It's a rushed, thirty minute job. But I really felt like doing something after a prolonged period of writer's block, so, here goes nothing. I apologize for any errors concerning spelling or grammar. So, enjoy. Or don't. Your choice.

She's pacing back and forth. And back, and forth. Again, and again, and again. She's not sure she can handle it much longer. Something's bound to happen, she can't just go over it emotionless. Something has to happen. Something. Anything.

Sure enough, silent tears on her face now bring out what fights with man-eating monsters or near-fatal battles with a rock-wall can't. Rage. Confusion. Sadness. It's too much to bear.

Why me? As soon as she thinks it, she gives herself a mental slap. Who else? Luke? Evil phsyco assistant. Right. Annabeth? Too young, too innocent.

She stares at herself in the mirror. She hasn't aged a day. Well, spending time as a pine tree does that to you. She ought to be happy she's not a pine tree anymore. Yet, somehow… It isn't quite right. Nothing is, anymore.

Suck it up. Noticing the tears, she's suddenly glad for Annabeth's absence. A small voice in the back of her head tells her to shut up, mentally. She does.

She steps into the bathroom, carelessly slamming the door shut. Even as she does this, she can't help but notice the vastness of the room. The mirror is large enough to satisfy a dozen girls from the Aphrodite cabin. The floor so white. The shower curtains are blue with streaks of white. For a moment, she thinks they're swaying.

Then, she realizes – they are. A gentle breeze blows around the bathroom. It smells like fresh air, and… It's wonderful, she thinks to herself. For once, she doesn't feel the words are cheesy. The light falling through the white window frames makes her think she could spend her entire life in this bathroom. Not applying makeup, showering, or fixing her hair. Just… standing. Breathing.

This bathroom has everything she doesn't. The simplicity of it is beautiful. This is absurd! Why the hell am I comparing my life to a bathroom? And yet, deep down, she knows that longing for simplicity would get her nowhere. She'd have to work at it, the way girls from the Aphrodite cabin worked on their hair. Well, maybe not like that. After all, she'd need more than a hair-straightener and spray to fix broken bonds and settle into life.

"THALIA! DAMN IT, ARE YOU THERE?"

She jolts into consciousness. After a quick glance in the mirror, she remembers why she came into the bathroom in the first place.

"COMING!" She hopes her answer's enough to hold Annabeth off for a while. That girl's changed since I last saw her, but her patience hasn't. She reaches for the towel after splashing cold water hastily onto her face. Throwing the white towel onto the ground, she lunges for the exit. Only after falling face-first into the door does she remember slamming it shut.

Riiiight. She opens the door and stumbles out of the bathroom. Why am I such a klutz today?

"THA – "

Thalia whips the door open. "Something you wanted to say?"

"Yeah." Annabeth looks slightly dishevelled. "I – What took you so long to answer the door? I've been standing here for five minutes."

"Sorry. I was in the bathroom." They stand in silence for a moment. "Still impatient?"

"Maybe."

"C'mon, I'll show you around the cabin."

"Thalia, you may be a new camper, but we're not allowed to – "

"There's no one here but me. "

"Oh, fine."

"Oh, and the camper thing is definitely temporary."

This may get a little awkward. After all, she hasn't seen Annabeth for who knows how long. After showing Annabeth around the empty cabin, the two girls settle down on one of the bunks.

"So."

"Soooo."

"Who was that guy, again? Y'know, with the brown hair? Green eyes? I saw you two hangin' around each other a lot…" She giggles in a most un-Thalia-ish way and gives Annabeth a jab in the ribs.

"Percy Jackson. And Thalia, stop being so suspicious. We're just friends."

"Right. That's who he was. And you two… Just friends?"

"Just friends."

"Aw, c'mon. I need something to make fun of you with!"

"Uh, you think so?"

"Yeah."

They settle into a second silence. This time, it's harder to break. The longer they sit, the more memories come back. Old and new ones. Running away with Luke. Waking up and asking about him, only to find out he'd turned himself over to the Titan King.

"I guess this is kind of hard for you."

"Yeah. Sort of."

Again, silence falls like a blanket over them. How she wishes she didn't have to crawl back into the sunlight, and just stay here…

"Have you seen the rock-wall?" Annabeth seems desperate for something to say.

She has, but she knows she can't stay hidden forever. She lies. "Uh, no."

"I'll show you. Let's go."

And so, they leave. Not for an adventure, maybe, but for something to do, nonetheless.

Life can be difficult. Broken bonds and lost relationships can be restored. Without help from Aphrodite.

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