Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all the rights to Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus. I am simply creating a work for enjoyment, and no copyright infringements are meant.

Rating: K+

Chapter 10

Hazel's home is indeed Annabeth's new home. The guest room is spacious and comfortable, beautiful olive green walls and brown accents making it aesthetically pleasing. Annabeth feels welcome within seconds.

The bed is a large queen water mattress with a brown and gold quilt and a half dozen plush pillows of ranging sizes. The rug is a grayish green and is thick and soft, allowing Annabeth to tread lightly upon it. The rich brown wood dresser stands tall in one corner, and the coffee table by the bedside shorter but still proud. The closet is set in an outlet in the wall, the same matching brown colour as everything else, and the bathroom to the right of the room has a tub with jets.

Everything is large and airy, and when Annabeth inhales deeply it smells of chocolate and jasmine. The smell of expensive things. She knows it's arrogant to think that way, but as she slides into the tub and pours in bath oil she feels wealthy. Dirt rich and wealthy, that is.

The hot water spraying from the jets slam into her sides, relaxing her muscles and massaging her skin. Annabeth leans back and takes it in, wishing she could once again thank Hazel for the accommodations. She hadn't been expected a palace when she had called in her desperation, but Hazel had made everything just perfect. A true friend.

The smell of roses floats up from the oil, and Annabeth slides deeper in to the warm water. Work and school and her parents had stretched her thin and worn her out more than she had previously thought. As the seconds of soaking tick by she feels the stress peeling off of her like a second skin. She's free, now; it's summer, the air is warm, the nights are short, the days long, her parents are out of her life, and there's nothing tethering her to the earth. Annabeth can do anything, can be anything, and there's no person or thing to stop her.

When her muscles are completely relaxed she turns off the jets and washes her hair, massaging the sweet-smelling conditioner and shampoo through her blonde locks. After rinsing it out she grabs her towel from the sink counter and steps out of the tub, leaving behind the old self. She feels like a whole different person already.

The towel is warm from the steam of the tub, and she dries off slowly, using some white and gold specked lotion Hazel had set out earlier. Rubbing it gently into her skin she can practically feel her skin refreshing itself, turning the white cracks into a smooth tan surface and the bumps of her skin melting away under the silky substance.

There's a robe hanging from the door handle and Annabeth slides it on, using the towel to twist up her hair. She then turns to the mirror, wiping a hand across the foggy surface to clear it. Staring back at her is someone else. She leans closer just to confirm that it is indeed the same person inside.

Her grey eyes stare back at her, unchanged. But around the marble orbs are thick lashes and young, gold-tinted tanned skin. The worry creases are gone, and her face is flawless and wrinkle-less. Her nose is clear and smooth, all signs of any zits gone as if they never existed. Her lips are fuller than they had been in days, pinker, too; she had been chewing on them like crazy during the school year, but finally they had livened up. Annabeth's roaming fingers found some clear lipstick on the counter and she applied it, puckering up her lips a little. She looks beautiful for maybe the first time in her life, at least in her mind.

Annabeth knows that it's late, but she doesn't have any obligations for the morning so she moves from the bathroom to the bedroom and digs through her small bag for some sweatpants and a t-shirt. She puts them on and wanders out of the room to the kitchen where Hazel is seated at the table, intently working on her newest painting. As Annabeth approaches the younger girl smiles and puts her brush down.

"Don't stop for me," Annabeth urges, but Hazel just shrugs.

"I'm done for the evening." She turns and carries her brushes to the sink to wash off. "You look really good, Annie. Too bad there's no social place to be out around here. You'd steal the show."

"I guess I can steal the show in the barn with the animals," Annabeth says, laughing. "You left the light on outside. Do you want me to go turn it off for you?"

"That would be much appreciated," Hazel replies, snapping the lids on her paints. "I'm actually really tired. You can let yourself back in, right?"

Annabeth leans down and untwists the towel from her hair before slipping on flip-flops and stepping out into the cool night air. She turns back to the house as the door slams shut and sees the light in Hazel's room go dark. Then she sets her sights on the illuminated barn and walks forward in the dark.

Her hair is still wet and it lies on her shoulders in drying curls. It's a little more messy than she would like, but it's not like she's going to be seeing anyone. It's just going to be a few horses.

The door to the barn is ajar, which puzzles Annabeth. Maybe Hazel left the light on but is she really careless enough to leave the door open?

There's a loud whinny as she steps inside the brightly lit building, and at first her mind doesn't comprehend what she's seeing. It doesn't make any sense. Maybe she's more tired than she realised and maybe she's just seeing things. But why would it be this realistic?

"What are you doing here?" she asks, hoping it's all just a dream.