FINALLY, IT'S BEEN LIKE A YEAR AND A HALF SINCE I STARTED THIS.

Oh, and it's not actually based on the movie Step Up since I've never actually seen Step Up :p

~Happy Reading!
Disclaimer: I do not own PJO/HoO, or Step Up, I suppose.

"Pointe!" Francisco smacked the leg of one of his most beloved students with the rolled up magazine he conveniently had in his hand. "I said pointe! Out of all people, you should be pointing!" He loved all his students, they are all like his own children. Being tough was just a sign of his unconditional love for them- in a weird way. Well, more of a just a dance teacher way generally speaking. Especially his star students, who shined in the class all the time. But at the same time, Francisco tried not to pick favorites.

It was the usual warm-up these boys were taught so many years ago. Now all in a pre-professional level, it was literally embedded within them. Battements (bought-mas), more pliés, etc. Etendue (tahn-dew) front, etendue side, etendue back, etendue side, plié. Four each, then switch. Every teacher says the same about the combination. They say their teachers did it, and their teacher's teachers, and all that jazz. It was always the same routine as soon as the clock hit 4:00. At 4:00, these young stars would dance their way into the night. It was more than just a passion to them, it was a lifestyle. You always had to balance between being a good student (though Percy struggled a bit with that one), a normal teenager, and a phenomenal dancer. It's a serious workout.

Francisco also had the right to be extremely strict with them. It was nearing December, and the Nutcracker would be arriving faster than anyone imagined. The holiday favorite that all ballet theaters put on is a treat for all ages, and all dancers love it, except when they change choreography to make it easier and look less pretty. Nearly all the high-level dancers thought the teachers did that to piss them all off. Fortunately, Francisco was in directing it this year, meaning they lucked out and no easy choreography this year! Just a bit of a nay, but at least it'll look pretty.

In addition to that, Percy had the same role nearly every time. He was always the nutcracker. Couldn't he get Fritz once and a while? He likes being funny, even when dancing. Plus he didn't have to lift girls up all that often, just during the waltz of the flowers. Still, the teachers insisted him to be the Nutcracker because they needed someone who was the best of the best. Percy would protest, but he couldn't do that. He supposed it was nice he got to have such a big role since he was barely seventeen. He still wasn't keen on carrying people though, he's got butterfingers, sometimes he's afraid he'd drop them and accidentally end their career. Thankfully, that thought was pushed to the back of his mind.

"Percy, seriously boy, you have got to pointe! Out all of the people!" Francisco gave the rugged hair boy a smack on the head with the rolled up newspaper in his hand. Hey, it was pretty handy. Percy, on the other hand, did not enjoy it as much. A few snickers came from the other boys' mouths until Francisco gave them the death glare. Surprisingly, it was not unusual for him to not get smacked on the head. He could consider himself one of the best, as humble as that sounds, though he never thought he was actually that good. The other dancers in his class could probably write a novel disagreeing though. His smooth, swift movements always left people in awe, luring them into a graceful story. Percy himself doesn't believe he's a figure of grace. Scratch that, sophisticated grace. Percy wasn't exactly allowed to speak, but he mumbles a sorry anyways. "And pull up! I shouldn't be telling you this! What, do you have girls in the brain?"

"No, sir," Percy answered. Francisco nodded his head slightly in approval.

"Just double checking, now POINTE!" He exclaims smacking his leg. "Boys on the brain would be fine too, Perseus!"

And five, six, seven, eight! And pop, lock, drop to the ground! Spiral up, running man...now criss-cross, kick! Criss-cross, kick! Good!" Annabeth applauds the young children in the class. She steps over to the radio, pausing the CD. "You guys are getting so good! I'm so proud of you! Have you all been working on your jerking like I asked last week?" She raises an eyebrow at them. They're all merely seven and eight years old, but they all had the potential to shine. Many nodded their heads in response, while some, but few, ducked their heads in embarrassment.

Annabeth was always the determined teacher at Olympus Dance Studio. Always there on time (or early, whichever), supporting her students whom she loved dearly, and was always there after class practicing her own skills. Being the youngest employee there, she had a lot to show. Dance has been her life ever since she was 6 and she was never gonna stop.

"What's jerking?" A shy boy by the name of Joe asked from the back. He ducked his head with red flushing over his pale cheeks, clearly embarrassed. He tried hiding behind some of his fellow classmates, probably afraid that Annabeth was going to give the wolf stare she was most famous for. "Sorry," she heard him whisper.

"Oh no, it's okay! We're all here to learn! Natalie, would you kindly demonstrate what we learned last week?" Annabeth asked the little girl with chocolate skin in the front. She nodded vigorously.

"Sure!" Natalie demonstrated with ease, skipping back in a generic, swift motion. Her curly ponytail skipped along with her. "That's jerking, Joe!"

"Okay, thank you," He mumbled back.

"Alright, everyone. Let's give it a try, it'll be the last thing we do today! Just remember that all you're doing is skipping backward! And five, six seven eight! And skip backward, backward..." After lots of skipping and dancing around with several kids, the lesson was finally over. Parents flooded the lobby, anxiously waiting to pick up their little guys and gals. A few of the kids who were really attached to Annabeth gave her tight hugs before they left, except they were only tall enough to wrap their arms around her hips or waist. Annabeth found it adorable, she has always loved kids.

"Bye, guys!" She called out to them when they left. Her students never failed to make her smile. When the place was all clear, Annabeth got busy cleaning the floor from muddy shoe marks and cleaning the dance floor with a swifter wet jet. Now it was her turn.

"Still leaving those muddy marks, I see. Haven't you taught them anything?" Piper joked when she saw Annabeth cleaning. Being best friends, Annabeth knew she had the right to tease her like that. Piper was another member of her dance group, but since she was only sixteen, she couldn't exactly work there yet. She was still just as good as Annabeth, though. Piper and Annabeth had been working on their duet for the 'Rising Star' competition happening in two weeks, and if they win (as they have many times before), they get a big, shiny trophy and money for their studio. Annabeth rolled her eyes, concentrating on making sure the dance floor was nice and clean.

"I have, thank you very much." She retorted. Piper snorted, leaving the locker room to change and put her stuff away. Being the only two people at the studio and being girls, she left the door open so they could continue conversing. "Dance wise, at least!"

Piper laughed, and Annabeth could hear the shuffles of her getting her stuff out. "I approve on dance stuff, but you really gotta teach them to wipe their feet at the door. Don't want anyone slipping and falling before class. They're kids, Anna, they could hurt themselves!"

Annabeth breathed out a sighed and rested her weight on the Swiffer. "They're old enough!"

"Not really old enough to not slip on some water and fall! You gotta remember the possibilities!" Piper came out of the changing room with a blue hello kitty tank top, black spandex shorts, and her choppy brown hair pulled back in a bun. "C'mon, Cinderella, we gotta get to work."

"Just shut up," and Annabeth put away the Swiffer. Piper plugged her phone into the audio jack of the speakers, and Secrets by One Republic, but thepianoguys cover of it. It tells a powerful story, even with no words.

Their piece is a modern dance, completely choreographed by the two of them. It's a lovely duet, and both of them are outrageously proud of it. Beginning on the floor, facing away from each other, the two lift themselves up when the cue happens, making sure their backs are completely straight, leg muscles tightened, and toes pointed. Their next musical cue tells them to lift their arms and make a motion that looked like they were using the force to lift their right leg up. Kick the leg up, twist around, and pull it around. The two girls continued their routine over and over again until they called it a night three hours later.

"Percy, straighten the knees! You're going to drop her! You need to give your legs some more support!"

"I'm trying not to drop her, Will!"

"Thanks for the reassurance, Perce!"

"Shut up, Reyna!"

Percy put Reyna down back to the floor. She sighed, putting her hands on her hips to emphasize her disapproval. "I could literally feel you buckling beneath me. I honestly doubt I'm that heavy, Perce." She tapped her foot on the floor, her pointe shoe making a distinctive tapping sound. They were practicing Percy's lifting since it's been a year since he's done it, so Will and Reyna figured he had lost his touch. This year, Reyna was the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Will was the Snow King.

Percy rolled his eyes and wiped a hand over his face. "You know about my lifting fear."

"You honestly have to get over that, dude." Will put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I don't get why you still have it. You're the nutcracker practically every year, you always lift people up. And one of your best friends is Sugar Plum this year-"

"And Sugar Plum trusts you with her life." Reyna snapped at him. Percy glared at her, telling her to back off. Reyna sighed. She was never really the sentimental type but could be when it was necessary. "Look, Perce," she softened her tone. "This is something you have to get over. Hell, you're going to be in the New York ballet next year-"

"I'm not even that good!"

"What a lie," Reyna scoffed. "Anyway, you have to get over this fear. I actually trust you with my life, and you're going to use it on people you don't know next year. It's a trust thing, and if you can't even trust yourself, you're not gonna get good roles when in the company." She wrapped an arm around his waist, and he responded with an arm around her shoulder. "Try again?"

Percy nodded slightly. "Yeah, c'mon."

Percy extended his arms, and Reyna gently held one of them for balance, "Arabesque!" Will commanded. Reyna obeyed, lifting her left leg high and on pointe with her other leg. "Lift!"

As fast as lightning, Percy placed one hand on her stomach over the purple leotard, the other under her thigh, lifting her in the air. Reyna kept her head held high, looking regal in the air. Percy was feeling more confident, but the feeling would shake off. "Percy, don't kill me."

"Why-" She bent her straight leg, her whole body depending on Percy's hold.

"Don't drop me, keep still! I know you've got muscles in those scrawny arms of yours!"

"I do, actually!"

"You've been holding her for thirty seconds, good Percy! Put her down in five, four, three, two, now!" Will shouted. Reyna straightened her leg again, and Percy put her back to the ground. Reyna clapped in support, and Percy bowed sheepishly. "Can't wait till you start lifting her upside down."

Percy's face turned green. "Great."

They practiced several more times until Percy felt okay with carrying her.

They even began to practice the upside down lift, courtesy of Will place mats beneath them in case Percy dropped her. At one point, Percy did actually almost drop her. Almost. Thanks to his fast reflexes, he caught her before she anything bad happened. She curled up against him, and he had one arm around her torso and the other under her legs. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, clutching him desperately. Percy gave his troublemaker smirk, and Will was on the side smirking as well. They both knew well she had a small crush on Percy, though she never told them, and sometimes they'd just tease her a little about it. Reyna then realized what she was doing, and detangled herself immediately. She cleared her throat and straightened herself out, acting like that didn't happen.

Will couldn't help but keep smirking at Percy, and in response, Percy gave Will a good shove on the shoulder.

"Um, I-I gotta go practice my Rising Star routine. See you guys tomorrow." She hurriedly gathered her belongings which included her pointe shoes, bag, and jacket. She left the room with one last smile and shut the door behind her. Will shoved Percy's shoulder again, and Percy responded with a chuckle.

"Dude." Percy cocked an eyebrow at him.

"What? So the lioness knows what she's looking for."

"Yes, but the lion doesn't know what he wants," Percy admitted. Will grinned, slapping a hand on Percy's chest. "I don't know if I should go for her."

"Don't worry, love'll come around. It always does." Will gathered his things as well. "I've gotta go, so not looking forward to doing all my homework. Have you done Borelli's? I tried to do it during math but it wasn't cutting out for me." Percy shook his head.

"Haven't even looked at it."

"Figured," Will scoffed. "Well, you ought to practice for Rising Star." Percy lifted a hand as an agreement.

"You know me, Solace. I'm practicing the crap out of it."

"Glad to hear it. I'll see you ming tian." Will hollered as he left the practice room. He's been taken mini Chinese lessons with Frank, another friend of theirs, and so far he's been able to spit out small phrases. Percy had heard that one enough times to know that meant 'tomorrow'.

Percy didn't know if it was considered cheating, but he was going to perform the Nutcracker Prince solo in the Pas de Deux with the Sugar Plum Fairy as his competition piece. It's not like the judges were going to be picky and judge him for choosing a popular dance, or so he hoped. It's his strongest piece since he's performed it so many times in the past. Besides, his little brother auditioned for a youth orchestra with a piece he used to audition for the school orchestra; the judges won't know.

He did a couple more warm-ups since his legs have gotten a bit stiff, plugged in the radio and danced away.

"Piper, what is up with you today?!" Annabeth nearly screamed. She shut the music off and crossed her arms over her chest. In the middle of their routine, Piper nearly fell over and knocked Annabeth over for the fifth time. "Have you forgotten how to dance?"

"What? No! I'm just having an off day, can you cut me some slack?"

"No! Because the competition is in, like, three days! I'm not gonna cut you any damn slack!"

"Then do me a favor and quit yelling at me for fricks sake!" Piper huffed. Piper found herself heading towards the door, something she did when she was angry which Annabeth knew, then stopped in the middle of her tracks. She realized she nearly gave up, taking a seat on the ground and buried her face in her palms. Annabeth's cold expression softened and made her way towards her best friend.

"What's wrong?" She asked softly. Her arms made her way around Piper's shoulder, comforting her friend.

"Too much is wrong," Piper laughed without humor. "Too much is wrong in my life. I mess everything up, my dad's an asshole and doesn't care about me, and my boyfriend hasn't talked to me in days. My whole life is wrong."

"Hey, how many times do I have to tell you? Things get better, they really do. Time's just gotta pass." Annabeth advised. Annabeth knew how rough of a life Piper had, and every fiber of her being wanted to make it better. Hell, she needed to make it better. Small times like this, where Annabeth soothes Piper, she just hopes it'll make a bit of a difference. Annabeth tries everything she can to make her happy, along with Jason. "I also don't think you should worry about Jason. He loves you so much, Pipes. I'm sure he isn't meaning to do this."

"He won't even answer my texts," Piper grumbled. "I don't even know what I did wrong!"

"You didn't do anything wrong. He's probably busy, and he knows your busy with rising star and everything. Let's...let's keep practicing, okay?" Annabeth suggested with a small smile. Piper lifted her head and looked into Annabeth's eyes. She buried her face in Annabeth's shoulder, asking for a hug. Annabeth agreed and squeezed her shoulders. "Sorry for yelling."

"S'okay. I know how much of a bitch you can be when you're stressed." Piper chuckled. Annabeth lightly punches her in the arm, hauling her up and they continued to practice.

"Percy, what is wrong with you?!"

"OFF...DAY...PLEASE...FOR-GIVE..ME.." Percy answer Francisco when doing circle leaps. They were his specialty, and for some reason, he wasn't really moving in much of a circle. It was looking more like a sloppy oval. In addition to that, he nearly fell flat on his face earlier. When doing fouettés (fweh-tay') he nearly lost his balance and almost fell mid-turn. Francisco could no longer take this madness, shutting off the music and decided to give Percy a lecture.

"Percy, dear boy. you have only today to practice, and we leave tomorrow! You need as much time to rehearse as you can get! What's gotten into you?"

Percy rubbed a hand over his face and wiped the sweat from his brow. "I-I don't know, I honestly don't know what's going on, Francisco."

"Is it girls on the brain?"

"No! Why do you have to ask me that every time?"

"Because I enjoy teasing my students," Francisco answered with a sly smile. "Now, Perseus, I know that you are a very talented dancer, and we both know that you're one of the top dancers here-"

"I don't think-"

"Yes, you are, don't be so modest. Now, this is going to be your third year competing in this competition, but you've only gotten those measly honorary medals they give out to all the participants. I see your face on stage, and sometimes you look like a lion is going to eat you. This year, that must change. I want to see you be the lion and dance your heart out because I know how amazing you are. Now, focus, relax, and let's take is from the top." Francisco clapped Percy on the shoulder, and Percy nodded his head in agreement.

It was true, he had been in this competition for two years, this year his third. He's never one a trophy because he does get a bit scared on stage, and that throws him off. This year was gonna be the year, however, and he was going to win a trophy, no matter what place he got.

Percy returned to the center of the studio, getting ready for his starting position. Gracefully he raised his arms over his head, and Francisco started the music again. He silently gave Percy the message to dance his heart out. In the fifth position, his arms raised properly, Percy began his routine.

"Good old, San Francisco!"

"Piper, why are you even excited? We live here."

"Yeah, it's the big day! There's that exciting vibe! Everything we've worked hard for goes into these joyous moments. We're lucky 'cause we didn't have to pay for a plane ticket or anything of that sort. Just took the BART."

"Even that's getting expensive." Annabeth huffed. "I swear if they keep adding ten cents to all the prices I'm gonna flip a table." She and Piper were walking towards the Fox theater, where the competition is held. The two have practiced too much they swore they even danced in their sleep. Piper was right, though. They're lucky they didn't have to go

"Girls!" A woman seemed to shout at them. The two girls turned their heads, spotting a dazzling, gorgeous, jaw-dropping woman walking their way. The dim Bay Area sun gleamed on her pink, sequined jacket, making her look like a walking disco ball. Of course, who else would wear that much pink and so many jewels aside from their dance teacher? Also, it was a little strange to see her in street clothes, jeans and all plus the sparkly jacket. Her blonde, thick hair bounced in every step she took. Her make-up was on point (as always) with purple eye-shadow and mega lashes.

"Aphrodite!"

"Mom!"

"Hello, girls!" Aphrodite opened her arms for a hug, and the girls obliged. She had always been a mother to Annabeth, and a literal one for Piper. Aphrodite is surprisingly nice for a dance teacher, but also strict when she had to be, which was most of the time. Still, even in her hard shell, she was still sweet as candy. "Are you guys excited? It's your first year in this competition!"

"You know we're excited." Piper beamed. She pulled the long side of her hair across her shoulder, beginning the braid it. "We've been waiting so long for this."

"I just hope we win something," Annabeth added. Annabeth was competitive. Both Aphrodite and Piper knew that, seeing she caused a commotion when she didn't win anything for the second competition she had ever done in her life. She was ten at the time, and that was the official day she knew ballet wasn't her thing. "it'd be a bummer if we didn't."

Aphrodite clicked her tongue. "Dear, how many times must I tell you? It's okay if you do not win anything, for it's more important that you were able to show your talents to the audience. Besides, who wants a big hunk of metal anyways?"

"I do."

"Sweetheart, don't you worry." Aphrodite gently placed a hand under Annabeth's chin. "Just dance your heart out and I'll be very proud." She turned towards Piper, also smiling sweetly at her daughter. "Same goes for you, missy." Piper blew some of her bangs out of her face.

"Uh-huh."

Aphrodite clapped her hands together, her perfectly polished nails came towards each other as she laced her fingers with herself. "Fantastic! Let's get backstage, and I believe Hazel, Nico, and Rachel are already in the dressing room." It was nice that a few other of their friends were also competing. Aside from Annabeth and Piper, there was Hazel the tap dancer, and Nico and Rachel the contemporary partners. Together, the three of them went to their signed in, settled into their assigned room with their friends and got ready to perform.

Percy never really liked plane trips. They always made him feel uneasy like the whole damn thing could get electrocuted by a lightning bolt, and all could come to the worst. He didn't like that thought, plus it was starting to get hard to shake off.

"You okay, man? You look like you're gonna be sick." Will put his magazine aside. He, Percy and Reyna all sat in the same row, plus it was next to the windows. Will furrowed his eyebrows, getting concerned.

"I-I think I'm okay." Percy slightly lied. "I j-just don't do well on planes." Percy scrunched his face in pain, a sign of a headache beginning to form. Reyna was also giving him an expression of sympathy, beginning to worry. She'd been on a plane with him before, but it was never this bad.

"You wanna lean on my shoulder?" She asked gently. Under normal, not-on-a-plane circumstances, Percy would politely refuse. This was different, and he couldn't calm down. Percy nodded, readjusting himself lower to reach her shoulder. He could sense that Will couldn't stop smiling, and frankly he honestly didn't care. She curled her arm, reaching her hand into his head and began caressing his hair. "A headache?"

"Yeah."

"How bad?"

"Started as a two, and it's skyrocketing." Percy groaned. Reyna chuckled lightly, putting her hand down to rest on his leg. "Wait, no that felt good."

"Percy, I'm not doing that the whole trip."

"Just for a minute or two? Please? It took my headache away for a bit." Percy could feel Reyna's shoulders lift as she sighed. She resumed the caressing of his hair, and little did she know he fell asleep.

For some strange reason, it takes about six hours to fly to across the country. Still, it was long enough for the whole team to sleep. They plan to arrive at their hotel at around dinnertime and spend the rest of the night however they want before the competition. Reyna ended up resting her head on Percy's, and the two looked like a pair of sleeping angels. They were still asleep when the plane landed and was cleared out.

"Take a picture!" Will snapped at Frank, a Chinese folk dancer, quickly fumbling for his own phone. Frank isn't a part of their dance company, but his dance studio is also in the competition. Frank may not look it, but that guy is a rubber band. Always said flexibility was essential to Chinese dance.

"I'm looking for my phone! You take one first!"

"I'm trying! Hang on, it's focusing." The little, yellow squared focused on Reyna and Percy, giving Will the chance to take about five pictures. "Done!"

"You better send those to me," Frank commanded, poking his finger at Will's chest. "and do not post those anywhere."

"Not even Tumblr?"

"Never Tumblr." Slowly, Reyna began to wake up, shuffling, waking Percy while she was at it. Reyna rubbed the sleep out her eyes, ruffling Percy's hair as well. Upon discovering Will and Frank, her eyes nearly popped out of her sockets and attempted to jump out her seat, and would have if not for the seat belt wrapped around her lap. Will didn't notice but a blanket was also draped over their legs, most likely the work of Percy.

"WHAT THE-"

"Shh!"

"Huh?" Percy mumbled. He sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep out his eyes and continued over his face. "Are we here?"

"Yeah, landed not too long ago. C'mon, you guys. Everyone's waiting." Frank explained calmly. Percy noticed something off about Frank, which was true. Frank was so embarrassed that they got caught, his cheeks were complete cherries, his hands were shaking and he couldn't put on a confident smile, unlike Will. Will got up and began to leave, having to drag Frank's arm off the chair, leaving Percy and Reyna alone. They looked at each other for a minute, before Reyna blushed, rolling her eyes and got up, pushing past Percy's legs to get her bags.

Of course, Percy was embarrassed. He's only liked Reyna once in his life, though that was a long time ago and those feelings have faded. He has been looking for love, and unfortunately, Reyna isn't the one for him, even if she is one of his best friends. He didn't want to hurt her feelings and break her heart, he was too scared of things like that happening and couldn't risk it. His loyalty levels are much too high.

Later that night, they all had a fancy dinner in the hotel filled with pasta, burgers, anything they were craving. Francisco told them not to worry about the bill, no matter how much his students protested. It was their night, and they all deserve it more than anything, they'd worked their way up to where they are now. "You are all my most prized treasures," Francisco declared when making a toast while everyone was busy eating dessert. "You all make me proud each and every day with your endless hard work. You make me so happy. Whether you win, whether you lose, it does not matter to me. Do your best and that is all that matters. Dance on!"

"Dance on!" Everyone chorused back, clinking their glasses with each other. Percy and Reyna clinked theirs together.

"So, you all have the rest of the night to yourselves, but be back in your rooms and asleep by 12."

During the time between after dinner and bed, Reyna and Percy spent time at the pool. It was an unfair advantage since Percy was the captain of Goode's swim team freshman year (also known as the dreadful year he attempted to balance both swimming and dance) and Reyna hadn't swum since she was eleven. It was a pretty nice pool considering they weren't staying anywhere super fancy in San Francisco since they hailed from New York. The glass roof allowed moonlight to stream in the room, reflecting off the water and giving a warm glow that mixed with the dim lighting. The walls were decorated with greek style designs and gold lining around them. It was empty except for the two of them, allowing them to be as loud as they wanted.

"You're pulverizing me!" Reyna complained as Percy continued to splash her with huge waves. "Percy!"

"Alright, alright, I'll stop." Percy chuckled. Reyna paddled to the edge of the pool where Percy was hanging, gazing out the window. He watched the cars busily drive by on Market Street, even at this hour, and watched several cars drive up and down the winding hills in the distance. "Beautiful, isn't it? It almost reminds me of New York."

"Yes, but much less crowded and not as many lights." Reyna chuckled. The two took their time gazing out the window, enjoying the silence. "Did I ever tell you I lived in Berkeley for the first seven years of my life?" Percy pouted, shaking his head.

"I don't believe so. I thought you were a New York native!"

"I'm not! Couldn't you tell because of the accent?" Reyna chuckled playfully. "I loved it there. The food, the diversity, nature- it's a beautiful place. There's something new to see every day, even if it's just some random homeless guy in downtown with a cat on his shoulder, a Mardi Gras parade passing by your school, or just the sky. There was always something new."

"You saw a dude walking around downtown with a cat on his shoulder?" Percy asked in disbelief. Reyna laughed heartily, nodding her head.

"It didn't beat the guy who used to ride around my elementary school. He had a blue mustache and a unicycle." Percy laughed loudly, unable to believe it. He sounded like the coolest guy ever. "Then when my parents said we had to move to New York for my dad's job, I was devastated. I didn't want to leave my home. And now I'm back, but not exactly back. I'm fifteen minutes away from home, yet for some reason, it doesn't feel like I belong anymore." She began making ripples with the water, tracing the tiles on the pool's edge.

"New York's your home," Percy whispered. He found himself very close to her, his nose almost touching her cheek. "and I'm in New York." He had no idea why he mentioned himself. She turned, facing him, her nose almost touching his. Under the moonlight, her face was breathtaking.

"Yeah, I know." She whispered back. She leaned in, and Percy found himself doing the same. She pressed her lips to his once, slowly yet quickly. Percy sighed, backing away a little. "I'm sorry-"

"It's okay."

"I had to, at least once." She admitted. Percy nodded his head in understanding.

"I know."

"Can..." her voice trailed off into a whispered, her cheeks turning more and redder by the second. "Can we forget about that?"

"Yeah." Percy found his own cheeks heating. "Yeah, we can."

"Okay." She swiped a finger under her eye, perhaps to wipe away a tear. "Let's get out of here."

The two of them got out of the pool, bundling themselves up in towels, drying off the best they could. They walked back to the elevators where Percy donated a towel to Reyna after seeing goosebumps on her arms. He walked Reyna to her room first before going to his.

"Listen, about what happened," Percy began. Reyna sighed, pushing a silky strand of hair behind her ear. "I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but-"

"I know." She cut him off quickly, not wanting to hear it, which was good since Percy didn't actually know how to break it to her. "It's okay."

"But I know your life is tough, and your parents aren't the greatest." He found himself continuing. "Just know that I am your home, and I always will be." Reyna met Percy's eyes, smiling softly.

"Thank you. I'll see you in the morning." She hugged him, despite being wet, and Percy wrapped his arms around her. He pressed a kiss in her hair before she left to go to bed.

The next morning, Percy woke up all alone in his own room, in his own bed, tangled up in his own sheets. They got caught between his legs while he tried to kick them off last night, alternating between hot and cold. He forced himself out of bed, or else he knows he's gonna miss breakfast, and Percy absolute cannot function without breakfast. He doesn't want to break his neck since it's the big day.

Oh god.

"SHOOT, THE COMPETITION IS TODAY!" Percy flailed about, then fell off the bed with a loud thump! Percy got dressed in his sweats and a t-shirt, then packed his dance bag, triple checking he had everything. Once he was finished with all that business, he grabbed his room card and made his way downstairs where he joined Reyna, Will, and Frank for pancakes. Then it was onto the show.

Francisco hauled all his students into a tour bus which the familiar scent of lemon air freshener, but it didn't compare to the crisp San Francisco air. Percy and Reyna sat next to each other, spending the bus trip avoiding their incident, and talked as if it never happened when in the back of their minds, they were thinking about it. In addition to their chit chats, they took plenty of selfies with Will and Frank, and also for their Snapchat stories. "Everyone, look alive! We're here!"

Cheers and shrills of excitement erupted through the bus as all the kids made their way off the bus. Percy offered to hold Reyna's bag, and even before she could answer he already grabbed it. Reyna punched him in the arm, and Percy laughed, reminding him of when they were younger. "I can get it myself!"

"I'm being nice!"

"I'm getting impatient, get off the bus!" Will chided playfully, tapping his foot loudly behind them. His two friends childishly stuck their tongues out in unison, then proceeded off the bus.

As soon as they walked into the lobby, Percy literally flinched as if he got hit by an ocean wave. There were hundreds, and hundreds of people in the hall, chattering about, dancers stretching, parents and dance teachers trying to gather their younger children and making sure none of them got lost. A little girl, no more than seven, accidentally bumped into Percy, her brown curly pigtails bouncing. "Oops, sorry mister."

"It's okay. I think you belong over there?" Percy crouched down and pointed at the large group of other little dancers with matching pigtails.

"Yeah, yeah!" She exclaimed excitedly, bouncing on her heels. "Thank you! I'll see you later, mister!" And she ran off.

"Always so good with kids," Reyna chuckled, hugging one of Percy's arms. Percy felt his lips curve into a lopsided-smile, agreeing with her.

Francisco leads the girls to their dressing room, and the boys to theirs, instructing all of them to change, get makeup on and stretch. He warned them it'd be a long day, considering it was only nine in the morning and they'd be done by five. It's gonna be a long, long, day. Percy and Will shared a room together which was fantastic, getting their makeup done together which was always fun. Will helped Percy with his bit of eyeliner and Percy helped Will with his. After everything was completed, Percy decided to take a walk to do a bit of civilian-watching.

Percy strolled out his room, making his way back to the lobby. He stretched for a little to blend in with the crowd, then stopped mid-leg stretch when his thoughts drifted away. He thought about Reyna, and if he actually still had feelings for her, whether or not that one kiss meant anything at all. Perhaps it didn't, considering she made it quick, meaning maybe even she didn't want something. Girls are just so complicated, plus he didn't want to spend his whole life trying to figure them out. He just couldn't get her out of his head. If this keeps happening, maybe he'll never slip his mind.

Then, across the busy lobby, out of all the people walking out and about, running back and forth, Percy saw her.

AAAAAHHHH. AH. That was mighty long sorry gang. Well, looks like a two or three-shot will be happening. I hope you enjoyed that and sorry if it seems like I lost motivation towards the end. I hope you liked that! And ignore typos, but if you see more than five leave a review so I'll know and update it. Anyways, see you next update!

Review this maybe? Thanks!