When Percy Jackson woke up, he understood what it meant to be hung-over.

There had been no time for partying at Camp Half-Blood. In the midst of honing his powers and fighting on behalf of Roman and Greek gods, he hadn't had so much as a sip of beer.

But after he and Annabeth had promised themselves at least one year of college normalcy, he'd wanted to know what it was like to lose his inhibitions.

So here he was. Having fallen from his drunken high, his head pounded as last night's music pulsed in his ears.

He remembered when he and Annabeth had dragged themselves from the depths of Tartarus. He remembered how his body had felt-weighed down, beaten up, and dying slowly.

This was almost as bad.

He glanced across the room to make sure his roommate Trevor was still asleep. Sure enough Trevor lay snoring, a line of drool dripping onto his pillow.

Percy dug a shoe box from under his bed. He removed the box's lid and tossed it aside. He tore through layers of paper and withdrew his savior: ambrosia. When he bit into it it melted in his mouth, its warmth spreading through his body.

Hopefully he wouldn't run out before his mom's next care package arrived.

Percy stretched and blinked a few times. The ambrosia was already working through his system. He didn't feel great, but the headache had subsided.

He threw on a Led-Zeppelin T-shirt and went to meet Annabeth in the dining hall. When he got outside he wished he'd brought a jacket. Frost had gathered on the ground, and cool air nipped at his ears. As he watched students laugh and huddle against each other, he remembered his old school days. What was it like for these people? How would his life have been without the dyslexia and the monsters?

When Percy opened the dining room doors, he knew why he'd agreed to this. He recalled Annabeth's California-girl face focused on random structures, dissecting how they were built and why they worked the way they did. She loved to planning battles yet she loved planning buildings. She needed this.

He stepped inside and loaded his plate with pancakes and tater tots. Holding a full tray, he scanned the room.

Even in his bleary state, his gaze sharpened when it landed on Annabeth. Her golden hair glowed under the fluorescent cafeteria lighting, and her eyes were like storms when she looked at him.

"Gods," she said when Percy sat down. "You look awful."

Percy Jackson hung his head. "I probably feel worse."

Annabeth smirked. "Then good luck on your stats test."

Even in college, Annabeth had managed to retain her warlike disposition. Her posture remained flawless as she nibbled her bacon, her eyes analyzing his features with sharp concentration.

Percy wolfed down his pancakes. Though they tasted fine, they lacked the fluffy blueness of his mother's.

Annabeth tucked a lock of grey hair behind her ear. She began staring into space again, and Percy could tell she had gone somewhere else.

"What's wrong?" Percy asked.

Annabeth sighed. "I kind of miss Camp."

Percy had known this would happen eventually. Annabeth had always longed for armor on her chest and a knife in her hand. She now toyed with a calculator, her Tiger sweatshirt hanging loosely off her body.

He took her hand. "We could go back if you want."

Annabeth shook her head. "I always wanted to be an architect."

Annabeth continued to be Annabeth. Weighing pros and cons and reflecting. Always reflecting...

"Well, if that's what you want," Percy said through a mouthful of tatertots, "Then that's what you should do."

His advice felt lame. Annabeth's mind wasn't that straight-forward.

Percy didn't mind college. In fact, he'd had a pretty good time. He liked the atmosphere, and he liked knowing what non-half-blood people experienced. He already knew Greek and Latin, so being a Classics major hadn't proven too difficult. Stats was challenging, but Annabeth's tutoring had so far prevented him from failing.

Percy glanced at the clock. 8:20. Damn these numbers...

"I gotta go." Percy said. "Test starts in ten minutes."

He stood up. He gathered his things but put them down again when Annabeth came to him. She pressed her body against his and kissed him deeply. He lost himself in her lips, his mind drifting to all the things he wished he could do to her.

She pulled away. "Good luck."

Percy floated to Statistics, a smile tugging at his lips. The figures and the numbers hadn't even begun to make sense, but he didn't care. He'd be here as long as Annabeth needed him. Besides, Riptide probably needed a break.