I am back! And hopefully here to stay. I'm rewriting Claws because I didn't like the previous versions. I'm adamant to finish this, and for each chapter to be longer than 500 words.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1

"Okay! Okay! I got an amazing lead!" Lacey yelled across the twenty-sixth floor in the massive business building of The Half-Blood Tribune. Nearby writers turned around to glare dagger eyes at Lacey who was jumping up and down in her spinning chair. Annabeth sighed, stood up and walked over to Lacey's cubicle.

"Yes Lacey?" Annabeth asked, looking critically at the few sentences on the Word document that was pulled up on Lacey's computer. She was used to it now. Every few hours, Lacey would yell across that she had gotten something golden, and Annabeth would come here to either give her false praise or to shoot her hopes down. Either way, Lacey never made it really far.

"Okay," Lacey fidgeted in her spinning office chair, "listen to this-"

"I'm listening," Annabeth said, picking at her fingernails.

"'Percy Jackson. Millionaire. Play boy. Hottie-"

"Hold your horses Lacey. I thought there wasn't supposed to be opinions in this article?" Annabeth asked.

"Well, technically-" Lacey started.

Annabeth cut her off, "I don't want technicalities Lace."

Ignoring Annabeth, Lacey continued, "Technically, this is a gossip magazine. We should be able to put our own opinions in there."

"One of the reasons why I regret applying here," Annabeth muttered.

"So I think it's perfectly fine," Lacey huffed, and returned to staring at her computer, "I don't want your oppinions anymore."

"Fine, Lacey. Whatever you want." Annabeth walked back to her cubicle. Unlike Lacey's little area, Annabeth's was quite undecorated. The walls were still at it's original beige color, and the desks were perfectly unmarked from pen ink. Her Macbook sat in the middle of the neat stacks of papers and a pristine white mug held her array of pens.

A few minutes later, Lacey came crashing into Annabeth's cubicle, with an annoyed look plastered on her face. Annabeth sighed, and folded her arms across her chest.

"Let me guess, Silena didn't accept it." Lacey nodded, and her lips tightened. "And let me also say this: she told you to rewrite your lead." Lacey shook her head. "Then she gave you a new topic?" Lacey nodded in confirmation.

"And," Lacey finally piped up, "she also gave the topic to you." She stiffly handed Annabeth some papers.

"What?" Annabeth asked, shocked. Lacey had done so much to get this topic. She had proved to Silena that she could get good quotes, and get something done within the two weeks. Annabeth remembered that Silena had specifically told Lacey, "Don't let me down this time Lace." A lot of girls had lined up to get the article because it also contained an interview with Mr. Jackson himself.

"When is this article due?" Annabeth asked.

Lacey bit her lip, "Well, you see... the Demigod Times just named him Hottest Bachelor of the Year a few days ago, so Silena wants this done in just a few days. I already scheduled an interview for tomorrow..."

Annabeth sighed and took the papers and shoved it into her to-do shelf, "I'm going to talk to Silena."

Lacey shrugged, "Silena really wants this article done. The most you can do is get dump this responsibility on someone's shoulders."

"I'm going to talk to her anyways," Annabeth grabbed the papers and walked away.

Before walking into Silena's office, she brewed a cup of coffee from the employee lounge. Annabeth knocked on the door of the editor's office. Her desk was already littered with foam coffee cups. When Annabeth walked closer, she noticed that all of them were empty.

Whenever someone wanted to request something from the editor, they would bring forth a cup of coffee (something like a sacrifice) before they made their statement. It seemed like ten people had already previously came to talk to the editor.

Annabeth was always surprised to see her coffee-addicted boss look perfect. It was widely known that Silena rarely got any sleep, but she always managed to look perfect and calm, as if she had a long beauty sleep the night before.

"You want something from me?" Silena asked, not looking up from her laptop screen, "I can smell the coffee from here."
"Yeah," Annabeth said. She sat down on one of the chairs and placed the coffee on the desk.

Silena's eyes flickered up to Annabeth's face, "You brought decaf didn't you? Frappe?"

"Yes," Annabeth said, "I insist you start drinking decaf. Three hours of sleep every two days isn't doing you any good."

"Eight hours of sleep a day won't get this magazine published faster," Silena huffed. Even though she disliked decaf, Silena still reached out and took and cup.

"I have a question," Annabeth said.

"They always do," Silena muttered, "Go on."

"Did you give me the Percy Jackson article?" Annabeth asked.

Silena looked up, "Yes. Lacey was in a here a few minutes ago. She's been working on that for ages, and ever since Mr. Jackson got voted Hottest Bachelor by... by..." Silena tapped her fingers on the wood desk, her eyes cast to the sky.

"The Demigod Times," Annabeth supplied.

Silena snapped her fingers, "Yes, yes, that. We now need it faster than ever. It's good that you came here. Did Lacey tell you when I wanted it?" She didn't wait for Annabeth respond, "I want it in a few days, do you think you can get it done?" Again, without Annabeth's confirmation, she said, "Okay, thanks, great."

"Silena!" Annabeth licked her lips, "I'm here to ask if you could possibly give it to someone else."

The editor turned around to look at Annabeth, "Come on Annie-"

"Don't call me Annie."

"...Annabeth. Why do you think I gave this task to you?" Silena put her hands on the table. She stared at Annabeth meaningfully.

"To give me utter hell at this place," Annabeth deadpanned.

Silena laughed, "No Annie-"

"Annabeth."

"Annabeth, you are the greatest writer here-"

"-Second to you of course."
"No, Annabeth. I am just merely the editor. I gave you this job because I thought that you could handle it."

"I don't want to handle it," Annabeth muttered.

Silena sighed, "Look Annabeth. Just look at it this way: you don't want to handle it, but you have to handle it okay? Or else your fired."

Annabeth knew that Silena won't actually fire her, but she got the message. She had to do it no matter what, end of question. Annabeth grabbed her papers, and stalked out of the room. She felt like brewing her own cup of decaf coffee now.

Lacey's cubicle came in handy sometimes. Annabeth sat in Lacey's office chair with her heels on the cheap plastic desk. She swung around in the chair and threw a dart at the target. Lacey had dragged out another chair and set it right next to the one Annabeth occupied.

"I wish I still had that one," Lacey whined, "Now I have this weird one on the 'Heavy Agricultural Independence'. Plus, you have my good chair."

"Well I wish I didn't have this one." Annabeth replied, "I want yours. It's more factual, not petty opinions on someone's looks and achievements."

Lacey shrugged, "Whatever, go work on your assignment. I just want my comfy chair back." Lacey snagged the darts out of Annabeth hand and pushed her off her chair.

Annabeth brushed off her shoulders, "Fine."

Lacey turned around and stuck a playful tongue at her. Annabeth smiled. Lacey was jealous, but not jealous enough to be angry at her.

As Annabeth walked away, she heard Lacey yell, "Remember your appointment tomorrow! You have no idea what I did to get that precious slot!"

Annabeth rolled her eyes and yelled back, "Got it Lacey! I'll be there!"

She sat down in her cubicle and opened up another document. Annabeth grabbed her coffee and got ready to type up her lead.