Going Viral

Chapter 21

August 21st

"Annabeth, that's amazing! I'm so proud of you!" Piper squeals and takes the letter from Annabeth. "I knew you could do it, what did I tell you?"

Perhaps now is not the time to point out that Piper had actually told her that she'd make the perfect Regina George and that that role had next to nothing in common with Jenna Hunterson (though Annabeth's rendition of Someone Gets Hurt was actually pretty good if she did say so herself).

"So you're gonna be on Broadway? This is incredible. I knew you had it in you."

Hearing someone say it out loud made everything seem so much more real. Annabeth was going to be on Broadway - as soon as she signs the contract. Sure, it was a deliberate choice for the show and there were always debates about stunt casting, but hopefully all would work out well. She's desperate to spread her good news but for now, she decides to keep it quiet. Nothing's official until everything's signed and though she could tell Percy, she decides not to. Tomorrow is his awards show and she had no desire to step on his toes when he was about to be awarded Song of the Summer and begin his most successful year in music to date.

The morning of the awards show, Annabeth is buzzing. Of course, Percy had given her a brief outline of the night, but Will had given her the more valuable information.

sunnysolace TheHalfbloodsArmCandyGuide.doc

sunnysolace that's everything you're gonna need to know, lmk if you have any questions :)

It featured useful knowledge such as: #8 - don't let the press ask Thalia about romance, #32 - if Nico and Percy ask for a mango cocktail, they mean a Caprisun, they just won't admit it and #37 - under no circumstances should any of them be allowed to eat during the presentation.

Will had even informed her that if she were to arrive at Percy's apartment a few hours early, everyone would be there getting ready and she would be able to have someone do her hair and makeup for her if she wanted. It would save her a job...

So that's why she knocks on Percy's door at five instead of seven with her dress held in a clothes carrier and her own minimal makeup collection in a makeup case. The girl that opens the door looks to be about sixteen and squeaks when she sees Annabeth. "She's here!"

"Lacy, I need the tweezers," Someone shouts and the girl, Lacy, ushers Annabeth in before hurrying off, armed with a pair of dangerously sharp, bejewelled tweezers.

When she surveys the room, Annabeth is reminded of just how famous the halfbloods are. There must be six people flitting around the room with brushes and moisturisers, tending to the band as they get ready. Nico and Will are lounging on the couch, hand in hand and watching some sitcom she doesn't recognise. The pair of them wince every time they laugh because it must pull on their face-masks. Someone is massaging Thalia's face with a jade roller while another girl (who looks like she might as well be a model) styles her hair. Annabeth's favorite sight has to be that of Percy, though. He's leaning against the kitchen counter while Lacy and an older girl pluck his eyebrows.

"Beth, boy am I glad you're here. Save me, please. Tell Drew this isn't necessary." He calls, letting out another whimper as part of his eyebrow is stolen away.

Annabeth walks over slowly and studies his face. "Truthfully, Percy, it's been a long time coming. You should be thankful it's them doing it and not me. I wouldn't baby you quite so much." She says when she watches Lacy rub an ice cube over the other eyebrow.

A new voice shouts Annabeth and she spins to find out who. "Finally, you're here. Can I see your dress so I can match Percy's wardrobe?" This girl is dressed much more casually than the rest of the stylists and artists in the room. A mess of fiery red hair is twisted atop her head and a few fly-aways frame her face like a lions mane. Annabeth thinks she spots a paintbrush sticking out of the bun but maybe she's mistaken.

The girl, Rachel, tugs on Annabeth's hand and takes her into a bedroom while hurriedly introducing herself. When she finally stops talking, she takes the clothes carrier from Annabeth and unzips it, revealing her dress.

Hazel had visited earlier in the week and insisted that they have a girls shopping trip so that Annabeth wouldn't look like a glamorous school girl on her next evening out, so inevitably she had bought a new dress. It's a simple style, pale pink and just past her knee with a floaty, sheer skirt. The bodice twists back into a bow between the bottom of her shoulder blades and reveals the skin of her back that the skirt doesn't cover.

"It's nice. I'm not putting Percy in baby pink though, so I'll get you a white clutch. Then you'll compliment his suit."

She tries not to frown at Rachel's harsh tone. This girl means business, clearly.

"Get dressed and then I'll get Silena to fix your face up."

Annabeth is left alone to do just that.

The pale color of the dress highlights her California-girl tan and makes her legs look long and slim. She shamelessly strokes her hand over her freshly shaved legs (who doesn't?) and lets her hair fall loose around her shoulders. There's a mirror on the wardrobe that Annabeth admires herself in. That's when she realises where she is.

Percy's bedroom is semi-familiar from all their early morning Facetime calls and snaps, so she recognises the checkered bedding and blue feature wall, but it's much tidier than she expected it to be. Perhaps that's because Rachel's using it as her own personal walk in wardrobe. There must be 4 rails of clothing in the space between the foot of the bed and the wall, all much too neatly pressed to be Percy's alone. Something catches her eye.

There's a photo on a cabinet of her and Estelle at the tea party she'd attended months ago. Stella's hair was untamed and wild and she had a 'dinglehopper' stuck through one of her pigtails to accent her adorableness. Annabeth was next to her, face tinted pink from her nerves and paper crown balancing precariously on her head. That had been the first time she'd met his family. So much had changed and yet everything felt the same.

Silena was incredible at what she did. Using only the minimal collection of makeup from her bag, she managed to make Annabeth's skin glowing and flawless, her eyelids shimming, lashes long and curled and her lips plump and pink. A crown was braided into her hair and and a powder brush tickled her cheeks and then she was done.

"You look... wow." Percy was biting his lip and smiling at her so she gave him a twirl. He looked particularly handsome in his black two-piece and crisp white shirt, Annabeth was certainly appreciative of the fact that someone had sorted his eyebrows out and cleaned up the stubble that had started on his chin. The sharp line of his jaw had been highlighted using a small amount of contour and the angles of his face made his eyes look softer than usual.

"You ready for this?" He asked.

She let out a nervous breath and nodded. "I think so."

"As long as we're together."