It only took another week for Annabeth to be the first to text him.

2:22PM WISE GIRL
What do you know about Ichthyocentaurs?

She was loath to ask for help. In fact, Annabeth rarely ever NEEDED assistance, usually relying on her own mind and skills to find a solution to a problem. But the situation was looking grim, and for whatever reason, the information just wasn't sticking. She slouched across her desk, staring out the window of her dorm at the swirling bark of the olive tree just outside, tracing the patterns with her grey eyes as she waited for a response. She didn't have to wait long.

2:24PM XXX-XXXX
a lot, actually, haha
why?

She perked up, scooping her phone into her hands and thumbs flying across the touch screen.

2:24PM WISE GIRL
Could you maybe detail the difference between them and hippocampi?

It was embarrassing. She knew the answer was simple, but she couldn't help but get it mixed up in her head! Maybe Poseidon had cursed Athena's children to just suck at marine knowledge, or maybe she simply sucked all on her own, but either way, no one could know she was struggling..

At least, no one who KNEW who she was could know.

2:25PM XXX-XXXX
uh sure!
are u planning on like… fighting one or something?

2:25PM WISE GIRL
It's this awful Marine Monsters class
It was a required course and it's just
The worst.

2:26PM XXX-XXXX
wait
is wise girl…
asking ME for tutoring?
what a twist!

2:26PM WISE GIRL
Oh hush!

2:26PM XXX-XXXX
my rate is 10 gold drachmas a day ;)

She face palmed.

2:27PM WISE GIRL
Are you kidding me

2:27PM XXX-XXXX
buuuuuut for u?
i can make an exception

A sigh of relief. Annabeth glanced over at her textbook, which had been slammed shut in a huff minutes earlier. If she could pass this class with an A, it was smooth sailing to valedictorian and graduating with high honors; she could get any job she wanted.

2:27PM WISE GIRL
Ha ha, very funny
So you'll help me?

2:28PM XXX-XXXX
only if u call me wise boy

2:28PM WISE GIRL
In your dreams.

2:28PM XXX-XXXX
worth a shot
so a hippocampus is like, a horse fish
and an ichthyocentaur is like a man horse fish
u know
like a merman centaur

Annabeth blinked. Well she could have guessed that based on the root words dammit! That was the problem with this marine stuff. What should have been obvious to her was just out of reach. It was like her brain shut off at the mention of anything nautical.

2:29PM WISE GIRL
What about their diets? Habitats? Biological functions? Mating practices?

2:29PM XXX-XXXX
woah woah woah
one at a time haha
thats a lot to type, wouldnt it be easier to just meet in person and go over this stuff?

2:29PM WISE GIRL
We can't.

Her answer was immediate.

2:30PM XXX-XXXX
why not?

She paused. Her thoughts began racing a million miles an hour. Why couldn't they meet up? For starters, the only reason she felt comfortable asking for help was because he had no idea who she was. What if they met, and he recognized her? Her humiliation would be overwhelming. But it wasn't just that… What if they met and he wasn't what she expected? What WAS she expecting? Or worse- she wasn't what he expected? Why did it matter?

The fact was, these past few weeks of text conversations had been… refreshing. Someone wasn't just talking to her because her mom was the right hand of Zeus, or because they wanted something from her. Her friends were fine, but it got lonely, and this stranger- whoever he was- had made her feel… something. Something different. She looked forward to his random, awkward texts, his poor grammar, him calling her "Wise Girl". She'd finally made a new friend who hadn't already known her since childhood, and that realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

So no, they couldn't meet. At least, not yet.

2:32PM WISE GIRL
It's just a bad idea.
You could be a monster for all I know.

2:32PM XXX-XXXX
think manticores have opposable thumbs?

2:32PM WISE GIRL
Shut up.

2:33PM XXX-XXXX
ok i promise im not a monster
but i get it haha
where should we start?

They spent at least the next hour going over the biological components of multiple sea monsters. He seemed to know it all, just off the top of his head. And when Annabeth occasionally cross referenced what he said with her textbook, it all checked out. She was absorbing the information better when he explained it too, she wasn't sure what it was, but it felt like a wall in her mind was being chipped away at, little by little.

3:47PM WISE GIRL
How on earth do you know all this stuff.

3:47PM XXX-XXXX
what can i say
im just brimming with knowledge

3:47PM WISE GIRL
More like your head is full of kelp.

3:48PM XXX-XXXX
hey now.
who is helping who here?

3:48PM WISE GIRL
I'm just saying!
You must have seaweed in your brain to be able to memorize so much
Are you a Marine Biology major?

3:48PM XXX-XXXX
nah
it just uh
interests me haha

3:49PM WISE GIRL
Whatever you say, Seaweed Brain.

3:49PM XXX-XXXX
hey thats a good one!

3:49PM WISE GIRL
What?
Seaweed Brain?
That's a terrible nickname!

She laughed, and despite her words, was already moving to change his contact name to it.

3:50PM SEAWEED BRAIN
nah i like it
wise girl and seaweed brain
we could be a superhero duo

3:50PM WISE GIRL
Some pretty lousy names for superheroes.
I'm not so sure I want you as my sidekick either

3:50PM SEAWEED BRAIN
hey, who said id be the sidekick? :p

3:50PM WISE GIRL
I did. It's decided as of now.

3:50PM SEAWEED BRAIN
damn ur bossy huh?

3:51PM WISE GIRL
Is that a bad thing?

3:51PM SEAWEED BRAIN
nah
i like it.

Well that was a first for Annabeth. Most people were turned off by her need to be in charge, rather than impressed or glad for it.

3:51PM WISE GIRL
Anyway, thank you, for all your help.

3:51PM SEAWEED BRAIN
sure thing!
we can study like this maybe…
twice a week?

3:52PM WISE GIRL
That's a lot, don't you think?

3:52PM SEAWEED BRAIN
hey, maybe i just want an excuse to talk to you more

3:52PM WISE GIRL
In that case, twice a week sounds perfect.

That was when she caught sight of the time and cursed. She was meant to meet up with her friends at four, leaving her less than ten minutes to sprint across the quad. Without so much as a goodbye, she switched her phone off (she would not have a repeat of the Hellhound incident) and grabbed her shoulder bag, flicking the lights on her way out.

They were waiting next to the entrance to campus, Thalia standing out with her spiky black hair and punk clothes, a faded Green Day tank draped over her form. Luke was cooly leaning against the wall, tall, muscular, blonde, with a deep scar being the only thing marring his otherwise perfect features. Annabeth would be lying if she said she never had a crush on the guy, but these days he was no more than an older brother to her, and he grinned at her as she ran up.

"Whoa, Annabeth, you made it!" He chuckled as she tried to catch her breath, Thalia checking her watch with a furrowed brow.

"Dude, it's 4:05, you're never late… you doing okay?" the punk girl inquired, her blue eyes looking Annabeth over with confusion.

"Got… caught up… studying…" she managed to gasp out, straightening up from her bent over position, "Besides, it's only five minutes, it's fine… Where's Grover?"

"He said he was going to meet us there." Luke frowned, "I think he was hanging out with Percy this afternoon."

Annabeth grimaced. Ugh.

Perseus Jackson. The posterboy for everything Annabeth hated. They hadn't met, not officially, but she knew enough about him to know they would never in a million years get along. To start, he was the son of Poseidon, Athena's nemesis, and not to mention his reputation for being a monster hunter! He was the type Annabeth despised the most, cocky, convinced he could beat anything the world threw at him. Annabeth knew better- she'd seen her fair share of Demigods and mortals alike killed for underestimating a monster, And the fact that he didn't take it seriously? She couldn't stand it. At least her text-friend seemed to have some respect for monsters.

And then there was Percy's fame for being a child of the Big Three.

There were only a few in existence, as Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon had sworn on the River Styx (after a particularly nasty incident) to avoid having children with mortals but… accidents still happened.

There was Thalia herself, daughter of Zeus. Her being claimed had been a shock, the first kid in over 100 years to be born to the top Gods, and she was quickly followed by Percy. There was Thalia's brother after that, a couple daughters of Hades and a son. Just six. In the entire world, six Demigods were children to the most powerful Gods in this plane of existence.

And of those six, there was only one son of Poseidon.

And where Annabeth tried to avoid riding her mother's coattails, Percy Jackson seemed to relish in his parentage. He was known for his partying, his lack of seriousness, he was invited to all sorts of bashes and get-togethers, he was almost never in class- the more she thought about him the angrier she felt.

"I don't know why Grover hangs around that guy." She shook her head.

Thalia shrugged, "He's not so bad, and they've basically been best friends since we were freshmen."

"Since you were freshmen." Luke corrected. He had graduated a few years prior, but worked just outside campus so the Juniors still saw him often.

"Anyway," Annabeth continued, "let's just get to the restaurant and…" her voice trailed off. About a hundred feet away, a woman stood, long brown hair pulled into a braid over her shoulder, deep grey eyes clear even from a distance. She was watching them, and Annabeth swallowed.

But then a group of students passed between them, and the woman was gone.

"And… what?" Luke laughed at her expression, and threw his arms over Annabeth and Thalia's shoulders, steering them to the arched exit that led to the inner city, "Alright Spacey, we shouldn't leave Grover waiting. Let's go!"

The Dancing Drake was less of a restaurant and more of a pub, a popular haunt for college-aged mortals and Demigods alike. They served alcohol, coffee, and hot greasy food, with tables and couches scattering the room. There was Karaoke in the corner, board games on the shelves, and plenty of space to just hang out.

They arrived early enough for it not to be packed yet and easily slid into an empty booth.

"I'll be right with ya!" a girl behind the counter called, mixing drinks for a couple sitting close together at the bar, limbs practically entangled. Annabeth rolled her eyes at the display, turning her attention to the flimsy plastic menus in front of them. The whole place smelled of fries and booze with something else- hazelnut? Must be from the coffee.

"Should we get cheesy fries to share?" Thalia asked, flipping through her own menu.

Annabeth was quick to respond, "Definitely."

"So, Annabeth," Luke leaned on the table, his expression unreadable, "Thalia told me you had a run-in with a Hellhound?"

The blonde glared at her friend, who was suddenly very interested in desserts, before answering, "Uh, yeah, but it was nothing! Really!"

His blue eyes glittered. "Forgetting to turn your phone off, running late, what have you been up to?"

"Nothing, I just…" Thalia was staring intently at her now too and Annabeth gnawed her lip. She didn't want to tell them about the stranger she'd been texting, at least not yet. It was one of the few things she had to herself these days. That and… she was a little embarrassed, though she couldn't place why.

"It's… this Marine Monsters course that's screwing me up, that's all." she finally said, revealing a weakness she previously would have protected with her life.

Luke nodded sagely, "Yes, the curse."

"What?"

Thalia jumped in, "You know, Poseidon made it like, impossible for Athena's brainchildren to pass any class having to do with his domain."

So she had been right! There was a curse!

"Wow, what a lovely individual." she muttered, though her expression easily switched to a sunnier disposition as the waitress stopped by to take their drink orders.

Grover arrived soon after, his hooves clopping on the vinyl floors as he flew through the door, nearly running into a group entering in front of him, "Sorry, sorry!" he shouted, his curly hair frizzing around the horns on his head.

The satyr slid into the booth next to Luke, breathless and sweaty and red in the face, "I-I'm here! What did I miss?"

"Annabeth's learning the hard way about Poseidon's hatred for her mom." Thalia snorted, taking a swig from her gross bottled beer.

"It's not like I didn't know! I just didn't realize how… I didn't think it would affect my classes!" she complained, a pout evident on her face.

Grover winced. You didn't come between Annabeth and her grades, not if you wanted to live, "Oh man, that sucks, is it the uh… Nautical Monsters class?"

"Marine Monsters, yes." she corrected, taking a sip of her own drink.

Luke stretched a hand out, placing it over Annabeth's and catching her eyes, "If you want, I can help you study."

"Um, no that's okay. I'm managing." She pulled her arm away, suddenly feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable. She hadn't wanted anyone to know at all, and now her friends were pitying her. Luke's hand retreated but his calculating eyes didn't leave her face, his expression still unreadable.

"So, Grover, you're still hanging out with Perseus then?" she didn't mean for her voice to sound accusatory, but it did anyway.

The satyr squeaked, having been over interested in the menu, nibbling on the edge of it nervously, "Oh uh, Percy? Yeah, why?"

"No reason." she tried to sound nonchalant, stirring the ice in her cup with her straw.

He looked between the three of them, goatee quivering, "You guys… don't like me being friends with Percy?"

"No, no that's not it at all!" Thalia gave a comforting smile, before nudging Annabeth a bit harder than she needed to, "Right? Annabeth?"

"Right."

"You can be friends with whoever you want to buddy." Luke took a sip of his coffee, "But the guy's dad is making things hard for our resident brainchild, you know?"

"Oh he can't help that though!" the goat boy protested, his gaze sweeping around the table with a hint of desperation, "I mean, no more than any of you can control your parents!"

That seemed to make Luke pause, "I suppose you're right, Groves." he finally relented, waving down the waitress to put in their order of cheesy fries (and some empty tin cans for Grover, if they had any).

"Honestly, it's ok." Annabeth gave Grover a smile, and he returned it gratefully. She knew his friendship with Percy meant a lot to him- he'd been the one to scout the son of Poseidon for the school in the first place, and the two had been close ever since. But something about it stung- Annabeth, Luke, Thalia, and Grover had known each other at a young age, brought together at a summer camp for kids like them.

The camp had a tradition, for young demigods to race there with no one but a satyr to escort them and nothing but their wits to survive the monsters of the world. Their group had made the trek in record time when Annabeth herself had only been 11 years old. It had given them notoriety, and even better- their parents took notice.

She was suddenly reminded of the woman from earlier, and bit her lip, glancing around the pub. No one suspicious, or out of place. With a sigh of relief, she settled back into the booth, ready for a chill night with her friends.

"So, you guys hear about the new Temple they're building downtown?" she changed the subject.

It went as usual. They played hacky sack, which always inevitably ended up with Grover taking a rather large bite out of the ball. They shared cheesy fries, told Luke about school, teased each other, and so Annabeth's guard was down when she arrived back to the dorms later that evening, head buzzing a little from the drinks.

The first thing she noticed was the window was open. Cool September air was breezing through her white curtains, and her hand started to go to the knife strapped to her hip, when a familiar voice interrupted her movements.

"Annabeth."

"... Mother."