The Stories of Our Heroes

Decorating the Tree

Thalia's POV

I woke up to... giggling? I hadn't opened my eyes yet and my mouth still tasted gross. I was a little distorted, too. This is why I don't like naps. But yep, that was definitely giggling. I cracked an eye to see Annabeth, Grover, and Percy standing over me, trying and failing to stifle their laughter.

"What are you idiots doing?" I demanded. I was staying with Percy and Annabeth in their apartment for a little while over the holidays, just taking a small vacation from hunting, and I had fallen asleep on the couch.

"Oh good, you're awake. You're a really heavy sleeper by the way. Okay, let's stand her up," Percy said, completely ignoring my question. I tried to sit up, to wack him or something, but found that my whole body was tied together. Grover grabbed one of my arms and Percy the other, and they hauled me up to my feet.

"I swear to Hades if you three don't-" I growled but Annabeth cut me off.

"Oh but Thals, you look so pretty." She laughed again. "Just a few finishing touches..." She grabbed some ornaments off the table and... hung them on me? For the first time since waking up, I looked down. I about went ballistic right there.

I was wrapped up in tinsel and had shiny glass bulbs hanging on my clothes. I was a freaking Christmas tree. How funny.

"You know," I spat at my cackling friends, "I haven't been a tree for a few good years now." They just started laughing harder, they were almost in tears now.

"Oh, oh, oh, don't forget the star," Grover gasped in between fits of... well, pretty much bleating.

"Star? Star - WE'RE GREEK YOU DUMB A-" I shouted but Percy drowned me out.

"Well it wouldn't be a Christmas tree without a star, stupid."

"I'll do the honors," declared Annabeth picking up a tin star. She raised her hand to put it on my head but stopped. Fortunately for her too, I was going to, like, head butt her or something.

"What's wrong Wise Girl?" Percy asked her.

"Well," she began, "I was thinking about how usually you have to be lifted up or stand on something to put the star on the tree, but we can reach Thals' head, so it's just not the same.

I rolled my eyes. "Why you little-"

"I got it!" exclaimed Grover. He leaned over and whispered something in Percy's ear, Percy nodded, told Annabeth they would be right back, and took off into another room.

"Wonder what they're doing," Annabeth muttered with an amused smile.

"With those two, they might be going for pizza, you never know." We both chuckled, even though I was still fuming about this tree joke.

"Ta-da!" cried Percy as him and Grover entered the room carrying a small table. They set it down in the corner of the tiny room and came back over to me.

"That's perfect!" Annabeth told them.

"Oh, don't you dare-" but they did it anyway. They picked me up and set me on top of the little table.

"I'll just jump down, you can't hold me here forever," I hissed at the two boys as they held my feet in place.

"I don't think so," Annabeth told me, pulling a roll of duct tape out of nowhere. I yelled profanities at her as she taped my feet to the top of the table. I couldn't bend down to undo it either, because my hands were tied down to my sides still. The three amigos stepped back to admire their work.

"Good enough?" Grover asked Annabeth.

"Yup," she responded. "Percy, lift me up." 

Percy knelt down so Annabeth could climb onto his shoulders. Once she was situated, he stood up.

"Ugh," he groaned. "I think you're getting heavier."

"Shut up, Jackson." She playfully swatted the top of his head. The couple walked over to me and once again, Annabeth paused with the star hovering just above my head.

"What is it this time?"

"Somebody else might want to see this," she smirked.

"Nobody, NOBODY, else needs to see this," I grumpily assured her.

"Oh yes," Percy said, catching onto Annabeth's thought process.

"Oh no," I told him with what I was sure was a killer glare.

"Who?" Grover asked. Percy gave him a look and Grover laughed. "Oh definitely." Stupid empathy link.

Percy took off towards the kitchen with Annabeth still on his shoulders. She squealed and wrapped her arms around his head to not fall off. They reappeared a moment later, Percy holding a drachma and a glass of water, Annabeth still latched onto his head like a spooked cat. She finally relaxed when he came to a halt.

"Oh Iris, goddess of messages, show me Jason Grace!" Percy shouted excitedly. I groaned and internally face palmed. The face of my brother appeared in the mist Percy had created. His girlfriend was curled into his side and they seemed to me watching a movie. Jason noticed us immediately and shut off the movie, rousing Piper who was almost asleep.

"Hey guys... well, this looks fun," he deadpanned as he took in a laughing satyr, Annabeth sitting on Percy's shoulders, and me duct taped to a table, covered in decorations.

"Should I be concerned?" Piper asked with raised eyebrows, but I could tell she was trying hard to hold in a fit of giggles.

"Nah, this is all perfectly normal," Percy assured her. "But we figured you guys would want to be part of putting the star on the tree." Annabeth waved the star around to back Percy up.

"Aw, how sweet to think of us, bro," Jason told Percy.

"No problem, bro," Percy responded. Piper and Annabeth both groaned.

"Annabeth, put that star up before these two compliment each other's facial features again," Piper said urgently.

"Again?" I asked.

"Let's not talk about it," Annabeth interrupted.

"But sometime I have to hear about this," Grover made Annabeth promise, bleating again.

"Alright, alright, drum roll please," Annabeth yelled as Percy walked towards me. Grover, Piper, and Jason patted their laps and rolled their tongues, really dramatically.

"Chase, this is your last chance," I threatened as she raised her arms to place the star on me. But she did it anyway. Percy walked backwards as applause erupted from my brother. Annabeth slid off of Percy and raced for her camera.

"Say Merry Christmas!" she told me as she lifted the camera to her eyes. I didn't. But she got a good picture anyway because the flash was on but I didn't know it. The light startled me and I sparked, literally. When Annabeth showed us all the picture, I looked like I was glowing like a regular Christmas tree.

"You really do make a good tree, sis." 

"Shut it."

"Now you just have to stay like that until after Christmas," Percy said to me very seriously.

"Yeah right," I retorted hotly.

"Thalia, can't wait to see you on Thursday," Piper teased. Everyone was coming over to celebrate on Thursday.

"There's no way in Hades I am staying here until Thursday."

"Don't worry, I'm sure Percy and Annabeth will water you," Grover supplied. He about keeled over laughing at his own joke.

"Ha ha, very funny Tin Breath."

"Well, we gotta go but see you guys soon," Jason told us when the image of him and Piper started to shimmer. We told them goodbye and Jason reminded Annabeth he wanted a copy of that picture.

My three friends flopped onto the couch.

"I say we are the best tree decorators ever," Annabeth stated. Percy and Grover agreed.

"I hate you all."