Annabeth drew the hooded cape over her head, making sure that it covered her eyes and face. Quickly, she made her way towards the shop, the rain pelting down heavier than before at the ground, as if trying to break open the earth.
Pulling the door open, Annabeth stepped inside. The warmth of the large glowing fireplace against the opposite wall made her sigh in relief, but she quickly got back to business. Three rolls of fabric, some pins, a sewing kit and a sash of silvery material went underneath the hood.
Annabeth hurried out of the shop, and back onto the street, making her way down the small lane as fast as she could. Once the sight of her mother's jewellery shop came into view, Annabeth relaxed. She hurried into the store, then behind the counter and up the stairs into the apartment above. She went into the small room that she called her own and threw her new materials onto the mattress that served as a bed.
Instantly, she got to work, measuring out the fabrics and copying her design plan that was chalked onto the wall with charcoal. Annabeth followed the layout she had set for herself, and was halfway done cutting the fabric when her mother arrived. The bell on the door in the shop tinkled pleasantly as her mother arrived home.
Hurriedly, Annabeth yanked one of the floorboards up and stuffed her project in it, then put it back and covered up her designs with a calendar on the wall.
The stairs creaked as Athena Chase made her way up. "Annabeth?" She called. "Are you home?"
"Yes, mother." Annabeth squeaked in reply, running out of her room.
"Good." Athena snapped, then hung her coat on the landing barrier before going into her room. "Is dinner ready?"
"No..." Annabeth cringed.
There was silence, before: "Then put it on, you stupid girl!"
Annabeth stumbled into the small kitchen and grabbed the matches. She lit the element on the stove, then grabbed a pot and filled it with water before putting on the lid and placing it on the element, before pulling out a chopping board and a knife. She grabbed some carrots and started skinning and cutting them before she put them in the now boiling water.
Oh, how she wished she wasn't so poor!