“So, you’re going to take me out then?” Annabeth asked, her voice laced with cautious curiosity. + 

“Of course. What am I, an idiot?” The reply was immediate, sharp, and unapologetic. + 

The screen went black. The dreaded “GAME OVER” appeared. Annabeth tossed her controller onto the couch in frustration. + 

She was furious. Who *was* this new player, and how had he managed to defeat her? She’d been playing *Heroes of Olympus* for months, considered herself a veteran. A newbie had ended her fifty-two-quest winning streak. + 

Though she burned with anger at being upstaged, she was also impressed. She needed to know more about this player. She searched for his profile. + 

A few minutes later, she found it. + 

*Sonofposeidon_seaweedbrain*. + 

Could he be from Camp Half-Blood? She wondered. She clicked on his profile picture for clarity. + 

She raised an eyebrow. *This* idiot had beaten her? The picture featured a defiant, grinning face with the caption “Deal With It.” + 

She laughed aloud, a genuine sound of amusement. The whole ordeal was ridiculous. She sent him a message. + 

*daughterofathena_wisegirl* + 

Good game! + 

A few minutes later, he replied. + 

*Sonofposeidon_seaweedbrain* + 

Umm, sorry for killing you. Are you mad that I won? + 

*daughterofathena_wisegirl* + 

No. + 

*Sonofposeidon_seaweedbrain* + 

Damn! I was hoping you'd say 'yes' so I could respond with 'deal with it,' you know… as a reference to my profile picture. + 

*daughterofathena_wisegirl* + 

???? You really are a dork! + 

*Sonofposeidon_seaweedbrain* + 

Gee, thanks, Daughterofathena_wisegirl (a.k.a. the dorkiest nerd of all dorky nerds). + 

*daughterofathena_wisegirl* + 

???????????? I am a huge nerd. So wait, if *I’m* the dorkiest nerd of all dorky nerds, does that make me the queen of dorks? In that case, shouldn't you bow down to your queen? + 

*Sonofposeidon_seaweedbrain* + 

All hail the nerd queen! ???? + 

*daughterofathena_wisegirl* + 

Although I like the sound of “nerd queen,” I would prefer to be called Wise Girl, pheasant. + 

*Sonofposeidon_seaweedbrain* + 

Although I like the sound of “pheasant,” I would like to be called Seaweed Brain, Wise Girl. + 

And that, my friends, is how Seaweed Brain met Wise Girl. Little did he know that this was the beginning of a chain of events that would change his world for better—or for worse. + 