Annabeth laid on her bed next to Clarisse, smoking from her glass pipe. "Positively 4th Street" played on Annabeth's iPod. She handed her glass pipe to Clarisse, who took it warily. "Go ahead. Smoke it."

Clarisse put the pipe to her lips and inhaled. Annabeth grinned as she watched Clarisse cough on the smoke. She looked pale at first, but after awhile the drugs kicked in and she seemed to relax. Annabeth took her pipe back and inhaled. She elegantly blew three smoke rings out of her mouth. Clarisse looked at them with awe. "How the fuck did you do that?"

"Practice," said Annabeth. "Lots and lots of practice."

"How often do you smoke?" said Clarisse.

"That's a good question," said Annabeth. "Here, you know how I kept beating your ass?"

Clarisse clenched her fists. "You won a few times."

"Well, I was high off my ass all those times," said Annabeth.

"No you weren't," said Clarisse.

"I most definitely was," said Annabeth.

"No, you're lying," said Clarisse.

Annabeth jumped off the bed. "I'll prove it. Let's go. Try to pin me."

"Nuh uh," said Clarisse. "I'm not falling for that. I'm also high, so we're equally matched."

"No we're not," said Annabeth. "I've got more weed in my system than you."

"Okay fine." Clarisse got up from the bed and went to face Annabeth. She charged at Annabeth, who nonchalantly stepped aside. Clarisse ran face first into the wall, and the next thing she knew, Annabeth had her pinned.

"See?" said Annabeth. "I just handed your ass to you, while I was high off my ass."

Clarisse struggled, but was powerless against Annabeth. "Was this your plan? Get me high so you could humiliate me?"

"No," said Annabeth. "I just wanted you to relax a bit. Come on, take another hit."

Clarisse got back on Annabeth's bed, and smoked some more weed. She tried to blow smoke rings like Annabeth, but she just couldn't. "How do you do it?"

"Like I said, lots and lots of practice." Annabeth took the pipe.

"So you're smoking weed right under Chiron's nose?" said Clarisse.

"It's not that hard." Annabeth blew a smoke ring into Clarisse's face. "Just sneak out to the forest. That's what everyone does."

"Everyone?" Clarisse tried to wave the smoke away.

"Yeah," said Annabeth. "Everyone knows that you go to the woods to smoke. Obviously not you, but everyone else does."

"I guess we Ares don't like breaking the rules," said Clarisse.

Annabeth laughed. "Oh, was that not supposed to be a joke?"

Clarisse took the pipe. "I'm serious."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "You are? Even after all those times I've caught you cheating? You're going to say that you guys are some sticklers for the rules?"

"Okay," said Clarisse. "But we are more disciplined. We're not like those Aphrodites."

Annabeth grinned. "You got that right."

"What's that mean?" said Clarisse.

"It means that I may have hooked up with someone from the Aphrodite cabin," said Annabeth.

"What?" said Clarisse.

"Yeah," said Annabeth. "It was right after I got back from the Underworld and everyone was trying to be my friend. I got approached by this one girl who kept flirting with me and one thing lead to another."

"So you're saying you cheated on me?" said Clarisse.

"Uh, last I checked, we weren't a thing," said Annabeth.

"We aren't?" said Clarisse.

"Yeah," said Annabeth. "What we've got is more like this passive-aggressive relationship that's based on sexual humiliation."

"True," said Clarisse. "So how was it?"

"Incredible," said Annabeth. "Like, mind-blowing. And surprisingly intimate. Kind of a change of pace from you."

"I can be intimate," said Clarisse.

Annabeth took the pipe and had another hit. "Um, let's agree to disagree on that one."

"No, I really can be intimate," said Clarisse. "Like right now. Isn't this bonding?"

"Fair enough." Annabeth handed the pipe back to Clarisse. "You know, if you want this thing we've got going, whatever it is, to be more serious, just say the word."

"No, it's fine," said Clarisse. "I just didn't realize you were seeing other people."

"I can stop if you want," said Annabeth.

"No, it's fine," said Clarisse. "Maybe I'd appreciate it if you were a bit more honest."

"I can do that," said Annabeth.

"Thanks." Clarisse took another hit and blew smoke into Annabeth's face. "How was that?"

"Getting better," said Annabeth. "Those ones actually looked round."