Alternatively

Trust Fall

There was hysteria in the arena.

She paused, standing on the side of the path as the class roamed uneasily, watching the pair on the edge with wary eyes. It was a beginner class and she knew the regimen well; she had been there when it was developed.

Partner exercises, strength within your troop. It was very Roman, and she had frowned when she realized where Percy had gotten it from. But when she thought about it, and when group missions improved, she managed to release the tension she had been harboring.

Well, she managed to release a little.

Sweat trickled down her spine as Percy appeared at the pair's side, trying to talk them out of the fight they were raging in, and he was lucky there weren't any weapons at that session. Though, with the girl, it might not have mattered; her aura was positively pulsing in the afternoon sun, the red tinging her skin having nothing to do with the heat.

But, as Annabeth walked towards the arena, she realized the daughter of Ares wasn't exactly on the attack, but demanding an answer from her partner, who was not having it at all. He was pushing her away, pushing Percy away, shouting and totally furious.

He was embarrassed.

She set her jaw, pony tail swinging as she breezed through the archway. The kids eyed her, as if there was going to be a show, and she just beelined to the partners. Percy gave her a look, trying to keep the girl back, but nodded as her gaze flickered meaningfully to the boy.

"Okay, okay," he called, urging Amanda back. "You, take a breather, get water, and you all," the rest of the class snapped to attention, "Let's start the next exercise, huh?"

Annabeth ducked slightly, making sure she had Niel's attention before calmly saying, "Walk with me."

He stubbornly grit his teeth, breathing harshly in and out through his nose.

"Let's go."

His nostrils flared as he glared at the dirt, so she started walking away. Her shoes crunched on the gravel track ringing the arena and she could hear Percy instructing the class on the other side, chatter drifting through the stagnant summer air. She squinted against the light; her sunglasses were back at the Big House, probably buried under piles of newspaper as Rachel began her next paper mache adventure.

The son of Hecate fell into step beside her, trudging reluctantly with his head down and arms tightly crossed.

Trying not to feel smug, she looked ahead. "So."

"What."

"What?"

His eyes darted up, and she really had to hide her smile as he tried both standing his ground and apologizing. "I just...what?"

"You know what," she stuck her hands in her back pockets. "Can't imagine why else I'd be here."

"It was nothing," he grumbled.

Annabeth raised her eyebrows but said nothing.

"Really."

There was a shadow stretching off the wall ahead, just around the bend.

He sighed angrily, rolling his head back. "I just didn't want to do the dumb exercise, okay? We should be learning how to fight and use weapons and stuff, I don't wanna do this."

"Is that the whole truth?"

"Tch, ya?"

Annabeth nodded, waiting for him to cave.