AN: Well… it is technically shorter between chapters. This chapter is sort of a two parter. Game Day Part One will be from Percy's POV and Game Day Part Two will be from Annabeth's POV. I tried to cutback on some basketball terminology for the people reading this who aren't total basketball nerds like me. Sorry if some of it goes over your heads. Hope you enjoy!

Game Day – Percy

Some legends are told… Some turn to dust or to gold… But you will remember me… for centuries!

Percy's eyes shot open, heart immediately beginning to race. His hand covered his phone to turn off the alarm set to Fall Out Boy. A grin slowly crossed his face as he literally rolled out of bed, his blankets wrapped around him like a cocoon, protecting him as he hit the floor. The smell of pancakes wafted through the apartment and into his room.

Why was Perseus Jackson happy to up early on a school day? Well, there could only be one true answer to this question.

Game day.

Percy jumped off the floor, scrambling to his closet and grabbing his jersey, throwing it on over a hoodie. Most high schools had Friday Night Lights for the football season, but Ecclesia was a basketball town. The two schools in the city, Ecclesia Central and Ecclesia Prepatory Academy both boasted strong basketball programs, continually meeting each other in the playoffs for the state title. One spectacular tradition the city held was the game between the two schools. Every year, without fail, the first game of the season would be played between the Argonauts and the Legion. The last two years, the Legion had won the opening games decisively, led by their duo of Jason Grace and Octavian Attero. The last time Central had won, Beckendorf was still a senior and Percy was a freshman, playing for the JV team.

"Percy! Breakfast!" His mom's voice rang through the apartment, jolting Percy out of his thoughts.

Black hair a disjointed mess, Percy grabbed his already packed bag and practically sprinted to the breakfast table. On the table sat heaven on a plate: blueberry pancakes, dyed blue, topped with blue sprinkles and blue whipped cream. Heaven.

Sally groaned when she saw Percy and his hair, "Percy. Hairbrush. Now."

Percy sat down and began eating, "Mom. Food. Yum."

Sally then did something dangerous. She took the fork from Percy as he ate. Anyone else would've lost their head. But it was his mom and Percy was a momma's boy. Now it was his turn to groan as he walked back to his room to brush his unruly mess of hair. A few tangles and many pancakes later, the hyped up basketball star was on his way to school.

"Yo Perce!" Percy turned right before walking in the school doors, grinning as he saw Frank trot up in his own jersey, identical to Percy's in every way but the number and last name. Side five, palm slide, fist bump, finger tap, wiggle wiggle, elbow, fist again, hand, back of hand, and a list of other movements as the two performed a rather complicated handshake that no one but Percy and Frank could follow. No words were spoken after Frank's greeting. Just a mutual understanding and comfort followed as the two ventured into the halls of Ecclesia Central High School.

English, Period Seven

Percy rolled his neck, eyes never leaving the clock above the door. His heel bounced up and down as he counted the seconds until he could burst out the door and head to the locker room. C'mon… two minutes… let's go. Almost there. His fingers started twitching in anticipation, heart beginning to race. Adrenaline slowly pumped through his system. One minute forty five seconds!

"Percy! Would you mind explaining to the class how Emerson's ideas helped to bring about the restart of the abolitionist movement in the mid-19th century?" To say Percy experienced whiplash would be an understatement.

Whiplash, according to , is a noun meaning 'an abrupt snapping motion or change of direction resembling the lash of a whip'. Here it references the extreme change in direction Percy's mind had to take in order to catch up with what his English teacher was saying.

Eyes slowly shifted from the clock to the friendly face of his teacher. "I…" Percy blinked. His teacher blinked. Percy blinked again. His teacher blinked again. I really zoned out. I have no idea what I'm supposed to say. What the heck. Come up with something! But what? Asdlfhasl;dfjasdlfkjasldkfja!

"Well… I think that… uh… well y'know, how like… Emerson… he put some of his thoughts down…" He's an author? I think? "On paper! Yeah, on paper. And those ideas probably might've moved around a lot in early America? And so… it kinda…"

The bell rung.

Percy grinned, sighing with relief. He grabbed his bag and dashed out the room. However, his teacher had other plans. Halfway to the door, the basketball star heard his English teacher say, "Hey, Percy."

Percy froze in mid-stride, turning his head to look at his teacher, "Yes, Mr. Blofis?"

His normally friendly and soft spoken teacher's demeanor shifted to a rather intimidating glare. "Humiliate Attero tonight, will you?"

Immediately straightening up and turning completely to look at Mr. Blofis, Percy grinned and gave him a small salute, "Yessir!"

Mr. Blofis gave a small smile and nod before waving Percy and the rest of the class out of the room.

Sprinting down the halls, Percy navigated the crowds of people, bringing to light his natural athleticism and ability to avoid contact. A spin past a group of boys, a side step around a couple girls, and a hurdle over a kid bending down to tie their shoelace all happened in quick succession before he found himself safe and in the locker room.

Obviously, he was the first one. No one ever beat Percy to prepare for gametime. No one ever left after Percy once the game was done. Same with practice. Basketball was Percy's obsession. For better or for worse, he gave his whole being to the sport. Quickly, Percy changed into his game uniform before throwing a zip-up hoodie and sweatpants over the top of everything.

Percy immediately marched right to his coach's offices and knocked on the door. Without even a pretense at waiting for a response, he threw open the door and slammed his hands square on his coach's desk.

Coach Hedge looked up, startled. The stocky man began opening his mouth, about to ask what Percy wanted. However, before the coach could even form the first word, Percy spoke three simple words.

"Give. Me. Attero."

Now, Coach Hedge was not an easily intimidated or impressed man. He had seen a lot in his years as a high school basketball coach. Even before stopping to coach this team, he had done all sorts of things in his life. However, with life experience also came wisdom. His instinct, when he heard Percy's demand, was to laugh it off or reassure the kid to trust the gameplan and focus on what they had discussed all off-season leading up to this game. But when he made eye contact and saw a fire raging in those sea-green eyes, he decided to give the senior the benefit of the doubt.

Coach Hedge took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair, his gruff voice speaking softly, "Alright kid. Let's say I do this and let you cover Attero all game. Who takes Grace? And why do you want Attero?"

Percy didn't move. For once in his life, not a single muscle twitched. All anxiety flew out the window as his competitive fire drove him forward. "Attero cooked us all game last season except for the fourht quarter when I started singling him out on the fast break. I'm taller and longer than he is, with the quickness to keep up. You know as well as I do that I'm the best goddamn defender on this team. Move Stoll to DiAngelo and have Valdez take Grace. I've had to cover Grace since we were kids, I know Valdez can do it."

Hedge smirked at Percy's analysis. "Thought about this a lot?"

A sharp nod from Percy.

"Good, I'm glad. That's why you're the captain. One question though. The size difference from Grace to Valdez. I'm sure Stoll can take DiAngelo. The height difference isn't that bad. But Valdez is giving up at least a half of foot to Grace and a good sixty pounds. He'll get bullied all over the place."

Percy finally shifted. He straightened up and shook his head, "No. He won't. All Valdez has to do is harrass Grace on the perimeter and the funnel him into Zhang and Gambrell."

"Think Gambrell can handle that? He's still a freshman."

"Grace loves to drive and kick. When he sees the two of them standing there, most likely he'll pass the ball back out to someone else."

Hedge breathed out slowly. Percy's fingers began tapping on his thigh while he waited for his coach's response. After a few moments, Hedge brought his own eyes to meet Percy's, "He's all yours, kid. Give him hell."

Percy smirked, "Yessir."

Announcer POV – Game Time

"Hello folks and welcome to tonight's coverage of everybody's favorite game: the classic rivalry matchup between Ecclesia Central High School and Ecclesia Preparatory Academy. I am Paul Blofis and today I'm joined in the booth by former Ecclesia Central forward, Charles Beckendorf. How're you doing today, Charles?"

"I'm doing great, Paul. Thanks for having me."

"Of course. Now, this is, as always, a fantastic matchup between two of the best teams in the state. What are both team's keys for success in this matchup?"

"Well, I have to start with my bias and my team, the Central Argonauts. We all know of Percy Jackson's abilities both on offense and defense. He will be the star for that team. But I think the X-Factor will truly lie in Tyson Gambrell. He's a freshman and starting on this varsity squad. Obviously the coach and team has trust in him to be able to play as young as he is, but he is matched up with one of the top rated centers in the country in Michael Kahale. Hopefully he is up for the task."

"Yes it is pretty unique to have someone starting this young, especially in such a big game. Honestly, I can't remember the last time a freshman did start for Ecclesia Central. Can you?"

A laugh. "No, Paul, that was definitely before my time."

A chuckle. "Alright, Charles, how about the Prepatory Academy? What's their key tonight?"

"Ugh, as much as it pains me, I do suppose I should give them a fair shot on air." A chuckle. "Octavian Attero is going to be huge in this game for the Legion. Last year, he absolutely torched the Argonauts to the tune of 37 points on close to 80% shooting percentage from the field. He should be covered by the same man in Travis Stoll, who is a good defender, but obviously not enough to stop Attero. If Attero gets cooking, I don't see how the Legion can lose this game."

"Great analysis, Charles. It's always great to have someone like you here in the booth with me to provide that in-depth analysis. I believe the teams are ready so here are your starting line-ups, sponsored by Zhang's Mansion, your home for authentic Chinese cuisine with a loving touch."

Paul Blofis looked down at his sheet, "Alright, folks. For the visiting Ecclesia Central High School Argonauts, they will have Travis Stoll, a junior, at point guard. Leo Valdez, first year starting and a sophomore, will join him in the backcourt as the shooting guard. Percy Jackson, obviously, will be the starting small forward with Frank Zhang starting at the power forward position, both of them are seniors. The aforementioned Tyson Gambrell will be the center, rounding out the starters."

A beat passed.

"Now for the home team, the Ecclesia Prepatory Academy Legion. All-state and considered by many to be one of the top point guards in the country, Octavian Attero is playing his final year, starting for the fourth year in a row. His backcourt mate will be junior Nico DiAngelo. The small forward position is filled by Jason Grace, another senior. The Legion's big men will be Will Solace, a junior, and Michael Kahale, also a junior, at the power forward and center positions respectively."

Charles stepped in. "This game, as always, kicks off the season for both of these schools with a bang. The last two season openers have gone to the Legion and they definitely have the experience on their side. The Argonauts are starting a freshman and a sophomore so it will be interesting if they can keep this game close."

Percy POV

Percy and his teammates stood in a circle in front of their bench. The clock on the scoreboard slowly ticked down the final minutes before tip-off. Coach Hedge knelt in the middle of the circle, his clipboard firmly in hand.

"Alright, cupcakes, just remember to get out there and play. Do your best, don't do anything stupid. Find your shots, take them. No hesitation. Kick ass." With that overwhelmingly motivational speech, Hedge walked back to his spot on the bench. While most would think that was a rather bizarre way to hype up the team, the trained eye noticed the small nod and brief eye exchange he had with his star player.

Percy's eyes seemed to glint in the harsh light of the indoor basketball court as he took Hedge's place and knelt. Any other situation, Percy would hardly be able to talk. His mind would freeze. He would blush and stammer. But not now. This was basketball. His love for the game far surpassed any thoughts of hesitation or overthinking. On one knee, the now incredibly confident teen looked up at his teammates and began to speak.

"Right here, gentlemen. Right here. Right now. This is the Legion's home court. They beat us on ours last year. Let's take theirs. When we win this…" He paused. "When, not if, but when we win this game, we will celebrate by jumping on their logo right over there." He pointed to the SPQR logo on the middle of the basketball court. "This game is ours."

Percy stood up and the team touched their fists together. "This game is the last opener I've got with this team. I know I'll be playing my absolute hardest. Can I count on you to support me?"

A chorus yell of "YEAH!" rang across the floor.

Percy grinned, "I'm glad. Brotherhood on three. 1. 2. 3."

As one, a wave of sound echoed louder than the previous 'yeah'. "BROTHERHOOD!"

The five starters split off to the court, meeting the Legion's starters at halfcourt. Percy turned to the four guys with him. "I'll take Attero. Travis, take DiAngelo."

A nod from Travis.

"Leo."

Leo locked eyes with Percy.

"You've got Jason. And before you speak, yeah, I know he's got height on you. We all got your back. Stay low, disrupt his dribble. Stay on him like a coffee stain on white jeans."

Leo's eyes shifted from a panic to a hardened stare, "I got you, Perce.

"Alright, let's do this. First person to score gets a coffee on me during finals week."

The team let out a chuckle before taking their positions.

Tyson stood in the halfcourt circle, across from Michael Kahale for the tip off. The referee walked to the middle with the ball. "Alright, gentlemen, I know this game can get tense and little rough sometimes, but let's keep it clean today." The referee blew the whistle and the game began.

Announcer POV

"Honestly, Charles, I am stunned."

"Me too, Paul, me too."

"For those listeners at home who may have missed the game or are just tuning in… the Argonauts absolutely destroyed the Legion. The final score rests at 82-46. Charles… I'm at a loss and don't know where to start. None of us saw this score coming at all. What do you think was the key for the Argonauts' victory today?"

"It started with the defensive intensity. The Argonauts made a move no one saw coming, moving Percy Jackson, their best defender, onto Octavian Attero. Obviously, as you know Paul, Attero is possibly the best scorer we've seen come through Ecclesia. Jackson completely shut him down. Attero only finished with two points, off of free throws. He shot 0/12 with no assists. Jackson completely eliminated him from the game."

"And that doesn't fill in the whole box score for Jackson though, does it, Charles?"

"No, not at all. Percy Jackson also finished with 24 points, 7 assists, and 13 rebounds. He played confidently and aggressively. Honestly, probably could've done a lot more damage if he didn't get into foul trouble halfway through the fourth quarter."

"You can't imagine the scene in the visitor's locker room right now, can you? The Argonauts must be going crazy."

Percy POV

"HELLLL YEAHHHHH!"

Soaked. From head to toe. Like a scene at Niagara Falls. Except with Cool Blue Gatorade and not water. Percy should have seen it coming. Every team did it after a huge game. As soon as the rest of the team collectively released the exclamation, Percy turned to grin and gree them, only for his face to get rocked with the blue liquid. Spluttering and trying to clear his eyes, Percy then hit the ground.

The whole team dogpiled on top of him, crowing in victory and pride. Percy couldn't help but laugh. This was it. This was his home. Everything else disappeared. He needed these guys and they needed him. It was… special.

Eventually, the rush of adrenaline and dopamine subsided and congratulations went around in a slightly calmer fashion. Not exactly calm, but as calm as hormone fueled teenage guys can get after winning a competition. Coach Hedge presented the game ball to Percy.

That's when his team started chanting for a speech.

Waving his hands to settle them down, Percy grinned. "Hey, guys, that was a good game. Great way to start the season. But I don't get this ball. Y'all should do it. I only stopped one guy, you guys did all the rest."

The team started booing.

Percy chuckled, "Fine. What do you want me to say? That was all me? I'm the greatest player alive? Jordan and Lebron got nothing on me?"

The team released their own chuckles at this.

"Okay but seriously. This was a huge team win, but we still got at least 24 games to play. Well, probably more because we're definitely going to the playoffs and the title game this year!"

The shouts of victory and overconfidence picked up all over again and Percy got lost in the high of the victory. It was a good day.

Saturday Afternoon – A Day After the Game

"PERCY JACKSON!"

Percy's head whipped up as he heard Annabeth scream his name from the entrance. His eyes widened. Her face was fierce, eyes flashing. It wasn't quite anger, but it was definitely… intense. Well… I'm in trouble.

Annabeth stormed straight up to the counter, slamming her palms down on the top of it. She leaned forward, her nose inches away from his own. He couldn't stop himself from glancing down at her lips, then back to her eyes. His eyes then decided to play ping-pong between said lips and eyes. Well… they did until…

"Why the hell did you never mention that you played basketball and that you are absolutely brilliant at it?"

Yup… definitely in trouble.

AN: Part Two in Annabeth's POV should be out relatively soonish. Finals just wrapped up for me, so I should have some extra time to write. But… it is the holidays so you never really know. Please favorite, follow, review, all that good stuff. It's greatly appreciated. Til next time!