Annabeth's POV
I got out of the cab after paying the driver. I got my stuff and walked towards the small apartment that my dad had bought for me. I unlocked the door to the building. It took some time before I could read the sign that told me what floor my apartment was. I've never been here or seen it, but my dad warned me that it was a bit on the small side. I walked up the stairs to the third floor into apartment 3H. I unlocked the door to that and walked in. I gasped. I know my dad said it was small, but I didn't expect it to be this small! There was only one room, and it only fit a mini refrigerator, twin sized bed, small drawer with a lamp on it, and a retractable laptop desk. Next to the dresser was a door that led to the bathroom. There was a shower/bathtub, toilet, and towel rack. A mirror stood above the sink. It was the same size as the main room, believe it or not. And that was it. This is where I was going to live for the rest of the year. I sighed and sat down on the bed. I opened up my suitcase and neatly put my clothes in the drawer. Taking out Daedalus's laptop, I put it on the laptop desk. Then, I rummaged through my purse and brought everything out: a wallet full of American money, a few drachmas, prism for Iris messages, my emergency cellphone, it's recharger, my invisibility hat and my dagger. Putting the dagger and hat on the drawer next to the lamp, I put everything else back. I just looked around, bored. Sighing, I decided to see if anything was in the refrigerator. There was an ice cube tray, and a little compartment for ice cream. There was nothing, really. I made a mental note to go shopping for some food. I sighed again and sat down on the bed. I started to think. Percy had Iris messaged me on the plane a few hours ago. Luckily, I was in the bathroom so no one saw. I didn't want Percy to know where I was, so I quickly ended it. He didn't try to call back, luckily. But all I could think about was what he could've been thinking. I sighed and rubbed my eyes. I was tired. I looked at my watch. It was one in he morning. I groaned. I had school tomorrow! I quickly set the alarm on my watch and picked my clothes.
"Pick the skinny jeans and that cream blouse. Oh! And that brown belt would look really good with it!" someone exclaimed.
I abruptly turned around. Aphrodite was standing next to me, looking in my drawer.
"Aphrodite? What are you doing here?" I asked.
"Helping you decide what you're going to wear tomorrow," she said with a shrug.
"I think that I can do that all by myself," I snapped.
"Watch your tone," she scolded threateningly.
I rubbed my eyes and said a quick apology.
"Anyways, you don't have anything good to wear. Let's go shopping!" Aphrodite exclaimed.
"What? But it's one in the morning! And I'm tired," I argued.
"It's okay. I can help with that," she said happily.
Suddenly I was in a chic store. All around me were shoes, dresses, tops, jackets and bottoms.
"What do you mean by, 'I can help with that'?" I asked.
"You're sleeping right now. This is a dream. But I'm in it! Whatever you pick will be in that little drawer of yours tomorrow!" she said.
I suddenly noticed that I didn't feel tired.
"Ooookay?" I said, unsure.
"Now let's pick out some clothes!" Aphrodite exclaimed.
She went to a dress that was really short and looked tight.
"How about this?"
"No."
Then she picked another dress that was pretty, but still too short. I shook my head at it.
"Oh, come on! I bet Percy would LOVE to see you in this one!"
I blushed, but glared at her.
"Okay, okay. I guess you don't like dresses."
"Let's try... skirts!"
"No."
"Annabeth! Come on, you're taking all the fun out of it!"
"Can I pick something myself?"
"Okay, fine. But if I don't like it, you're not getting it."
"Then I can just wear some of my own clothes."
"Just go pick them."
I walked around, trying to find something appropriate. My eyes landed in a pair of dark blue skinny jeans. I quickly grabbed them. Then I looked for a top. Much to my dismay, there were no t-shirts or sweatshirts. So, I grabbed a maroon long-sleeve shirt that had a few buttons running down the chest. There was a black blazer near it. I took that, too. Then, I searched for the right shoes. There were no sneakers. So, I just grabbed a pair of brown knee-high boots.
"Done," I called to Aphrodite who was sitting on a couch, that appeared out of nowhere, fixing her make-up.
She patted the space next to her, indicating me to sit.
"What do you got?" she asked.
I held up the clothes.
"You have really nice taste for a wisdom child," she commented.
"It's simple, but nice. That shirt will hug your curves just perfectly. The jeans will, too. The blazer will add a nice touch. And those boots will finish off the outfit," Aphrodite continued.
"Thanks," I muttered.
"Now, on to accessories!" she exclaimed.
The clothes vanished, replaced with scarves, necklaces, bracelets, displays of rings and earrings, purses, and sunglasses. I sighed. I thought that all of it was over.
"Oh, but it isn't," Aphrodite said with a smile.
I smiled guiltily.
"Hmm. I think that a scarf would do. And maybe some earrings. Oh! And you need a new purse. The one you have is hideous," she murmured.
Aphrodite grabbed a scarf that was brown. Some red, orange, and yellow was weaved in it. Then, she got simple gold earrings. Then, I realized they were engraved with little owls, which I thought was appropriate. The purse that she got was a dark brown. It was probably big enough to fit the books that I would have for school.
"Good. You like these?" she asked.
I nodded and she sat down on the couch again.
"Okay, now let's talk about tomorrow," she said.
"I know what you're gonna do. So, you might need these," she continued.
I looked down in her hands. She was holding a straight, brown wig and a contacts case.
"What's this?" I asked.
"It's for your plan. The contacts are brown, by the way," she said.
"Oh. Thanks," I said.
"No problem. Okay. I'll leave you alone now. Everything will be in your drawer. And in case you decide not to wear these, they'll be the only things in there. I'll give it all back the next day," Aphrodite informed before she went away, leaving me to a peaceful sleep.
