A/N FRIENDS hello! how are we all?

this idea has been in my back pocket for a while, and yes, okay, it's partially inspired by glee (we knew this was coming all right) but it was also inspired by two of my teachers in school, who insist they hate each other (and no I can't ship them unfortunately one is much older and also happily married with kids) but they actually do like each other a lot and was thusly proven when it was one of their birthday's recently and the other said, "So I gave him a hug, but, like, an enemy hug" and if that isn't the most percabeth thing

anyway! I do hope you like this because this is probably the most fun I've ever had writing a story so you know enjoy xx title is from starlight by taylor swift (which makes this the third story with a taylor swift lyric as a title should I be concerned) and I hope you like it! x

don't you dream impossible things?

It's the first show choir competition of the year, and Annabeth is so full of energy she can't keep still.

"You guys will be great," she says. "Those other kids won't know what hit them."

"That's what my father's closest associate said before he shot another man in the chest," Drew Tanaka says. "Also what my mother said before she threw the divorce paper's in my dad's face."

Annabeth wisely chooses to ignore her.

"Miss Chase," Piper says, "are you sure you don't want me to do a backflip?"

Annabeth reaches forwards and smooths down the strap of her dress. "Piper, you can't do a backflip."

"I'm pretty sure with the right amount of gusto and self-confidence I could," Piper says. "It's just, like, velocity and acceleration, right? And potentially 911 on speed-dial. I'll totally be fine."

Annabeth rolls her eyes. "Just go with what we rehearsed, okay?" She peers over the top of Piper's head. "Is everyone changed?"

"Nearly, Miss Chase!" shouts one of the Gardner twins. Annabeth often finds it hard to distinguish their voices. "Nancy, where did you put my shoe?"

"How am I meant to know?"

"Miss Chase, I think I've lost my shoe!"

"It's here!"

"Oh, thanks! Don't worry, Miss Chase, we found it!"

Lou-Ellen bounces up to where Annabeth and Piper are standing. She's outlined her eyes in green and is wearing her usual assortment of string-and-bead jewellery, and normally Annabeth would tell her off for it because it's a competition and they need to all look the same but it looks so charming that she simply can't. "I'm so excited," she says. "We're going to rock this!"

Piper whoops, and so does the unidentified Gardner twin from behind the curtain (probably Annabeth's favourite thing about teaching at an all-girls' school – sometimes they're shameless, as in she's walked into them parading around in their underwear more than once, and sometimes they're ridiculously bashful, going as far as to bring scarfs to string up as partitions). All the other girls come around, some still wrestling on their heels or fixing their dresses. She watches as Bianca di'Angelo lifts up her hair so Kayla Knowles can zip up her dress, and then as Drew and Nancy refer to each other for eyebrow checks.

Annabeth loves these girls so much.

Both Miranda and Katie end up coming out from the behind the curtain to join them, and Annabeth huddles them all in close. They all put their arms around each other. They're all in matching blue dresses and heels, and Annabeth is in her usual Teacher Attire, and suddenly she feels such a swell of love for them all she almost tears up. God, at graduation she's going to be a nightmare. "All right," she says. "This is it. The final showdown."

"Amen," Piper says seriously.

"We have worked hard for this title," Annabeth tells them all. "Those teams out there, they're good, but we're better. All of you here are so, so talented, and we've arranged a killer setlist. All you need to do is go out there and smash it. I believe in you all, and whether we walk out of here with a trophy or not, I want you to know that I am so proud of you all."

All the girls nod.

"Good," she says. "Now, hands in."

They all put their hands in, and Annabeth glances at Reyna Ramirez-Arellano, the team's other captain. They work well together, Reyna and Piper. Piper is full of excitable ideas, many which Annabeth has had to shoot down due to appropriateness and the fact that they had a very good chance of sending multiple members of the team to hospital, but Reyna is serious and focused. Together, they've created an incredible team, and they both deserve this win more than anyone.

"Reyna?" she says.

Reyna lifts her chin defiantly. "Let's kick some ass, ladies."

Everyone raises their hands, cheering, and then they burst out of the greenroom, dancing down the hallways shrieking. Annabeth hangs back in the doorway for a few moments, watching them already celebrating. This is what she wanted. For them to celebrate not their win, but themselves, because regardless of what place they end up returning home with they deserved this, and they've earned it. She likes not basing their happiness off of trophies, but each other.

Although trophies would be cool. She wouldn't be complaining if they did end up landing first place.

Laughing quietly to herself, she sets after them.

However, their spirits didn't appear to have been high for very long. By the time she reaches backstage there's already a scuffle going on, although between who she can't really tell because all the other girls are anxiously crowded around. Something panicked settles in Annabeth's stomach, and at first all she can do is stand there until she remembers oh wait, I'm the teacher, and starts jogging towards them.

"Hey!" she shouts. "Girls! Break it up!"

Turns out they took let's kick some ass seriously. She suppresses an eyeroll as all the girls split nervously, some of them shouting, others looking terrified, so Annabeth can pass through. When she gets close enough, she sighs an imperceptible sigh of relief – it's not two of her girls fighting. What it is, though, is Reyna on the verge of punching some poor kid's daylights out.

"Hey!" she cries. "What's going on here?"

Reyna turns, and when she sees her an appropriate amount of fear enters her eyes. However, to her irritation, the kid doesn't even look slightly fazed, which Annabeth finds not only very disrespectful but a little terrifying. "Oh," he says. "Is this your leader, then?" He gives Annabeth a very visible once-over. "Not half bad."

And then he winks.

Annabeth is horrified. "I'm sorry?" she demands. She tries to do her Angry Teacher voice, but this kid has thrown her out on a limb, and it probably comes out as a squeak. "How dare you talk to me like that? What school are you from?"

The boy flicks his hair out of his eyes with a spindly hand. He looks a bit like a scarecrow, if she's being very honest. She knows she's not allowed to think about students like that, but he very obviously checked her out and so she has no realms anymore. "Goode," he says.

She almost hears all her girls behind her recoil.

"Goode," Gwendolyn whispers, horrified.

"That's a public school," Drew says faintly. Annabeth wouldn't be surprised if everyone was fanning themselves.

These girls are too much. She is very, very endeared.

She turns to Reyna. "What's going on? Why are you fighting with another school?"

Reyna sniffs contemptuously. "He dared insult the Lady Athena name, Miss Chase," she says. "You have to understand."

In truth, Annabeth doesn't, at all, because she attended public school growing up, and she doubts anyone in her high school cared that much about their school, to the point where they would egg their own buildings and it became a senior tradition to try and vandalise the school statue or prise the letters off the VIRGINIA HIGH sign at the front and arrange them into something a little less appropriate, but she gets that these private girls are quite fiercely patriotic towards their school, and tries to suppress an eyeroll. "I do understand," she says, "but that's no reason to attack another student. Remember, we're meant to be representing Lady Athena's while we're here. We can't just go launching ourselves at other students."

Reyna shuffles her feet, chastised. Annabeth takes pity on her and fixes the boy with her best glare. "I'd suggest you go back to your own school," she says. "We don't want any more trouble."

"Oh, hell yes we do," Piper says. "Miss Chase, can I punch him?"

"No," Annabeth says. "Now, run along."

The boy actually has the audacity to laugh at her. "You're hot when you get riled," he says.

Annabeth squawks indignantly, and she feels the girls behind her bristle accordingly. "Excuse me?" she squeaks. "That's– incredibly inappropriate, I am a teacher–"

The boy smirks. "Doesn't bother me if it doesn't bother you."

Annabeth opens her mouth to retort, or call security, or cry, when suddenly someone beats her to it.

"Is there a problem here?"

She looks up at the newcomer in relief. It's a man, in a tie and blue button-up, and he looks about her age, meaning he's a teacher, thank the Lord. He's tall and slim, with green eyes and dark hair, and he's got his hands in his pockets. His posture is boyish, almost that of a student rather than a teenager, but it's that jawline, and those biceps, which say a whole different story. However, just before Annabeth launches herself into his arms and demand he frighten away the Devil incarnate in front of her, she spots a twitch of his lips – a smile.

A smile.

How dare he.

She straightens. "Yes, I'd think so," she says. "This student here is harassing me and my girls, and I've politely requested that he move away, but he's not listening."

The teacher tilts his head to the side. His eyes are twinkling with mirth but his mouth is in a straight line. He's trying to suppress a laugh. Annabeth wants to drop kick him in the balls. "Octavian," he says. "What did we say about harassing teachers and their girls?"

He's making fun of her.

Annabeth's mouth drops open.

Octavian sighs. "That I shouldn't do it," he says. "Sorry, sir."

"That's quite all right. Do you want to apologise to the lovely teacher and her equally as lovely girls?"

Octavian ducks his head, trying to hide his smile. "I'm very sorry," he says to the floor.

"Good," the teacher says. He beams at Annabeth. "Well, I do believe everything is in order."

Annabeth splutters. "In order?" she hisses. "He just– did you even hear what he said?"

"Yeah!" Piper chimes in. Normally, Annabeth would tell her to back down, because Piper does have a habit of forgetting she's a student sometimes and coming to defend Annabeth, but Annabeth is so thrown off she appreciates it. "He was hitting on her and insulting our school!"

The teacher looks down at Octavian. "Would you mind repeating what you said, Octavian?"

Octavian defiantly lifts his chin, and stares Annabeth right in the eyes. Completely cool as a cucumber, he says, "That you're all stuck-up prudes and sluts with sticks up your asses who only made it here because their rich daddies donated."

Annabeth's jaw drops.

"You said that?" she demands.

"Can I punch him now?" Piper asks.

Annabeth ignores her. She stares at the teacher. "Did you even hear what he said?" she cries. She's trying not to shout, but by the amused look in the teacher's eyes she doesn't think she's doing a very good job at it. "Why are you standing there and smiling? That type of language is appalling!"

The teacher just shrugs. "I mean," he says. "Is he wrong?"

What.

Annabeth can't believe her ears. Sure, she wasn't expecting that kind of behaviour from another student, but a teacher? A teacher who's supporting that kind of sabotage and language? The idea is ludicrous and she actually wants to jab him square in the eyes. She's wearing heels today. She reckons she could crack one of his nuts if she gets her aim right.

Piper steps forward and she doesn't even stop her. Miranda is the one who ends up having to hold her back.

"You can't be serious," she says. "You're a paid teacher and you let him say that kind of thing?"

Octavian just smirks.

This is unbelievable. Annabeth fixes the teacher with her best death glare. If she can't win this battle, at least she can walk away dignified. She smooths down her hair, and then puts a hand on Piper's shoulder. "Let's go, girls," she says. "Come on."

Piper stares at her. "But Miss Chase! We can't just let them get away with that!"

"Yes we can," Annabeth says. "Now, girls. Come on."

Reluctantly, they start to move. Reyna still looks furious, so Annabeth puts a hand on her back to gently move her forward. Drew is muttering murderously under her breath, and Silena says something like, "just you see, all public school kids end up becoming serial killers" and Annabeth waits three long seconds.

Then, just when she's certain all her girls won't see, she turns around. Octavian and the teacher are still standing there. They catch sight of her and smirk, both of them, and it's so insufferably arrogant she loses any and all inhibitions. She glares at them and flips them off with both her hands.

Octavian looks a little shocked, but the teacher bursts out laughing. To stop herself from doing anything dumber, like taking off her shoe and actually throwing it, she turns around and marches off with the rest of her girls.

They end up winning Sectionals entirely. It's so worth it, and even more so when she catches the teacher's eye. He finally looks disheartened, and just because she's petty and she knows kicking him when he's down is the only way she's going to be able to kick him at all, she flips him off again for good measure. This time, Piper catches her doing it, and grins.

"You're so cool, Miss Chase," she tells her.

Annabeth's heart warms. "I know," she says.

Turns out, letting her Most Favourite Student Ever get to her head has disastrous consequences.

"Why, Annabeth?" Chiron asks. "What would bring you to do this?"

Annabeth doesn't speak.

"I'll tell you why, Principal Brunner," Reyna says from where she's sat in front of his desk. "Because that team is group of mean scumbags and their coach didn't even do anything! One of them told us we're a group of sluts and prudes with sticks up our asses, and then he hit on Miss Chase, and their coach basically told him well done!"

"That's enough, Reyna," Annabeth says tiredly. She looks at Chiron. "Look, I'm sorry."

"I expect to paid back for the damage they caused," says the teacher, who is apparently named Percy Jackson and also as still attractive and punchable as ever. "That piano was a gift, and we don't have the money to buy a new one."

The snarky unlike you goes unsaid. Annabeth's fists clench.

"You can hardly blame us," Piper says. "They were basically asking for it."

"Piper," Annabeth says sharply.

"That's all right, Piper," Chiron says. He looks at Percy. "Mr Jackson, of course we will pay you back for your piano. We will take it out of the show choir budget."

There go the costumes.

"Thank you," Percy says.

Chiron fixes Annabeth, Piper and Reyna with a very serious expression. "However," he says. "We cannot overlook this. What you did was vandalism, girls, and Annabeth, the fact that you encouraged this sort of behaviour is simply appalling."

"She didn't encourage it," Piper says. "It was all our idea."

"We promise," Reyna says.

Annabeth's heart would warm at their immediate instinct to defend her, but she just feels so guilty and upset and angry that she can't.

"Still," Chiron says. "The actions you two have performed have come from a spite fuelled by the show choir, which is under your protection, Annabeth. The fact that your team have recently faced off against Glow Fire is only further fuel to the flame."

Piper snorts. Annabeth squeezes her shoulder in warning and she smothers it into a cough. She doesn't blame her at all, though. If she weren't feeling so miserable she'd probably laugh too.

I mean, like. Glow Fire. You can't get dumber than that.

"Mr Jackson here also told me that there was a– showdown of sorts between your students at Sectionals," Chiron continues. "He says that may have been the main deciding factor in dissembling their piano and flushing every individual piece down their toilets."

"That bit's true," Piper says. "But–"

"Miss McLean, if I may," Chiron says, and Piper falls silent. "I think I'd like to hear this from your teacher." He looks at Annabeth. "Annabeth?"

Annabeth swallows and nods. "That did happen, yes," she says, her throat uncomfortably dry.

"Was that why you sent your students to sabotage the team?"

"One of his students was harassing both me and my team," Annabeth says. "And Mr Jackson was being incredibly and rather disrespectfully lax about the whole situation."

"So you felt the correct plan of action was to destroy their piano and also consequently their plumbing?"

"That may have been an overkill," Annabeth admits. "But I would like a formal apology from both Mr Jackson and also the offending student."

"What?" Percy turns on her. "Are you mad?"

"With all due respect, Mr Jackson," Annabeth says. "Your student called me and my students sluts and then you reaffirmed the statement by saying, and I quote, well, is he wrong, which I could argue is an offence of misogyny, sexism and slut-shaming. I agree with Principal Brunner in that my girls sneaking over to your school to sabotage you was wrong and we shall pay you back for the damage; however, if we are to do that, I think the least we deserve is an apology."

Chiron arches an eyebrow. "Is this true, Mr Jackson? Did this happen?"

Percy clears his throat. For the first time, he looks very uncomfortable. "Well. Yes, I suppose."

"Well." Chiron sits back in his chair. "This does put a few things into perspective."

"I told you," Piper says. "I told you."

"Piper," Annabeth says.

"I'm sorry, Miss Chase, but their sorry asses are getting what was coming to them. Teach them right not to dishonour the Lady Athena name ever again."

Annabeth ducks her head to hide her smile.

"Let's come to a consensus," Chiron says. "Mr Jackson, you and your student will formally... apologise, let's say, to Miss Chase and the students involved in show choir who were hurt by the words exchanged, and Miss Chase, all damage fares for the piano and also the plumbing will be taken from the Apollian budget. Does that sound fair?"

"Absolutely," Annabeth says smugly. Like, yeah, half their budget has gone, but all the girls will just have to bring in clothes from home, and it's a private school, if worst comes to worst they can buy their own costumes – but Annabeth gets the sweet satisfaction of watching Mr Annoying And Attractive apologise to her. Ah, revenge has never been sweeter.

Percy glares at her. "Very," he grits out.

"Perfect," Chiron says, oblivious. "Miss McLean, Miss Ramirez-Arellano, you two have detention for the next three weeks."

Neither of them even seems bothered. They all just appear so overjoyed at the prospect of getting to watch Glow Fire grovel that detention doesn't faze them. Annabeth feels so proud.

"Awesome!" Piper says. "Can we go now?"

Chiron blinks. Clearly, this was not the reaction he was expecting. "Uh. Well, of course."

"Great!" Piper stands up, and then gives Annabeth a high five. "See you at choir practice, Miss C! Bye, Principal Brunner!"

"Bye!" Reyna trills, and they both disappear from the room with a flourish of tartan skirts.

Chiron watches them as they go. "They are quite remarkable."

Annabeth can't help herself. "Aren't they?"

Chiron gives her a look. It's not reprimanding as such – it's more like a look given from a grandfather to his grandchild who has done something out of line and also rather amusing – but he has a soft twinkle in his eye, the same one Annabeth saw about two years ago when she first applied for the job and she had mentioned how much she loved music. "I will say, Annabeth," he says. "Your students are clearly very protective of you. You have made quite a difference in our school."

Percy lets out a squeak of indignation. Annabeth smirks, if not from pride, then spite.

"Thank you, sir."

"I'm not saying I condone what you have allowed your students to do," Chiron says. "However, the sense of team spirit and school pride you have brought to these halls is like nothing I've ever seen before. You've done good here, Annabeth. The amount of phone calls I have received from parents asking to pass my thanks on to you because their daughter will not cease talking about you is quite remarkable."

Annabeth feels herself glow with pride. Suddenly, she forgets Percy is even in the room with her. "That– means so much to me, sir," she says. "Thank you so much."

"No, thank you," Chiron says. "And please, call me Chiron." He arranges some papers on his desk and then laces his fingers. "Now. Despite these glowing reports, Miss Chase, I cannot let you off this so easily. It was, after all, your class and your team that did the damage to Goode High. For that, you shall be monitoring detention for the next six weeks."

Annabeth bows her head. She probably should have seen that coming. "Yes, sir."

"However," Chiron says, and Annabeth looks up. "I have received more good reports about you than any other teacher at this school, Miss Chase, and by a very, very considerable margin. That behaviour also cannot go unnoticed."

Something takes flight in Annabeth's chest. "Oh?"

Chiron tilts his head. "How would you feel about being head of the music department?"

The entire world shatters. Annabeth stares at him. "Are you– are you serious?"

Chiron doesn't reply, but his mouth twitches up in a smile and his eyes get even more sparkly.

"Oh my God!" Annabeth can barely contain herself. She has to cover her face with her hands to stop herself from bursting out into ecstatic laughter, and it takes everyone in her not to curl up in the chair in front of her and kick out her legs and just squeal. "Oh my God, sir – crap, Chiron, sorry– oh my God. Oh my God. Are you– actually promoting me?"

Chiron nods, his eyes amused. "I am indeed, Miss Chase."

"Oh my God." Annabeth's mind starts whirring. Holy crap, she got a promotion. She and Will might be able to splurge now. They'll be able to replace the sofa and pay the water bill every month instead of every two months. And her girls – oh my God. She can buy them chocolate now whenever they do something particularly nice and she wants to say thank you. She can maybe buy a new pair of shoes. And the other day Piper had come skipping in with a catalogue and had practically thrust it in Annabeth's face, saying, "Miss C, I've circled everything in it that I think you would look really nice in, in case you ever think about updating your wardrobe". Annabeth had flipped through it to humour her and everything that Piper had circled did look very nice, but it was all just out of her price range. Now she might be able to pick out a few pieces.

It'll at least get Will off her back about her dressing like a grandmother.

"Thank you," she says earnestly. "Honestly, thank you thank you. I won't let you down, sir."

Chiron's smile widens. "Chiron, Annabeth," he corrects mildly. "And there's no one more deserving of it than you."

Miss Cooper, the whiskery lady who teaches the freshman classes music and has been working there since the dinosaur ages, might disagree, but Annabeth is so pleased she doesn't even give her a second thought.

But then she comes back to Earth with a bump.

"Wait, hold on," Percy says. "Her students just committed what's probably considered a felony and you reward her? With a promotion?"

"I am not rewarding what her students did to your school," Chiron says coolly. "I have punished both students accordingly and Annabeth will be running detention for the next month and a half, and all damages will be paid for out of the choir budget. What I am rewarding Annabeth for her is the drastic improvement I've seen in the students since Annabeth has started teaching here. Did you know music class attendance has gone up by sixty-three percent since I hired her?"

Annabeth didn't know that, but she preens like she does. It's worth the look on Percy's face, anyway.

"Miss Chase has been an exceptional asset to the school," Chiron says. "The school board and I have been discussing this for a while. And perhaps it was a little inappropriate to tell her here, especially in light of all that has happened, but it is very well-deserved. I want you to know, Mr Jackson. I do not approve of what Miss McLean and Miss Ramirez-Arellano have done, nor do I approve of Annabeth's involvement in it. However, in spite of all of this, Annabeth has done a great deal towards the excellence of the school. Before Annabeth, we didn't even have a nationally competing team."

Percy simmers with rage but doesn't respond. Annabeth feels like floating. Life really could not get any better.

Chiron smiles pleasantly at both of them, and then folds his hands. "Now," he says. "I do believe we have covered everything we wished to today. Do either of you wish to discuss anything else?"

They both shake their heads. Pleased, Annabeth notes that Percy is still scowling.

"Good," Chiron says. "Annabeth, if you could visit me again at the end of the day, so we can discuss what your new position in the school will entail you to do. However, aside from that, I do believe we are done here. You are both dismissed."

When Annabeth turns around to the door, she lets the smile she was suppressing take over her face. She'll probably start squealing when she gets to the choir room. Today has gone so much better than she had hoped. Firstly, neither Piper nor Reyna end up getting expelled. Secondly, Annabeth doesn't have to pay any fines directly out of her own pocket – sure, it's coming from the choir budget, but they'll live without matching bedazzled headbands – and thirdly, she gets a promotion, and to make it even that much better, she gets it in front of Percy.

The universe is smiling down at her. She looks up at the ceiling and gives it a thumbs-up.

She and Percy walk silently down the hallway. They'll have to part at the end, so Annabeth can go back to the choir room and resume her lesson with her eleventh graders on samba music and so Percy can leave through the visitor's entrance, but in the meanwhile she can't help herself.

"I'm glad we settled this," she says, in her best neutral Parent's Evening voice. "Again, I'm very, very sorry for the damage my students caused to your piano."

(She really can't help the smugness. She's sorry, okay. Whatever.)

Percy just gives her a scathing look. "Give up the act, Annabeth. We both know you're more than happy about all this."

Annabeth was planning on being civil, but if this is how he wants to play. "You know what?" she says. "I am. You can kiss my ass, Jackson. I am positively thrilled."

"What went down in that office was not fair."

"I would actually argue otherwise. I felt it was very fair."

"Well, of course you'd think that. You sabotaged my team and our future rehearsals and you get rewarded for it."

"Did you hear what Chiron said? I'm on detention duty for six weeks, Percy. You know just as much as me how much detention duty sucks. I have to spend two hours after school every day for six weeks. Unpaid."

She probably shouldn't have said that last part. The glare Percy gives her is murderous. "Oh, boohoo. Posh, preppy little Annabeth Chase isn't going to be paid for sitting in classroom monitoring maybe about two students a day who didn't raise their pinkies when sipping their tea or wore the wrong colour stockings. Your life is honestly tragic."

Annabeth is so done with this. "You're not losing anything here, Percy. You get your dumb piano. Why are you complaining?"

"You wouldn't get it."

No, she wouldn't. "Whatever."

By this time, they've reached the entrance, where Percy is going to be leaving. As Percy digs his visitor's pass out of his pocket, Annabeth hovers for just a few moments.

Percy notices. "What?"

"Oh, nothing." Annabeth folds her arms and watches as he presses the pass against the keyless entry. "Just– I feel sorry for you, you know?"

The door clicks open. Percy arches an eyebrow. "Is that so."

"Yeah. Just. It must really suck, knowing that this plan of yours to get me in trouble really, really backfired."

Percy rolls his eyes. "Yes, I suppose you could say this wasn't what I was expecting." He pushes the door open. "Now, do you have anything else completely unnecessary to say to me, or can I go now?"

"You may go," Annabeth says sweetly. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

Percy doesn't even dignify her with an answer and instead walks resolutely out. She still gives his retreating back the finger nonetheless.

Whatever, honestly. She walked out of this with a promotion and a ticket to Regionals. She's more than fine.

It's Friday night and as soon as Will dramatically slides into the living room Annabeth already knows it's going to be bad.

"You need to stop doing that," she says. "You'll rub the varnish off the floorboards."

Will straightens his jacket. "Every entrance is an occasion for theatricality," he says. "Besides, you should be glad the only thing I did was glide in. I'm considering buying a smoke machine."

Annabeth isn't even concerned. "Please do, I'll need to borrow it for choir rehearsals."

"Choir rehearsals!" Suddenly Will's face is alight. "Highly convenient you said that." He walks over to Annabeth, and then presses the lid of her laptop shut with his finger. "I feel like tonight you need to let loose a little. Forget about choir rehearsals. Get a little alcohol into the system, preferably in a club-setting, maybe meet a guy–"

"Will."

"It'll be fun! Nico's going to be there! He's paying!"

"Does Nico know that?"

"No, but he'll forgive me."

Annabeth grimaces delicately at Will's lewd grin. "Gross."

"So? Will you come?"

"I can't, Will." Annabeth opens her laptop back up. "I need to finalise this arrangement by tomorrow."

"Oh, come on, Beth. Besides, I think this'll be good for you. My psychic senses are telling me you are to find the man of your dreams here."

Annabeth pauses. Will's face is twisted in nerves.

"What have you done?"

"I'd like to think saved you from a life of a crone."

Annabeth puts her book down. "Will."

"Come on, Annabeth," Will pleads.

"Seriously? A blind date?"

"I'm doing you a favour, Bethie. When was the last time you went on a date?"

"Will, I love you, but going on a blind date with one of your friends is literally sounds like the last thing I'd want to do. Possibly ever."

"Nico says he's real nice," Will says. "They've been buds for years. And if Nico's saying that then you know it's genuine." He slides next to her on the sofa. "Come on, Beth. You're lonely."

"I'm not lonely."

"Yes you are. All you do is arrange Whitney Houston medleys and cry over 90210 episodes. That's really, really lame."

"What's wrong with Whitney Houston?"

"Your best friend is a high schooler, Beth."

"Piper is not my best friend," Annabeth says, slightly shrewishly. "I just– appreciate her zest for learning."

Will raises an eyebrow.

"Fine," Annabeth snaps. "Whatever, maybe I'm a little lonely. But it's okay! I need to be lonely right now. We've got Regionals coming up soon and I need to get down a good arrangement so these girls can kick ass. They deserve it, Will."

"And you deserve not to die a sad old bat," Will says. "Come on, up you get. I'm not taking no for an answer."

Annabeth groans.

Ever since she had accidentally let slip how nice it would be to have a boyfriend – under the influence of several cans of beer, may she add, because Will is a sneaky conniving little bastard – it seems all Will does is get on her case about it. He's been hounding her. It's gotten to the point where his behaviour is borderline obsessive, as in Annabeth-is-mildly-fearing-her-life-obsessive, and she had to stage an intervention to prevent him from doing anything foreseeably regrettable.

"Annabeth, we live together," he says. "I'd be lying if I said my motives were strictly selfless. If you're here all the time being depressing and playing Britney Spears' songs on the piano then I can't bring Nico around, because, no offence, but that one arrangement Baby One More Time was absolutely horrific and a total turn-off, and Nico lives with three other guys. I want to be able to peacefully make out with my boyfriend without worrying that a super sad version of Toxic is going to play."

Annabeth had just scowled at him.

After a while, he had given up, because Annabeth is very stubborn when it comes to ignoring people's attempts of worming things into her life, like veganism, or boyfriends (both of which Piper has tried at least once, too, which is only slightly concerning). But then Nico had off-handedly mentioned one of his best friends from college and Will had pounced.

And now– well. This.

"I consider this some form of manipulation," Annabeth says as Will forcefully drags her off the sofa. "Or coercion."

"You'll thank me later," Will says. "We need to decide what you should wear. You want to get this guy hook, line and sinker."

"I think you're taking the 'gay best friend' thing a bit too far. I can decide what I wear."

"No you can't. Your only clothing styles are homeless, and Private School Teacher."

"What is wrong with either of those?"

"And you wonder why you're single. Do you still have that shirt I gave you last Christmas?"

"The one that shows almost all of my back?"

"Precisely. Where is it?"

"I'm not sure I feel very comfortable with having my entire back out. What if I bump into one of my students?"

"For God's sake, Annabeth, you're practically besties with your students, the backless shirt will just make you a million times cooler. Besides, you can only see the acne if you look hard enough. It's just some mild scarring now, but I have some concealer left over from my Halloween costume and the coverage is quite impressive, so we'd just need a few dollops of that."

"That was not a concern at all, but gee, thanks."

"You asked for it," Will says. "You move in with someone who can't feel sexually attracted to you and they're going to be checking your back daily. Besides, like, how many pimples of yours have I popped?"

"Non-consensually."

"I did you a favour, your blackheads were absolutely abhorrent." Will resurfaces with that damned backless shirt and chucks it at her. "Put that on. You have some nice jeans, don't you? Ones that don't make you look like you found them whilst scrimmaging at a thrift shop?"

"You do all your shopping at thrift shops, Will."

"I know, but you're not meant to, like, be able to tell." He pulls out a pair of jeans. "These seem decent."

"They're a bit small. I should've chucked them out."

"Nonsense, small is best. It'll make your ass look fantastic, trust me. Get changed. And wear heels. Those nice strappy ones Jessica from upstairs got you for your birthday."

Annabeth glares at him. "You know," she says, "I really don't see why everyone's clamouring for a gay best friend. You're a menace and I despise you."

"I'm putting that in my best man's speech at your wedding," Will says. "Now, go, shoo, or there'll never be a wedding."

They meet Nico in at a bar.

Annabeth has never really been one for bars – she's a lightweight and a half; even the smell of wine can make her slightly tipsy, and after all the information Will managed to pull out of her last time she doesn't feel very safe getting drunk around him again – but she does admit, this one seems quite nice. It doesn't look particularly seedy or suspicious, and the neon signs all appear to be working. Of course, it's also got the other charms of a bar, like probably-underage kids gyrating enthusiastically on the dance floor and frat boys doing body shots off of sorority girls and the recently-divorced men who are already experiencing midlife crises slowly drowning their sorrows in an inevitable liver cancer of sorts, but Annabeth supposes you can't really avoid that.

"Unless you're at a coffee shop," she says in Will's ear as they enter and then narrowly avoid getting a tray of shots spilt on them. "They probably don't have stuff like this in coffee shops."

"Yet another reason why you are dreadfully single," Will says. He shakes off a boy wearing no shirt who has grabbed his waist and then takes Annabeth's hand, dragging her towards the bar. "Look, there's Nico!"

Annabeth manages to spot him across the room. He looks the same as usual, which is dressed in monochromatic clothes with an unimpressed look on his face, but when he catches sight of Will and Annabeth he beams, and she'd be lying if she said that wasn't undeniably adorable. "Hey!" he bellows over the music as they draw near.

"Hey!" Will shouts back, and then pecks him on the cheek. "Where's Annabeth's future beau?"

"Don't call him that," Annabeth says at the same time as Nico says, "He said he's running a couple of minutes late. Fancy something to drink?"

"Yes, please," Will says. "Can you get me a sangria?"

"Annabeth?" Nico says.

"Uh," Annabeth says. She swallows. She is now very, very aware that her entire back is on display, and she's not sure how comfortable she feels with that. "A water?"

"Get her some fries, too," Will says. "She's a bit nervous."

"I'm not nervous," she says. "Just very unwilling."

"That doesn't sound reassuring," Nico says. "We don't want to get arrested for unwanted sexual advances."

"Oh, I know judo," Annabeth says. "Don't worry."

"I had to rather forcibly remove her from the sofa," Will explains. "Otherwise she'd still be at her piano working out how to mash-up Adele's entire discography."

"Sounds depressing," Nico says. "Break-up?"

"More like borderline unhealthy obsession with her show choir group," Will says. "Did you know she's like best friends with them? One time I came home and two of them were there. Like, in our kitchen."

"They both needed rides home," Annabeth says weakly.

"Yes, to their homes, not to ours. And you were playing Monopoly and eating ice cream."

"I'm pretty sure that's breaking several student-teacher relationship laws right there," Nico says.

"It was all very innocent," Annabeth says.

"One of them told me I looked like a discount Luke Hemmings," Will says.

Nico just rolls his eyes fondly and takes a sip of his drink. "How's Bianca?" he asks.

"Oh, she's amazing," Annabeth says. "I'm thinking about putting her lead on one of our Regionals numbers. She's got a great voice."

"I'm glad," Nico says. "When is Regionals?"

"Twenty-third of February. You should come. It'd do her a great deal of good if she knew her big brother was there watching her."

"I want to be there," Nico says. "I'm proud that she's doing so well at Lady Athena's. Besides, for all he complains, Will does have a lot of good things to say about you and how well your mash-ups go, so I'm eager to see your talent at work."

Annabeth beams. "We're thinking of taking it back a bit this time," she says. "Do some rock stuff, maybe. I've always wanted to see my girls try and tackle a more punky song. I think they'd sound pretty incredible on a Paramore number, if I do say so."

"I'm excited to hear it," Nico says. He turns to Will to say something, when suddenly he catches sight of something over Annabeth's shoulder. "Oh, he's here!" He starts waving. "Percy, over here!"

Annabeth instinctively turns around, but before she can she feels the mysterious person pass her and then clap Nico on the shoulder. They both briefly hug, that bro-hug where their shoulders only marginally brush, and then he pulls away and Nico pats him firmly on the shoulder and beams at Will and Nico. "Guys," he says. "This is Percy."

Annabeth's eyes travel up to his face, and as soon as she does, she almost falls out of her chair.

No. Way.

Call it serendipity, fate, or karma for finishing the rest of Will's Ben & Jerry's, but Annabeth simply can't bring herself to believe any of it. This literally can't be happening. New York is massive, and it's home to over eight million people. It's not like their borough is unpopular, either. And yet, out of everyone that could possibly attend Nico's university at the same time as him and is now consequently able to show up in a bar in Brooklyn, it just so happens to be the newly-sworn bane of her existence.

Percy Jackson, the attractive and annoying coach of Glow Fire who only last week had accused her team of destroying the piano, which, albeit, wasn't untrue, seems just as shocked at her. "Annabeth?" he demands, his voice slightly squeaky.

Nico and Will falter, glancing between them. "You know each other?" Nico asks.

Annabeth grits her teeth. "You could say that," she says coolly. At that moment, the bartender slides her glass of water across the counter, and she stubbornly raises it to her mouth so she doesn't have to talk anymore.

"Oh," Will says, sounding almost disappointed. "Where did you two meet?"

Annabeth and Percy maintain eye contact for a solid five seconds. She doesn't pull her glass away from her mouth, so Percy just sighs. "I coach a show choir," he says. "We met backstage at Sectionals."

"And I'm sure sparks flew immediately," Will says.

"Down, babe," Nico tells him gently.

"Unfortunately, Annabeth and I did not meet in the best of situations," Percy says stiffly.

Will frowns. "Oh no, that's annoying! Well, you know what they say, everything happens for a reason. Maybe this is the second chance you both need."

If Annabeth weren't so petulant and grouchy, she'd admire Will's ambition to get her laid. He's certainly holding nothing back.

"Maybe," Annabeth says.

"Can I get you a drink, Percy?" Nico asks, trying to ease the tension a little.

"That would actually be great, thanks," Percy says. "Just a water."

"A water?" Nico raises his eyebrows. "Wild choice."

"What can I say? Those university days are still not over. I'm crazy, me."

"You wear sweater vests," Annabeth hears herself saying.

Percy looks a little startled, but he grins at her. "Like I said," he said. "Crazy."

Annabeth rolls her eyes. Don't you dare be endeared by him. Don't you dare.

For a second, the potential is there. And then that cheeky, hideously adorable grin turns into a smirk and he actually dares wink at her, and she has to pinch her thigh to stop herself from doing something inappropriate, like spit on him, or throw him into the traffic outside. She glares at him and aggressively sips her water.

Honestly. Who does he think he is.

She tries to subtly glare at him out of the corner of her eye. Unfortunately, Will doesn't appear to be respecting the Best Friend Rule where you automatically hate whoever the other does, because he's apparently having the time of his life with Percy, laughing raucously, and Annabeth is really quite mad about it. She just– doesn't understand it. Even Nico is smiling. Nico. Who never smiles.

And it's because of Percy Jackson, Grade-A Asshole. The only time Will has ever laughed that hard at her is when she's in misery.

It's so unfair.

Annabeth nurses her drink, grumbling. By this time a small bowl of fries has been pushed towards her from across the bar, and she picks at them murderously. Screw Will, honestly. Screw Nico. And jolly well screw Percy Jackson.

Distantly, she is aware that someone slips in the seat next to her, but she pays them no mind, absently swirling her drink instead. She wonders how hard it would be to distract Will enough for her to escape. Maybe if she coerces him and Nico to dance. They have a habit of tending to get caught up in each other a lot. She might be able to make a break for it when they aren't looking.

And then: "Hey, Miss C!"

Annabeth almost spits her drink out.

"Piper?"

Sure enough, there she is. In the seat next to her, her cheeks flushed and dimpled, in a very pretty and also very tight dress. She's beaming blithely, like the fact that she's bumped into her teacher at a bar is completely normal and not worrying at all, and Annabeth is so shocked the fact that she's here right now that she doesn't even have it in herself to be embarrassed.

"What on earth are you doing here?" she says, trying to not look like she was previously planning several forms of homicide. "How did you even get in?"

"Fake IDs, Miss C," Piper says easily. "I'm not sure you had them back in the Stone Age but they're remarkably easy to come by. That and I'm, like, ninety percent sure Drew's dad is in the mafia. He made mine for me."

Annabeth blinks. "That's– very alarming."

"It's totally cool, he can't kill me. Only bonus about having a famous dad. Murder is very hard to get away with."

"That's nice." Annabeth glances down at her drink. "Is that alcohol?"

"Orange juice," Piper says. "Don't worry, I'm not going to break that many laws tonight."

"Good," Annabeth says. "I may not be your parent but as your teacher I think I'd be, like, legally obligated to report you if I found you drinking."

"And that's is why you're my favourite teacher," Piper says, taking a sip. "By the way, love the shirt, Miss C. You look super pretty."

"Oh." Annabeth flushes. "Well, thank you, that's very nice of you. My roommate bodily wrestled me inside it."

"That's what she said."

"I can still give you detention, you know."

"Sorry, sorry." Piper takes another sip. "Can I have a fry?"

Her blatant confidence when it comes to Annabeth is equal parts amusing and refreshing. Annabeth pushes the bowl towards her. "Sure, take as many as you want."

"Thanks." Piper takes a handful.

Annabeth sips her drink, watching around the room. She's not oblivious, okay, she knows that teenage girls party and drink and most probably do drugs and unspeakable sexual acts that as a teacher she feels uncomfortable acknowledging, but it's almost odd to see it in action. Although the fact that it's Piper, her Most Favourite Student Ever, it does ease things a little more, especially considering Piper's complete lack of tact or remembrance that Annabeth is in fact a teacher. That's probably why Piper is her Most Favourite Student Ever. It may be unprofessional and disrespectful to some, but Piper treats her as more of a friend than a teacher. All of her choir girls do. That's probably why Annabeth loves them so much. They're all like her little sisters.

Which makes seeing them in bars in tight, short dresses all the more uncomfortable. She feels like a parent meeting the boyfriend for the first time.

She clears her throat. "So," she says. "Speaking as a slightly worried guardian figure rather than a teacher, can I ask the reason behind Drew's potentially-mafia-involved father making you a fake ID to get into here?"

Piper actually blushes. "You might get upset," she says quietly.

"Upset? Why would I be upset?"

"I dunno."

"I'm not your mom, Piper. I'm just your teacher."

"That's just it, though," Piper says. "And you're not just any teacher. Like, if you were Mrs Hopkins, I'd probably Snapchat a picture of you to everyone in the school and expose your secret shame of visiting bars."

"That's reassuring."

"You're, like. A cool teacher. I don't want you to be disappointed."

"Why would I be disappointed?"

Piper blushes again. "I came here with a boy."

"A boy?" Suddenly, Annabeth really does feel like a parent meeting the boyfriend. She has to suppress any maternal war cries and instead beams. "Piper, that's amazing! Why would I be disappointed?"

Piper swallows. "He's in Glow Fire."

Oh.

Oh. Well, this does change a few things.

Annabeth is suddenly very, very consciously aware of Percy sitting only a few seats away from her. She tries her best to ignore his presence and instead focuses on Piper. She's chewing her lip and studying her face anxiously, as if trying to gage an emotion. Annabeth pastes on a smile. She loves her girls, dammit, and she is not going to be that asshole who ruins her student's happiness because of some dumb show choir rivalry and the fact that Glow Fire's coach is an unfairly attractive buttock.

"That's fine, Piper," Annabeth says softly.

"Really? Because you know I'd never do anything to sabotage the team–"

"Piper," Annabeth interrupts, and Piper flushes. "Just because he's in a rival team does not mean that you can't date him. It's just show choir. It doesn't dictate your life. You can do whatever you want – including dating one of our competitors. You're allowed a life out of school, you know."

Piper smiles, a little wanly. "I know," she says. "I just– you're a really cool teacher, Miss Chase. And not because you wear backless shirts and you don't tell me off for swearing and one time you took me around to your house and we played Monopoly and ate ice cream. You're just– different, you know? Like. I want to be like you when I grow up. And I don't want to upset you."

This is the weirdest place to feel touched, Annabeth thinks to herself as she suppresses tears. She's in a bar with one of my underage students and my arch nemesis only a few seats away. Still, stranger things have happened. She puts her hand on Piper's shoulder. "You are not upsetting me," she says. "You are allowed to do whatever you want. You could never disappoint me, Piper. You're one of my favourite students."

"I am your favourite student."

"Maybe, but don't tell the other girls I said that. Truth be told, you really owe nothing to the team. You don't have to be here. It's not compulsory. But yet you show up, along with our arsenal of other girls, week after week, and you help us rise to victory. You single-handedly won us Regionals last year. You could never disappoint me. You dating a boy from a rival team isn't going to upset me. I'm happy for you. I know you've been looking for a boy."

"How do you know that?"

"You've told me, Piper. Many, many times. In detail more explicit than I'm sure is allowed."

Piper flaps her hand. "Whatever. You're like one of my best friends, of course I'm going to tell you in detail what I'm looking for in a guy."

"I feel like you sometimes forget I'm your teacher."

"But that's a good thing," Piper says. "Like, at this point, you're not our teacher. You're our friend. And advisor. You have an eight-year wisdom advantage on us. You're like a cooler, trendier Yoda."

"Yoda?"

"Or the furry sensei thing from Kung Fu Panda. Like. You're knowledgeable. And totally okay with literally anything."

Annabeth rolls her eyes, but inside she's glowing. Take that, Will. "I guess I am pretty cool."

"The coolest," Piper says. "Can I have another fry?"

Annabeth laughs and nods, pushing the bowl towards her. As Piper gleefully helps herself, she sips her water and thinks. As much as she'd like to sit here and talk to Piper some more, she knows that she really has to get going, especially because Percy is in the immediate vicinity and she doesn't particularly fancy being charged with murder tonight, and also because she just really wants to go home. She's just brainstorming how to slip past Will without him knowing when the very man himself turns to her.

"You've been quiet," he says. "What are you thinking about?"

"How bad of a friend you are."

"You cut me deep."

Piper catches sight of him over Annabeth's shoulder, and leans forward. "Hi, Miss C's roommate!" she pipes cheerfully.

Will blanches. "You're the Satan spawn who told me I looked like a discount Luke Hemmings!"

"You still do," Piper says. "But it's totally okay, because he's super hot."

Will looks increasingly uncomfortable. "Annabeth, why is your student here?"

"I asked her the same, too," Annabeth says. "Fake IDs are apparently very easy to get a hold of these days."

"Drew's dad probably works for the mafia," Piper explains. "The less said about it the better. You might end up getting killed."

"This is a nightmare," Will says. "I took you out here so you could get away from show choir, and lo and behold, it just follows you around. I can't believe you've spent more time talking to your student then you have your date."

Piper almost spits out her fries. "You're on a date, Miss C?"

"No," Annabeth says, at the same time as Will says, "Absolutely."

"With who?" Piper demands. "Is he nice? Can we double date?"

"You're her student," Will says.

"Whatever," Piper says dismissively. "What does he look like?"

"It's not a date," Annabeth says. "It's– the introduction of a mutual friend."

"He's positively dreamy," Will says. "Annabeth is just being ungrateful."

"I'm not being ungrateful," Annabeth says tightly. "I'm just– I'm not looking for anyone."

"But you should," Piper insists. "Miss C, you're awfully lonely."

"You know you've hit rock bottom when even your students can tell," Will says.

"Shut up, Will," Annabeth says. "Piper, shouldn't you be finding your date?"

"I should," Piper says. She sets down her empty glass and scans the muggy dance floor, blurred by the erratic strobe lights and dark colours. "I don't know where he's gotten to, though."

"Maybe you should look for him," Annabeth says. "So I can kill Will without there being any witnesses."

"That sounds unethical," Piper remarks.

"You're telling me," Will says, slightly petulantly. "I was just being a good friend."

"Debatable," Annabeth says.

"Piper!"

All heads turn. A boy appears from behind Will's shoulder, with sandy blond hair, bright blue eyes and a polo shirt, his cheeks flushed and a big smile on his face. When Annabeth glances back at Piper and sees a look of what can only be described as adoration cross her face, she realises this must be the boyfriend. He's kind of cute, Annabeth thinks. She can see the appeal. And at least he's not the rude scarecrow kid who hit on her backstage.

"Jason!" Piper says, and kisses him on the cheek when he gets close enough. "Where'd you go? I was looking for you!"

"I actually bumped into Mr Jackson," the boy, apparently called Jason, says. "Can you believe it? He's here!"

"No way!" Piper says. "That's such a coincidence, my–" Her voice cuts off. Her eyes land on Annabeth and then narrow. "Wait a second," she says. "You and Mr Jackson are both here."

"This is your teacher?" Jason asks.

Piper ignores him. "You're on a date with Mr Jackson, Miss C?" she demands.

Before Annabeth can respond, Will beats her to it. "Oh, yes," he says gleefully, and her theoretical plans of stabbing him in the back alley and then disposing of his body in the nearest dumpster suddenly become very, very untheoretical. "That is exactly what's happening."

"It's not a date," says Annabeth aggressively. "Like I said, mutual friends."

"I can't believe this," Piper says, but she doesn't sound upset, she sounds awed. "You guys are dating!"

"We're not–"

"No wonder you weren't upset when I told you about Jason! You're doing the exact same thing!" Piper raises her hand for a high five. "Nice going, Miss C!"

Annabeth doesn't indulge her. Will does instead.

"You're dating Mr Jackson?" Jason asks her.

"No," Annabeth says. "Mutual friends."

"They're on a date right now, actually," Will tells him.

"That's so cute, Miss C," Piper says earnestly, and the kicker is, she actually sounds like she means it. Annabeth is torn between hugging and strangling her. "Forbidden love. How romantic!"

"Mutual friends," Annabeth manages, through gritted teeth.

"It's cool if you want to date Mr Jackson, Miss Chase," Jason says diplomatically. He's probably very good at debating. "I mean, I don't know you, but Piper says you're really cool. And Mr Jackson has a thing for blondes."

Will looks like he's not sure whether to laugh or cry. "Is it just a thing that show choir students are super involved in their teacher's lives?"

"Besides," Jason reasons, "he's quite lonely. I think a girlfriend would do him good."

"Yeah!" Piper says. "You guys would be great together."

"This is all very sweet of you," Annabeth says, "but I don't think so. I'm not looking to date someone right now."

"That's a lie," Will says indignantly.

Annabeth elbows him so sharply he nearly chokes on his drink.

"I'm sure Mr Jackson is very nice," she says, even though she knows first-hand he is nothing more than rude public-school scum who has very unfairly pretty eyes and arms and looks great in ties and has an incompatible star sign with hers, "but I think it would be quite inappropriate if the teachers of two rival show choirs started to date. Also, I'm just so focused on getting you girls to Regionals that a relationship would distract from that."

Piper is wide-eyed. "But what about after Regionals?"

"Piper," Annabeth admonishes gently. "I'm really not looking to date anyone right now."

Piper sinks back down in her seat, thoroughly chastised. (Not enough to stop her from eating Annabeth's fries, though. As she sits, her face thoughtful, her hand creeps back towards the bowl.) "Sorry, Miss," she says. "I just– you're really cool, you know. And I think you'd be a lot happier with a boyfriend."

"That's what I've been saying," Will mutters.

Annabeth takes her hand. "You're very, very lovely, Piper," she says. "But in this aspect of my life, I think I'm okay."

"I'm sorry, Miss C," Piper says. "It's just– sometimes you look so sad."

Will looks up sharply in disbelief. When Annabeth doesn't join in his shock, he just blinks and orders another drink.

"I am happy," Annabeth says. "You girls make me happy. Not many people get to say they adore their jobs, but I do. Am I sometimes a little lonely? Yes, of course, any single woman living in New York feels a bit lonely every now and then, but I have Will, and I have you, and I have all your teammates, and for now that's enough. Besides, between the promotion and Regionals, I don't think I'll have the time to date."

Piper doesn't look like she believes her, but thankfully, she retreats. "Okay," she says. "But if you need help getting a boyfriend I've been told I'm very good at match-making. One time I set Drew up with this boy Jeremy and they totally hit it off."

"Oh, are they still dating?"

"Of course not, they made out for ten minutes and then never saw each other again, but I do believe there's some romance in, like, having someone else's tongue in your mouth."

Annabeth kind of disagrees and is just about to gently let her down because she's a teacher and everyone she says is responsible and right until Piper and Jason give each other a look and suddenly she knows very well what's going to happen next, and it probably has something to do with Jason's tongue in her mouth.

"Well, that's arguable," Annabeth says instead, trying not to picture her student making out (God, she really is like an overprotective mom). "Now, go on, have fun. You don't want to spend your entire night talking to your teacher."

"Are you sure, Miss?" Piper says, the concern in her voice touching until Annabeth notices she's already slipping off the stool and reaching for Jason's hand in the dark. "I don't want to leave you alone."

"I won't be alone," Annabeth says. "I have Will. Now, go on, get out there. I won't hold anything you do tonight against you. I promise."

Piper eyes her. "If you do I'll have full permission to tell the entire school you're sleeping with Glow Fire's captain?"

"Well– potentially more innocent, but yes."

Piper nods at her. "You have a deal," she says, and then she turns to Jason. "Come on, let's dance!"

Together, they disappear into the crowd. Annabeth watches the space where they once were for a few moments, before turning to Will.

Only he's not there. She catches a glimpse of his red shirt being dragged onto the dancefloor with Nico.

She takes another sip of her drink. Both her student and roommate have more active love lives than she does. This is now getting slightly upsetting.

Mood now slightly dimmed, she turns back to the counter and picks at her fries, and catches sight of Percy again. He looks much more at ease than her, his elbow propped up on the counter behind him, the condensation of his drink staining his fingers, and even though he too is painfully alone he doesn't seem to have such a problem with it. In fact, just as Annabeth shoves the last of her fries into her mouth, he turns around and actually starts chatting with the barman.

Why is no one seeing how awful he is? What is this world?

"You all right, miss?" someone asks, slightly dryly, and Annabeth's head shoots up. It's another barman, eyebrow raised expectantly.

"Oh," Annabeth says. "Yeah, I'm good. Just– contemplating."

"Break-up?"

"My students are getting more ass than I am."

"That's embarrassing. Can I get you a drink?"

She opens her mouth to politely decline when suddenly a voice says smoothly, "She'll have a beer," and then she becomes aware of someone sliding in next to her. She looks up and there's a strange man she's never seen before sitting next to her, in Will's space. He smirks at her. "Hey, baby."

Annabeth wrinkles her nose. "Hi."

She supposes he's sort of handsome. He's got blonde hair and dark eyes and he's wearing a brown leather jacket and smells of expensive cologne, but he's also leaning a little close to her and frankly she doesn't even like beer, and anyone who assumes she does is just wrong and presumptuous, both of which are qualities she doesn't like in a man. However, she can see Will giving her owl eyes from the dance floor, so she inwardly sighs, pastes on a fake smile and tries to lean away from him as discreetly as she can.

He props his elbow up against the bar. "Haven't seen you around here before."

"It's my first time."

"Thought so," the guy says. "I would have remembered a face as pretty as yours."

Annabeth suppresses a grimace. "Can I help you?"

He flashes a grin at her. "My name's Dylan."

Her three years of working at a private school kick in. "Nice to meet you, Dylan," she says, holding out her hand.

Dylan stares at it, as if he wasn't quite expecting her to do that, and then laughs. "A handshake, eh?" he says, accepting. He's admittedly got a good, firm grip. She can respect that. "Nice. Don't get that a lot."

All respect flies out the window. She retracts her hand and wraps it tightly around the base of her glass. "I mean, if you always approach girls like that, I can see why."

He laughs again. "Feisty. I can get behind that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just means you're a bit catty. I like that."

Annabeth sighs. She needs to end this now before he whips out any more dumb lines. "Look, Dylan. You seem nice. But I'm not looking to hook up with anyone right now."

"You're at a bar."

"With friends. Anyway, one of my students is here. I wouldn't want to set a bad example."

That only seems to make matters worse. "Teacher, eh? Nice. I dig on smart chicks."

"Dylan. I don't want to hook up with you. Please leave me alone."

Dylan just smirks again. "Don't play hard to get, princess. I still haven't even caught your name."

"I know judo. I can hurt you."

The smirk widens. "I could be into that."

For God's sake.

Just as Annabeth is about to slam down her glass and actually hurtle him out the window, suddenly there's a hand on Dylan's shoulder. He turns around and then suddenly, because of course, there stands Percy, still looking infuriatingly calm and unbothered as always, his glass still in his hand.

Dylan frowns. "Uh, hi?"

"The name's Percy," Percy says. Annabeth rolls her eyes. "I do believe you're harassing this woman here."

"What's it to you?"

For a second, panic flitters across Percy's face, but then he steels his expression. "She's my sister," he says easily.

Over Dylan's shoulder, Annabeth mouths, sister?

Dylan obviously thinks the same. "Sister?" he asks in disbelief.

Percy seems to realise that that was probably not the smartest move. "Yeah," he gabbles. "She's adopted. We rescued her from a cult in New Zealand when she was seven. She hadn't been potty-trained and walked on all fours and only ate her own faeces, and obviously she's come a long way since then, right, Bethie, but sometimes she relapses, and it can be really difficult to deal with. Honestly. She's a lot more trouble than she's worth."

Dylan doesn't look like he knows what to believe. He turns to Annabeth. "What?"

Annabeth makes it all up. "Yeah," she says easily. "We're from one big foster home, Percy and I. He was also adopted. When they got him he couldn't speak and had sharpened his teeth into points. He ripped out the throat of our first social worker."

Dylan frowns. He looks vaguely ill. "Are you– is he being serious?"

"One hundred percent," Percy says gravely. "Annabeth really does eat her own faeces. It happened yesterday. She's on medication for it. Side effects are extreme diarrhoea and projectile vomiting."

Annabeth's nostrils flare. "Well, Percy has had seven different drugstores file restraining orders against him because he keeps going in and eating their soaps. Whenever he tries to quit cold turkey he gets this neurological symptom where he thinks he's a cat."

Dylan looks between them, once, twice, and then shakes his head. "Screw this," he says, getting up from the seat. "You two are crazy, I'm not wasting my time with you."

They both watch as he walks away.

"Well," Percy says. "You're welcome."

Annabeth rolls her eyes, and at that exact moment, the bartender slides over the beer. She doesn't like beer but it's something to do other than look into Percy's smug, pretty face, so she takes a big sip and then regrets it instantly. "You didn't have to do that," she says, trying not to choke.

Percy just smiles, amused. "Yes I did."

"I could have handled it."

"I have no doubt that you could've. It's just I really, really wanted to tell someone that you ate your own crap, so I decided now was the best chance I'd probably ever get. Besides, look on the bright side. At least he'll never bother you again."

Annabeth just rolls eyes again. Between Will, her team of hormonal teenage girls, and now the infuriating captain of Glow Fire, they'll probably roll right out her head before she's thirty-five. "I don't owe you anything. I hope you know."

"I did just save your ass, though."

"Which involved you telling one of the first semi-attractive guys who had shown an interest in me that I grew up in a cult and ate my own dump."

"I thought you didn't like him."

"I didn't. But that could have been done a whole lot more elegantly. What happened to pretending to be my boyfriend?"

Percy's eyebrows raise. "You wanted me to pretend to be your boyfriend?"

"He didn't believe the sibling thing one bit."

"And I can see why, my razor-sharp jawline put yours to shame and if you had been born with even half the genetic makeup I had you wouldn't have those eyebags or those spots. But at least he left you alone."

"Because we started spouting absolute bull about eating soap, not because you were a threatening older brother."

"Still." Percy takes a sip of his drink. "Mission accomplished."

Annabeth also takes a sip, and tries not to wince. God, beer is awful.

After a few moments' silence, Percy says, "Are you even going to say thank you?"

Annabeth sighs. "Sorry. Thank you." A pause. "I don't owe you anything, though."

"You owe me the piano."

"After you've apologised."

"Can't that be cancelled out by the good deed I've done tonight?"

"Percy."

"All right, I'll back off."

The night ends uneventfully. Will goes home with Nico. Annabeth goes back to their apartment and watches the Discovery Channel until 2am.

The Apollians end up winning Regionals.

Annabeth stands still when she hears the news. Piper flings her arms around her, shrieking, and she's pretty sure Drew Takana bursts into tears, and Reyna and Silena race forwards to grab the trophy and raise it above their heads, cheering.

They're going to Nationals. Annabeth wraps her arms around Piper and smiles so wide her face feels like it's going to split open.

To: Percy Jackson
From: Annabeth Chase

Percy,

This is Annabeth, the coach of the Apollians.

I hope you remember our deal from after Sectionals. What day would be best for one of our captains and I to come to Goode to receive the apology?

- Annabeth

To: Annabeth Chase
From: Percy Jackson

Wednesday

To: Percy Jackson
From: Annabeth Chase

Real mature.

- Annabeth

To: Annabeth Chase
From: Percy Jackson

Did you really just sign your name for a two-word email

To: Percy Jackson
From: Annabeth Chase

It's called etiquette. Look it up.

Would 1:30 be a good time?

- Annabeth

To: Annabeth Chase
From: Percy Jackson

sure

- Percy Jackson, coach of Glow Fire, teacher, tenor, star sign Leo, ENFP, apparent soap eater

To: Percy Jackson
From: Annabeth Chase

We'll be there.

- Annabeth, Not An Actual Child

After so long at Lady Athena's, Goode High is a little– underwhelming.

It's a squat, ugly one-storey building with bars on some of the windows and a mandatory bag check at the front door. Annabeth and Piper have to hand over their bags, take off their earrings and bracelets and necklaces and walk through a metal detector, and then get searched down by a bored-looking security guard. Annabeth is horrified. When she asks, he says in a flat voice, "We've had three arrests in the past month caused by students sneaking in weapons. Your bag, please."

Call Annabeth a snob, okay, but she really doesn't remember public school being like this. She supposes it has something to do with the area, because downtown Brooklyn is a place Annabeth always tries steering clear of, but still. When she feels Piper's hand sneaking into her own, she doesn't tell her off. Instead, she grips it tight.

There are a few students milling around, even during lesson time. Bunkers, Annabeth reckons, although she must have really overestimated Goode's hold on things if students bunking off classes can just wander the halls (if you want to bunk at Lady Athena's you're gonna be spending the period locked into a cubicle or cupboard to avoid being caught), and all of them are remarkably chill when Annabeth, aka an authority figure, asks where the choir room is.

"Down the hall," one says, his breath smelling heavily of alcohol. "But if you want you lovely ladies can hang with us instead." He lewdly drags his hand down his body, and before Annabeth even has the time to feel disgusted he accidentally falls into the locker he was leaning against.

"Charming," Piper mutters.

"Come on," Annabeth says. "Let's go."

The choir room is easy enough to locate. Annabeth squeezes Piper's hand one last time, before letting it go and knocking politely on the door. The music coming behind the door stops abruptly before there's the sound of footsteps, and then the door opens.

There's an unfamiliar boy staring at them. "Uh," he says.

"Hi," Piper says.

The boy squints at them. "Are you lost?"

"No, we're meant to be here," Annabeth says. She digs her teacher pass out of back pocket. "Lady Athena's? Pe– Mr Jackson was expecting us?"

"Oh! You're the Lady Athena's girls," the boy says. He turns to the room. "Mr Jackson, the Lady Athena's girls are here!"

"Let them in, Leo."

The boy steps backwards, and Annabeth and Piper walk in. The first thing Annabeth sees are the dozen or so students slouching on chairs at the back of the room, all in their own clothes (she knows that most schools are non-uniform but it stills jars her to see it), and then she turns and sees Percy in a blue checked shirt, the sleeves rolled up. There's a student sitting on the piano next to him with a ukulele in her hands, and when she catches sight of them she scoffs.

Annabeth straightens. She can do this.

"Hey," she says to Percy. "Sorry we're so late, traffic was awful."

"No, it's okay." Percy heads over. "Safe trip?"

"Could say that." She pauses. "You, uh. Have a metal detector at the door?"

"There was a whole incident a month ago with two students in the canteen and one of them had a knife," Percy explains, rolling his eyes like this is completely normal. Both Piper and Annabeth gape. "The metal detector is pretty useful, though, stabbings have gone down by like, eighty percent."

Annabeth blinks. "Stabbings?"

But Percy has already turned to the rest of the students before she can get an answer, so she's left there, staring dumbly after him. "Class," Percy says. "I'd like to introduce a... friend, so to speak. Please, give it up for Miss Annabeth Chase, the coach of Lady Athena's Apollians!"

No one applauds.

Annabeth just nods uncomfortably. Piper folds her arms.

"No offence, Mr Jackson," a boy says, "but what the hell are they doing here?"

Percy looks vaguely pained. "Well," he says. "It has come to my attention that some– less than pleasant things were verbally exchanged between the Apollians and a few members of this team at Sectionals, which is not only appalling to hear but also very disappointing."

Everyone turns to face the tall pale blond boy who'd hit on Annabeth backstage. He looks even more sallow here, his skin so pale it's almost an anaemic yellow, but to her horror, none of them even look remotely ashamed. In fact, one even fist-bumps him.

Maybe it's the private school in her speaking, but she really doesn't remember public school being this barbaric and rude.

"You're one to speak," Piper says. "You were right up there encouraging them. If it weren't for Miss C threatening not to pay for your crummy piano you wouldn't even be reprimanding them."

"Piper!" Annabeth says sharply.

All the kids fix the two of them with hard looks, and Annabeth has to suppress an audible gulp.

These kids – they're not afraid of her in the slightest. They're all glaring at her, their expressions ranging from angry to irritable to completely uninterested, and their manners are hideous. Some of them have feet propped up on their chairs, and the ones who don't are all sprawled out all over each like a pack of animals. Annabeth actually feels scared.

"Oh yeah?" one of the girls asks. "And who are you, then?"

Piper juts out her chin. If Annabeth were any less petrified she'd probably think it embarrassing that her teenage student has more courage in the face of several other teenagers, just badly-dressed ones, than she does. "I'm Piper McLean," she says confidently. "Co-captain of the Apollians. We've come here to be apologised to."

"For what?" the girl asks. "The fact that someone for once gave you a bit of the truth and your fragile hearts were too delicate to handle it and shattered in an explosion of Gucci handbags and Gossip Girl DVDs?"

Piper actually lunges at her, and Annabeth has to quickly grab her by the waist before she rips out the girl's eyeballs.

The girl just tsks, amused. "Looks like prep school girls have a bit of fire."

"I will end you," Piper threatens, pointing a finger at her. "I will get those Gucci handbags and Gossip Girl DVDs and shove every single one in the entire school up your ass until you start throwing up class and dignity and quoting Blair Waldorf every time you speak."

"Enough, Piper," Annabeth snaps.

"No!" Piper says. "Miss C, do you hear what they're saying?"

"Of course I do," Annabeth says. "But they're not worth it. You're already in detention. Don't give Principal Brunner any reason to double your punishment."

Piper seethes, and then glares at the girl. "I'm not going to rip your hair out," she says. "But I'm vividly imagining it."

"Bite me."

Annabeth turns to Percy. "Well?" she demands. "Do something!"

"I don't control them!"

"Uh, you're the teacher, that's kind of your job?"

"It's a free country. They can say whatever they want."

He did not just use that excuse. "This is a school. There are rules."

"They're not violating any."

It takes all of Annabeth's self-restraint not to grab him by the arm and throw him out the window. "Listen to me," she says. "I came here so you and your team could apologise to me and one of my students for unnecessarily harassing us at a competition so we could part amicably and see each other as just show choir rivals and not actual enemies. But your students keep insisting on insulting both me and my team and I will not stand for it. It's disrespectful and I'm pretty sure that is it indeed actually violating quite a few school rules. My mother works in law and I hate to bring social class into this but we both know Lady Athena's has a much better reputation and place in society than Goode High, and we have several pretty important people on the school board. If you do not control your team I can and I will raise an issue that a certain show choir coach is being an unfit teacher and taking advantage of the flexible code of conduct, and also I hope you realise that the deal was you apologise and then we pay you back. I have every right to reject the offer and leave your time without a piano. And I've worked in public schools, Mr Jackson, public schools much, much better than this one, and if they could barely afford cafeteria food that didn't cause food poisoning let alone a full piano I really don't see how you're going to do that. So, damn it, control your team, or I will get you fired and leave these kids without any source of instrumentation to keep this club up and running after you leave."

She's panting when she finishes, and she's also alarmingly close to him, but she doesn't allow herself to back down. Distantly, she's aware that the entire room has fallen silent, and finally the kids are beginning to look a little worried. Piper looks oddly proud but Percy – he looks angry, and also kind of... impressed?

"Fine," he says. "Octavian, do you have anything you want to say?"

The pale kid sighs. "I'm sorry," he says dolefully.

Annabeth isn't done. "For what?"

Percy scowls at her.

Octavian just rolls his eyes. "For calling your team sluts and whores. That was rude and immature of me and I shouldn't have done it. From the bottom of my heart, I am sorry."

"Besides," the girl sitting on the piano says. "He only did it because he had tried to hit on one of you and got totally rejected."

This is news to Annabeth. She blinks, and turns to Piper. By her expression, this is also a surprise. "Who?" Piper asks. "Do you remember which one she was?"

Octavian sighs blissfully. "Latina. Black hair. Feisty. Woman of my dreams."

"Reyna?" Piper asks. She bursts out laughing. "Oh my God!"

"You hit on one of my girls and then called her a slut?" Annabeth says. And he wonders why he didn't score the date.

"Reyna's totally gay!" Piper says. "This is brilliant!"

Octavian's face goes pinched. "Gay?"

The girl smirks and says, "This is what I'm talking about" although Annabeth's not sure if she's referring to Reyna being a lesbian or Octavian flirting with Reyna the lesbian.

"You move fast," Annabeth says. "You immediately went to me."

Percy blinks. "You hit on a teacher, Octavian?"

Octavian still looks sulky. "I mean, she's hot," he grumbles, still cross about Reyna. "And even though she's old I clearly would have had more chance with her than her lesbo student."

"Old?" Annabeth demands.

"Don't listen to him, Miss C," Piper soothes. "You are the epitome of youth and beauty."

"This is classic," the girl says. "Octavian hits on a lesbian and then when he inevitably gets shut down he immediately insults her and her friends. What a classy move."

"She would have agreed to the date if she were straight. Just saying."

"That's not true at all," someone else says.

Annabeth glances at Percy. "Are they always like this?"

He shrugs. "You've got to kind of learn how to just roll with it." He gives her a sideways look. "Apology accepted?"

"Partially." She can't help herself. "I need one from you, first."

"Me?"

"It's the least you owe me. You did tell a complete stranger I eat my own excreta, after all."

A beat. "What did you just call it?"

"You get your piano when you apologise. Just saying."

Percy rolls his eyes, but it's good natured. "Fine. Annabeth Chase, I am very, very sorry, both for indirectly calling your team a group of sluts, and also for being a good respective male in this patriarchal society by scaring off someone who was harassing you."

She gives him a look.

"And I'm sorry I did it by telling him you were insane."

"Thank you."

"Do I get my piano now?"

"Yes." She holds out her hand. "You have yourself a deal, Percy Jackson."

He accepts her hand.

Piper notices. "Are you guys agreeing to another date?"

Annabeth pulls her hand away like she's just been burnt. "W–what? No! Piper, that's incredibly inappropriate!"

Piper doesn't even look sorry. "I just wanted to see if your first date went well. I noticed you two started talking near the end. What were you talking about? Were you exchanging your childhood stories? Are you in love yet?"

"Actually," Percy says in a serious voice, "your teacher here was being harassed."

Annabeth looks at the ceiling in disbelief.

"So," he continues, "naturally, as the good, respectful feminist I am, I just had to step in and save her."

Piper holds a hand to her heart. "That's so romantic. Did you pretend to be her boyfriend?"

"Absolutely," Percy says.

Annabeth's heard enough. "Come on, Piper," Annabeth says. "We should be going."

"No, I want to hear all about your date," Piper says. "Are you guys together now?"

"We decided that we're better as friends," Percy tells her.

Annabeth stares at him over the top of Piper's head incredulously.

He just smirks.

"That's a shame," Piper says. She pats Annabeth's arm. "Your children would have been very cute."

Behind Piper's back, Percy points to his face and mouths razor-sharp jawline. Annabeth tries her very hardest not to be endeared and scowls at him, quickly smoothing it into a smile when Piper catches her. "Well," she says. "Come on then, Piper. We'd best be heading off. We've only given you permission for a period off." Noticing that Piper is still going to keep hedging her about Percy, she adds, "We'll even have time to stop for ice cream if we leave now."

That sells her. "You make a good deal, Miss C," Piper says. "Well, farewell everyone, it's been questionable meeting you."

"Whatever," Octavian grumbles.

The girl sitting on the piano hops down. "Let me say," she says, "it has been magnificent meeting you. Thank you for humiliating Octavian. That is not something I get to witness often." She holds out her hand. "Thalia."

Piper beams and accepts. "Piper."

"Piper," Annabeth prompts gently.

"Oh, sorry, Miss C." Piper retracts her hand. "See you soon!"

Annabeth smiles at the room as winningly as she can. "It was lovely meeting you guys."

"Don't kid yourself," a random girl says.

Annabeth swallows, not quite sure how to respond. She turns to Piper. "You ready?"

"Sure am."

Annabeth nods at Percy. "Email me the piano, okay?"

"Can I just get your number? Emailing is so much hard work, and I think I might actually put a drumstick through my eyeball if I see you sign your name like that one more time."

"I could sign my texts," Annabeth says, a little huffily, but she digs her phone out of the pocket of her blazer nonetheless. "You don't know that."

"Tell me you don't sign your texts."

"It was a joke, Percy."

"Oh, thank goodness." He types in his number, and then sends a text to himself. "There we go."

Annabeth takes her phone back. "There are conditions that come with having my number," she says. "Never call me, unless it's an emergency, and by emergency I mean one that contains the threat of death or bodily harm. Anything below getting a limb ripped off can either be texted or not sent to me at all. I don't care about you that much."

"If this is how you are with every guy, I'm not surprised you're single."

Annabeth rolls her eyes. "Message me about the piano, okay? We'll send it over as soon as we can."

"I will. And– thanks. For buying it."

Percy looks a little uncomfortable. Annabeth reckons it's a pride thing – she wouldn't want someone buying her a piano, either, it seems a little needy and dependent – but she appreciates it anyway. "It's okay, Percy. Honestly." She shoulders her bag. "You ready, Piper?"

"Still as ready as before."

"I can still give you detention."

"Sorry, sorry. Do I get the ice cream?"

"Only because I'm also craving it. Come on, let's go, you need to be back at school in twenty minutes."

"You need to pick up some groceries," Will says as soon as Annabeth walks through the front door. "Urgently."

Annabeth blinks. "Um. No I don't?"

"Yes, you do. It's a dire emergency. Someone might die if you don't."

Annabeth sets her bag down and then leans against the wall. Will's head is poking out of his bedroom door, his body angled so she can't see him from the waist downwards. However, it doesn't take an expert to see what's happening, especially since what she can see of him is not clothed.

She sighs. "Is Nico in there with you?"

There's some shuffling, and Nico's head appears around the frame as well. "Hey, Annabeth," he says cheerfully.

"For God's sake. We established a no-sex-in-the-apartment rule."

"Please can you just leave the house," Will says. "For like, thirty more minutes. I promise. You won't even be able to tell what we've done."

"Yeah, I'd hope so," Annabeth says. She picks up her bag back up and then points threateningly at them. "This doesn't move from your bedroom, you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Will says, saluting. Nico grabs his wrist and drags him back inside, and the door slams shut. From inside of it, they both shout, "Bye, Annabeth!"

She sighs heavily, and presses her fingers against her temples. She should consider working at a boarding school. Or moving out.

She troops back outside the house, shoving her keys in her pockets. She's a bit annoyed, but she supposes it is what it is. Will means well, and she's happy he found Nico, honestly, it's just– she works a very long day. And it's not like Will doesn't, either – he works at a very upscale hair salon where all the celebrity trophy wives get their highlights done and gossip about each other's husbands, and the lifestyle requires not only an hour train journey in the morning but demanding times because "I'm certain Herbert is cheating on me, Will, I need you to be there at precisely five am tomorrow to make me look gorgeous so I can seduce him back into my bed before he goes to work and hangs around that slutbag boss of his any longer", but Annabeth is just tired. Nationals is very, very soon and she's exhausted, and all she was asking for was a sofa to collapse on and a warm body to snuggle and some old Friends episodes to binge, and then because Will is such a good roommate he just had to go and ruin her plans.

Thanks, Will.

She wanders back down the stairs and then climbs into her car. She supposes while she's on apartment-ban she really should do some grocery shopping, because whenever Will is in charge of groceries all he buys is pot noodles and gummy worms and now that Annabeth is head of the music department and also dancing and singing with her girls almost every waking hour (no, like, seriously – they've had Skype rehearsals before) she needs a bit more than just that to keep running. She starts the ignition and then turns onto the interstate.

Their local supermarket is only a couple minutes' drive away from their apartment. Annabeth taps her fingers on the steering wheel as she pulls into the parking lot, already formulating a grocery list in her head – until she spots some familiar faces perched at the edge of the lot. Frowning, she finds a parking, and then steps out the car.

It's Jason, Piper's boyfriend, and a pretty black girl Annabeth think she might recognise from her trip to Goode. They're stood behind a table, playing a lazy game of Hacky Sack with what looks like an old tennis ball. When they hear her approaching, they look up, and grin.

"Oh, hey, Miss Chase!" the girl says, cheerfully enough.

"Hey," she says cautiously. "What's going on here?"

"Just selling some stuff," Jason says. "Want to buy something?"

Annabeth glances down at the table in front of her. It's laden with an assortment of misshapen cupcakes and biscuits that are all sagging in their paper cases. Their only redeeming quality is the icing, which has been done semi-neatly, but in the scorching heat it's all melting off and running down the sides of the cakes and onto the table. Nonetheless, she decides to humour him. "Uh, sure," she says. She digs her purse out of her back pocket and hands him a five-dollar bill. "What can I get with that?"

"You get two cupcakes and a cookie," Jason says. "You can take your pick."

Annabeth points at the two cupcakes which look the least melted and then a small biscuit studded with sugar pearls. The pretty black girl standing next to Jason helps her pick them up and then wraps them all up individually in green paper towels. Annabeth gratefully takes them from her and balances them in her arms, trying to ignore how the icing from one of the cakes is seeping through the towel and onto her shirt.

"This looks– nice," she says. "You guys having a bake sale?"

"You don't have to pretend, Miss," the girl says. "We know they all look bad."

Annabeth tries to keep the smile on her face. "Bad is a– strong word."

"But it's true." The girl gives her a wry smile. "Thank you for buying some stuff anyway. You can throw it away."

"I'll give it to my roommate," Annabeth says. When she sees the slightly hopeful look enter their eyes, she decides not to mention that she's planning on putting it in his bed as revenge. Clearing her throat, she quickly changes tact. "So, what's all this for? Are you guys helping out a charity?"

"Oh, no," Jason says. "We need to raise some money for ourselves, actually. We need a new piano."

Annabeth furrows her eyebrows. "Wait, what? A new piano? Didn't– didn't we just give you money for that? Why would you need more money?"

Jason and the girl exchange looks.

Annabeth starts to feel panicky. "What? What happened?"

Jason pulls a face. "Uh... We didn't end up getting the piano after all."

"Mr D took the money before we could," the girl says.

Annabeth blinks. "What?"

"He spent it all on the football team," the girl says. "He got them new letterman jackets and replaced the goal posts."

Annabeth's eye twitches. Suddenly the icing on her shirt and Will kicking her out the house all fade to white noise. "Your principal took the money I gave to you to spend on a piano and bought jackets with it?"

"Pretty much," Jason says. "So now we have to do bake sales to raise the money to get a piano. We've got about five more sales spread out over the area."

Annabeth glances down at the food in her arms. "How much have you raised so far?"

Jason smiles wryly. "Five dollars."

"Three in total, if you count everything," the girl says. "Thalia just texted me. She accidentally ripped the table cloth in half and it's all school property, so we'll probably have to spend two dollars on buying a new one."

"Can't you report him?" Annabeth asks. "That money was a gift. Well. An apology, actually, but it came from our school, and from my department. I did not give away half my budget so your pot-bellied alcoholic of a teacher could buy new football supplies. That's ridiculous. If my girls are going to Nationals in slightly mismatching purple shirts then there'd better be a good reason. And I don't count letterman jackets a very good reason."

Jason shrugs. "I mean, we can't do anything about it now. He's already bought everything."

Annabeth barely resists the urge to growl. "I want to go to that school and shove those new goalposts up his ass."

The girl squeaks. "You can't say that, you're a teacher!"

"I'm off-duty," Annabeth says. "Why hasn't anyone done anything? Haven't you reported this?"

"I don't think it would actually count as an offence or anything," Jason says. "Also, we're, like, ninety percent sure Mr D spikes all the school board members' drinks before he goes in for a meeting. And he's very experienced at being drunk so he basically gets them to do anything he wants."

"It's how he's been the principal for so long," the girl says. "I went there the other day to offer to help out with the displays in the cafeteria and he just threw up in the book shelf and then fell asleep."

"What about Mr Jackson? Don't you guys have a budget?"

"Nope," the girl says. "Calypso makes all our costumes and we all take the bus to our competitions."

"Kind of makes it easier to lose," Jason explains. "Means we don't have to lug home those giant trophies on public transport. It'd probably get gum stuck to it."

"Or spat on."

Annabeth frowns. The magnitude of the situation is finally sinking in. Suddenly, she understands why Percy was so upset all that time ago in Chiron's office, when he gave her a promotion. Percy wasn't angry at her personally. He was upset because Piper and Reyna had destroyed his piano, a piano he must have spent blood, sweat and tears trying to get his hands on, and then she, a private school teacher, whose original salary was probably already twice his despite her initially having a smaller role, got given a pay raise for being a good teacher, whereas he, still stuck in his suffering, struggling public school with a group of higgledy-piggledy students who would never be able to afford college, could be the best teacher in the entire damn state, nay, the country, and he would still be stuck as a lowly choir coach, not making nearly enough money, having to pay for the one good thing about his job out of his own pocket because his boss is a fiendish pig with a terrible drinking problem.

Is he a dick? Absolutely. He owes Annabeth several apologies. But she does admire him, because he had the money Lady Athena's had given him snatched out from his grasp and he didn't come crawling back asking for more.

She tightens her arms around the food in her arms. She has a plan.

"Okay," she says. "Well, I need to be off, but– take care, guys, okay? Things'll get better."

"Let's hope so," Jason says. "Bye, Miss Chase."

"Bye, Miss," the girl says, waving.

Annabeth climbs back in her car. First things first, though. Before any plan starts taking place, she's putting these cakes into Will's pillowcase.

As soon as Annabeth picks up the phone, she says, "This better be one of those I-am-in-such-a-predicament-I-cannot-make-any-audible-noises situations, Percy, because you haven't started screaming yet and I quite clearly remembering me saying not to call this number ever unless it was an emergency and by you doing so you are vandalising our contract."

"Do you have anything to do with the new piano in our choir room?"

A smile spreads across Annabeth's face. "What? A piano? I thought you already had one of those."

Percy's voice is amused. "Annabeth."

"I'm very confused, Percy. I was under the impression that you already had a piano because of the money we had given to you and that it hadn't been put anywhere else inane, for example, the football team, let's say."

"Well, plans changed, and we didn't end up getting it. However, imagine my surprise when I walk into the choir room and see a brand-new piano right there in the middle of the room – especially when, after talking to some of my students, Jason revealed that you had purchased some cakes from him and then he had explained to you the whole situation."

"I have no memory of that."

"Well." Percy's voice is sincere. "Thank you."

"I didn't do it, Percy. You shouldn't be thanking me. That's really quite insulting to whoever did do it. I can't believe you're overshadowing their generosity with your deep undeniable love for me."

Annabeth can almost hear the eye roll. "You're a terrible liar."

"Whatever." She pauses. "But, I mean, if you do want to thank me, despite me having absolutely nothing to do with it, I won't complain."

"Okay then. Thank you, Annabeth, for having no part in the brand-new piano now sitting in my choir room. I really appreciate your complete lack of involvement, and I mean this in the most unspecific way a person can possibly and indirectly thank someone."

Annabeth suppresses a smile. "Now you're just being difficult."

"You asked for it." He happily sighs. "Honestly, though. This– means a lot. My kids will finally be able to rehearse. I mean, we haven't got any competitions coming up, considering we lost Sectionals, but it's nice to know our space will still be able to remain a safe space."

"That's very cheesy, Percy."

"Like they say: when in doubt, show tunes."

"You wouldn't know a show tune if it hit you with a truck. All the songs you do are obscure and from bands a great majority of the population hasn't heard of."

"You speak like your musical repertoire isn't just from predictable female icons."

Annabeth bristles. "That's very different."

"I bet I can guess what songs you're doing for Nationals."

"Oh, hit me."

"I will." There's a contemplative pause. "I'm sensing a number originally performed by a female. Maybe Alicia Keys?"

Their second number is Empire State Of Mind. "No."

Percy ignores her. "You'll probably also be doing a girl group, to keep things even," he continues. "But I'm thinking you might go a bit modern. Maybe Little Mix?"

Annabeth closes her eyes. "Wrong." Very, very right.

"And then I'm sensing maybe some early 2000s for your last song," he says, and Annabeth's eyes fly back open. "Maybe some Britney Spears? No, wait." He gives a hum. "Avril Lavigne, perhaps?"

"Okay, how–"

"I have your setlist right here."

Percy bursts out laughing as Annabeth squawks indignantly. "Okay, firstly, you jackass, don't you ever pretend to have some psychic powers ever again, and two, how the hell do you even have our setlist, and three, if–"

"Breathe, Annabeth," Percy says, amused, and Annabeth wants to reach through the phone and snatch that piano right back. "Turns out some seduction can go a long way."

Annabeth's mouth goes dry. "You– seduced one of my girls?"

"What? No, don't be daft! One of my students did. Jason's a very good kid."

"Piper," Annabeth hisses. "How dare she."

"Don't blame her, Jason apparently took out all the stops. Roses, chocolate, some mild intoxication–"

"Intoxication? They're seventeen!"

"Relax," Percy says, laughing. "You act as though you seriously think none of your girls have touched alcohol before. Newsflash – they most probably have, and worse."

"I– I know that, don't be thick. I bumped into Piper at that bar – although she was drinking apple juice, which was very responsible of her, and the teacher inside of me was pleased at her self-control – I can feel you roll your eyes from over here, Jackson, no, she didn't order it just because I was there, she actually got the drink before she saw me – and I've caught at least half my team in various compromising positions with the boys from St. Hercules' in random airing cupboards around the school. I'm not naïve. I just– Piper is meant to be my top girl, you know. She doesn't just give out our setlist like that."

"Like I said," Percy says, rather proudly. "The power of romance is strong, and Jason's very good at it. He once taught a class on how to seduce. He started it off with a rendition of How To Be A Heartbreaker and then he handed out lyrics to various Taylor Swift songs and told everyone to analyse."

Annabeth doesn't even know what to think about that. "I'll be having words with Piper," she says. "Maybe I should teach a class on how to resist the advances of opposing teams trying to seduce a setlist out of you, since apparently that happens now."

"We're not going to do anything bad with it, don't worry. I didn't even want it. According to Jason he just took Piper out on a date that may have involved a bottle of wine and when drunk, Piper starts to spill a lot of Lady Athena's secrets without even being prompted. Jason got the setlist, half the dance routine of Footloose, a basic outline of what the costumes are going to be and a three-minute cry on how lonely you are."

"Me?"

Piper is going to die. Annabeth will make sure of it.

"Yes, you," Percy says, and now he sounds like he's suppressing laughter and Annabeth wants to dropkick him very, very hard in the head. "Jason sounded quite amused. Apparently you're just very lonely and you have no one and she's your best friend and whilst Piper absolutely loves that because it means that she gets lots of privileges and sometimes she gets to go back to your house and ransack your cupboards – which is very worrying, Annabeth, I love my kids and I've never taken them back home – she worries for your mental state because she feels like you need some friends your own age who will get your dumb dad jokes. There was also something about Luke Hemmings in there but Jason didn't quite understand that."

Most Favourite Student Ever or not, Piper is definitely going to die. Painfully. "Jason had no business telling you that. Although to be fair Piper had no business telling Jason, so."

"She was drunk," Percy reasons. "You're lucky that's all she said. Besides, it could be worse. Jason could be from one of the teams you're up against at Nationals. That would be quite bad."

Annabeth considers the logistics of taking back the piano. "Whatever," she says contemptuously. "This is not important." She tries to regain some composure. "Now, I do recall telling you that you should only call this number if it were an emergency, and because we've managed to hold a solid conversation for the past" – she pulls her phone away from her ear and checks the time – "four minutes eighteen seconds without you either screaming or spontaneously dropping dead I'm assuming it's not, so I'm going to end this now."

Percy laughs. "If it makes you feel any better, I won't tell anyone."

"Goodbye Percy," she says firmly.

He only laughs harder. She scowls at the wall and ends the call.

The nerve. She shouldn't have bought that damn piano.

Okay, listen. It's not actually like Annabeth actually wants to see Percy.

It's just– Nico and Will came last night, completely hammered and also indulging in far too much PDA for a non-bedroom setting, and Nico was wearing Percy's scarf, and somehow in the amount of time it took them to get naked – mind you, in the hallway, because they have absolutely no class, and no, Annabeth will never touch that radiator ever again – and stumble to Will's room, Nico had chucked the scarf at Annabeth and shouted for her to give it to Percy the next time she saw him, as if he couldn't do it himself, and now—

Well, she has to, doesn't she. Especially since Nico got up extra early and made her apology pancakes before she left.

"Sorry about last night," he says.

"S'alright."

"We probably shouldn't have started in the hallway."

"No, you shouldn't've. Speaking of, your boxers are hanging from the coat rack."

Nico pulls a face and presents her a plate of pancakes. "Please forgive me?"

So here she is, at Goode, during her spare period. They were meant to have choir practice but all the girls had a big Geometry test so plans fell through, leaving Annabeth with an hour and a half to spare. So, like any sane person, she had driven all the way to Goode High, with Percy's scarf in her hand, and is currently prowling the hallways, trying to remember where the choir room is.

"Hey!" someone shouts, and she whips around. It's the drunk kid from last time. "You're that foxy prep school teacher!"

Annabeth tries to control her heartbeat. "Um. Yes, I suppose? Why aren't you in class?"

"Algebra's for schmucks. What you doing back here? Come back for more?"

"I never got any to begin with."

"I could change that."

"I'd rather you wouldn't." She pauses. "Are you– smoking weed right now?"

He grins dopily and offers her the blunt. "Want a drag?"

"No, thank you. Where's the choir room?"

"What's with you and that damn choir room?"

"If you don't tell me where it is I'll report you for doing drugs on school premises."

He laughs. "Ooh, mama's got claws. It's down the hall."

"Thank you."

"Can I have that kiss now?"

She just ignores him and stalks down the hall.

The door to the choir room is open when she approaches. She must have stumbled across their own practice, because she can hear a pretty nice arrangement and Percy shouting, "FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, BEND YOUR LEGS, DAKOTA!" over the top. She doesn't want to interrupt, and is just about to turn around and leave when the music stops and Percy starts talking. Damn it. Now she has no excuse.

Steeling herself, she knocks on the door.

Percy turns around, and his face splits into a half-grin when he catches her. "Oh, hey, Annabeth!" he says. "What are you doing here?"

Annabeth waves the scarf. "From Nico."

He bounces over to where she's stood. The students behind him seem to take that as meaning a break, because many of them just collapse on the floor right where they're standing. "Thanks," he says. "How'd you get this? I left this at Nico's ages ago."

"He was wearing it last night," Annabeth says. "And when Will was peeling it off he came out of his sex-induced haze long enough to tell me to give it back, but not long enough to realise that stripping your boyfriend naked in the hallway is not appropriate."

Percy blinks. "They had sex in your hallway?"

"God, no, they had sex in Will's bedroom, I would have chased them out of the apartment with a broom if they dared try that around me, but they decided that the seven-second walk to Will's room was simply too long to abstain from touching each other."

"Jeepers. They're crazy."

"You're telling me. That's how I found your bake sale. I got kicked out of my own house."

"That sucks." His face splits into a grin. "Literally."

"You're in a classroom, Perce, come on, keep it PG."

"You should hear what these kids say, it's way worse." Percy leans against the piano. "How are Nationals rehearsals coming along?"

"Pretty good, actually. You could drop in if you wanted. They're looking really good."

There's a scary-looking girl sitting in the back row, wearing a lot of eyeliner and boots that Annabeth feels mildly intimidated by. Annabeth thinks her name is Thalia. She rolls her eyes when Annabeth speaks. "Yeah, no thanks," she says, even though she wasn't talking to her. "If I wanted to watch a bunch of prisses twirl around in plaid skirts singing Beyoncé I'd search up the fantasies of gross old headteachers."

"Don't act like you don't fantasise about girls in plaid skirts," a boy says.

With expert aim, the girls spits her gum into his eye.

"Are all of your students this rude?" Annabeth asks.

Percy grins at her. "Welcome to public school."

Annabeth sighs. "I know what public school is like, okay, I attended one. It's just– all of your students have no realms about anything. They're pugnacious."

"Like I said, Beth. Public school. You can't say anything over three syllables or their brains'll explode."

"Argumentative. Rude. Dickish."

"That's one way to describe them," Percy says. "They're good kids, though."

Annabeth watches as a big scary girl kick a smaller boy off his chair and then rest her feet in the empty space. "Really."

"Yeah," Percy says. "They're really driven, and they're so much smarter than a lot of people give them credit for. They choreographed our Sectionals number, did you know?"

Annabeth looks up, surprised. "Really?" She remembers their Sectionals number. They had stuck out as one of their main competitors. They had done two long songs, something that was almost unheard of at a Sectionals competition – one being an abridged version of Purple Rain, to which they had staged an elaborate dance number that had Annabeth's coach instincts going absolutely wild, and another being Welcome To The Black Parade, a song they had unfairly and also absolutely crushed. The dances, especially to the latter number, were fast and, yes, unpolished in some areas, but the kids had drive and they had passion, and they threw themselves into the numbers.

When Welcome To The Black Parade reached its climax, with the students managing to hold killer harmonies and also do complicated dances simultaneously, Annabeth had been blown away by how succinct they were. Obviously, the Apollians did end up being better, and Annabeth has a sneaking suspicion it has something to do with Reyna and Silena's elaborate dance during the bridge of their Mariah Carey number – in heels, too, a fact that must have appealed to the all-female panel of judges – but the Glow Fire dances were good.

And they were apparently all done by the kids themselves.

Percy laughs at Annabeth's shocked face. "You're surprised?" he asks. "Annabeth, I can't dance to save my life. You think I could have taught them even half of that?"

"That's incredible," Annabeth says. "I– you guys were amazing, how didn't you win?"

Percy shrugs. "Guess you guys were better. And you were, really. Your Valerie killed. Your girls can really sing."

Piper had taken lead on that one. Annabeth glows with pride. "They're good girls. They deserved it."

Percy sighs a little, and they both look at the assortment of kids on the chairs. That has to be one thing Annabeth respects – while all the girls at Lady Athena's are different in their own ways, Glow Fire gives a whole new name to diversity. All Annabeth's girls may not be the same colour, sure, but they all come from wealthy families, who could probably put them through university eight times through without breaking a sweat, and they're all pretty and bright and have promising futures ahead of them. Some of her seniors have applied to the big schools, and Annabeth doesn't doubt they'll receive offers. They have big plans, every single one – California, New York, London. And they'll follow through with them.

But these kids – they're from all walks of life, all different shapes and sizes. In their clothes they all look so starkly different from each other, and yet the scary girl in the leather jacket has her head on the shoulder of a boy in a letterman jacket, and the boy with the crutches is laughing hysterically with the boy in the cheerleading uniform. They're probably just as good as Annabeth's girls, and yet finance and position in society and hell, clothing brands are holding them back from travelling to California and New York and London and attending state-of-the-art universities, universities they deserve to go to.

Suddenly, Annabeth feels very, very, unbearably sad.

"Your kids," she says. "You think they're that good?"

Percy is nodding before she's even finished her sentence. "The best."

"Bring them to Lady Athena's tomorrow. We can temporarily merge them, make something incredible."

Percy stares at her. "Annabeth..."

"You think yours are the best?" she says. "I think the same of mine. Together they'll be unstoppable. Of course, I'm not saying combine them forever – just for today. I still want my girls and my girls alone to win Nationals, but your kids deserve to be able to rehearse in a professional dance hall instead of a classroom for once."

Percy looks overwhelmed. "You have a professional dance hall?"

"It's a private school, Percy, they have their own stables." He still looks hesitant. "Come on. Think of it as my apology."

"For what?"

"Dissembling your piano."

"You already bought us a new one to compensate."

"You can't prove that. Come on, just this once. Tomorrow?"

Finally, Percy sighs. "Fine. But I'm signing a waiver tomorrow that says if they all kill each other I'm not legally responsible."

"That is a burden I shall accept with open arms. Besides, you exaggerate. They're not going to kill each other."

"Annabeth, my own team threaten to kill each other on a daily basis. You think they're going to take nicely to hanging out with the same private school snobs who broke their piano?"

"We bought it back!"

"I knew it was you, but regardless. I'll try and butter you guys up as much as possible, and I'm pretty sure just the idea of being to rehearse in a dance studio is going to kill half of them just as it is, but, like I said. Aside from driving them there and acting as a chaperone and also mildly choreographing whatever you want them to do, I wash my hands of this."

Annabeth rolls her eyes. "Don't be dramatic. And also, before you arrive, you'll also need to send me pictures of your number plate, driver's licence and teaching degree so I can show them to Headmaster Brunner."

Percy's eyes almost bug out. "What?"

"All the girls have very, very rich parents, Percy. It wouldn't be the first time we've had people try and sneak into the school to kidnap a girl and demand a two million ransom from her movie star parents. I just need it as evidence that you're not trying to plan an elaborate mass murder and everything should be good."

Percy looks absolutely petrified. "Um."

"Text me what time would suit you best. We have choir practice from two-fifteen to five."

"Five?"

"Nationals, Percy. We don't play games here."

"Yeah, I can see that." Percy shakes his head in disbelief. "I can still hardly believe this is happening."

"Well, you'd better." Annabeth checks her watch. "I'd best be off, Will's expecting me home. Don't forget."

"As if I could." Percy clears his throat and raises his voice. "Class, Miss Chase is just leaving. Can we say goodbye?"

No one responds. Someone yawns. The girl in the leather jacket puts a new stick of gum into her mouth.

"Well, I tried." Percy grins. "You'll be safe travelling home?"

Somewhere, Annabeth's stomach warms at his concern for her. "Yes," she says. "Thank you for having me."

"It was my pleasure. Not theirs, but it was mine, I can assure you."

"Well, that's nice to know." Annabeth shoulders her bag and then hesitates. Throwing all caution to the wind, she steps forward and gives him a quick hug. "I'll hopefully see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Percy says. "Have a good journey home."

It's almost just as bad as Annabeth had feared.

Both teams are at opposite ends on the room, glaring at each other. In the back of her head, she absently notes how sophisticated her girls look – their posture is impeccable, they're standing in some semblance of formation, and all of their folded arms and cocked-out hips are very in sync with each other – and she feels a flicker of pride because she taught them how to bitch-glare perfectly, before squashing it when she realises how weird that is.

She glances at Percy, and sees him sipping from a Number One Grandpa mug, smirking. That rat, he knew this was going to happen. Very well. Annabeth sets her shoulders back. She supposes she'll have to settle this.

"All right, everyone," she says, and all the kids take momentarily breaks of trying to burn holes in each other's heads to look at her. "So, I'm sure lots of you are wondering why you are all here together."

"That's putting it nicely," Reyna says.

The big girl with stringy hair and the bandana scowls. "How about you shut you piehole, princess."

"And how about you ship yourself back to whatever mouldy estate you came from and keep collecting your food stamps, because none of you belong here."

Several kids from Glow Fire step fire, ready to charge. Before they actually can, Annabeth quickly pulls her whistle out from her pocket and blows it.

Everyone falls silent.

"Is that a whistle?" Percy asks.

Annabeth tucks it smartly back into her pocket. "Yes," she says. "You should invest in one, they're very helpful."

"Oh, I'm sure," a kid says. "You bitches need your dog whistles, don't you?"

Nancy has to grab Piper around the waist to stop her from running over.

"All right, enough," Annabeth says. "All of you, listen to me. I don't particularly care about your feelings towards each other, because if the way this has gone so far is any semblance I'm sure none of them are very pleasant or family-friendly. But we are competitors. And that is all. We are not enemies, and the way you are acting around each other is ridiculous and frankly almost animalistic. So. We have decided that in order for you to stop acting like animals around each other, you should come to a consensus over the thing that we all have in common. Music."

"What song are you planning on doing?" Percy whispers.

Annabeth beams. This part she can do. "How do you feel about Kelly Clarkson?"

Percy actually blanches. "You– want to do Kelly Clarkson?"

"Why do you look so afraid?"

"Because– Annabeth. Kelly Clarkson."

"What's so bad about her?"

"None of my kids are ever going to want to do Kelly Clarkson."

"You give up too easily, Percy. My girls said the same thing about doing the entire Chicago soundtrack, and then we performed Roxie and Cell Block Tango at the school spring showcase last year."

Percy goes even paler. "You– made them perform Cell Block Tango?"

"I didn't make them, you've just got to know what they want. Turns out, if you tell them they get to gyrate on chairs in lingerie in front of several all-boys' schools whilst singing about casually murdering their ex-lovers they leap at the chance."

Percy just blinks. "Oh."

Annabeth sighs. "What's your problem with Kelly Clarkson?"

"Nothing. It's just– I thought you said it was a joint effort. And– Kelly Clarkson is something your girls would do. We wouldn't touch Kelly Clarkson with a ten-foot barge pole."

"That's shocking but understandable, you all severely lack culture."

"This needs to be a joint effort, Annabeth. We can't just do songs your girls want to do."

Annabeth folds her arms. "Well, what do you suppose we do?"

"I was thinking something a bit more– groovy."

"You did just not use the word groovy."

"Maybe something by Bastille? My kids like Bastille. We did Good Grief last year at a showcase. I was actually working out an arrangement to Pompeii."

"I don't think my girls even know who Bastille are."

"Bastille are good!"

"What happened to a joint effort?"

Percy suddenly snaps his fingers. "That's it!"

"That– what?"

"We'll do a mash-up!"

"Of Kelly Clarkson and Bastille? Seriously?"

"Why not? What's the worst that can happen?"

"I'm thinking of it right now," Annabeth says. "And it involves several ambulances and possibly also death."

Percy rolls his eyes fondly. "And you say I'm dramatic."

"My girls aren't going to want to do Bastille anymore than your kids are going to want to do Kelly Clarkson."

"Your spirit is gone, Miss Chase," Percy says. "What happened to the woman who convinced her choir to dance around in lace and then convinced the school board to let her choir dance around in lace?"

"She's thinking rationally. In that situation none of the children involved had knives."

"They're pocketknives, Annabeth, not machetes, they're not that dangerous."

Annabeth gawks. "Not that–?"

"Come on. We've already overcome the worst, which was getting both teams in one room without them killing each other."

"It still could happen."

"That's true, however, the fact that it hasn't yet counts for something." Percy claps his hands together and raises his voice. "All right, everyone, gather around."

"This is your idea entirely," Annabeth tells him as everyone reluctantly shuffles themselves closer. "I'm ripping up the waiver."

"Deal," Percy says. Together, they stand as wait as the kids form some sort of semi-circle around them, with a very visible division between the two teams that is maybe around a metre wide. Annabeth wants to roll her eyes – no one is carrying any communicable diseases, for heaven's sake – but the threat of the multiple pocketknives in the room is still just as terrifying to her as it was before so she keeps quiet.

Percy waits until everyone has fallen silent before he starts to speak. "All right," he says. "So Miss Chase and I have decided that in order to truly cement the newfound union between our teams we should choreograph a number that incorporates both teams."

Someone shouts, "That's stupid!" and then the entire rom erupts in noise. Annabeth has to blow her whistle for everyone to fall silent again.

"That's exactly what I mean," Percy says.

"This can only go badly," Annabeth mumbles to him. "Can we end this now?"

"Utterly not," Percy whispers back to her, before he raises his voice again. "Guys, this is what I'm talking about. It's perfectly normal for two rival teams to feel a bit of tension but in this case it's no longer tension, it's the urge to kill each other, and I think I speak on behalf of Miss Chase as well as myself when I say neither of us particularly fancy being responsible for the mass murder of roughly twenty innocent students. I'm not ordering you to all become best friends, but what I am asking for is for you guys to at least be civil towards each other. Whatever's going on between us simply won't do. We can't have this sort of behaviour towards each other – especially not at competitions. Can everyone at least agree with me on this point?"

Grudgingly, everyone nods.

"I still hate all of you," Thalia says. "Just so you know."

"The sentiments are thoroughly returned, princess," Reyna snaps.

Piper and Jason give each other despairing looks. Annabeth is torn between pitying them and laughing.

"What song are we doing?" one boy asks.

Percy beams. "I'm so pleased you asked," he says. "We were thinking something along the lines of a mashup. How do you feel about Pompeii and My Life Would Suck Without You?"

Annabeth blanches. "You can't just assume that's the song I was thinking of!"

"Well, was it?"

"No!"

"Cool, don't care. I don't know any other Kelly Clarkson songs."

Annabeth grumbles mutinously. "Uncultured savage."

Percy doesn't even hear her. "Does that sound good to everyone?"

"I guess," someone from Glow Fire says. "I can do Bastille."

"What's Bastille?" Annabeth hears Miranda whisper to Katie.

"I think it's a French prison," Katie says.

"Great!" Percy claps his hands together. "Okay! I want you to all start brainstorming ideas on what you want the general theme to be, whilst Miss Chase and I work out the arrangement. We shouldn't be any longer than ten minutes so please don't kill each other while we're distracted, I have all of your parents and also Sergeant Baxter on speed-dial from last time."

"You still have him?" a boy says. "That was months ago, Mr Jackson."

"You nearly killed people, Leo."

"Yeah, nearly. And I didn't mean to, so that also should count for something."

Percy rolls his eyes fondly, and then turns to Annabeth. "Do you have a piano nearby?"

Annabeth blinks. "Um. Yes, of course, just down the hall, and sorry, did you just say that one of your students nearly killed someone?"

"Several someones. The entire school, in fact. Leo decided we should add pyrotechnics to one of our performances."

"In my defence," Leo says. "The song is called Light 'Em Up."

"You didn't have to take it quite so literally."

"Listen, I didn't mean to set the school on fire. Things just– happened."

"Oh my," Annabeth whispers, aghast.

"Don't pass out on me now, this is the one time I actually need you," Percy says. "Come on, show me the piano room."

Robotically, Annabeth leads him out the studio and down the hallway. They've got a lovely baby grand in the music studio that Annabeth salivates over whenever she gets to play, but unfortunately Miss Cooper from the prehistoric era has taken over the music studio for a lesson with her eleventh graders, so instead Annabeth leads him to one of the smaller practice rooms. It's not until she's crammed herself in one not currently occupied by students and Percy tries to wedge himself in afterwards that she realises quite how small it is.

They're going to be in very close quarters. Singing a Kelly Clarkson song to each other.

And Percy has rolled up his sleeves.

Annabeth doesn't think she'll last.

Percy seems unaware of her current calamity and leans against the wall. Dear God, his arms really look good in that shirt. Annabeth considers sending a request to making rolled-up sleeves illegal to the White House or something. "So, Music Meister," he says. "Work your magic."

Annabeth glares at him, and then delicately sits down at the piano stool. "I can't just instantly whip out an accompaniment off the top of my head," she says. "Of anyone you should know that."

"Yeah, but we're both music teachers. Mathematically this should go twice as fast."

"Did you fail Maths?"

"Yes."

"Figures." Annabeth shuffles up. "Well, you said you had the outlines of a Pompeii arrangement worked out, didn't you? Work your magic."

Percy begins to sit down, and instantly Annabeth regrets her decision because no she did not think this through nor did she take into account quite how small the piano stool was. "I'm not very good at piano," he says. "It's like– going to be very fumbly."

"Just play."

"Okay, okay, chill." Percy places his fingers on the keys, and then frowns, rearranging them a little. He presses down on it and begins a very tentative version of the song. Annabeth vaguely recognises it from the radio, and it sounds like the kind of thing Nico would play so she's probably heard it around the house a bit, but she actually enjoys it more than she expects it. Percy wasn't lying – he's not a very good pianist in the slightest. He hits a wrong note almost every time he changes chord and it's very jumpy because of how often he forgets what the next chord is and has to readily frown at the keys until he remembers – but it's a start, and a good one.

"And then it does the 'oh, oh, oh' bit," Percy says. "I was thinking something on the piano that's a bit like, da da da, like that–"

"Oh, hold on." Annabeth nudges Percy's fingers off the keys and taps it out. "Like this?"

"C instead of B."

Annabeth changes.

"Yeah, like that, exactly. And then– maybe during the chorus you could some backing 'ooh's or whatever, maybe some 'aah's, just general pizzazz... – Actually, I worked out a pretty kickass harmony you could do with that –"

Percy stumbles his way through a very shaky example on the piano. Annabeth sings it over in her head a few times and plays it out herself, adds a counter harmony on her left hand, and Percy nods so ecstatically she feels her heart hurt.

"Yeah, like that! And then I had this idea for the bridge – I was thinking, like, lights down. Lead soloist in the middle. Sings first line by himself. Gets others to join in, gradually, have some church choir hums in the background... I was thinking maybe Grover could do it. He's got a great voice. Kind of folksy. Think Josh Groban and Dan Smith's lovechild."

"What about one of my girls?"

"Your girls can do your Kelly Clarkson bit."

"No, but if we're having Pompeii as the bridge where everything goes quiet, I want one of my girls with a lead feature on it. I think Reyna could be really good. Besides, having your kids just sing Pompeii and my girls just sing My Life Would Suck is so predictable, and the complete opposite of what we're trying to achieve her. In order to really cement this we're going to have both teams singing both songs."

"The girls on my team would rather stick pencils in their eyes then sing Kelly Clarkson."

"Well, they need to get over themselves." Annabeth pulls her phone out of her pocket and opens up her iTunes. "Have you ever tried to get them to sing something more poppy?"

"Not really."

"There's where you're going wrong. Give them to me for one afternoon. Cell Block Tango does things. Trust me." She scrolls through her music library until she finds All I Ever Wanted. "Have you heard My Life Would Suck Without You before?"

"I'll give you three guesses."

"I mean, it's a yes or no question, I only need two. No wonder you failed Maths." Annabeth digs a pair of headphones out her pocket and then plugs them into her phone. "Here, come take a listen. All I ask is that you keep your revelatory exclamations to a minimum because I'm trying to work out an arrangement to that in the same key as Pompeii. Capeesh?"

"Revelatory exclamations," Percy mutters in disbelief, shaking his head and taking her phone. "Who even are you?"

"You haven't heard Kelly Clarkson before," Annabeth says. "She's pretty life-changing."

Percy just rolls his eyes, and puts in the headphones.

As he listens, Annabeth quickly improvises an untidy arrangement. Thank God, both songs are in the same key, so she doesn't have to worry about transposing any of the chords up or down, and their chord patterns are pretty similar. She experiments with a few notes, humming along, frowning whenever she thinks of a new idea. She gets so lost in it that she almost forgets Percy's there, and when he clears his throat she jumps.

"I'm done," he says.

Annabeth arches an eyebrow, trying to control her heartbeat. "What did you think? Did your world shatter?"

He hands back the phone. "My world remains un-shattered. And it was okay."

Annabeth scoffs. "Okay."

Percy just rolls his eyes and sits down on the stool next to her, and– yep, there it is. Annabeth stares very firmly at the keys. They no longer hate each other, and on a good day she supposes she could even call him a friend, but that does not mean she is immune to the fact that they are, like, touching. A lot. And it's incredibly distracting. "So," he says. "Did you manage to work something out?"

"I think so," she says. "I'll play it. Jump in whenever you can. Try and think of any cool harmonies we could do."

Percy laughs. "Right, I forgot about your obsession with harmonies."

"We're the ones going to Nationals, punk. You can mock me when those harmonies stop winning us trophies. Now, listen closely to the sound of what a champion sounds like. You'll clearly need some pointers if you want to do as good as us next year."

Percy rolls his eyes. "Just play, Chase."

So she does.

Now. Here's the thing.

Annabeth knows her voice isn't bad, okay. In fact, her voice is pretty damn good. She herself was in choir when she was in school (lead soloist, may she also add) and she took music as a minor in college. She knows she's good.

But she's never had anyone look at her the way Percy is.

As soon as she starts to sing, his eyes grow as wide as plates. It's not her best performance – far from it. She's making up most of her accompaniment and she's hitting bum notes left right and centre, and because she doesn't know Pompeii that well she's mostly humming those parts, but Percy's watching her like she's the best thing he's ever heard, and she's not sure how to deal with that. She's used to being appreciated, because she teaches music at school, for goodness sake, and directs the show choir. Her girls have to learn six-minute medleys on the regular, and in order for her to do that she'll sit them on the floor and play it through fully for them first, and they'll all clap and tell her that she's brilliant and Piper will say something about how Hollywood is missing a star and Reyna will compliment her on her runs, but this feels so, so different. Her girls look to her as a mentor, an older sister.

Percy is looking at her like she's the only person on the planet. And in this too-small practice room, sharing a too-small piano stool while she sings him a love song, she almost believes it.

The song ends. The piano still hums long after she's taken her fingers off the keys, and they both wait it out until it's fallen completely silent. Percy is still looking at her and she knows it'll get far, far too intimate if she looks at him back, so she just stares at the keys.

She clears her throat, almost disrupting the peaceful atmosphere. "Sound good?"

"Annabeth," Percy says, and his voice is suddenly quiet with reverence and awe. "That was perfect."

The kids do the performance. Percy and Annabeth come to a compromise and Reyna and Grover both sing the bridge as a duet. No one gets murdered, and the fire Leo does end up starting is small and manageable.

All in all, it's pretty kickass.

(Annabeth also manages to convince all the Glow Fire girls to come back to Lady Athena's the following week to learn the Cell Block Tango choreography. Altogether, she considers it a success.)

Something– changes between Percy and Annabeth, after that.

It's very subtle. Annabeth wouldn't normally notice – in fact, she doesn't, not for the first couple of weeks, until Will points it out during dinner.

"You and Percy have gotten close," he says.

She looks up from the saucepan. "Have we?"

"Yeah," Will says. "Like, you guys are hanging out more. At the beginning when we set you guys up on that date it kind of seemed like you hated each other. But– I dunno. You're getting closer."

"Is that a problem?"

"Not at all, I'm happy for you. Finally you have friends your own age."

Annabeth flicks pasta sauce at him.

It gets her thinking, though. As soon as Will had brought it up, she had switched on the defensive – but looking over it, she and Percy have grown closer. Ever since the Apollians and Glow Fire had performed their joint number and Percy started abusing the terms and conditions that came along with having her number, they've actually become– friends. As in, good friends. Really good friends. Sometimes he invites her around to dinner and they cook together, bumping hips as they dance around the kitchen, and only the other day Annabeth had called him at ten at night, frantic, because, "it's Miranda and Katie's birthday tomorrow and I completely forgot, and Will is in San Francisco, I need you to come over right now so I can bake a cake" and five minutes later, after Percy had stopped laughing at her and realised she was serious and in the midst of an actual crisis, he had showed up at her house and they had made a cake together into the wee hours of the night.

And it was actually sort of– fun? Percy had turned out to be brilliant at baking ("When you don't have a dad grow up you kind of become a little mom-dependent") and was thus in charge of actually making the cake ("What the hell have you done to it, why is it green?" "Relax, Annabeth, it's food colouring; I'm gonna make it a garden, because, like, Gardner?" "You are not funny and also not allowed to do anything like that with my permission, I thought you were poisoning them, God"). Annabeth made the frosting and then they had spent almost over an hour decorating it together, and by the time they were finished Annabeth had fondant in her hair and Percy had flour all down his jeans and it was twenty past midnight, but it was such fun she didn't even care she had to get up in five hours.

Will was right. She and Percy have grown closer. And she kind of loves it. He's a surprisingly very good friend to have. There are very few people she feels comfortable enough to call at ten pm in a cake panic.

("That's because you know very few people, Annabeth," Will says, sipping his tea, "and most of them are your students."

"Shut up, Will.")

It goes on this way for a couple of weeks. The end of the year is nearing, so they're both becoming reasonably stressed, with finals, and graduation, and in Annabeth's case, Nationals (Nationals!), but they always make sure to meet up at least three times a week. In fact, with how much Annabeth has been working overtime, she's been crashing at his place a lot, considering it's a lot closer to Lady Athena's than her apartment is. She's set up her own little couch nest there. It's a pretty sweet deal.

They've even gotten to the stage where they visit each other at school.

"Uh, Miss Chase?" Lou-Ellen says, in the middle of one of their choir rehearsals. "There's someone at the door."

Annabeth turns around, and almost does a double take. "Percy, what are you doing here?"

From where he's stood awkwardly in the doorway, he holds up her lunch bag. "You left your lunch at my place."

She can hear whispers break out between the girls behind her. Rolling her eyes, she heads over to him. "Thank you," she says, taking it from his hands, "but next time, just leave it in my office."

"I have no idea where that is. I tried looking for it, but this place is massive. Why do you have three carparks?"

"Goodbye, Percy."

When he's gone, Drew asks, "Miss C, is he your boyfriend?"

"No," Annabeth says. "We're just friends."

"He's the coach of Glow Fire," Piper says, a little proudly. "It's like Romeo and Juliet. A forbidden romance."

"Just friends, girls. Anyone else who has something to say on this will do twenty châinés turns across the room."

(She probably shouldn't have said that. Apparently severe vertigo is totally worth the inside scoop on her love life.)

It all comes to a head the next week, anyway.

It's Thursday, which is Annabeth's favourite day, because she only has to teach two classes that day. Normally, she'd go home and nap, but the commute to school from home is a bit long and she's going to have to come back, anyway, for choir practice after school, so she plans to stay at school for most of the day.

Until she gets a text from Will right before lunch.

Will: wanna go for lunch?

Annabeth: aren't you like three hours away

Will: conveniently I happen to be a five minutes bus-ride away from your school

Annabeth: what

Annabeth: what about your job?

Will: when I explained to my latest client elaine that I wanted to take my very best friend out to lunch she was understanding and rescheduled for tomorrow

Annabeth: are you serious

Will: so will you come

Annabeth: I mean I can't exactly say no now can I

Will: :D

Will: see you at Dani's in 10

"Is there any reason you wanted to take me out for lunch today?" Annabeth asks when they're seated. "Not that I'm complaining, obviously, considering you're paying and whatnot, but we only do this on special occasions." Suddenly a thought hits her. "I didn't forget our anniversary, did I? Because I swear that's in July."

"It's in August, you forgetful bitch, but that's not the point," Will says, dipping his fry into his milkshake. "No, I just wanted to do something for you. You've been so stressed recently, about Nationals and the girls' graduation, that I thought you needed a bit of a breather. Like, honestly, Beth. When was the last day off you've had? I think you've spent every single day of the past month at school. That's unhealthy. And you're not even getting paid overtime."

"We need Saturday rehearsals."

"And yet you're also there Sundays."

"I'm just working out finances, and it's easier to be there than at home."

"I resent that."

"No, it's just you've always got the TV on and then I get distracted."

Will sighs. "You need a boyfriend so bad it pains me."

"I do not need a boyfriend. I am completely fine on my own."

"Your best friend is literally a student."

"You're my best friend."

"I'm a joint best friend. Your other best friend is a student."

Annabeth scowls aggressively at the plastic tablecloth. "I really don't see how this is a valid point."

"You're just lonely. And stressed." He arranges himself. "Listen, let's make a deal. If you don't get a boyfriend by the time the new school year comes around, I'm making you a Tinder."

"Absolutely not!"

"Oh, come on, Annabeth," Will says. "Besides, it's not like that will actually happen. In fact, I sense a new boyfriend on the horizon very soon."

He looks far too pleased with himself. Annabeth is suddenly incredibly suspicious. "What have you done?"

Will smiles innocently and folds his arms. "I really don't know what you mean."

"You haven't set me up on another blind date, have you?"

"No, of course not. Watching you flounder your way through one was quite enough. I'm just saying. Broaden your horizons. Because something potentially might happen soon. And by soon I could possibly be referring to this afternoon but you didn't hear that from me."

This afternoon? Annabeth is so confused she can almost hear her mind whirring. "What? This afternoon? What's happening this afternoon?"

"Nothing."

"But– you said—"

"You really can't prove that." Will takes a noisy slurp of his milkshake. "Let's change the topic to one of my latest clients. God, Annabeth, you would have loved her, she was such a riot—"

Needless to say, Annabeth doesn't trust him one bit. She leaves the lunch feeling suspicious and a little afraid.

She gets back to school a little while later with the intentions of heading back to her office and watching cat videos on her computer until choir rehearsal, but Hestia, the secretary, manages to rope her into a ten-minute conversation the second she steps in the building. Annabeth loves Hestia but at this point she's really just itching to get back because time is ticking and what with her crazy schedule there are only so many times she gets to watch Netflix now, so as soon as she can she excuses herself and power-walks down the corridors.

She bursts into the choir room, completely prepared to just crash in her comfy spinny chair and not think sanely for the next hour and a half, but she stops only a few steps in.

There's a vase of roses on the piano.

Annabeth gasps, raising her hands to her mouth. They're absolutely beautiful – there are two different colours, dark pink and yellow, and even though she isn't certain she has a sneaking suspicion of who they're from, and she feels her eyes begin to prickle with tears. She walks over and gently runs the petal of one between her fingertips, and then her eyes fall on a small card nestled in between them.

I was going to try put a Kelly Clarkson pun here but I couldn't think of one that didn't sound super cheesy, so I guess I just want to say that my life would actually suck without you.

Annabeth presses her hand to her mouth, trying to hide her smile. She thinks she already knows who it's from.

"Oh, you bastard," she whispers.

"Right here," a voice says, amused, and she whips around.

It's Percy. He's leaning against the doorframe of the choir room, a shy smile on his face and one more rose clasped in his hand.

It's red.

Annabeth's eyes fill with tears. "Percy," she says, her voice ragged.

"Can I speak first?" Percy ventures tentatively, and she's nodding before he's even finished. He takes a deep breath, and then walks properly into the room. He offers Annabeth the rose and she clasps it so tightly she thinks the stem will be forever ingrained into her palm. "Um. I'm not very good with words, which I think is why I became a music teacher, so I didn't really have to use them a lot, but I'm going to try. Because me trying to serenade you would both be a cop out and also super cheesy. Not that this already isn't, but, like, there is a limit."

Annabeth snorts wetly. Percy's face splits into a grin, and he takes her hands.

"To be frank, I'm in love with you," he says, and his eyes, his face, his words are so earnest that Annabeth can't help the tears that escape her eyes. "I'm– really, really in love with you, Annabeth. I'm not sure how it happened, because you are nothing if you aren't annoying, or maybe I'm just kind of into that, I don't know. But what I do know is that– the day you sang me that dumb Kelly Clarkson song in your practice room, there was a moment, where you just looked at me, really at me, and suddenly I realised I didn't ever want to let you out of my sight. I'm in love with you, Annabeth, because you're funny and smart and talented and mildly bratty and sometimes I think you forget that not everyone grows up with solid gold dinner plates, and I'm in love with you because you bought us not one but two pianos when you owed us nothing – except, like, the first, because you did demolish the last one – and you love your girls like they're your sisters and you'll devote your life to them if it means making their school career kickass. I'm in love with you, Annabeth, and quite tragically so, and if you don't love me back, that's okay, because you don't have to, but if I have to go one more moment pretending that seeing you isn't the best part of my day then I think I might explode."

The room is so silent that Annabeth can hear her own breathing. Percy's eyes are shining with sincerity and something else just so undeniably Percy that suddenly her throat closes up and all she can see is him.

She doesn't even need a second thought.

She launches herself into his arms and kisses him so hard she can feel it through her whole body, her arms coming to wrap around his neck. He tastes of pretzels and chocolate and toothpaste and he holds her so gently and so close, like she's something beautiful and precious, and she has to separate their mouths and just lean her forehead against his for a second because the realisation is so dizzying and perfect and this man is in love with her.

"Are you okay?" Percy whispers, and suddenly she realises that she's crying.

"I'm just really happy," she admits, her voice quiet. She scrubs the tears off her cheek and, with another wet laugh, she adds, "And hormonal."

Percy laughs too, his voice soft and fond. He thumbs across the apple of her cheek. "I can tell," he says, and she pinches the side of his neck in retaliation. He lets out a yelp, and then when he turns to look at her in the eyes she almost feels the breath get knocked out of her by how earnest and open his expression is, and that's when she almost starts crying again.

"You're in love with me," she says.

Percy nudges his nose against hers. "I am."

"I'm in love with you too," she says. It's the first time she's said it, and it's giddying. "Oh my God, Percy, I'm in love with you too."

He laughs, and captures her mouth in another kiss. She clings onto him, hard, her fingers digging into his shoulders, and just lets herself feel. She's been so wound up recently, by Nationals, and bills, and her new position at the school, but now, in Percy's arms, the scratch of his sweater gentle against her arms, she can feel all the stress melt away, because oh my God, Percy loves her, and she loves him too, and this is probably the best day ever.

And then—

"I knew it!"

They part.

Piper, Reyna and Drew Tanaka are standing at the door. Reyna and Drew are both gaping at them, but Piper is beaming. "I knew it," she says again triumphantly. "I'm sorry, Miss C, and you can give me as many detentions as you want for saying this, but I actually called you two boning. I knew it from the minute I bumped into you at that club that you two were destined for each other."

"That is wildly inappropriate, Piper," Annabeth says.

Piper ignores this. "And what did I say? I was right. We can totally go on double dates now!"

"You and Jason are still both our students," Percy reminds her.

"And Miss C is my best friend," Piper says. "Your point?"

Annabeth makes a hasty decision in her head.

"Girls," she says. "I will excuse all three of you from detention for the next month if you walk away and don't say anything right now."

Piper's eyes widen with glee before narrowing. She raises a finger. "Two months and we have a deal."

"Month and a half."

"You drive a hard bargain, Miss C."

"Can you make up your mind quickly?" Percy asks. "Because if you agree I kind of want to keep kissing your teacher."

Drew laughs delightedly.

"Just for that," Piper says, "absolutely. Come on, girls, clearly we're interrupting."

"Just don't do it on the piano," Drew says. "I have superpowers when it comes to telling where people have had sex."

"That's very convenient and a little weird," Reyna tells her.

"It's like a sixth sense."

"Go!"

Giggling, they all take off, and they're left alone. Percy looks at Annabeth with so much fondness and love in his eyes that she can't help the smile that starts on her face.

"So," he says. "Where were we?"

She kisses him again. She could get used to this.

Nationals is incredible.

It's being held in New York, thank goodness, so the trip is only a short bus-ride as opposed to a five-hour trek across the country. On the way there, the girls practically vibrate in their seats with excitement, doing last-minute makeup checks with each other to make sure all their sparkles are still intact and that none of their mascara has smudged. Normally on trips like this Annabeth would sit the front with the driver and succumb to an hour of silence, but since it's the last time she'll be doing this with some of these girls she sits right in the middle of it all.

"Kayla, you look like you're about to suck my blood, or something," Drew says. "Miss C, tell Kayla that she looks like an actual vampire with that much eyeliner."

"I think you look great, Kayla," Annabeth says.

Kayla preens.

"Miss C," Piper says. "Are you nervous?"

"Nervous? Why would I be nervous?"

"I dunno," she says. She leans back in her seat. "I mean. Nationals. We really made it."

"You made it," Annabeth corrects.

"No, we made it," Piper says. "You basically did all the work, and you did it without sacrificing even an ounce of your femininity, which basically makes you the Michelle Obama of the entire operation. So thank you and also you're welcome."

God, Annabeth is going to miss her when she graduates.

They rock up at the venue and all clamber off the bus. Will and Nico are stood by the entrance, trying not to get trampled by the other hoards of people pushing their way in, and when they catch sight of the Lady Athena's girls their faces light up. Annabeth leads her team over, and only a few feet away Bianca breaks away from the pack and straight into Nico's waiting arms.

"Damn," Annabeth hears Gwendolyn mutter. "Bianca's brother got fit."

"He's always been fit," Nancy says. "But he's also like, super gay, so."

Will saunters over to her and throws an arm around her shoulders. "Well," he says. "I have to say, Bethie. I'm proud of you."

Annabeth smiles up at him. "I'm glad you made it."

"Wouldn't have missed it for the world," he says. "You can't expect to make me sit through hours of excruciating piano arrangement when I'm meant to be sleeping and then have me not show up to see the final product." He squeezes her shoulder. "You guys are gonna be great, honestly. I can't wait to see how it all looks."

"Hey, Will!" Piper chirps, from behind them.

Will jumps, and then grimaces. "Does she ever take a day off?" he says to Annabeth.

"Nope," Piper says, coming around to stand in front of them. "Have you come to watch us perform?"

"Don't get any ideas, I came here for Annabeth, not you."

Piper just smiles sweetly at him.

"Miss C," Drew says. "Is that your boyfriend?"

"Don't think I won't make you do those châinés turns across the carpark, Drew," Annabeth says lightly, "because I will."

"Besides," Will says. "I'm taken."

"That's never stopped anyone," Drew says. "When my father married my mother he already had four wives."

Will's face becomes rather pinched. "That's nice."

"She's the one with the mafia dad," Annabeth explains when Drew walks away.

"'My father, the crime-lord Mormon'," Will says. "She should write a book."

"I think she already has."

They all manage to wrangle their ways into the building, eventually finding a set of bathrooms that haven't already been clogged up by other teams. The girls take turns wrestling their dresses on in the stalls, the rest fixing up their lashes and eyebrows in the mirrors, and at one point Will even volunteers to help them out with their hair. At first, Annabeth is mildly afraid for his safety, but apparently years of working with cougar housewives have trained him well. By the end of it, Annabeth is pretty sure half the team now have his phone number.

"I think Will likes me now," Piper says as they walk to the auditorium.

Annabeth glances at her. "Really?"

"He did my hair and we got into a debate over the ethical use of shampoo. I didn't know he was so smart! I think we could be real friends."

Annabeth just rolls her eyes. At this point, she doesn't bother reminding her she's a good eight years younger than him.

They all find their seats. Will and Nico aren't official Lady Athena chaperones, so they have to sit elsewhere, but that doesn't really bother Annabeth. At this point she is so keyed up she's not sure she would even react if Oprah herself sat in the seat next to her. It hasn't really dawned on her until now that they're here. They're at Nationals.

Annabeth looks around. She can see the groups of all these other schools sitting in clumps around her. Some of the groups are alarmingly big, and some are only just brushing the twelve-member requirement – but she knows that no matter the glitz or the glamour that the other teams have to offer, the Apollians will be able to knock them out their water if they can nail these performances.

She sends up a silent prayer. Let them win.

They win.

The entire stage erupts. For a few moments, Annabeth doesn't move.

And then suddenly Piper is shrieking in her ear and Drew accidentally steps on her foot in her heels and Reyna is running off to receive the trophy and everyone is hugging and crying, and it's like everything is in hyper speed. She gets pulled into a triumphant, sticky group hug and her feet get stepped on several more times and someone's elaborate ponytail is in her mouth and everyone is tacky with drying sweat and shaking from exertion and she's never been happier.

They did this. They just won Nationals.

Annabeth buries her face into Reyna's shoulder and smiles so widely it hurts.

They celebrate in the green room afterwards.

Bianca gives Nico eyes and he runs out and then returns a couple of minutes later with a shopping bag laden with ice lollies. The girls don't even bother getting changed out of their costumes – they collapse in a pile on the floor, leaning against each other, gradually coming off their high as they eat. Even Annabeth takes one. She thinks she's still shaking.

"I feel like I'm dreaming," Silena says. "I still can't believe we won."

"Uh, I can," Reyna says. "That was incredible, ladies. Loved the impromptu backflip, by the way, McLean."

"We still need to talk about that," Annabeth says. "I thought I told you at Sectionals you weren't allowed."

"Please," Piper says. "Stop being so cautious, Miss C. We won. Let's just focus on that."

Annabeth narrows her eyes. Piper is trying to look as innocent as possible. "We're having words on the way back," she says.

"What? Even though we won Nationals?"

"We're having words because we won Nationals, girl, otherwise I would give you detention. You can't just do a backflip without consulting me first. I didn't even know you could do a backflip."

"Oh, I can't," Piper says blithely. "I just had a lot of faith in myself."

Annabeth stares at her. "What? You could have broken your neck!"

"Oh, relax, Bethie," Will says, nudging her with his shoulder. "Live a little. Sure, it had potential for injury, but she's perfectly fine, and you've got a National Championship in your back pocket as well, so don't stress."

Annabeth grumbles darkly, and then points at Piper. "Never again," she threatens.

Piper just grins.

They fall into a comfortable silence. Annabeth leans against Nico's shoulder, suddenly exhausted. She's not quite sure why – she wasn't even up there performing – but she thinks it's probably just a side-effect of the hysteria and triumph and sugar fading away. She watches all her girls sprawled across the carpet. Katie has her head in Drew's lap and Lou-Ellen is sleepily twisting a strand of Kayla's hair in between her fingers, and then Reyna sticks her ice lolly in Piper's ear and she squawks, and suddenly she's hit by a sudden realisation of how much she's going to miss them when graduation rolls around. Not all of them are leaving – the Gardner twins are juniors, and are probably going to take over from Piper and Reyna as co-captains, and a couple of the girls are sophomores. Besides, there are dozens more girls in Lady Athena's who would probably love to join the Apollians.

It's just– Annabeth is going to miss this, is all. There's nothing quite like the first batch.

She's broken out of her contemplative haze when there comes a knock at the door.

Annabeth frowns and sits up. "Who's that?"

Will smiles secretively. "Why don't you go and see?"

Annabeth gives him a weird look, but walks over nonetheless and opens it.

She doesn't know who she's expecting. Maybe another team, or one of the judges, maybe even a friendly audience member who wanted to congratulate them.

She is definitely not expecting Percy.

"Percy?" she gasps. "What— what are you doing here?"

"You didn't think I'd miss this, did you?" he asks. He produces a bouquet of flowers from behind his back. "For you."

She takes them, hands shaking. She feels so overwhelmed from their win, and now from Percy showing up out of bloody nowhere that she's trembling. The flowers are beautiful, but she can't concentrate on them. She looks up at him. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" is all she can say.

"Wanted to surprise you," Percy says. "Congratulations, by the way. You guys were incredible." His smile is so, so soft. "I clearly underestimated the power of a good harmony. You blew the competition out the water."

Annabeth is very aware of everyone else in the room, but in that moment, they all fade to grey. All she can see, hear, feel right in this moment is Percy, the coach of one of her rival teams who she is deeply, irrevocably in love with, and without even a second thought she launches herself into his arms and kisses him straight on the mouth.

He lets out a laugh of surprise, but his arms come up around her waist and he very happily kisses her back. It's not until Annabeth hears whispers behind her that she suddenly remembers where she is.

She separates from him immediately and spins back around to face her girls, utterly mortified. They're all grinning.

"So he was the boyfriend," Drew says. "Miss C, you were holding out on us."

Piper in particular looks extremely smug. "Pay up, everyone," she says.

To Annabeth's horror, several of the girls groan and reach for their coats. Annabeth stares at her in shock. "Piper, did you bet on us?" she manages.

"Unfortunately," Miranda grumbles as she digs through her purse. "She's like psychic, I have no idea how she saw this coming."

Piper smiles innocently up at Annabeth. "Just in good fun, Miss," she says cheerily, accepting everyone's bills.

"How much did you make?" Reyna asks.

"Hundred dollars," Piper says. "Should be one twenty but Nancy's being stingy."

"I left my purse at home," Nancy says.

"Sure, honey."

A hundred dollars. Annabeth can only shake her head in amazement. She really needs to get used to the fact that these girls are loaded.

"Your girls are mad," Percy says, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. She should nag at him, because they're in front of her students and also her best friend, who looking back on everything now probably also knew about everything the whole damn time, including the original confession of love when he'd taken her out to lunch, the slimeball, but she's just so ecstatic about just about everything she doesn't say anything, just leans into him. "Suppose you'll be happy to see them go."

"Nah," Annabeth says. "I'll probably cry a bit."

"You sap."

"Some of these girls have become my friends."

"You're bordering on sad now, Beth."

"Will you come?"

"To their graduation?"

"Private schools end before public schools," Annabeth says. "Their graduation ceremony will be after school. You won't miss anything."

"I don't really know these girls."

"You know me."

Percy laughs. "I do. Speaking of, Will and Nico are coming for dinner tomorrow night. That cool?"

"To whose place?"

"Mine, dummy."

"They can't come to yours, your house is a pigsty."

"Which is why you're coming over after this to help me clean."

"Uh, wrong," Annabeth says, turning in his arms so she's looking up at his face. The flowers by this point have been completely crushed, but she no longer cares. "You can go back to your place and clean, while I go out and celebrate."

"With who? Your students?"

"Don't laugh at me, Percy. Piper, Reyna and I are going for pizza."

"You're so sad."

"Yes, well, you're now dating me, so get used to it."

"Can't I come along?"

"Normally, I'd say yes, but if you want to be a proper adult and host a dinner tomorrow you need to clean up your house." When Percy's face falls, she rolls her eyes and says, "I'll even come around and after and help."

He beams, kissing her nose. "I knew there was a reason I was dating you."

"A reason other than my razor-sharp wit and devastating cheekbones?"

"Yes," Percy says, and he kisses her nose again, but it's less playful and more loving this time. His eyes are soft. "Because I love you."

Annabeth melts. "Oh, you."

Across the floor, Will snorts. "Get a room, you two."

("I can't believe you're dating Mr Jackson," Reyna says at dinner. "It's so surreal."

"Does he make you happy, Miss C?" Piper asks. "Because it's our duty as students to fill his desk drawer with caterpillars if he makes you anything less than that."

Annabeth laughs. "He makes me very happy."

"Do you love him?" Reyna asks, softly.

"Yes. I do."

"I kind of sensed it coming," Piper says, taking a slice of pizza. "Even before I saw you guys making out in the choir room. You guys had such good chemistry together."

"Besides," Reyna says. "It's become, like, a reoccurring theme now. You dating Mr Jackson, Piper dating Jason, me dating Thalia—"

Piper almost flips the table. "What?"

"This is getting almost ridiculous now," Annabeth says.

"I'll say! Since when are you dating Thalia?")

Graduation comes. It's as emotional as Annabeth expects.

She starts crying as soon as Reyna steps up to her do her valedictorian speech, and doesn't stop until way after the ceremony finishes.

But it's all okay. Because on one side she has Will and Nico, two of her best friends in the world, and on the floor, in the hard plastic chairs, are half her girls, including Piper, who smiles extra wide when she receives her diploma and points at Annabeth in the crowd, and then, on the other side is Percy, the love of her life.

Life goes on, she supposes. Every year, she'll say goodbye to old Apollians, and every year she'll welcome in new ones. It's the way it goes. But Piper is attending NYU and "now that I'm no longer a high school student it's appropriate for me to have your number, Miss C, and also possibly stop referring to you as Miss C" and daft old Miss Cooper is finally retiring so Annabeth gets to completely run the music department all to her liking and train the new teachers in her shadow, instead of trying to avoid them in fear that they'll dissolve to dust if she breathes too hard, and she's also moving in with Percy.

Of course there are going to be problems. There always are. But as Percy squeezes her hand and Will slips her and tissue and tells her, "Wipe your face, you look like a mopey ghoul" she thinks she'll be all right.

a/n if you need any further proof on how lame I am and how much free time I have I actually took the liberty of attempting to mash-up my life would suck and pompeii together on guitar to make sure it was like possible and it actually sounds pretty badass so what's that for a hands-on author right

anyway I hope you guys liked this! please tell me what you thought x