"Come on, everyone knows how to dance!"

"I don't."

"It's easy! You can do this!"

"I am not going to dance, Annabeth."

"You are going to dance."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Nico di Angelo, you are going to this dance whether you like it or not!"

I sighed. There was no escaping a determined Annabeth. I was either going to the dance or fleeing, and, although I liked the second option, Annabeth was too clever to keep any open exits out of the camp. There had to be another way.

"You're going to this dance whether you like it or not. There's no way out." Annabeth smiled smugly.

"You can't do this to me!" I moaned. Why me? I should've stayed in Hades. I was almost positive that Tartarus was a lighter punishment than this hell pit they call a "dance". I'd only been to one other dance before and I was almost abducted by a manticore. I'll pass on the partying, thank you very much.

"I can, and I will."

"And just when I thought this camp was halfway cool," I mumbled. Sure, the campers had welcomed me, but it had seemed like one of those, teacher-ordered, play-nice-with-the-new-kid kinda welcoming.

"You'll thank me later," she told me.

"Yeah right."

"Nico. It is your first date. On a normal occasion, I would tell a guy like you that he needs a prep team. But all I got to work with is me."

"Annabeth, it is not a date and I do not need a prep team."

"Are you taking her to a Camp function?"

"Yeah."

"Just you and her?"

"Yeah…"

"Are you going to be fetching her punch?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Then it is official. You are going on a date with Rachel Dare."

I blushed. "It's not a date!" I grumbled.

"You and Rachel make a perfect couple…"she teased.

"We aren't a couple! It's just one date!"

"HA! So you admit that it's a date!"

She had me there. "Crap." I walked right into that one.

She crossed her arms. "Let's get down to business."

"Getting down to business" was a painful process involving Annabeth teaching me to dance, giving me tips on how to start a conversation with a girl, and repeatedly warning me that if I didn't listen, I was gonna look like an absolute fool. Because that really helps.

"Nico! Pay attention! This is not a joke!"

I sighed. She was obviously about to start one of those "Just pretend I'm Rachel" sessions where we go over possible conversational scenarios. Stifling a yawn, I looked at my watch.

"So, Nico-"

"I would love to talk Annabeth, but I have to go pick up my date."

"So you admit she's your date!"

I rolled my eyes. "See ya at the dance!" I said, putting on my jacket and heading towards the Big House.

Rachel was waiting for me on the Big House porch. "Hey Nico!" she cried, waving madly.

"Hey," I called back, nonchalantly rubbing my sweating palms on my jeans. Annabeth had something about… Annabeth had said… Gods, Rachel looked pretty… Annabeth said… What did she…

"You okay?" I didn't even realize that I was so close to the porch now. With a start, I realized that I was staring at her.

"F-f-fine…"

"You gonna walk me to the lake or what?" she laughed.

"Y-yeah." Gods, I must've looked so smooth. Nice going Nico.

I tried to pull myself together.

"Let's go, then!" she cried.

As we walked to the lake, she twisted her fingers into mine. My heart must've been beating out of my chest. I could feel it palpitating. She squeezed my hand. On impulse, I squeezed back.

"So… this is our first date." It wasn't a question. She just… said it.

"Yeah, I guess it is." Annabeth was right…

She squeezed even tighter. "This is nice."

"Yeah." I smiled stupidly.

We came to the tent set up by the lake.

"Um…" I thought of everything Annabeth had taught me. "P-punch?" I asked nervously.

"Sure, that'd be great!" Rachel laughed.

As I approached the punch bowl, I realized that I was trembling. I was dizzy and lightheaded. Who knew that a date could be difficult and terrifying as hand to hand combat or shadow traveling?

"You okay?"

I spun around. Percy stood leaning against the refreshment table next to me. "Fine," I mumbled.

"You sure? You look paler than a gh-… Nevermind."

"I don't think I can do this," I muttered. This whole dance thing was looking a lot more difficult than I'd thought. I should've listened to Annabeth.

"Nico?" Annabeth walked up beside Percy. "Are you alright?"

"I think I need some air!" I pushed past the happy couple and ran out of the tent. Walking along the edge of the lake, I came to the dock. Dangling my feet over the edge, I dropped my head into my hands. I think it's safe to say that this is an epic fail. I left my date. She's standing there waiting for punch. Punch that will never come. I massaged my throbbing temples.

"Hey," she said.

I looked up. Rachel stood above me smiling sympathetically. "Can I sit here?"

I nodded feebly.

She slipped her hand into mine. "It's okay," she whispered, her curly red locks brushing my ear. "I don't dance much either."

My weak attempt at a smile must've amused her, because she smiled wider. "Do you want to… dance?" she asked me.

No one was watching. No one was there to make me feel self-conscious. No one was there to giggle and titter as I bumbled around. I nodded. "Sure."

With her hands on my shoulder, we swayed and stumbled to the faint music escaping from the tent.

"Rachel," I said, "Thanks."

"For what?" she whispered.

"Teaching me how to dance."

A smile played upon her lips as she leaned in to kiss me. I could've sworn that I heard Annabeth squeal, "How cute!" and Percy chuckle briefly, but I didn't care. I was with Rachel and I had learned how to dance.