Another runner up cover by Dizznee_Worldtho!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ANNABETH CHASE

8-30-20

"Can you move the bed another few inches to the right, Perce?"

He nodded, giving the frame a shove.

"Wait!" I exclaimed. "Not that far."

Percy sighed, nudging the furniture piece back to the left again.

I grinned. "Perfect. Now, whenever my roommate arrives, the room will be split exactly."

He rolled his eyes. "It looks the same as when we got here."

I narrowed my eyes back at him. "But it isn't, and that's what matters."

Percy laughed. "Whatever, Wise Girl. Are you finished unpacking?"

"Technically, no, but I've done enough that I think we can stop for today. Are you ready for a late-lunch break?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm starving, especially after that stupid five-hour flight. Let's drop off my things at my dorm, and then head to a diner or something."

"Sounds good," I agreed.

I followed Percy out of my new home for the next four years. I locked the door behind me before turning to my boyfriend and grabbing his hand. Together, we walked down the hallway and towards the stairs.

"Race you!" Percy shouted, taking off down the stairway.

"Percy, that's not fair! Wait - "

But he had already made it to the first landing, so I just rolled my eyes and sprinted down the steps.

Less than a minute later, the two of us were out of breath after dashing down four flights of stairs.

"I totally won," Percy teased after regaining some air.

I scoffed. "Yeah, by two seconds after getting a ten-second head start. Therefore," I paused, walking over to him and raising onto my tiptoes, "I'm faster."

He smirked, looking down at me and kissing the tip of my nose. "You're cute when you get defensive."

I shoved his chest, and he laughed as he stumbled away from me. 

"Come on, I'm starving and we still have to stop at your dorm. I may be cute while I'm defensive, but I am not cute whilst hungry."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About thirty minutes after leaving my dorm building, we had arrived at a small diner not far from the OAAA campus. It was called Hestia's Hearth, and the aroma escaping the doorway whenever it opened was godly.

Percy held the door open for me and I tried my best to restrain the blush coating my cheeks. I sped inside and read the sign by the entrance, telling patrons to seat themselves.

"Look, there's an empty booth by that window. Let's sit there."

"Okay, sounds good," Percy murmured, grasping my hand and squeezing it tightly as we waltzed over.

I was about to sit down on the left seat of the booth, but Percy coughed.

"I want to sit there," he declared.

I smiled, laughing a bit. "Oh, okay."

Sitting across from Percy, I scanned the restaurant. Lining the walls of the area were all booth seats. The booths were all coated in shiny, ruby red vinyl, as were the stool seats at the breakfast bar. In the center of the room were a variety of two-person, four-person, and six-person tables. Decorating the walls were different portraits of the twelve Olympians, as well as depictions of several Greek myths. Above our booth was a picture of Perseus holding Medusa's decapitated head. How fitting.

"Hey Percy, look, it's you," I teased.

Percy glanced up at the picture and let out a tiny smile, before glancing at me with a joking glare. "Don't disrespect me, mortal. I am the mighty Perseus, slayer of Medusa!"

I giggled. "As if you could ever be menacing, Seaweed Brain."

"That makes one of us, Chase, because you are absolutely terrifying."

I rolled my eyes and smirked. "Good, one of us needs to wear the pants in this relationship."

He gasped, giving me his patented "Baby Seal Gaze". With his plump, pouting lips, shimmering wide green eyes, and his dark hair flopped onto his forehead, I had a hard time remaining emotionless. After trying my best to keep a stony expression for a good ten seconds, my heart melted and I grinned at my adorable boyfriend.

"Hi, my name is Hazel and I'll be your waitress this afternoon. Can I get you folks anything to drink?"

Looking up at the small girl, I couldn't help but smile once more. She was petite, probably only 5 feet 3 inches tall, had long, curly, cinnamon brown hair, dark skin, amber eyes, and a precious grin. I wondered how old she was, seeing as she looked quite young to be working.

"I'll have a lemonade, please," I requested.

"Do you guys have milkshakes?" Percy asked, looking up at Hazel hopefully.

She giggled. "Yep, vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, peppermint, banana - "

"Anything blue?" he cut her off.

"Mhmm," Hazel hummed happily. "Blueberry is my personal favorite. Does that work?"

Percy nodded. "Perfect, thank you."

Hazel rushed off to the kitchen and I looked up at Percy. His gaze was flickering from my face to a few inches above my head.

"What's up?" I asked him.

Percy showed off his kilowatt smile, almost making me believe his next statement. "Nothing."

"Perce."

He grunted. "There's some guy behind you. He was making eyes at you from the second you walked in, which is why I wanted to sit on the side facing him. I'm not sure what he's trying to accomplish, seeing as you are a clearly taken girl."

Percy looked so sheepish, staring at the table in embarrassment and clasping his hands in annoyance, yet I couldn't help but laugh at his thought process.

I grabbed his entwined hands and held them gently. "Percy, honey, look at me. First off, you don't need to worry about any guys who are 'making eyes' at me, because you are the only one for me. Second, I knew you were up to something the second you sat down, smarty pants. And thirdly, what makes you think I'm clearly taken? There isn't a ring on my finger, nor a sign on my back reading 'PERCY JACKSON IS MY BOYFRIEND', is there?"

He looked up at me, smirking a bit. "I mean, there might as well be one. You've got a little something on your neck."

My eyes widened. "You're kidding," I deadpanned.

Percy shook his head, rolling his lips into his mouth in an attempt to restrain his snickers.

I covered my face with my hands in embarrassment. "That's why the secretary was laughing when I was checking into my dorm!" 

Percy gently tugged my wrists, making my hands fall from my face. He was grinning. "Come on, it isn't the end of the world. In fact, it's a win-win. Whenever you want to hide it, you can cover it with your hair, and you know how much I love your hair down. And if Mr. Homewrecker over there, or someone similar, attempts anything, you do a little hair flip and ward them off. It's perfect, really."

I pouted. "That does not make this better, Seaweed Brain."

He sobered up, staring into my eyes seriously. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll let you get payback tonight."

My mouth dropped. "Percy Jackson!" I exclaimed.

He burst into a fit of cackles once more. I reached across the table to pinch his ear. "Sorry, sorry," he spat out at last.

Just then, Hazel returned with two large glasses. "Oh, sorry for interrupting...whatever you guys were up to. Here are one lemonade and one blueberry milkshake. Did you decide on what to eat?"

I blushed, glancing at the untouched menus. "Could we have another minute?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back at it again with another update! It hasn't been very long, huh? Hope you liked this chapter! If you did, please leave a vote and a comment because HAZEL IS HERE

v short author's note cuz I wanna keep writing k bye see ya