Disclaimer: I do not own PJO
Hello, Princess Challenge (Option 1)
The Elevator
The elevator grinded to a stilting halt and the lights flickered off filling the small space with absolute darkness and silence with the exception of the sound of their breathing.
"I knew I should have just stayed upstairs and let you venture into New York on your own," Annabeth heard Clarisse grumble angrily. She could almost see the glare the other girl was sending her through the darkness.
"How exactly was I supposed to know the elevator was going to break down?" Annabeth hissed in reply, feeling her way backwards to a position closer to the wall of the elevator.
"Well, it's your fault we're here, Princess. What're you going to do to fix it?" Clarisse said in a threatening voice.
"There is nothing I can do, Clarisse! I don't know how to fix this, especially since I don't even know what the problem is! Nor can I even see my own hand in this darkness," Annabeth growled in annoyance. She could not see Clarisse but made sure to say it in the general direction from where she had heard the other girl's voice come from.
"We're going to miss the entire meeting!" Clarisse growled.
"Do you honestly think I don't know that Clarisse? I have been waiting to be able to see this meeting for months. I've read every book I could lay my hands on in preparation. Do you honestly think I don't know or don't care that we are missing this meeting? That I planned for us to get trapped in this elevator?" Annabeth burst out, her anger getting the better of her for a moment.
The elevator was silent. Clarisse apparently did not know how to react to that.
Annabeth slid down to sit on the floor of the elevator with her back on the wall.
"Did you really prepare that much?" Clarisse asked, her voice was softer than it had been before.
Annabeth sighed. "I did and it was all for nothing, I guess," she said bitterly.
Clarisse said nothing in reply but looked towards the direction where she had heard Annabeth's voice come from thoughtfully.
Finally Clarisse sighed. "I'm sorry for blaming you Annabeth," she said.
Annabeth looked up surprised.
"You could not have possibly planned this and from how much you wanted to watch the meeting, you would never have done it either. I was just angry I guess for not being able to see my father for the first time," Clarisse said.
Annabeth was speechless. Clarisse never apologized to anyone for anything.
"Erm, apology accepted, I guess," Annabeth managed to say before the elevator lapsed into silence once more.
This time the silence remained unbroken as the two had nothing more to say.