The fact that my roots are so weird help, most likely.

Me and my parents emigrated from this special little island off the coast of Mexico. I love it, and compared to Half-Blood Heights, I'm jealous of it, too.

Unfortunately, since my mom and dad died, I haven't been able to return to my favorite little island. I gotta get back to that.

Looking for milk to add to my coffee, I enter the fridge and sniff the milk carton. Hey, it's the most effective way to check if it's spoiled.

I jump back, gagging.

Definitely spoiled.

I look to the rest of the items in the refridgerator, and everything seems rotten. How am I supposed to have people buy my drinks if it isn't good (and if it's going to make you barf?)?

Abuelo Chiron calls me over. He's always like a father to me, and I'm eternally grateful to him.

"Abuelo, the fridge broke. There's coffee, but no milk. What should I do?" I whine. I probably look pathetic.

"Condensed milk works perfectly." Abuelo Chiron's eyes glinted with wisdom.

"Nice. Thanks, Chiron."

"Patience and faith, Leo." Chiron responds, muttering his mantra.

Abuelo Chiron isn't even my abuelo, but he basically raised me, seeing I'm an orphan. He runs a school on the corner and everyone loves. He's the only reason I'm staying here.

...

At this point, you're probably thinking I'm screwed. I haven't even been higher than ninety-sixth street!

To get here, you have to take the A-Train to even farther than Harlem to northern Manhattan and stay there. Later, get off at 181st and take the escalator. Then, you're home.

The Half-Blood Heights community is filled with fights, limitless debts, high rents, and many, many bills to pay. I don't know how I've survived this long.

I serve coffee, hoping I'll brighten the day of others. It'll keep them awake for hours at a time. Night time is extremely far away here.

...

The Chases stroll up to my bodega. They manage the local cab company, but as people are moving out of Half-Blood Heights their business is struggling. Plus, the fact that their daughter Annabeth is off at Stanford and tuition is freakishly high doesn't help.

"Good morning, Leo." Fredric Chase says, eyes tired but bright.

Handing him the styrofoam cup I respond, "Be careful, coffee's hot." I give him a small smile.

"Put twenty on today's lottery, okay?" Fredric murmurs. The lottery is very popular here, even one thousand dollars can change anyone's lives here.

"One ticket, that's it!" Athena Chase snaps, always the logical one.

"Hey, you never know..." Fredric speaks nonchalantly, ignoring his wife's edge.

Athena looks at me, grey eyes joyous. "We're both excited. Annabeth arrived in JFK in the early hours of this morning!" That's surprising; Fredric isn't one to show emotion that often.

"Don't look at me, the oven's been on all week!" Fredric moans, rolling his eyes.

"Leo, come over! They'll be plenty to fill your stomach!" Athena and Fredric wave goodbye, in extra bounce in each of their steps.

...

"So then Alajandra walks in the room," I can hear Piper's distictive voice from yards away.

"Uh huh," Hazel responds, completely engrossed.

"She smells lipstick and cheap perfume," Piper laughs, using exaggerated hand motions. Hazel is starting to doubt Piper's story.

Piper looks like she's thinking of the right words. "It smelt like one of those trees that you hang from the rearview." She looks smug.

"Oh!" Hazel has a soft smile on again.

"She screams, 'Whose in there with you, Jadon?' Grabs a bat and kicks in the door-" Piper kicks the air. "He's kissing Anca from the drug store."

Hazel and I respond in unison -between laughs, of course-, "Don't tell me!"

Piper still has a dazzling smile on, but I hand the two of them cups of coffee.

The two have a long day ahead of them, working at the salon with a fifteen-minute break during a twelve hour day.

"Thanks Leo!" They yell to my back.

...

I take people's orders, waiting for my adoptive cousin to work his shift.

Nico bursts in the doors, slowly, like he has all the time in the world.

"Nico, you're late." I glare at him.

"Chill out, Leo. You can't succeed in this business without me." Nico responds, shrugging his shoulders. True, but I wasn't going to tell him that.

It's only me and my cousin, running a mediocre grocery store in the middle of Half-Blood Heights. It's a simple mom-and-pop-stop-and-shop-

Oh my god, it's so hot I can barely even think.

Same orders everyday, water, soda, lotto tickets.

But everyone's different. Different jobs, different dreams, different struggles.

I listen to the gossip, smirking, half-laughing and almost choking on my coffee. These stories are ridiculous. Nyssa cheating on Will with Dakota? Sure...

I may have ADHD and Dyslexia, but all the rapid mathematics force me to be able to do math unbelievable fast.

Why can't someone just get me a calculator?

1.00, 2.00, 1.50, 1.69...

But I know some people have it much worse than me, and if they keep pulling through, so will I.

Music blares from radios all across Half-Blood Heights. People dance with smiles on their faces, ignoring the fact that money is tight and they probably should be working.

I love this community.

"You don't have any skills." Someone ruffles my hair, and turn and see my other best friend, Percy. He has a crush on Annabeth, not like he'd tell anyone though.

"Percy!" I'm genuinely happy to see him.

"Let me get a-"

"Milky Way, right?" Percy orders the same thing everyday.

"Yeah! Can I also have-"

"Daily News."

"And a-"

"Post and the most important thing-" I grin, knowing what's coming.

"Boss's coffee, one cream, five sugars." We say that in unison. Percy basically hammered that into my head.

"I think I'm going to get promoted. Boss wouldn't keep me on the backburner, would he?" Percy ponders it for a moment.

"Uh, yes he can." You never know what to expect from Mr. Chase.

"I'm making moves and deals, and soon I'll be out of here. But guess what?" His green eyes flash, and I wonder what he's thinking.

"What?" I know it can't be too bad, after all I make his boss's coffee. Laxatives, anyone?

Nico comes and and sits next to Percy.

"You still don't have any skills." They stay together, and laugh at my obviously miffed expression.

"Haha, very funny. Nico! Get back to-"

"Hey, did Reyna show up yet?" Percy has a mischievous grin.

"Shut up!" Reyna's my kinda, sorta, crush. We're good friends, but I'm not exactly fantastic at interactions other than orders at the bodega.

"Don't get so upset, Leo! Just take her out, get a bite, something! Show us that you have some skills!" Percy responds, laughing.

"No, no, NO!" I hear Reyna on the phone outside, extremely frustrated.

"Mr. Gray, I promise I have the security deposit. It's in a box in the bottom of my closet! No, no. This has nothing to do with the bank statement. I've just been saving to pay a down payment, and rent too! No, I won't let you down, swear." She puts down the phone and heads to my bodega.

"This is your chance! Be free, little bird and ask her out!" Percy says, practically shoving me out of the bodega.

"Make sure you don't freeze!" Nico whisper-yells at me from inside the bodega.

"Uh, Reyna! Hey!" I shout, trying to get her attention.

She strolls over to be. "You owe me a bottle of cold champagne."

"You're moving?" I ask, hoping my shock is mostly hidden.

"Got to do a creedit check, and then I'm on the train and out of here." She's always wanted to leave Half-Blood Heights, so I shouldn't be sad.

But I am.

"Well, your coffee's on the house." I say, smoothly.

"Okay," Reyna responds, like she's waiting for something.

"Leo, ask her out." Percy mumbles under his breath, only loud enough for me to hear.

"Yeah, right." I murmur back.

"I'll see you later, so..." She slowly walks away, a small smile on her face.

"Good job out there, Leo. Take a walk outside! Don't let life just slide by, live a little. Everyone's struggling here, but we're all letting life carry us whatever way it wants to! You're stuck to this corner like a streetlight." Leaving his money, Percy gives me a small smile and walks away.

I might be a streetlight, dying in the heat. Everything's changing around me, but I'm just stuck where I am. My parents came here with nothing, just a little love, and they earned a small bit of money from the bodega. I want to continue this in memory of them, to make them proud. One day, I know I'll be on a beach, and Nico'll be writing check made out to me.

The neighbors hang their flags up, so many different countries. China, Uganda, even Piper's unique Cherokee quilt is hanging from the door of the salon. It reminds me that all of us have one thing in common.

We all came from somewhere different, and long to go back. This isn't our first home. We will work til poverty is turned into stock options.

The neighborhood gets more expensive everyday, but we pull through.

I practically taste the shaved ice, smell the beans and rice, hear the syrups dripping and the hairdryers blowing.

This is my life.

Should I continue? Stop? Leave it at this? Tell me!