No matter what happened, Annabeth was determined to keep her cool.
She'd been in Mr. Brunner's office hundreds of times before, but it felt colder this time, as if the room was just as nervous as they were about the meeting. The mahogany desk between them was bare. The jar of caramels and the Greek hero figurines had been removed for the sake of professionalism, and the only other "decorations" were the dusty, old bookshelves filled with leather-bound Latin textbooks. Even the weather seemed ominous. The clouds blocked most light, a reminder that summer vacation was over all too soon, and the future was uncertain.
Annabeth looked at Mr. Brunner The wrinkles in his face weren't like his usual smile lines, and his hands were clasped together under his chin. Maybe some small talk would help lighten the mood. If nothing else, it would be a nice distraction.
"I see you're in the wheelchair today." He looked up and blinked, as if a little surprised by the sudden break in the silence.
"Yes." he cleared his throat. "I didn't want to startle Miss Ramirez on her first visit to the Institute. Most people tend to be taken aback by my appearance." She wasn't sure what to say about that. He also seemed to think it was the end of the conversation. She went back to twiddling her thumbs and staring at the grey carpet.
After a few more minutes of nothing, she checked her watch. The time was 11:59 am. The meeting was supposed to start at noon, but they'd been waiting there for the past half hour. Where was this Ramirez girl? The answer came when the door suddenly opened and out came a Latina girl about Annabeth's age.
"Forgive me for making you wait," the girl apologized, "I was having a bit of trouble finding my way around the school."
"No apologies necessary, Miss Ramirez." Mr. Brunner responded, shaking her hand.
"Just call me Reyna." she sat down on the chair next to Annabeth. "Unfortunately, my mother wasn't available today, but I'll be sure to fill her in later."
"This young lady is Annabeth Chase." Chiron motioned to her. "One of my star pupils and the Student Body President. You two will be working together closely in the near future, and I expect that you'll get along swimmingly." The two shook hands.
"Delighted to meet you, Annabeth."
"Likewise." She took notice of how firm Reyna's grip was and how she lingered for just a second longer on the handshake before sitting down.
Reyna and Chiron officially began the meeting. They spent the next few hours discussing the assimilation of Legion Academy's students into the Olympus Institute. Annabeth tried her best to take notes, but her mind wavered. Call it ingroup bias, but there was just something she didn't trust about this girl.
For one thing, she had blades on her belt. They were sheathed in black, so they weren't immediately visible, but they were there. Who brings weapons to a meeting like this? Then again, Annabeth wasn't one to talk. Luke's old knife was in her backpack at that very moment, and she still slept with it next to her. Regardless, Reyna's appearance was the main thing that put her on edge.
Her eyes were dark brown with flecks of gold. They were daggers that darted across the room, as if searching for the next fresh kill. Her neck and forearms were covered in battle scars, but she wore them like birthmarks. She had sharp yet nonetheless attractive features.
In short, she was beautiful, but it was a dangerous kind of beauty. It was like how lightning illuminates the sky but can still strike someone dead in an instant. Annabeth wasn't scared of her, but she would be an idiot not to be wary of her.
After a few more minutes of thought, Reyna said something to her—a question. Just how long had she zoned out?
"I'm sorry," she almost murmured, "but could you repeat that?"
"Can you remind me what day Legion Academy is supposed to arrive?"
"Oh. Of course." She flipped through her notes hastily. Despite everything, she'd written down pretty much everything they'd talked about. The problem was that she didn't understand most of it. She'd decipher her own handwriting later. For now, she had to find where the hell that date was in this whole mess. So much for keeping her cool during her first impression.
"September 1st—exactly three weeks from now." She tried not to sound too relieved. She looked up to gauge Reyna's reaction, but she was talking to Chiron again.
Annabeth tried her best, but she didn't pay much attention for the rest of the meeting.