Really and Always- Heroes of Olympus Selection (AU)

A Couple of Things Happen

The next morning; Thalia's POV

I bounded down the stairs and arrived in the dining hall. 

Jason, surprisingly, was already there and shoving food in his mouth. Which was completely unlike himself. 

"What's up?"

Jason started to answer and then got up and said, "I have to leave! Percy promised to meet me halfway with the rest of the group!" He gave a worried glance above me and left. 

I turned around and saw Hera and my oh-so-lovely Father staring back at me. 

"Oh, hello." I said cheerily. 

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOUR HAIR, YOUNG LADY!" Father shouted while Hera hurried over and did a circle around me. This was actually the most calm she's been to me. Ever. 

"Ohnonononono." She muttered, "This is atrocious work."

"Darling," she snapped at her husband, "I do think that we should do something about this disgrace to our family. Right now there is nothing we can do, but I cannot bear the world seeing her in this haircut. I have an idea."

"What?" I waved my hand sarcastically around, "Gonna give me a wig?"

"No. You won't wear it anyways. And don't speak." Hera shot at me. 

I responded airily, "Oh, you know me so well."

"Fine. We are going to make your cut better."

"Nope."

Zeus was red by now, and he finally exploded. "I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU FOR THE REST OF THE DAY!"

"Oh, goodie. I was hoping you'd say that."

And he left without eating. 

Too far?

First Day of the Selection (Next day); Connor's POV

"Okay," Leo hummed. "Next girl."

The carriage arrived and lined up next to the others that have arrived. 

"Aphrodite kingdom carriage," Malcolm said before anybody else, namely Hephaestus kids, could. Then he went back to reading and making annotations on his paper for something. 

"These are the pretty girls, right?" Harley questioned, flipping through the papers of all the girls. The only thing we didn't know is how they look. 

"It depends on who you think is pretty or not," Frank reasoned, "I can't speak for everyone but I personally think there are other girls more real than the Aphrodite kids. You don't have to be a child of Aphrodite to be beautiful."

I nodded, impressed. "Totally agreed. Harley, buddy, be careful with them girls. I can't bear my lil' bud marrying some bum rich girl."

"Well said, brother." Travis congratulated me, but Leo grabbed Harley into a protective hug. 

"No, he's my bud!"

We all laughed, but Octavian emerged from his shadows. "Pay attention! We were sent up here to observe, not fool around. I'm ashamed to have to be correlated with you!"

"And we're ashamed of being correlated with you too." Percy muttered, then added to Jason, "I'll have to ask Annabeth what 'correlated' means." They moved to the balcony, and a small blonde girl got out of the carriage. 

"Um, lemme guess Piper McLean." Travis said before going to her page. "Interests are fighting, hair, stealing stuff, and I'm making it up now because it's typical Aphrodite stuff after that."