scales and arpeggios

chapter nineteen: annabeth

"Why is Percy so hard to shop for?" I ask Piper a few days later while we're out shopping for Christmas gifts.

"I don't know. I got Jason's present a few weeks ago."

"What'd you get him?" I ask her as we walk into American Eagle.

"I got him these shoes he's wanted for a while," she says. I grab a pair of jeans off the rack and continue browsing. "Annabeth, I thought we were shopping for gifts today."

"Oh, shut it. I can shop if I want." I pick up a forest green sweater and a pair of leggings and head back to the fitting room.

"What do you think he'd like?" Piper asks as the cashier hands me my bag.

"Maybe a new skateboard?" I glance at her, and she seems to approve the idea.

"He'd like that. Come on, let's go look at some." She leads me towards another store, determination on her face.

"Okay, now how do I wrap this?" I say to myself, looking down at the skateboard. After a few minutes of digging, I find a suitable box and seal the skateboard inside. I grab a roll of wrapping paper and quickly wrap it. I place a sticker on it that says, To Percy, and place it in the corner.

"Done." I state, laying down on my bed.

;;;

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!" A text from Percy reads at 7:00 on Christmas morning. I text back a quick reply, matching his excitement, and stand up. I throw on sweatpants and head downstairs, where my brothers are shaking presents in the living room.

"Aren't we eating breakfast before we open presents?" I ask no one in particular.

"Yeah, the boys are just trying to ruin Christmas I guess," Helen says. I laugh and join her and my dad in the kitchen. She's flipping pancakes on the griddle. Soon, breakfast is ready and we're all gathered around the table. We quickly eat, the boys scarfing down their pancakes, then head to the couch. Helen hands out stockings, and pretty soon the floor is covered in wrapping paper.

;;;

"Merry Christmas," Percy says later that day. After I opened presents with my family, we made plans to meet up and open our gifts for each other.

"Merry Christmas." I sit down on his couch, the large box next to me.

"I want to give you mine first," he says, sitting down across from me, a small package in his hands. He hands it to me, and I unwrap it slowly. Inside is a silver necklace with a small arrow on it. A matching bracelet is underneath it.

"I love it," I tell him.

"Really? If you don't-"

"Percy," I interrupt him. "I love it. Help me put it on." He puts the necklace on me and I hand him his present.

"A new skateboard!" he says excitedly when he opens it. "Thank you." He hugs me and I laugh.

"You like it?"

"I love it." He shifts into a more comfortable position, and we snuggle until I have to go home.

;;;

"Are you ready for New Year's?" Piper asks me two days later.

"Yeah. Are you still having a party?"

"Yup. I'm going to need your help setting up, though."

"You got it. I need to find an outfit to wear."

"Mall?" Piper asks.

"Fine," I answer.

"I've been to the mall way too much in the past week," I say as we walk in.

"Girl, you don't even know." She starts to walk towards the clothing stores, but I pull her back towards the food court.

"Food first, then shopping," I state.

Ten minutes later, we're sitting at a table eating Chipotle.

"So, what vibe are you going for?" Piper asks me.

"Vibe? I don't know what you mean."

"Like, with your outfit."

"Oh, I don't really have anything in mind. I just need to find something I look good in."

"You look good in everything," she tells me.

"Not true, but okay."

"I'm thinking maybe a dress."

"If you think it'll look good, sure." We finish our food in silence and make our way to the stores.

"Annabeth," Piper yells at me. "Come here, I think I found something." I walk over to her and she holds up a tight lavender satin slip dress. "What do you think?"

"I like it. Should I try it on?" I ask. She nods and I head back to the fitting room. I step into the dress and examine myself in the mirror. It reaches about mid-thigh, maybe a little longer. The color seems to compliment my skin tone fairly well, bringing out my natural tan. I step out and show Piper, and she nods.

"You look amazing," she says.

I gesture to the spaghetti straps of the dress. "Won't I be cold?"

"You should be fine, the party's going to be inside. If you're cold you can borrow one of my sweaters."

"Okay, I guess I just need to find some shoes to wear with it."

"I think I have a pair you'll like. Now go get changed, I need a nap." I quickly change out of the dress, then head to the register to pay.

"So what're your plans for the party?" I ask Piper on the car ride home.

"I don't exactly know. I've already sent out the invites, and I have food being catered, but I think I'm just going to have us all chill. Well, chill as much as you can at one of my parties."

"What time do you want me to come over?"

"Like, 4, maybe? The party's going to start at 9, so we can just hang out, get ready, and set up. It's going to take a while."

"That sounds good." We drive the rest of the way listening to the radio, and, once we reach her house, we jump out of the car and grab our bags.

"You want to stay the night?" Piper asks as we walk inside.

"Sure." I text my dad and follow Piper up to her room.

"What movie should we watch tonight?" she asks.

"Ant-Man."

"Perfect." She plays the movie and I bury myself into the fluffy covers of her bed.

;;;

"Party time!" I yell as I walk into Piper's house on New Year's Eve.

"Ugh, I'm so glad you're here. The food is about to arrive and I can't handle all of it by myself." Just as she finishes her sentence, there's a knock on the front door. Soon after, platters of food are laid out across the large kitchen.

"Okay, lets go get ready. Percy and Jason are coming over to help set up soon." I grab my bag and head up to her room. I slip my dress on and start to put on my jewelry. I picked out the necklace and bracelet Percy had gotten me, a small pair of hoops for my earrings, and a simple ring with two stars on it. Piper handles my hair, putting it in a half up, half down. The top is french braided into a bun, and on the bottom, she tamed my curls so they fall elegantly. I throw on some mascara and watch Piper finish getting ready, then we head downstairs.

"I'm so excited for tonight," she says, smiling at me. She's wearing a red long-sleeved bodycon dress that ends about the same length as mine, and her dark hair is pulled back into a bun.

"Me too." I hear a knock on the door, and Piper and I both stand up, ready to greet the boys.