"You're gonna do great okay? Don't worry," Percy reassured me, his feet disrupting the water.

"You too. Coach Hedge can be ruthless when it comes to training."

"I heard so can Clarisse," Percy added as he reached over to take my hand in his, a wave of giddiness almost took me over. I never felt giddy.

"You heard right," I nodded, watching the sunrise with him. It was peaceful.

It always was, with Percy I realised. Peace. I always felt it when I was around him.

Percy and I thought it would be calming to come to our creek before the completion, to collect our thoughts. And we were right.

It was early in the morning, everything stood still. The SPQR games began in a few hours so Chiron told us to report to Half-Blood high by 7 so we could all be loaded into busses and arrive there at time.

"I still wish I could watch you destroy everyone in throwball," Percy said, shifting towards me.

"I'll be sure to tell you all about it later," I smiled.

With a few more minutes of watching the tiny fish swim under our feet, we had to leave, getting on separate busses and dealing with a long drive.

As a reward for having arrived there, a very annoying man decided to give us a tour of the sports complex, which we should not have visited for that sole reason.

"This", the man explained, leading us through the complex to the refreshments, "This 97,000-square-foot center boasts four regulation-sized basketball courts, four indoor tennis courts, three roller derby rinks, 12 volleyball courts," he paused for a swcond, clearly upset our lack of a reaction he continued, "We also house an impressive pool, two of them. Have set up archery stations in the garden and...." he rattled on, listing everything in this establishment which made me want to go to sleep.

Where were those refreshments??
I needed to be refreshed.

"This guy really needs a hobby," Will whispered next to me and I stifled a laugh, causing the man to wrinkle his bulbous nose.

"He's acting as if his parents laid these bricks themselves," Clarisse groaned behind me, pushing me to keep walking to follow this excruciating tour.

"Chiron," I whispered when the man had his back turned,"Can we please go? Everyone's dying."

"Now Annabeth," Chiron shook his head," I didn't expect this from you. We are lucky to be presented with such an opportunity and you of all people-"

"And that's just on right side of the first floor," the man drawled, "Now lets review why it's so interesting and move on to the left side."

"Sir," Chiron immediately interrupted," my student here is feeling quite faint," he pulled me to the front of the crowd by my forearm,"I think it's time we get back to our hotel for the night. I don't want anything to happen to her before the competition."

"But-" the man played with his moustache," she was fine till now. Let's get on with the tour."

"Noo," Chiron shook his head again," I can't risk it....she has...a sickness."

"A sickness?!" the man gasped, taking a step back as he covered his nose with his shirt," what sickness?!"

"Cancer."

"Asthama."

"Bossy pants syndrome."

Three of my friends answered for me. I almost found myself punching them. Maybe I'll just suffocate them with a pillow when we go back to our motel.

"Bossy pants syndrome?!" I asked, giving Clarisse a death stare.

"What my student here has....is a combination of all those. We must leave now before her...."

"Liver explodes," Will added. I stepped on his shoe.

"Liver explodes..." Chiron nodded, ushering us away as he flashed the man a smile, "Thankyou. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour."

"I thought you said this was a grand opportunity," I asked Chiron, helping him onto the getaway bus.

"A grand opportunity to escape. I didn't want to waste another two hours," he admitted, giving me a conspiratorial grin

Our motel was a modest thing, a huge white building with a couple of floors. Apparently there was a badminton court, but when Clarisse checked it out, she said it was unsusable.

"Well then," I said, nodding at Chiron," I'm off to my room. Everyone, remember we gotta wake up by 6am."

"Annabeth one minute," Chiron said, pulling me aside," I was wondering if you had a moment."

Chiron asked me to do a preliminary check of everyone and note down room numbers and basically make sure everyone was alive. I agreed, my tired limbs ready to murder me in response.

I walked around the motel, doing the tasks Chiron handed to me, making sure everyone was doing well and had their schedules for the next morning.

"Percy!" I smiled, as I knocked on what felt like my hundredth door,"so this is where you're staying"

"Wouldn't you like to know, buttercup," he smirked.

"I would actually. It's my job."

"Oh," he blinked," Yeah. This is my room. How about you?"

"I'm room 304," I said, scribbling down his details,"you have your schedule for tomorrow right?"

"Mmhmm. Can't wait to watch you in archery!"

"I can't wait to win," I smirked, saying goodbye to him as I left to finish my rounds.

Once I was done, I gave Chiron, Coach Hedge, Miss Hestia and Miss Mellie, who accompanied us as chaperones, the run by and practically collapsed onto my bed afterwards.

It wasn't a grand room by any means, but it did it's job. The bed managed to fit me just fine and the bathroom shower seemed the be working.

The only problem was the air conditioning, which refused to stop working despite several calls to the front desk.

It was like Antarctica in my room. And from a couple on phone calls, I found out that my friends were being forced to live like penguins too.

I decided to just woman up and sleep anyway after reading my book. I can handle some cold air.

Though it was easier said than done.

I tossed and turned in the bed. Not that the cold was helping, but I was quite nervous about tomorrow.

I was good at archery but I didn't know what my competition was like.

I didn't like not knowing.

I debated whether or not to just grab my book and finish it two hours later, still laying wide awake despite my exhausted body. Gods this was a nightmare.

I heard a knock on my door, which echoed through my empty room. I jumped towards it, grabbing a lamp just in case.

"Who is it?" I called, knocking the door myself for reasons beyond comprehension.

"Annabeth it's me," Percy's voice answered from the other side, barely audible. I put the lamp away, opening the door as I let the disheveled boy in.

Percy looked rough.He had a bedsheet wrapped around him, which he clutched tightly.

"What happened?" I asked, instantly getting the answer after taking one good look at him,"nightmare?" I asked carefully.

He nodded, "it's this room....it reminds me of the one we stayed in..."

"Hey, it's okay," I whispered, "we don't have to talk about it if you don't want."

"Can I....stay here tonight? I don't wanna be alone in there. I...I have my blanket see," Percy shook his bedsheet," I'll sleep on the floor."

"No....it's alright," I moved closer to him, running a hand through his hair so it wouldn't be plastered to his forehead anymore," We can both sleep on the bed.Not like we haven't before."

"But....it's okay I have my blanket."

"We can't risk you getting a backache before the completion," I reasoned, leading him to the bed,"Rest.You need it."

"My blanket-"

"It's a bedsheet,Percy," I said, gently prying it from him,"it's okay."

"Yeah...it's okay," he breathed, shuffling onto the bed," it's okay."

I climbed on next to him,"No one can hurt you okay? I'll hunt them down."

He gave a weak laugh," I'm just....I feel so useless everytime this happens."

I laid down, Percy facing away from me. I could hear his heartbeat in the silence,"I know...I know."

"Why can't they just stop, Annabeth?" he asked, his voice a bit higher,"why can't they just stop? It's been years"

I shifted closer to him, every inch of self reserve crumbling as I wrapped my arms around him, nestling closer,"I honestly don't know,"

I held him.

The same way Thalia used to hold me when I was younger after I had a nightmare when I slept over at her place.

She told me it would help and it always did.....feeling not alone.

I held onto Percy, my own worries melting away as I did so. I was strongly aware of how our heartbeats were racing in synchrony.

"You don't know?" he asked, that's new."

"For me too," I smile, resting my head on his against his chest,"for me too."

"Mmm this is nice," he said, his breathing steadier,"You're definitely going to loose the bet," he said, before all I could comprehend was his snoring.

I laughed silently, debating whether or not to untangle myself. One more minute wouldn't matter, I reasoned.

"I hope you do win," I whispered, so quietly that it got lost in the silence. I wanted to go out with him. It's all I found myself thinking about these days, ever since he brought up that godforsaken bet.

I also found myself wondering why he asked me. Maybe it was just a spur of the moment thing? Maybe he couldn't think of anything else to ask for?

But Why?

Did he....actually like me?

I like him?....I hate him?. I don't know what to feel about him. This boy has messed with my head from the day I've met him.

Oh Gods feelings suck.

Atleast I can sleep them away.

Maybe I couldn't...

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Late but eh
Any suggestions?

(Posted: 24th April 2022, 1:56am)
(Kinda edited 16th April 2023- 2:34am)

Stay tuned!!!
—-S