I had slept peacefully, which is another word for dreamlessly, which was very unusual for a demigod – especially given the times we are in now. I glanced around – most of my siblings were still asleep. Malcolm, for some reason, was still awake. I glanced at my bedside clock. 6:00 AM, it blinked. Malcolm wasn't supposed to be awake until another half an hour, I wondered.

"Happy birthday, Annabeth."

My thoughts interrupted, I found Malcolm at my bedside, cradling a small, but thick, book.

Of course, that explained why he was awake. I hadn't told anyone about when my birthday was – except for Thalia, and.. Percy. Malcolm had got to know about it last year, when he had spotted a happy birthday note at my table that Percy had left there.

I didn't expect him to do something like that this year. I didn't want him to. He was probably hanging out with Rachel today anyway, not that I cared.

"Thanks, Malcolm." I woke up groggily and gave him a hug. I looked at the book – World History and Its Impact on Culture – and I smiled to myself. Malcolm was a year younger than me and seemed to understand me the most out of my half-siblings.

"I'll, uh, go back to sleep now", he said, and I smiled. He'd woken up just so that he could be the first to wish me. I wasn't one of those people that thought you were supposed to be treated like a celebrity on your birthday, but the gesture made me happy nevertheless.

I ruffled his hair. He hated when I did that. "You didn't have to wake up just to wish me", I said. But I looked at him and we both understood.

Smiling, I went to the bathroom to freshen up. I wasn't one to skip my duties, birthday girl or not.