My first PJO fic! Happy Valentine's, everyone!

Annabeth Chase hated Valentine's Day.

All anyone ever did at school was give out meaningless cards and tasteless candy in the name of a crude idea of love. Every year since kindergarten, she had bought cards with cute cute animals and cheesy love phrases (a squirrel with the words "I'm Nuts for you!, etc) and given them out. Even at Camp Half-Blood, everyone went Valentine crazy. Cards flew around the cabins. You could see chocolate litter the floor. Conversation Hearts and empty heart-shaped boxes were stuffed in every corner.

And that was just the Hephastus cabin. Aphrodite cabin was absolute chaos.

The Athena cabin had it's share of craziness. Notes from parents had come in for various campers- earthly parents, of course- and cheesy cards hung everywhere. Annabeth groaned as she checked the place for inspection.

"Not much better than the other cabins," she grumbled as she gave her own cabin the same 3 that had been given to every other cabin- Aphrodite and Hermes the only ones lower. It wasn't just the mess that bothered Annabeth, it was the excuse for love people could come up with. The words "I Love You" were as overused these days as "Hi" and "Shut Up". You might as well be saying "Potato Pancakes" as much as expressing passion. It takes more than a card to make the move to say you love someone.

"Hey," A voice came from behind Annabeth. She turned around to see Percy outside the cabin. She stepped out.

"I didn't see you there," she said. She scanned him for any trace of a cheap card or gamble chocolate. "No Valentine, huh?"

"Happy Single's Awareness Day," he rolled his eyes.

For once in her life, Annabeth was confused. "What was that, Seaweed Brain?"

Percy smiled at her. "Seems like everyone thinks they're in love. Valentine's is here to show awareness for people who haven't sold themselves out to-"

"This cheap, commercialized idea of love the world spreads to us," Annabeth interupted. "I mean, I didn't mean to interupt-"

"No, you got it," Percy responded. "For once, someone does."

"I know what you mean," Annabeth gave a half-hearted laugh.

"Love is pretty messed up these days," Percy admitted. "You never know what it really means.

"Yeah..." Annabeth found herself at a loss for words. The signal for dinner sounded just then, so she didn't need to talk.

"I guess...let's go," Percy hesitated, walking toward the pavillion. Annabeth stood watching him.]

"Happy Single's Awareness Day," she whispered after him as she paused before walking. Maybe she wouldn't have to celebrate it much longer. Maybe soon she would bring out a real meaning in it. Either way, three words kept echoing through her head as she tried to decode their meaning, if it was real or fake.

I love him.