Annabeth

Holy Crap. 2016. It doesn't sound right, I'll be honest. It sounds like a fantasy, something of a dream, a million miles away. But it wasn't. It was tonight. At twelve. And nothing was going right.

Let's start by going through my day so far.

I woke up.

Ate an uneventful breakfast.

Was immediately pushed to the ground by a screaming Thalia. Apparently Nico asked Will to the party tonight. Sadly, it was too early for me to care.

Picked out my outfit for the party later. It was a blue, halter dress with an opening right at the top of my ribs, in between my breasts. It was, sadly, very short, and I had gold heels and a golden bracelet to go with it.

I took a shower.

I had a sandwich, then choked on my sandwich when Piper said that she was guest bringing Ani to the party. That would get interesting.

Piper had a frantic conversation with Ani on the phone, and I watched, very amused.

Ani agreed and they went dress shopping. Apparently she wasn't prepared for this.

Hazel needs help with her outfit. She's wearing a golden dress, and it's missing a full length sleeve. It reaches her upper thigh, and it's sparkly. It's slimming and looks great on her. I don't see an issue.

Oh. She wants to impress someone. I wonder who.

I've figured out who it is. Don't tell Hazel.

I told her. She hit me and blushed.

Ani showed up

"Hey, guys! We're back!" Piper called. Ani walked in.

"Wow! This place is amazing." She said, impressed. She looked around for a minute while Piper brought out the dress. It was very suiting to Ani's personality. It was a creamy tan, and the top was covered in turquoise lace, scattered everywhere, slowly making its way down the skirt. It completely disappears around the hip area. The straps are spaghetti, and the dress stopped around the mid thigh. It's pleated at the waist, and had a V shaped neckline.

"That's gorgeous! It's perfect for her! Did she pick it out?" I asked.

"Ha! She wanted to wear pants! I convinced her to pick a dress." Piper laughed.

"Hey, don't knock my style! If you guys weren't used to dressing up, you'd be wearing sweats too!" She defended. We giggled.

"Okay! It's three? The party starts at seven. We have four hours. What now?" Piper asked.

"Let's eat! I'm hungry!" I said. Ani started to complain.

"It starts at seven? I'll never survive! I go to sleep at, like, nine! I'll be asleep!" She said. We looked at her.

"Have you ever been to a party and watched the ball drop?" I asked.

"Nope! Never. I was home once, when I was like, seven. I always watched it the next morning." She said, shrugging. We shared a glance.

"We'll make sure you stay up. Who's your celebrity crush?"

"You," she joked. Hazel blanched.

"What?" She asked, her voice faint. We laughed.

"I'm kidding. Andrew Garfield. He's amazing. And he's a great actor. And hot. He was a perfect Spiderman too…" She trailed off, imagining… something.
"Yeah, anyone else?" I asked, smirking. She shrugged.

"Most of them are at least 10 years older than I am, so no." She said. "I only like Andrew because of how young they made him look."

"Not even JB? Charlie Puth? Sean Mendez?" Piper pushed. She made a face.

"Justin Bieber? Really? Did you just ask that question?"

Piper laughed. "Okay okay. Not JB. But the others?" She leaned forward. Ani shrugged.

"Look. I'm happy being single." She laughed.

"No one is happy single!" Piper cried. We both looked at her.

"What about me?" I asked. She laughed pathetically.

"Annabeth, you're practically married to Percy. And I'm sure Ani has her fair share of guys pining after her at school." She said. Ani fell into hysterics.

"You… You have no idea what it's like at… at my school." She cackled, wiping a tear from her face.

"What? Are you considered weird or something? I can see that." I mused. She smacked my arm, which immediately stung. "Ow."

"That didn't hurt. And guys at my school avoid me like the plague. the only ones that talk to me are the nerdy ones who make inappropriate science pickup lines. Which reminds me-." I smashed a hand over her mouth.

"No inappropriate stuff in here. This is a pure house." I said loudly. She raised an eyebrow and pried my hands off her mouth.

"I was going to say I have a science project I need to finish. Can I do it here for the next ," she checked her phone. "Three hours? I have my phone." She raised it up. I nodded. She opened it and the doorbell rang.

"Not it!" Piper and I both yelled. Ani looked at us with a confused face.

"Well, I don't live here, so unless you have no problem with it, I'm not getting it." She said. I gestured to the door, and she stood.

"Hey!" She said, her face momentarily surprised.

"I didn't know you were coming, Ani." Reyna appeared inside.

"Hey Reyna! What's up?" I asked, standing.

"Not the Ball." She joked. She held a back, that I suspected held a dress and accessories.

"What's in the bag?" Thalia asked, coming down the stairs.

"My dress, shoes and other stuff. Thanks for inviting me." She said. I nodded.

"No problem. Hey, didn't you mention that you knew when the guys were going to give us their presents? It's almost a new year. I would like my Christmas present before it's 2016." I asked Piper. She nodded.

"Yeah, tonight. I'm sorta excited. I have his present upstairs." She pointed to the stairs.

"Cool. So girls, if it fits, put it in your purse. I'm going to do...something." I said, walking up the stairs.

"Oh my god this dress is tight." Piper breathed.

"Be quiet. At least yours isn't shorter than your underwear." Reyna snapped. Her purple dress stopped upper thigh, was sleeveless and a halter. The dress on Piper's body was a black off the shoulder, covered in lace, slimming to the upper thigh.

"At least you won't trip over yours." Calypso said from the bathroom, where she was curling her hair. Her dress a nude turtleneck with no sleeves, slimming until the upper thigh, where it became looser. The slit on the left side was more of a cutout where almost the entire left leg was open. The right leg was covered until it reached the ground. It was perfect for her.

"Be quiet all of you. I'm sort of upset that Juni's not here to experience this torture with us, though." I said as Thalia zipped me up. Thals was wearing a black dress that reached her mid thigh, was three quarter length sleeves, with black tights and heels. It was sparkly.

"Help!" Ani called, as she fell over from across the room. Reyna hauled her to her feet.

"Thanks. This is horrible. How can you guys stand it?" She asked. We all shrugged.

"My manager lets me wear normal clothes most of the time." Reyna said. That's right. I forgot Reyna was an actress. It's hard to remember all these things, okay?"

"I don't get out much." Calypso said.

"And I don't wear normal clothes." Thalia pointed out. We all laughed.

"I usually wear normal clothes." Piper said, and I nodded in agreement. I heard a scream from the other room and my eyes widened.

"I've got it." Ani said, kicking off her heels and running to the other room. We waited a second until we heard a crash and a thud. I flinched.

"You guys okay?" I called out to Ani and Hazel. No response.

"I think-."

"Yeah, probably-."

"Good idea." We all hurried over to Hazel's room. She sat on her bed, pressed up against the wall, while Ani was breathing heavily in the middle of the room, blood on her hands. The window was open.

"What happened?" I cried, a blast of cold air hitting me in the face. Hazel took a shaky breath while Ani stared at her hands.

"There was… a guy. A paparazzi at the window. I screamed and backed up. Ani came in, and… And punched him in the face. His nose started to bleed. And he… He fell." She said, with a finality that can't be matched. I walked to the window. There was no one there.

"He seems to be.. gone. I guess. Did he walk away?" I asked. there was no answer for a second.

"No. He had help. There was a van parked on the street. Stupid reporters." Ani said, finally looking up from her hands. "I'm going to call my parents, tell them what happened. If they get sued suddenly, I don't want it to be a surprise." She left the room.

"Hazel, are you okay?" I asked softly. She nodded and took a deep breath.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just… shocked. Ani knew exactly what to do. I just… froze up. I took those defense classes, and I apparently didn't learn anything from them." She said, steadying her breathing.

Piper rubbed her shoulder.

"It's okay, Hazel. We need to leave soon, anyways. Let's get you dressed." Hazel stood, and grabbed her dress. I watched her cautiously.

"I'm fine, Annabeth. Just a little shaken up. We have to go soon. Go get ready." She said. I nodded and left.

Basically, these were our outfits:

My hair was slightly wavy, a new look for me, and with gold heels and jewelry added I looked ready to go. I added light makeup for effect. search?q=new+years+eve+dresses&biw=1574&bih=834&espv=2&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwi3nbmUwJjKAhWKXh4KHQuwDZ4Q_AUIBygC#tbm=isch&q=new+years+eve+dresses+for+juniors&imgrc=0tAX6rs2LtFR3M%3A

Hazel was nervous about wearing heels, but once she was comfortable, she added black jewelry and a clutch. Her eyes reflected my dress. search?q=new+years+eve+dresses&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS503US503&espv=2&biw=1574&bih=820&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiNqv3m35PKAhWI7hoKHeWnDfkQ_AUIBygC#tbm=isch&q=new+years+eve+dresses+for+juniors+gold&imgrc=JYtHKnqTOPchxM%3A

Piper looked fantastic, even if her dress was the simplest of all. She grabbed her gift to Jason and was out the door in an instant. Her eyes were the same color as Hazel's hair. search?q=new+years+eve+dresses&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS503US503&espv=2&biw=1574&bih=820&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiNqv3m35PKAhWI7hoKHeWnDfkQ_AUIBygC#tbm=isch&q=new+years+eve+dresses+for+juniors+black+short&imgrc=gXH9ftQbLGGFdM%3A

Reyna looked like a movie star, which, I guess, she was. The dress fit her skin tone perfectly, and we curled her hair. search?q=tan+maxi+new+years+dresses&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS503US503&espv=2&biw=1574&bih=834&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjai_CsyJjKAhVMJx4KHRP_B1gQ_AUIBygC#tbm=isch&q=short+dresses+for+new+years+eve+purple&imgrc=lTW9mMlOvo1ebM%3A

Thalia looked graceful, yet still ready to slap a witch. She added a turquoise highlight to her already wild hair. Her green eyes were similar to Juniper's. search?q=new+years+eve+dresses&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS503US503&espv=2&biw=1574&bih=820&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiNqv3m35PKAhWI7hoKHeWnDfkQ_AUIBygC#tbm=isch&q=+new+years+dresses&imgrc=duAXoXORe7hoaM%3A

Calypso looked like a goddess. With her hair flowing down her back, she was the most graceful of us all. Her eyes were the color of Percy's hair. search?q=tan+maxi+new+years+dresses&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS503US503&espv=2&biw=1574&bih=834&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjai_CsyJjKAhVMJx4KHRP_B1gQ_AUIBygC#tbm=isch&q=slit+maxi+new+years+dresses+tan&imgrc=3bnlMb_vDPqKnM%3A

And then there's Ani. Oh, innocent, naive little Ani. She had no idea how fabulous she looked. Her hair was more voluminous than ever, and was swept to one side. She was still falling over a lot, though. search?q=new+years+eve+dresses+for+juniors&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS503US503&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiRiZb5ypjKAhUHdh4KHVEVDcgQ_AUICCgC&biw=1574&bih=834#imgrc=Yuy83R_7On_6tM%3A

"Thanks, John." I called to our chauffer. He nodded and went to park.

"Let's get this party started!" Thalia called, her green eyes gleaming. I rubbed my eye slightly, trying not to knock the contact out.

"Sarah's great to host a party like this. It's going to be awesome." Piper said. I smiled. Sarah was a great hostess, and I was excited to get inside. Her parties are legendary.

"I'm going to be trampled in there. Can I stay outside?" Ani asked hopefully. I shook my head.

"Nope." I opened the door to a blast of noise. We hurried inside, escaping the cold. The house was full of sound, music, laughing, singing, shoes stepping, shouting. Multi colored lights swerved around the walls, and a DJ stood at the back of the room. People held glasses filled with alcohol and purses. I waved to a few people as they walked by. Ani's mouth dropped.

"Holy crap. I'm going to die." She said over the blaring music.

"Girls!" She threw her arms around us. "So glad you could make it! Come in, and try not to drink too much alcohol. You know how these parties go." She winked. We laughed.

"Reyna! Is that you? It's been too long! And who's this?" She asked, gesturing to Ani. She smiled brightly.

"I'm Ani. Nice to meet you, Ms McKinley. I'm a big fan of your movies." She said politely. Sarah put a hand on her chest dramatically.

"Oh, dear! So polite! And so pretty! Make yourself at home, and don't do anything you wouldn't do in front of your parents." She chided, running off, crying: "Jeffrey?"

"Wow, she was… Something." Ani said.

"What movies have you seen of hers?" I asked curious. She cracked a grin, pink lights flashing across her face briefly.

"None." She said slyly. I rolled my eyes and looked around.

"Party's in full swing." I noted. Piper squealed and took off. Thalia excused herself to get a drink.

"And then there were four." Calypso joked. I smirked, and Reyna shook someone's hand, walking off with them.

"Make that three." Ani corrected.

"Soon to be one." I said as I saw Percy and Leo hanging out near the food.

"Don't leave me alone with people I don't know!" Ani called after us. I ignored her, knowing fully well she could take care of herself.

"Alex! And Arianna! Two gorgeous ladies in one place? That's not possible. And is that Ani over there? Oh no, hide me." Leo hid behind Calypso, then looked her up and down.

"You look… amazing, Caly! What happened?" He asked. She smacked him.

"Shut it, Valdez. You clean up nice, too, though." She said.

"Thanks for the genuine compliment." He said sarcastically. She stared at him.

"You say that as if yours was genuine." She said. He laughed.

"Alexandra, you look lovely, as always." Percy said. I smiled.

"Perseus, you look very nice tonight as well." I faked a british accent. He chuckled.

"May I offer you a drink?" He asked politely. I nodded pompously, and he sloppily poured me punch. We both chuckled.

"Why, thank you dear. How nice of you." I simpered.

"You are very welcome, dearest Alexandra. Perhaps you would like your present now?" He asked. I noddd eagerly. He pretended to think about it.

"Actually, I think I'll give it to you later." He said. I pouted.

"Jerk." I looked around the dark room. Couples were dancing, and with us being in New York, the light outside was nonexistent.

"Wow, this party's going strong." I said, taking a sip of punch. He nodded, looking around. He suddenly paled.

"Oh no. We have to hide." He said, grabbing my shoulders and steering me around the dancing couples. I glanced back, but saw nothing that would yell 'DANGER'.

"What?" I asked, perplexed. He continued to drag me to the other end of the room, and into an unoccupied dark corner.

"Percy, what the heck is going on-?" His hand cut me off.

"Stay here, and be quiet. I saw a monster." He said, pushing me deeper into the corner, placing his body in front of mined.

"Monster? What do you mean?" I asked. He turned and looked at me gravely.

"Kate Denvers." He said. I wrinkled my nose. Kate Denvers, Percy's stalker and clown-faced 'friend'.

"Not her. Ever since we started to hang out, I've been getting blackmail from her. She's leaving hate comments, bad reviews and rude tweets all over my board. Good thing you dragged me away before I saw her. I probably would've done an Ani and punched her." I snapped.

We waited for a few minutes, until we saw her leave the room.

Percy sighed, relief written all over his face.

"Thank god. It's stuffy over here." He said, moving out of the corner and taking a deep breath. Suddenly, Kate walked back in and saw him.

"Schist." He muttered as she wobbled over in her seven inch heels.

"Percy! Baby, it's been so long! I've missed my Bae." She said, throwing her arms around his neck, kicking a leg up. He winced and lightly patted her back. I made a face when she said the word 'Bae'.

"Hey… Kate. Yeah, it certainly has been a while." He said, though his face said 'I wish it was longer'.

"So, still single, I take it?" She asked, giggling. He was about to reluctantly mutter a 'yes', when I cut him off.

"Nope!" I said, wrapping an arm around his waist. She curled her lip at me.

"What are you doing here, Alexandra?" She snapped.

"Hanging out with my-clearly taken-boyfriend. I think the better question is, why are you here, and what were your intentions with my boyfriend?" I snapped, as a photographer took a picture, and Thalia started to record it. She flashed me a grin and waved.

"He's not your boyfriend. He's mine, and how dare you even mention you two dating. That makes me sick that someone as amazing and talented as Percy would even look at you, let alone not knock your arm off his perfect body." She poked me with her manicured nails. I was about to stomp on her toes but Percy cut in.
"Actually, we are dating. We just went on our first date the other day. And if you think I would even consider dating someone who completely bullies other people just because they're jealous of their talent, you're clearly mistaken. Alex is the best thing that has ever happened to me. And if you doubt me, here. Proof." He swooped down and captured his lips on mine. My eyes widened, but my quick response allowed me to act like this was normal. The crowd around us cheered. I was suddenly slapped. I stumbled back, but the offender was already being taken care of. Ani stood right in her face, glaring at her.

"Who are you?" Kate asked, horrified.

"Your worst nightmare." Ani said calmly. Kate laughed.

"Yeah, right. Look everyone! A little girl who no one knows, but thinks she's all that!" She said, causing some people to laugh. Hazel walked up.

"Ani, you don't have to do this." She said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She turned to her.

"I know, Kaela." She turned around.

"Kate Denvers. You're a bully. You push people around because you think you're better than them. People love you, and you think you're their queen. We'll, you're not. You were just a small town girl once, too. Remember how obsessed you were with Tom Cruise? You longed to meet him, talk to him, even see his face in real life. Then you became an actor. People started bowing down to you, and you were so grateful. You were so kind, and so sweet, until the fame got to you. You became a terrible person, a tyrant over your own people. But you didn't realize that you could change. You could be such a great person, and you have so much potential in you! People could be your friend, not your foe. All you have to do is stop being so rude. Be the person you really are, and give people what you want from them. Respect. Kindness. A friend who they could count on to be there for them. Why can't you be that person? You're completely capable of doing that, but you decide not too. And I, and I'm guessing that everyone else wants to know why, why do you treat everyone like garbage. Maybe the people that you're pining after would be able to tolerate your presence, if you were the goofy, sweet girl you were before fame. So, why? Why are you like this?" She asked, as people around us muttered.

"I-I…" She stuttered out. She clenched her jaw. "You set me up for that question! You gave me a question you know i wouldn't be able to answer, just so you could embarrass me!" She yelled out forcefully.

Ani sighed.

"No, actually. That question is simple. And maybe you'll be able to answer it, this time. Why are you so horrible to everyone?" She repeated. Kate gulped.

"Paparazzi, if you want to see the light of the day, leave now." Ani threatened, and they scattered at her glare. Kate stared at her.

"Why'd you do that? Don't you want to humiliate me? Because you're doing a really bad job." She said. Ani shrugged.

"Actually, I'm trying to be nice, and not let you be publically humiliated. Those were never my intentions. Are you gonna every answer my question?" Ani asked. Kate looked down.

"I guess, the fame...just got to me. I didn't ever expect to be famous, even if I wanted to so badly. I wasn't ready for the fame to overtake me like that. I expected to be able to go around my normal day, with people recognizing me. Fame is...intoxicating. Not many people realize that. One day you're in school, and the next you're twerking onstage and dumping your drink down a eager fan's shirt. I… wasn't ready for it." She trailed off. Ani stood there in a second, as tears dripped down Kate's face.

"I'm a horrible person. I'm sorry. I need… I need a moment." She walked away, kicking off her heels and scurrying into the hall. People started to disband from the circle. Ani stared into the hallway.

"Ani...that was…" Percy started.

"Amazing. How'd you know how to do that?" I asked astonished. She waved me off.

"That's what I did with Reyna. You think she just one day decided to apologize one day?" She said, glancing at me. Thalia's mouth fell open.

"You changed her mind?" She asked.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever. Okay, time's up. I'm going in." She said, walking into the dark hall. Thalia started to go after her, but I stopped her.

"No, Ani's got this. Let's go do something." I said, dragging Percy to the dance floor.

"What are we doing here?" he asked, blushing slightly.

"We're dating, aren't we? Got to put on a show." I said, moving to the music. After a few minutes, Ani came out with a smiling Kate, and they journeyed over to the snack table. I pointed it out to Percy, and he laughed.

"That kid is crazy. How'd she do that?" He shook his head, and I shrugged.

"No idea. Maybe she'll be useful in the future. Better keep her around." I said. Percy looked at me, eyes sparkling.

"Maybe if she's staying, I'll stick around too." He said, as one of his songs started playing. He groaned and I cheered along with the crowd.

"Uptown Funk. Why Uptown Funk?" He groaned as I sang along. I grabbed his hands and started moving to the beat, as he stood there moaning.

"It hurts!" He yelled out. I laughed, as he spun me. We danced for hours, both of our songs playing every once and awhile. When we dragged ourselves off, it was around ten, and our feet were killing us.
"My feet hate me." Percy moaned from his chair. I nodded in agreement as I watched Kate and Ani dancing on the floor. They were smiling so brightly, they might have best friends.
"Look at them! They're like, the best gay couple ever!" Percy cried out. I glanced at him, disgusted, until I realized he was talking about Nico and Will over at the punch, who were chatting as if they were alone.

"That's adorable! I ship it so hard!" I cried out. He nodded, and we talked for the next hour.

"Oooookay, New York! This is the last hour of 2015! We're playing the top ten songs of the year!" The Dj cried out. Percy and I shared a glance.

"They haven't played 'the song', yet." Percy said nervously. I nodded, my hands shaking. I had no idea what songs were rated top ten of 2015. I was so nervous.

We dance for a bit. None of our songs were 10-5. Then 4 came on.

"I'm sorry if I, seem uninterested." My voice sang through the speakers as I heard the girls scream from around the room. The crowd cheered, and some people congratulated me. Percy frowned. I looked at him, sort of upset.

"What's wrong? Are you not happy for me?" I asked, my mouth twisting into a frown as well. He looked at me and shook his head.

"No, I'm happy. I just am upset this wasn't rated first! It completely deserves it!" He glared at the DJ and I laughed.

"I'm serious. This song deserves all the money and awards in the world. Why isn't it first!" He cupped his hands and yelled at the DJ. I pulled his hands down, smiling.

"Hey, they still haven't played our song. We'll see what happens." I said, tugging his shirt. He smiled at me. My song ended, and the next song came on.

"Wish we could turn back time." Percy's voice came out like a bullet from a gun. People screamed as they danced away. Percy groaned and sat with his head in his hands the entire time, while I sang along to the music. The song ended, and we eagerly awaited number two.

"Let's Marvin Gaye and get it on." Our voices sang through the speakers. Louder cheers this time, and I hugged Percy.

"We got #2!" I cried out, as we embraced. I heard my name being called.

"Hey! You two should kiss!" Ani's voice cut through awkwardly. She and Kate broke down into a fit of giggles, doubling over and clutching their stomachs.

"They're crazy." Percy said shakily. I turned to him, my hands around his neck.

"Yeah, crazy." I said, glancing at his lips as the song ended.

"Last song of the night, everyone! It's a slow song, so get on the floor. This is the top song of 2015!" The DJ yelled, winking at Sarah, who handed him some champagne. He took it gladly as the top song sang through the speakers. I pulled Percy to the floor as the song played through the speakers.

"For all the time that you rain on my parade." Percy's magical voice sang through the speakers, as he groaned into my shoulder. I laughed as we swayed on the floor. It wasn't really a slow song, but it would work. The song ended and the crowd cheered.

"Well, that was my shift! Enjoy your night, everybody!" He called as he jumped down and Sarah took the stage.

"Hi everyone! Thank you all for coming! The TV's on the walls next to you will turn on so you can watch the ball drop! Enjoy!" She called, walking down from the stage. The TV's turned on as Ryan Seacrest announced the countdown.

"10, 9, 8…" They yelled, as Percy turned me to him.

"We need to kiss." He whispered urgently. My eyes widened.

"What?"

"For the camera's, Alex! Just do it on one." He said. I nodded and gulped. Time seemed to slow. What would the team think? They would call me crazy, and probably make fun of me. Artemis had talked to me afterwards and explained that, to keep it real looking, don't tell the girls. Act like it's the real deal. It would be easier to fake it when in public. our eyes locked on each others.

"3, 2, 1… Happy New Year!" Everyone yelled as our lips met. My brain yelled at my heart, saying that it was fake, but my heart cheered, believing it was real. I had kissed guys before, but this was incredible. Our lips moved in sync, and everything around us disappeared. I heard cheering, and when we pulled away, I was shocked back into reality. We stared at each other.

"That was…" He started, gulping.

"Yeah… it was…" I said, my throat dry.

"Happy New Year." He told me. I smiled shyly.

"Happy New Year, Percy." I said.

"3, 2, 1… Happy New Year!" The people around us cheered as Jason pulled me into kiss. My body was on fire, his lips intoxicating. I couldn't get enough of him.

"I love you, P-Heather." He corrected himself on my lips. I pulled back suddenly.

"You do?" I asked, astonished. He nodded and kissed me again.

"I love you too." I muttered into his lips.

"Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year, Kaela." Frank told me. I blushed, and gathering all my courage, kissed his cheek. He stopped in his tracks, his face reddening.
"Happy New Year, Frank." I said, blushing like crazy. He pulled me into a hug as the crowd cheered from the Ball Drop.

"Hey, Calypso, Ball's dropping." Leo whispered in my ear, taking my hand. I looked at his scrawny, Latino face. He was really handsome, even if it was hard to see.

"Yes, Leo. It is." I joked. He laughed and pulled me close.

"Can I get a New Year's Kiss?" He asked. Six seconds left.

"Hmmm, I don't know." I mused. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Time's-a-ticking." He said. I waited for one, then kissed him. He squeaked against my lips, and when I pulled away, he stood there in shock.

"That didn't happen." I said, pulling away. He looked at me and repeated what I said.

"Get out of here." I pointed. He started to walk away, but stopped and turned.

"Happy New Year, Arianna." He said honestly. I smiled slightly.

"Happy New Year, Leo." I said as he floated away.

"Hey, Nico. Happy New Year." Will told me. I looked up at him.

"You too, Will. Thanks for coming with me."

"You mean being your date? Yeah, no problem. It was a great first date. You have a lot to live up to, now." Will said. I blushed, which probably looked strange on my pale face.

"You want to go on more dates with me?" I asked, astonished. He nodded, blushing slightly.

"Yeah, I had a lot of fun. I like you a lot, Nico." He said, grabbing my hand. We stood in comfortable silence.

"Happy New Year, Ghost King." He told me.

******************************
"Hey, Juniper. the Ball's dropping. C'mere." He gestured and I sat next to him. We started to count down, my sister's behind me.

"4, 3, 2, 1! Happy New Year!" They cheered, as Grover pulled me close. We kissed sweetly, and my sisters cheered us on.
"Happy New Year, my beautiful Dryad." He told me, kissing my nose.

"Happy New Year, my handsome Goat Man." I said, kissing his nose.

"Happy New Year!" Ani, Kate, Kristen and I yelled.

"Happy New Year, Th-Kaitlin!" Ani cleared her throat. "Thanks for letting me tag along." She told me. I nodded.

"Happy New Year, and it's no problem! Tonight was fun!" I said, throwing an arm around her shoulder. She pushed me away jokingly as the countdown started. Ani wandered away as we waited to start counting down along with the crowd. The three of us, (Kristen is a friend I met earlier this night. Surprise surprise, Ani knows her. Online friends, or something.) waited patiently until the ball started to drop. We joined in with the crowd cheering.

"Happy New Year, girls!"

"Hey, Ani!" A male's voice called. I wandered away from our group and saw an old friend of mine, Ian. My mouth fell open and I scurried over. We have been best friends since we were five, and when he moved away, we kept in touch. Yes. I have a small crush. Shut up.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, hugging him. He smiled at me and let go.

"I'm not sure. Maybe it's because I, first of all, moved, and second of all, am now going to the same high school as you?" He said, offhandedly. I shrieked and hugged him again.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I squealed. He laughed.

"Surprise?" he said, laughing. I reached up and ruffled his brown hair. His blue eyes watched my hands.

"Wow, I've been wanting to do this ever since we met." I said, messing up his perfectly combed hair. He swatted them away. We talked until the countdown started. Around 5 seconds left, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to see a grinning freak leaning down to kiss me. I leaned away and on the last second of the countdown, kneed him where it must have hurt. He doubled over as I stormed off.

(Ian made sure I was okay after shoving the guy away from me. I told him I was and he brought me home. My parents were very happy to see him. My parents approve, he's a keeper.)

We exchanged gifts afterwards. We each were assigned a person to gift, and the boys were assigned corresponding people.

Jason got Piper a beautiful ring, and she kissed him like there was no tomorrow. She got him a gold coin from rome, and he was basically fangirling.

Hazel got Frank a quiver with 'Assorted Arrows'. He was so happy. He got her a stuffed horse from New Orleans, and she teared up. She named it Arion.

Leo got Calypso something he called an 'Astrolabe'. He told her that if she couldn't find someone, that it would lead her straight to them. He hooked it up to everyone she is close to's phones.

Calypso got him an automaton dragon that he dubbed 'Festus'. If you wound it up, if would walk around for a few hours. Leo cradled it like it was his baby. He might have gotten a kiss for his present.

Nico got Thalia a chain bracelet that had the bands names engraved on each chain. She leaked a tear. Thalia got Nico a ring with a skull on it from Italy, made by the DiAngelo family. He hasn't looked away from it since.

Percy gave me those earrings I was fawning over in the store. I replaced my other ones immediately.

I got Percy two things. A pen with the word 'Riptide' engraved in Greek on the side. And a black pegasus stuffed animal, which he dubbed 'Blackjack', which I thought was cute.

Happy New Year, everyone. Have a safe night.

Such a long, hard chapter to write. I have written this over the course of maybe two weeks. Thank you for the support that you all gave me! I'm sorry it's up so late, but here's the New Year's chapter! I hope you all had a safe, Happy New Year and Merry Christmas. Happy New Year and hey, it's 2016! Enjoy the year, guys. It doesn't last forever. 6,000 words! New record!

I hope you liked the Chapter, leave a review please! It means a lot to get feedback from you guys!

Inspirational quote of the day: If you can't say something nice, say something sarcastic and witty.