This chapter is my least favorite. A beauty lesson for a daughter of Athena? Nawwwwwt likely! But I figured Annabeth needed some beautifying tips. After all, she has to look good for her Seaweed Brain.

CHAPTER IV: I GO TO MY BEAUTY LESSON/TORTURE CHAMBER

4:01 p.m., Aphrodite cabin

"ANNABETH!" Rosie bellowed upon my entrance. I winced, feeling the hair on my neck stand on end. "You're very nearly late."

"By one minute," I laughed, casting a dubious glance over the assortment of bags tucked away at her feet.

She noticed. "Aha! Let's get started."

Pulling out a book with several complex diagrams, she said, "Now, your eyes are gray, and your hair is blond, and your skin is tan, right?"

"Uh, yeah..."

"I think that turquoise would go excellently with you," she decided. "Maybe a strapless halter dress..." As she spoke, the garment flew out of one of the bags at her feet and presented itself in front of me.

"No way. Not strapless," I moaned.

"It has a built-in bra," she coaxed.

"I'm not the type," I protested.

"Finnnnnne," she fumed. "How about a turquoise minidress?"

"Too short," I sighed.

"A turquoise...full-length ballroom gown?" she half-jokingly said as it appeared in front of us.

I actually thought it was pretty, just a little old-fashioned. "It's actually kind of nice..."

"OH MY GODS, ANNABETH," Rosie shouted. "IT'S JULY."

"Right. Sorry," I said.

Series of dresses began appearing in front of me. I found a fault with each one. Finally, she pulled out a really nice one.

It had slightly frilly sleeves and was made of a shimmering turquoise material that looked dark blue in its folds. Right at the top of where my ribs would be was a green satin ribbon. I reached out a hand and felt it. It felt like rose-petal bathwater. And the best part was that it had a modest neckline, and dropped down to just below my knees.

"It'll cling right to you, Annabeth," Rosie bubbled. "I mean, RIGHT to you. Very, very figure-flattering. And you'll look simply gorgeous in a chunky sea-green necklace, matching bangles, and drop-pearl earrings. Oh, and a pearl hair barrette—I'm thinking of just straightening it and letting it flow. I'll dust your eyelids with some turquoise eye shadow, and lip gloss on your lips, and a hint of blush, and then strappy heels."

I nodded, pretending to understand. "Here, try it on," she said, thrusting it into my hands. "Trust me, it'll fit."

Stepping into a dark corner, I slipped my Camp Half-Blood tee and jeans off. Quickly, I slid the garment over my head and let it conform to my shape. I wanted to sigh in delight. It felt like silk, Percy's arms, and a luxurious bubble bath all at the same time.

"Come, come out!" Rosie impatiently exclaimed.

I stepped out of my corner, clinging to my old clothes. She tapped her chin thoughtfully "I think it works," she said. "Try on these shoes." She tapped on of her bags and a pair of blue strappy two-and-a-half-inch heels appeared in front of us. I took them and tried them on. Surprisingly, they felt more comfortable than they looked, and I could walk comfortably in them.

"You like?" Rosie grinned, pulling a full-length mirror in front of me. I admired myself and nodded.

She then pulled out makeup, jewelry, a hair-straightener and some hair accessories. "This is the part where I get to work on you," she said happily, clapping her hands. "Sit right here."

Before I was even aware of what was going on, she had fastened the chunky sea-green necklace around my throat and slid the bangles onto my wrist. She then deftly pulled out my owl studs and slid in the drop-pearl earrings.

"Ow!" I suddenly exclaimed. Rosie's sharp red nails were digging into my scalp as she finger-combed my hair quickly. "Hold still!" she snapped as she took a lock of my hair and clipped it between the two tongs of the straightener. She held it a second there and then began slowly moving down to the end of my hair. I reached up and felt my hair. It was silky and soft.

In record time, she had finished straightening my hair. Rosie then slid in the pearl barrettes and tucked my hair behind my ears. "Now for the makeup," she smiled.

Instructing me to close my eyes, Rosie lined it with some black eyeliner, and then dusted them with some turquoise eye-shadow. After putting on some mascara and lining my eyebrows with some dark eyebrow pencil, she finished everything by patting some blush onto my cheeks and swiping my lips with strawberry-flavored lip gloss.

"Oh. My. Gods." I said, looking at my reflection. I would have never in a million years been able to do that by myself.

"I forgot your nails!" Rosie gasped and a bottle of clear nail polish appeared. Before I could protest, she had somehow 'extended' my nails and the nail polish was glinting on them.

"Okay, I think you're done," she finally said after fixing a minuscule problem with my mascara. "I'd say...nine point eight, docking point two for your posture and smile. Relax! Be confident! And have fun!"

Sighing, I sat there primly as she disappeared into the dining pavilion, grabbing something for me to eat.

What a great torture session—I mean, beauty lesson.