Pathways

4 Annabeth

Our first break of the school year is coming up next week. Really it's a time where professors catch up of grading midterms and papers. But to us students it is Fall Break. College as I expected is nothing like the small amount of high school life that I've experienced. There's more work load, of course, fewer classes, and way less sleep. I'm only taking my first three core classes ever and I'm swamped. There always something big due the next day it seems. I never really had problems with school before. At least the coriculum is targeted towards us Demigods with our ADHD and dyslexia.

I'm living the life I wanted, college in New Rome, on top of that I'm working on some intense architecture and remodeling projects for the olympians.

With all of that there seems to be no time for anything else. Yet I find myself sitting again near the little man made lake staring wistfully at the water. I feel like the cliche heartthrob girlfriend missing her boy. I am not that girl there is no mushy sap of a sad romance here. I just wish he was here with me.

I stick my feet in the water, it's warm like his hands. It's starting to get late here which means that boy better be in bed if he knows what's good for him. I swear he's not even in college and he gets less sleep than me. I plan on traveling to New York for the break obviously. There is a portal between camps which thank the gods because trying to travel over land is a pain and a whole lot of time for only having a four day weekend. 

I daze off until I feel a tap on my shoulder. I peer over to see a certain chocolate haired girl peering over my shoulder. Piper was here this week staying to see Jason. Her and Jace switch between camps often like many.

"Dinner time Miss Doom and Gloom," she says.

"Why am I Miss doom and Gloom?" I inquire while getting up.

"You look sad and when you look sad you look like you're going to punch someone," she replies simply she takes my hand to pull me quickly towards the festivity that is dinner.

...

I sat through what now seems like my millionth Latin lecture staring down at my watch, seeing the second edge closer towards my last class until I have four days off.

Why I decided to take Latin is something I keep questioning. No offense to this entire camp but Latin is boring. Or Maybe Because the class is far too easy and basic for my liking. If I'm going to sit through it for two hours three times a week I should dam well be engaged. Latin comes to me like greek. It's been quick to learn but maybe it's all from my Mother's whit and brain that has been passed down to me.

Finally the class is dismissed and I bolt out. We live in dorms which seperates us from the other parts of New Rome.  I grab my prepacked bag and bust out the door and move my way eagerly to the portal. It's two thirty which means it's five thirty in new York. So percy should be getting off of work soon and should be coming to get me.

I'm far too excited for a four day weekend.

Once I go through I am met with the familiar chorus of laughing campers and the smell of dinner starting. I just had lunch not too long ago though. Not that I cared I missed it here. The first to squish me with a hug is one of my brothers then follow almost all of my siblings along with Will Solace and a few others.

I spend time with everyone at dinner trying to anxiously pass time.

I peak at my watch for the millionth time watching seconds pass by as the hour of six rolls around. "He'll be here soon I'm sure," Nico says sitting next to me. He's been waiting too, for a ride. He likes to stay with Percy sometimes because camp can be a lot and he's trying to adapt to modern times. He'll usually go week on week off between places. Everyone moving around so much is more normalized now. Just a few years ago it was forbidden to leave camp aside from a quest or it just being the end of summer. Now we have a checking out system just outside the big house so we check in and check out it of camp so we know whose here at all times.

I came up with it and polished it with Chiron.

Nico and I sit and talk with eachother, generally just talking about what's been happening. He's still same old Nico, his dark longish hair, big black jacket, black skinny jeans, deathly pale skin. Things used to be tense with us but now, he's just.. nice. He's a really good friend if I feel like talking. And we have mutual respect for overseeing both camps. Before the camps new eachother it was only Nico as the tie. He does so much more than people give him credit for.

Eventually Will Solace joins us by plopping himself on Nico's lab and all three of us get lost in time.

All of the sudden both of them stop the conversation and grin madly. I glare skeptically. "What?" I ask

There is a poke on my shoulder and I whip my head to see. I Look up. My eyes meet the sea green ones of my boyfriend, his messy hair and tanned skin.

I jump up and tackle him to the ground in a tight hug. He squirms under me and I smile, "Hey seaweed brain,"

"Well hello, wise girl,"