princess // percy jackson

i. seven - alliah strikes bullseye

words : 3984

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alliah watched as the sword flew out of her hand, backing away scared of the blade accidentally somehow catching her skin. she stared up at luke, awe on her face.

"how'd you do that?!"

the boy did a fancy twirl with his sword before positioning it to his side, a proud smile on his face.

"practice - and a lot of it." he said. "with as much practice as i had, you'll get there too, don't you worry."

annabeth joined his side, a similar look of pride on her face. she looked up at him, her cheeks brushing pink.

alliah hadn't seen it the night before but she could see it clear as day now - annabeth chase had a crush on luke castellan.

"practice and just pure skill." she remarked, holding her own sword to her side. she turned to alliah. "he's just really talented, he just won't admit it."

"who said i'd never admit it?" luke smirked.

"teach me." alliah asked eagerly. "i wanna learn how to do this properly."

luke nodded. "of course - but maybe not today. we've still got a bunch of skills we need to test you out on..."

-

alliah had it confirmed - she could never be a welder.

she stared at the molten blob on the metal desk.

"i mean, from an angle, you can kinda see the shape of a heart so i guess i made something." she tilted her head unconvinced.

"yeah, uh..." annabeth squinted her eyes. "it's definitely something..."

"as long as something's made, you're doing it right." a boy alliah had just met, whom she found out was named charles, offered optimistically - though the conflicted look on his face proved his words otherwise. but alliah still appreciated his positivity - unlike annabeth whose face had fully scrunched up disgusted.

"you give it a go then." alliah crossed her arms, half-joking and half-offended.

annabeth rose an eyebrow. "are you challenging me?"

"yes..." alliah suddenly felt unsure. "...no...i dunno..."

she turned to luke.

"should i be challenging her?" she whispered.

luke shook his head.

"no." alliah decided. "i'm not challenging you...whatever, this is dumb-"

charles crossed his arms.

"not dumb, just, not for me." alliah added quickly. "what's next on the agenda?"

-

arts and crafts couldn't be that bad - alliah had thought. what's so complicated about painting and building stuff out of sticks? truthfully she hadn't done anything artsy or crafty since she was...well, never really. there was never time for drawing or colouring throughout the last ten years of her life.

"ta-da!"

annabeth stifled a laugh, even luke looked baffled and could barely hide the smirk forming on his face.

"oh, come on." alliah crossed her arms, turning the canvas she had held up towards herself. "it can't be that...oh, yikes."

she stared at the greenish-yellowish-brownish-whateverish poop coloured stain of a blob smeared on the canvas. she had tried to paint a house on top of a hill. what had gone so wrong?