A Valentine's Surprise

Diva Chopra paced nervously around the Dining Pavilion, her hands fluttering as she checked the decorations for the fourth time. Pink and red streamers hung from the rafters, interspersed with glowing heart-shaped lanterns courtesy of the Hephaestus cabin. The scent of roses—enchanted by the Demeter cabin to bloom year-round—filled the air. It was Valentine's Day at Camp Half-Blood, and Diva, daughter of Aphrodite, had taken it upon herself to organize the most romantic evening the camp had ever seen.

“It looks amazing, Diva,” Annabeth said, appearing beside her with a smile. Her gray eyes sparkled as she surveyed the scene. “Percy’s going to love this.”

“I hope so,” Diva replied, biting her lip. “I wanted to make sure everyone felt the love tonight. Especially you and Percy—you two are so cute together.”

Annabeth blushed, a rare sight. “You’ve done enough just by getting him to wear something other than his usual orange t-shirt. He’s actually in a collared shirt.”

Diva giggled. “That was a team effort. Will threatened to put him on bed rest if he didn’t cooperate.”

Speaking of Will Solace, he emerged from the Healer’s cabin with Nico di Angelo, their hands intertwined. Nico, usually clad in dark clothes, wore a deep purple button-down, and Will had a bowtie that seemed to chirp quietly. “A gift from the Apollo cabin,” Will explained, catching Diva’s gaze. “It sings when it’s happy. It’s been chirping all day because I’m with Nico.”

Nico rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. “Don’t get used to it. I’m only doing this because Diva asked so nicely.”

“And because you love me,” Will added, squeezing his hand.

“That too.”

Diva felt a warm glow watching them. Love was her domain—well, her mother’s, but she had inherited a knack for it. She loved seeing couples happy, even if it sometimes reminded her of what she didn’t have. At sixteen, she had never been in love herself. She’d had crushes, but nothing serious. Tonight, she was content to orchestrate joy for others.

Percy Jackson strolled in, looking uncomfortable in the dark blue button-down Annabeth had picked out. His hair was slightly tamed, which meant he’d actually tried. “Okay, I’m here. Can I eat now?”

Annabeth laughed. “You just ate lunch an hour ago, Seaweed Brain.”

“That was an hour ago! I’m growing.”

Diva smiled and gestured to the buffet table. “There’s food, but remember—the main event is the dancing later. I have a playlist from my mom’s era. Lots of love songs.”

Percy groaned, but Annabeth gave him a look that silenced it. “Fine, but only if we get to slow dance.”

“Deal,” Annabeth said softly.

As the sun set, campers began to file in. The pavilion transformed into a sea of couples and friends laughing, dancing, and enjoying the romantic ambiance. Diva flitted around, ensuring the enchanted floating candles didn’t set anyone’s hair on fire and that the punch (a secret recipe from Dionysus’s cabin) had just a hint of something special.

Around eight o’clock, Diva watched from the sidelines as Percy and Annabeth swayed to a slow song, his hand on her waist, hers on his shoulder. They were so lost in each other that the rest of the world seemed to disappear. Nico and Will were nearby, Will singing off-key into Nico’s ear while Nico pretended to be mortified but clearly loved every second.

Diva sighed, her heart full but also a little hollow. She retreated to the edge of the pavilion, leaning against a column, and let the music wash over her.

“Dancing alone?” a voice asked.

She turned to see a camper she didn’t recognize—a boy with dirty-blond hair and sea-green eyes, wearing a simple white tunic. He wasn’t from any cabin she knew. “I’m just taking a break,” she said.

“I’m Jacob. New here. Just arrived yesterday,” he said, offering a shy smile. “I saw you organizing everything. You’re really good at this.”

“Thanks,” Diva said, her cheeks warming. “I’m Diva.”

“I know. The Aphrodite cabin talks about you a lot.” He hesitated, then held out his hand. “Would you like to dance?”

Diva’s heart skipped. This was the moment she’d always imagined—but she’d never been the one receiving the invitation. She smiled and took his hand. “I’d love to.”

As they joined the other couples on the dance floor, Diva caught Annabeth’s eye across the room. Annabeth winked, and Diva knew this Valentine’s Day was perfect after all.