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The Yule Ball Turns Into Disaster Part 1

Percy's POV

Walking hand in hand with an Annabeth dressed in gray dress robes, we walked together to the Great Hall. We didn't bother waiting for the others anymore, because they were all causing a big fuss. (Especially Leo, who was still fussing over "cheating" on Calypso)

"It's okay, it's only for a night, anyway." was what Frank told him, shrugging.

Oh yeah, that issue with Frank, Hazel, and Cort. Oh man, love triangles are confusing. First it was Leo, Frank and Hazel and now it's...

My brain hurts from thinking too intensely.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain, snap out of your daydreams." Annabeth says with a smile, punching me on my shoulder. 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, the only thing I could be dreaming about anyway is you."

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

I opened the doors of the Great Hall. Decorated with red, gold, blue and green, it looked transformed. All the long, rectangular tables were turned into small, round ones. There was this whole space just for dancing. A band was playing onstage and the members of those band were...

"Hey, are those girls or boys? I can't tell." Annabeth squinted at them.

I looked at her in shock. "Ohhhhhh for once the Wise Girl doesn't know anything." I laughed my head off as Annabeth turned red and started punching me. 

"Stop, Seaweed Brain, if you don't want to get all bruised up."

I opened my mouth in reply until the doors of the Great Hall opened, and Hazel was walking alone in her golden dress robes. Where was Frank? Or the other guy... uh... um... what was his name again? Senate? What?

"Where's Frank?" I heard Annabeth ask. Hazel had went to us while I wasn't looking. 

Hazel frowned and shrugged.

"How about the other guy?" I asked her.

She shook her head, still frowning.

"Come on, say something."

She bit her lip. "They both asked me... and I didn't say yes or no to any of them."

"Wait, Hazel." Annabeth widened her eyes. "So... you're saying that you like both of them?"

"Yep, that's our Hazel, always involved in the drama." I heard someone say behind me. 

We all turned. It was Leo, with the Quidditch player, Katie. 

Hazel blushed. 

I wanted to hit Leo on the head for being so insensitive. Didn't he remember everything that happened? Her love triangle with him and Frank, finally choosing Frank, and now... she was stuck in another one. I sighed. He was right, though.

I looked around me, watching the ghosts. I spotted one with only one leg, arm in arm with a female ghost, who was smiling back at him. 

The couple waved at us and walked (floated?) over. Only now did I notice that the male ghost had a cigarette in his mouth. 

"Can ghosts even smoke?" I asked without thinking.

Annabeth hit me on the head. "Percy!"

The male ghost with one leg just laughed. Actually, he looked about my age, seventeen, and the girl looked like she was sixteen.

"Yeah, nice to meet you, too. I'm Augustus, and it's a metaphor." He pointed at his cigarette. "This is Hazel Grace, the greatest girl in the world who never told me the ending of the story." He looked at her.

"Hey, it was that crappy author's fault." They moved away from us, laughing. 

Leo's eyebrows were raised. "I'm pretty sure there's a book about them. Called "The Star in My Faults" I think?" 

Katie, Hazel, and Annabeth all face palmed. "No, dummy." Katie said. "It's called "The Fault in Our Stars."

Leo shrugged. "It's a book for girls."

Hazel grabbed Leo's wrist. "If you won't read the book, we'll make you watch the movie." 

Then she remembered that we were still in the Yule Ball. She let go of his wrist. "After." She added.

"Yeah." Annabeth winked. "Don't forget to bring a bunch of tissue."

"Pshh." I said. "Leo and I won't cry. We're not weenies." I grinned. 

"Really, Seaweed Brain?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah."