Alternatively

Twice the Fun

The holidays were the worst.

She was cold all the time, she had to buy gifts instead of pay her bills, she always forgot to decorate until it was too late and just sad, and she felt personally attacked for being alone. Normally, she was just fine being solitary. Her apartment was just the right size for one, she didn't have to share a bathroom with people, nobody ate her left overs. She didn't have to co captain her life with anyone. But right after Halloween and the Christmas music starts to play, suddenly it's pathetic to be alone, she should share her life with someone, open up to people.

Bleh.

So what if she kept to herself? It didn't affect anyone, positively or negatively.

"Stupid cuffing season," she grumbled, tossing a box of candy canes into her cart.

Target was busy, as she expected it would be three days before Christmas. People scrambled for the last minute gifts, seeking the good deals and scrounging the bottoms of literal barrels. She couldn't believe she had to fight someone over the last plastic whiskey ornament, a fight she obviously won.

It was the principal of the fact, though.

No one should be fighting over a crappy gag gift.

"Malcolm, Thalia, Grover...Dad," she tapped her phone against the cart, staring blankly down the aisle. "I forgot about Dad."

Whoops.

Of course, she had gift cards for her brothers and a well intentioned basket of sweets for Chiron, but she managed to forget her father. It didn't guilt her up, her dad had forgotten her many a times on Christmas and the whole family was vacationing in Hawaii without her, but she supposed she needed to get him something in a gesture of good will. Years had passed since she got him a gift relative to his interests, not since he flippantly said the model plane she bought was historically inaccurate.

"But I love that you thought of me, Annie," he had rushed to say, patting the box uncomfortably.

"Socks? Maybe...some gloves?"

Her phone buzzed and she pulled her cart to the side, letting a woman with a screaming toddler pass before answering.

"I really don't want you to be mad at me."

"Depends on what you're about to say."

Piper sighed, the sound of laughter crackling over the line. "So...you know my dad."

"I do," she stared stonily at a man who tried wedging his way to the shelf behind her cart. "What's wrong?"

"I mean, nothing's wrong, per se, but like, he managed to get Jason and I court side tickets to the Lakers game."

"And..."

"And it's on Christmas."

She scratched her cheek, looking at the hats that hung on the rack before her. "You're not looking for permission, are you?"

"Well I know that if we leave, you'll be alone and I don't want you to-"

"Pipes, it's totally chill. I know how much you like the Lakers and Jason's been dying to go back to Cali forever."

Her huff was palpable. "But you can't spend the holidays by yourself, I'd feel terrible."

"Trust me," she picked out a black hat, rubbing the knitting between her fingers. "I'll be fine, you just have fun. I have both your gifts waiting for when you come back."

"We can exchange before we leave for the airport if you'd like."

Annabeth threw the hat into her cart. "Jason will be too frazzled for that and you know it. Just have a good time and pray your team doesn't get crushed by the Warriors."