Over the next couple of days, Annabeth managed to drag me out of the janitor's closet and to the picnic table, her group sat at for lunch. I was surprised to see Frank and another girl there, but I quickly learned that they were always a part of the group and never could make it to the more recent get-togethers.

Frank because he was a part of the football team and Hazel because she was a part of the school band. I thanked Frank for Wednesday and learned he was a really nice guy. Completely opposite of some other jocks.

Thursday quickly passed into Friday, and let's just say it was hectic. All the school activity planners, volunteers, and some teachers were running around trying to finish setting up decorations and making sure everything was ready for tonight.

I didn't even know what the theme was, but it's not like it mattered, really. I felt like classes passed by extremely fast, and that was saying something since they were already cut down on time because of finals week.

I could tell that Annabeth was nervous when I met up with her after my 7th period. She was fidgety and kept glancing around. I swung my arm around her shoulders, and she relaxed into my touch.

"What up?" I asked her. She huffed as I walked with her towards the parking lot.

"Well, for one, the finals test scores have not been given out. Two, the dance is tonight, and three, I'm waiting for Piper to pop out of a bush and drag me away," Annabeth grumbled as she listed the reasons. I chuckled at her as she sent me a glare.

"Don't worry; I'm not exactly excited to go home. Mom is going to be all over me." I agreed.

"Oh, yeah, didn't your mom quit her night job? I completely forgot about that. Well sucks to be you, I guess. I can at least fight off Piper for an hour before giving in. You, on the other hand, are obligated to listen to your mother," Annabeth smirked. I groaned as I opened the passenger door to her car.

"Didn't you want to go to this torturous event?" I whined as I slipped in. She laughed at my annoyance and buckled her seat belt.

"Of course, I want to go. I don't have to enjoy the preparations," Annabeth pointed out, and I nodded, huffing. After a comfortable fifteen-minute ride, Annabeth dropped me off at my house. I wanted to sneak into my room like I used to, but I knew that my window was closed.

I grumbled to myself as I unlocked the front door. It swung open before I could grab the handle, and I was pulled in.

"Oh good, I was just about to go pick up your suits," mom exclaimed as she closed the door behind me.

"Ok, go take a shower. I'll be around thirty minutes," mom said hurriedly.

"Mom"

"Yes, Blue?"

"It's only 12:30; prom doesn't start for another 6 and a half hours. Take a breather," I informed her. I saw her shoulders hunch a bit as they deflated. I grimaced.

"But I'm sure that the guys would enjoy hanging out until 4 so you could get us ready" I tried to lift her spirits. For some reason having guests always made my mom happy. Her face lit up as she rushed to the kitchen. I hoped cookies were on the menu.

I quickly texted the group chat about coming over early. They seemed hesitant till I mentioned my mom's cooking.

Leo was instantly on board as soon as I said food. Jason agreed before the whole coaxing with food since Piper was already pushing him out the door so the girls could get ready. Nico said he was only coming because Will locked him out of his own apartment. Frank was coming later since he had football practice or weight training or whatever football players do during the spring till around 2:30.

Jason was making the rounds and was going to be here in about twenty. I told my mom I was going to be in my room for a bit and laid down. I groaned as I felt nervousness prick me. I really didn't want to go. Formal events were uncomfortable and hard to act in. There was always an atmosphere of either awkwardness or formality. As few I had been to, I hated them.

But I was going for Annabeth. I was doing this for her. I chanted it in my head, for Annabeth, for Annabeth, for Annabeth. I groaned as I heard a knock on the front door. Here already? Too soon, give me another ten minutes of moping around.

There was a louder knock, and I pulled myself to my feet. Opening the door, I let Leo, Jason, and Nico in. Leo rushed to the dining room, and the other two followed me through the house to follow Leo.

When we got to the dining room, I saw a platter of blue cookies and some cheese quesadillas. I love my mom. I grabbed two cookies and sat down in a chair.

After a while of small talk, we got up to watch a movie in the living room. As the three were arguing over a movie, I heard a knock on the door. Getting up, I opened the door and saw Frank.

"Hey, good to see you. You're just in time to argue about the movie we should watch," I greeted. Frank smiled appreciatively at me."Oh, and in the dining room, there's cookies and quesadillas."

"Oh, yes, food! I came right from practice and only had a granola bar," he said hurriedly and basically ran to the dining room. I walked back into the living room to see Jason and Leo wrestling while Nico ate a cookie, amused by the battle. I groaned and whispered to Nico," So what are the choices?". He shrugged.

"Kill Bill and John Wick, I think" I sucked in a breath, hard choice. I decided to sit this one out. I ate my tenth cookie as Leo got pinned by Jason. Leo groaned in defeat. "Fine! John Wick!". Jason grinned in triumph and picked up the remote, quickly starting the movie.

Frank came back in around ten minutes later with a plate piled with cookies and quesadillas. Personally, I was trying to save myself for the food at the dance.

About the time when John Wick starts killing everyone in the place that had information on his car, which is to say, not very far in, my mom left for the suit store. On the way out, she made sure to get Frank's full name before leaving so she could pick up his suit as well.

Mom got back around thirty minutes later, and we were halfway through the movie.

"Alright, we have one shower, so one at a time! Someone go get in," my mom ordered. Leo jumped up as if excited to put on a suit. He rushed into the restroom after mom handed him his slacks and button-up.

Around fifteen minutes later, Leo returned, and Nico took his turn, then Frank, me, and then Jason, who refused to shower before the end of the movie.

Once we were all in our bare minimum of suit clothing, Mom made sure everything was right, our shirts tucked in, collars folded correctly, buttons all the way up, the like. Once she finished buttoning up my shirt the rest of the way, she handed out suit jackets.

We slipped them on simultaneously, and I really wished my mom got that on camera. I felt like I was in the mafia or something with how perfectly we timed that.

Then came the real problem—the ties. I have no idea why they're even called that. I mean, yea, you have to tie a tie, but the real problem is how do you tie a tie. Honestly, it's confusing.

It turns out Frank knew how to tie a tie. I hope that colleges accept that on applications because I think it should put you at the top of the list.

After my mom taught and retaught the process, only me and Leo failed to master how to tie a tie. Mom ended up tying our ties while Nico and Jason tied their own. Frank watched amusedly in the corner.

The shoes were after the near-death experience of suffocation, and let's just say I wasn't excited. These shoes are either too large, or they pinch your toes. I got the ones that fit, so I had pinched toes. I laced up the shoes and stood there at attention like a military soldier. We all stood in a line as my mom inspected our clothing.

Then as if remembering, she smiled ruefully and left the room. I was terrified. What more did she need to add?

My face paled as she came out with a hairbrush, comb, gel, and a hairband. Oh, fuck no.

She started with Frank, probably the easiest since he had the least amount of hair; well, I guess Jason was pretty close. Anyway, all mom had to do was brush his hair to get the few stray strands in place. But she gelled it anyways, to give that shiny look. Lucky.

Then came Jason, she just brushed his hair, that was it. She just brushed it—another lucky duck.

Next came Leo, who looked downright terrified. I felt his terror, we both had unruly hair, and honestly, I wasn't looking forward to the whole, getting your hair done idea either. My mom spent a reasonable amount of time brushing Leo's curly hair. Then she got a thin hairband and used it to push his bangs from his face. Then he was free to go after a bit of gel to keep his hair flat.

Nico went next, and my mom just brushed his hair out. I felt like she was conserving energy, trying not to give all her tricks away, and that just made me more anxious. She asked Nico if he wanted a hairband, and he politely declined. He was done. All these lucky motherfuckers, except you, Leo, you feel my pain.

My mom motioned for me to take a seat in front of her, and I tried to run. Tried. Jason and Leo barred my way, smiling evilly. I groaned and sat down in front of my mom. She grabbed the hairbrush and started the painful process of brushing out my hair.

Unfortunately, I don't brush my hair often, so there were many knots. Since my hair has been growing in one way my whole life, it took a shit ton to change it. So even after my mom tried unsuccessfully to use gel to slick it back, it just went back to the windswept form it always had. Huffing in annoyance, she stood and threatened me to stay put before leaving the room.

I didn't move, not that I could leave; Jason and Leo were basically acting as my security guards. Mom came back minutes later with two clips in her hands. One gray and one royal blue, to match my suit.

I sighed as she put the clips in my hair. She sighed as if it was better than nothing and then let us go. We started watching Kill Bill to pass the time.