Chapter three is up! Thank you for all the reviews telling me that they loved the story, it really encouraged me to do more. I don't get comments about their slight OOCness and well that's good. In this chapter, I was inspired by a beautiful painting in an art gallery just near my place and the song "Reset" by Charice. Who knows her? Going back, I wanted to put a painting too here just for my sake. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Nope. Not Rick Riordan.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Wake up, you lazy ass!" Thalia shouted, throwing a pillow at her best friend, who was sleeping peacefully on her king size bed, until her guest decided to ruin it for her.

"Today's my day off." the daughter of Athena mumbled against her pillow.

"So? You have an exciting day ahead of you. Do try to embrace it." she said, putting her hands on her hips.

Annabeth shifted so she could have a better look at the person who was ruining her sleep for the last fifteen minutes. She glared at her, through her half-opened eyelids. "Meeting up with your ex-best friend-slash-ex-boyfriend is not exciting."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't play dumb with me, Chase. You still love him. I even think you're excited for the meeting."

She glared at her now with full force. "No I don't! He dumped me and cheated on me. Of course I don't love him anymore!"

Of course the last part was a lie. Both of them knew it.

"Then explain the painting." Thalia challenged, pointing the said painting with her chin.

Annabeth's head whipped around. Behind her, above her bed's headboard, was a beautiful painting. So beautiful, so amazing, so gorgeous, words can't describe it! Every artist and painter will love it at first sight. The frame itself was gorgeous. It looked like it was made from real drachma and was carved with the most unique patterns. The painting was much more beautiful. It was a portrait of a huge rock seating by a beach. A huge rock that was covered and surrounded with seaweed and kelp, that is. A Barn Owl was standing proudly on the rock, its wings widely opened. It was holding something by its small beak. It wasn't a worm or a mice, ready to be eaten. But a trident. A small, simple, green trident. The perfect shade of green was a great combination with the smokey grey of the owl's eyes that was showing nothing but wisdom. In the background, you could see stormy clouds hovering the sea. Lightning striking down the crashing waves. It could really be out of place. No one knew that a such combination will be so stunning. An owl and the sea was never a team but always a comparison in a competition. What really Annabeth liked about the painting was the ironic message at the bottom of the rock. It was written in Greek and it said: "If you thought this painting was beautiful, then there is still a possibility that Athena and Poseidon can work out their differences and try to work together. Even the worst of enemies as one can be the most graceful of all".

Thalia cocked her head to one side, trying to get another look at the painting, now that Annabeth stood on her bed, facing the painting and blocking Thalia's view. "Now that I have a better look at it. I think it's...nice. Did Red paint that?"

Annabeth couldn't help but to chuckle at Thalia's use of Rachel's nickname. "Yeah, she did. It was a birthday present for me last year." she said, tracing the patterns of the frame.

"You still do love him, don't you?" Thalia asked once more but with more sincerity in her voice.

Annabeth nodded, making her hair cover the sides of her face. She doesn't want Thalia to see the tear that just rolled down her cheek. "As long as I see this painting as perfect."

A comforting silence passed between them.

Then a huge grin was brought to Annabeth's face. "Rachel should paint something about Zeus and Hermes. If you know what I mean." Annabeth winked at her suggestively.

Thalia opened her mouth to ask her what she means but when she got the message, she blushed feircely and prayed that Artemis wasn't listening.

"Annabeth!" she scolded. "You're lucky if Artemis wasn't listening because if she was. You're. Dead." she threatened, throwing another pillow at her.

Annabeth with her ADHD caught the pillow easily. "I think not. I'm not good with luck lately."

Thalia glared at her but decided to let it fall. It was true, she did love Luke. No disrespect intended, Lady Artemis. She prayed silently. "I'll be a daughter of Aprhodite. Just. This. Once. Now, lets go shopping!"

Annabeth was mostly being dragged to the bathroom. "I hate shopping, Thalia!"

"I do too. But I'm not the one who wants to impress Percy. Now let's go!"

**same time, different place**

"Wake up man!" Nico di Angelo shouted, throwing a pillow at his cousin.

Percy grumbled and stirred on his bed. "What?"

"You have to meet Xandra at the mall by noon." Nico said, checking his black watch.

Percy put a pillow on his head. "Another day with the slut. And I have to go shopping with her. Let's change places Nico." Percy half-mumbled, half-pleaded.

Pity passed through Nico's eyes but he poked out his tongue. "No way, man. I don't want the torture you experience everyday."

Percy sat up. "Which kind? The torture of hanging around with a lying, slutty bitch that I call my wife or the torture of guilt?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

Nico became silent. Percy has been through a lot.

"I thought so." Percy said, getting out of bed.

Nico suddenly grinned and it creeped the hell out of Percy. He knew very well that Nico only smiled like that if he was planning a prank or revenge or he knew something that he didn't.

Percy narrowed his eyes at the son of Hades. "What did you do this time, di Angelo?"

Nico smirked. "Nothing really."

Percy gave him a look.

Nico held his hands up. "Really! I'm up with nothing! Honest!"

Percy crossed his arms over his chest. "Then why do you have that smirk on your face?"

Nico laughed. "Nevermind. You have a meeting to go with Xandra."

"A meeting? She told you and she didn't to me?"

Nico chuckled. "She's at work now. She doesn't want to wake up her so loving and caring husband so she just told me to tell you."

Percy groaned. "I hate meetings. They're just so boring."

Nico smiled again. "Oh I'm sure you will like this one."

Percy gave him the look again.

He was still smiling. "I'm just saying."

"Whatever, Nico. Get out of my room so I can change before I make you."

Nico didn't even argue with that one. Once he got out he reached for his phone. Now that Kronos is far gone and done with, phones are safe with half-bloods. He dialed a number.

"Hello?"

"Are you sure Chase will be at the meeting?

"You don't trust your cousin? How shameful."

Nico chuckled. "Just making sure, Thals. Hey, Xandra wants Percy to go with her to shooping before the meeting."

"Now?"

"Of course now."

"Crap! We're shopping right now."

"That's no problem. We just have to make sure that Annabeth doesn't spot us."

"Okay. Let's just text each other so that we don't just bump with each other."

"Sure."

"Goodbye, Death Boy."

"Hey wait, Thals?"

"Yeah?"

"Pick something nice for Annabeth. Something beautiful that will make all guys drool. I want to kick the Wrangler's ass."

Thalia laughed. "'kay. Bye."

"Bye."

"Who was that?" Annabeth asked behind her shoulder.

"No one. Just an old friend." Thalia lied.

"What do you think, Thalia?" Annabeth asked, pointing to a blue dress.

Thalia shook her head. It was too short. Then like she heard the heavens sang, angels started playing voilins. She grinned. She found the perfect dress.

**the store across them**

"Man, this is boring." Percy mumbled to his cousin.

They decided to buy Xandra's dress first and they were waiting for her to go out of the fitting room.

"Tell me about it. Give me a monster anytime."

"If she was just Annabeth, I wouldn't even complain."

"Then think that she is Annabeth. She is your wife."

Percy put his head between his hands. "Why did I even marry her?"

Nico shrugged but his heart just fell. "It was your choice. You're lucky that Athena didn't blow your head off yet."

Percy laughed. "That's impossible. I'm invincible..." he tralied off.

Percy didn't get to finish his sentence because standing before him was an angel. A blonde stepped out of the fitting room, wearing a grey tube that stopped above her knees, revealing her tanned long legs that didn't end. Thin spaghetti straps on the shoulders. It was a teasing dress. Her princess curls flying with the wind. He felt his heart stopped pounding. He can't breathe at the sight of her. She was smiling down at him like the smartass she is.

"What do you think, Percy?" He frowned. It wasn't her bell-like voice. It sounded like long nails stratching against chalkboards. The sarcasm wasn't there. His nickname was missing.

Like someone punched his gut, the scene in front of him shifted. A woman was standing in front of him wearing the same dress. But she wasn't an angel. Her legs weren't long. The breath-taking smile wasn't there. She had long, straight hair not princess curls. It wasn't blond but brown. He felt the small pieces of his heart broke to even smaller pieces.

Nico waved a hand in front of him. "Earth to Percy. Percy, are you even there?"

"Yeah, I'm here." He assured himself more than to his companions.

"I'm sure he was just struck by my beauty. Right, darling?"

Percy felt his stomach flip, in a bad way. Her beauty? Percy could vote her as the ugliest woman of the year. She didn't even have the right to call him darling. She disgusted Percy. He can't believe that he was once called this beautiful.

"Yes, dear." he lied bitterly.

"You can buy your tux while I change and pay for it. And Percy? Make sure the tie you buy doesn't look cheap."

The boys went out of the shop the second they were allowed to.

"Are you okay, Percy? You kinda zoned out a bit in there." Nico asked, poking his thumb at the back.

Percy sighed. "When you told me to think she was Annabeth, I took it literally. When Xandra came out, I saw Annabeth. Gods, she was beautiful and I can't believe I left her for that thing. And then Xandra went blabbing about her beauty." Percy rolled his eyes.

Nico patted his cousin's shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll see her later." his eyes widened when he realize what he said.

Percy was too busy thinking about Annabeth that he wasn't paying any attention to Nico. "What did you say?"

Nico let out a relieving sigh. "You'll be fine. Now let's buy your tux." he said, leading the way.

Before entering the store, Percy was sure he saw the same angel in one corner but convinced himself that he was just imagining things.

Little did he know that, that was Annabeth complaining to Thalia that she was sure she saw Percy in one of the dress stores.

Gotcha, didn't I? I'm sorry but I just had to write it or else I'll explode, literally. Don't be too dissapointed, the next chapter will be the meeting I promise. Please review, they make my day. Thank you for reading this chapter, I hope you liked it.

~Tammy Boomerang