Tutoring Chapter 3
Annabeth and Percy's study session actually went better than Annabeth thought it would. Percy listened and tried his best to understand everything she was helping him with. But when it came to math Percy was completely lost, everything else he could do on his own he just needed help reading things because of his dyslexia. His main problem was math which is what they decided they would focus on the most while they were studying together.
After forty minutes of studying Annabeth had to stop and pack up her things "I have to get going, I need to change and start warming up at the track" Annabeth said shouldering her back pack.
Percy nodded his head following her "Can I ride with you? I planned on going with Jason and Nico but their still in class and I don't feel like waiting around for them" Percy asked.
Annabeth shrugged "Yeah okay".
Together the two walked to Annabeth's car, Annabeth threw her bag in the back seat and got in the driver seat while Percy got in the passenger seat. The drove the two blocks to the school's track where Annabeth parked and got her duffle bag out of her trunk. Percy leaned against the car waiting for her "You ready?" Percy asked.
Annabeth smiled "Yeah I am, I'm going to have to do more warm ups than normal so I can get used to running with my wrist but I'm ready".
Percy smiled "That's good. So uhh I'll go hang out in the stands and wait around for Jason and Nico".
Annabeth nodded her head "Is it alright if I leave my bag with you after I change?"
"Yeah that's fine" Percy said.
"Alright I'll see you in a little bit" Annabeth said going into the locker room. Percy walked into the stands where only a few random people were sitting; he sat down in the middle pulling out his phone and texting his friends that he was already at the track. On the field the track coaches were getting everything set up.
After Annabeth changed into her track uniform and running shorts she put on a pair of yoga pants and a sweat shirt to warm up in. She found Percy in the bleachers and sat her bag down sitting next to him "Is this what you run in?" Percy asked smiling pulling on her baggy sweat shirt.
Annabeth swatted his hand "No this is my warm up outfit" she opened her bag pulling out a smaller draw string bag with a Nike sign on it.
"What is that?" Percy asked.
"These are my running shoes" Annabeth said pulling out a tiny pink and black shoe with spikes under the front part of the shoe "I need to start warming up, I'll see you later" she said standing up.
Percy nodded his head "Wait do you want to get something to eat afterwards".
Annabeth turned around to face him "Yeah okay" she said before turning around and heading towards one of the coaches on the track.
Percy watched as Annabeth did two laps around the track before stretching, while she was stretching her coach came up to her and started talking to her about what Percy guessed was her injured her wrist since the coach kept pointing at it. After she was done stretching Annabeth sat down and put on her spike's making sure they were tight before she stood up and picked out one of the running blocks, she sat it in lane number three and made sure everything was just the way she liked it before she got her feet into the blocks. Percy saw her wince when she put weight on her wrist but she kept going, she got into her running position and tried running a few times out of the blocks before she stood up flexing her wrist. After doing a couple more trials she picked up her starting blocks and put them away. Percy was leaning back on the bleachers looking at Facebook on his phone when Jason and Nico came up to him.
"Hey cuz" Jason said sitting down.
Percy nodded his head "How was class?"
Nico groaned "I didn't have class I had detention, Mrs. Dodds is horrid I couldn't even listen to music and every time I tried to fall asleep she slapped a ruler on my desk".
Jason and Percy laughed "That's what you get for being late to her class every day for the past two weeks" Jason said.
Nico scowled pushing Jason's shoulder "So why exactly are we watching a track meet?" Nico asked.
Percy smiled and showed him a picture on his phone "This is why, hot girls running around in spandex and tanktops when it's freezing outside".
Nico grinned and Jason shook his head "I would like to disagree but Piper is running today and I very much enjoy seeing her in her track uniform".
Percy and Nico laughed "What's so funny?" A feminine voice asked from next to Percy.
Percy turned to see Annabeth standing there with her hands on her hips; Percy smiled "Just teasing Jason here".
Annabeth raised her eyebrow obviously not convinced but before she could say something a guy with blonde hair and a scar on his cheek covered his hands over her eyes "Guess who?" he whispered in her ear.
Annabeth huffed "I don't know but if you don't let go in three seconds you're going to feel serious pain".
Percy watched the two with narrowed eyes he knew this guy, it was Luke Castellan, but what was he doing here he graduated last year.
Luke laughed and removed his hands "No need to get hostile Annie".
Annabeth whirled around "Luke" she said quickly moving in to hug him; Luke laughed and hugged her back "What are you doing here?" Annabeth asked after she pulled away.
Luke smiled "I couldn't miss your big meet, I know how important today is to you".
Annabeth smiled "Thanks for coming Luke".
"I wouldn't miss it for the world, your dad coming?" He asked.
Annabeth grimaced "What do you think?"
Luke sighed "I guess not, where's Thalia at?"
Annabeth laughed "She's probably just got out of class, she should be here soon".
Luke smiled "Cool, I'm gonna go talk to coach I'll see you in a bit okay?"
Annabeth nodded her head "Okay". Luke smiled and turned around heading towards the track. Annabeth sat down pulling her water bottle out of her bag.
"How do you know Luke?" Percy asked.
"Thalia and I had him in one of our classes last year and we got really close" Annabeth said.
"Oh he's that Luke, got it" Jason said but it was mostly to himself.
Nico frowned "What do you mean?"
Jason immediately shut up "Nothing it means nothing".
Percy and Nico both narrowed their eyes at their younger cousin "You know we'll get it out of you eventually".
Jason crossed his arms over his chest "I'm not saying anything".
Nico shook his head and stood up "Come on let's go get some snacks I'm starving".
Jason laughed "When aren't you hungry?"
"I'm a growing boy I need food" Nico said.
Jason, Percy and Annabeth laughed. When Jason and Nico left Annabeth sat down "You and your cousins are crazy".
Percy laughed "Yeah I guess we are, I think it comes with being children of the big three". Annabeth nodded her head but didn't say anything "So how is your wrist holding up?" Percy asked.
Annabeth looked down at her wrist "It hurt a little bit at first but I think it'll be fine".
"That's good, what events are you doing?" Percy asked.
"I only do sprints, I'm running the 100, 200, and I'm on the 4x1 team" Annabeth said.
"Wow, which one is your best?"
"It's a tie between the 100 and 200. I think the scouts are here, from UCLA and UFO" Annabeth said, she started tapping her leg really fast and her face got paler than normal. Percy followed her eyes to see two men each from UCLA and UFO talking to the head track coach in the middle of the field.
Percy sat his hand on her leg, causing Annabeth to look at him "You'll be fine Annabeth, don't worry about the scouts just ignore them, you'll do fine".
Annabeth closed her eyes taking a deep breath "You're right, I should just pretend they're not even there".
Percy smiled "Exactly, that's what I do, and it helps a lot" he squeezed her leg but left it there.
Annabeth looked down at the hand on her leg but didn't make any move or say anything for him to remove it "I have to go check in for the 100 and start warming up again".
Percy nodded his head and smiled encouragingly "Good luck".
Annabeth stood up "Thanks" she said before heading towards the track. Once Annabeth was far enough from Percy she took a deep breath trying to slow down her heart beat. Her leg still felt on fire from where is hand sat on her leg. She liked this new Percy that she was seeing even if she's only seen this side of him for a day, she loved the way he smiled and how his green eyes shinned with laughter. Annabeth shook her head stopping those thoughts; she couldn't think of Percy right now, she needed to focus on her meet.
After she checked in for the 100 she did another warm up lap and did some more stretches before she started doing mild sprints. Once she was warmed up she got her blocks and put in the lane that the officiator had told her to go to and started running out of the blocks so she could get used to use her wrist.
Percy watched as Annabeth warmed up again, she seemed so concentrated and in the zone and she wasn't even listening to music. Percy had to listen to music whenever he had a game or a meet. Percy continued watching Annabeth warm up as well as watch the scouts who were now sitting in the stands a couple feet from Percy. They talked to each other as they watched Annabeth warm-up.
"Hey Perce" Thalia said sitting down next to him, Percy looked up to see that Thalia was holding hands with Like.
Percy narrowed his eyes "Hey Thals" he said quickly looking at their intertwined hands.
Thalia rolled her eyes "Luke this is my cousin Percy, Percy this is my boyfriend Luke, and I swear to god if you say one thing I'll kick your ass".
Percy put his hands up in surrender "I'm not saying anything" Percy put his hand out for Luke to shake "Nice to meet you".
Luke smiled shaking Percy's hand "Nice to meet you as well, Thalia's told me a lot about you".
Percy nodded his head "I'd like to say the same but my wonderful cousin here hasn't said anything about you".
Thalia glared at Percy punching him in the arm "Shut up kelp head".
Luke smiled "It's alright she told me she didn't tell anyone about our relationship except Jason and Annabeth, something about you and Nico was it being crazy".
"Hey, I am not crazy" Nico said sitting down next to Percy eating a hotdog.
Jason, Thalia, and Percy all rolled their eyes "Annabeth told me you and her are getting food after this are the rest of us invited as well?" Thalia asked raising a knowing eyebrow at her cousin.
Percy frowned he was hoping it would just be the two of them, he wasn't sure what came over him but he started noticing different things about her and he wanted to get to know her better "Yeah of course all of you are invited even your boyfriend Luke" Percy said grinning at Thalia.
Nico spit out his hotdog "What?" he yelled making everyone look at him.
Thalia glared at Percy "Calm down Nico, it's not that big of a deal".
"That big of a deal my ass, he's older than you are, you can't date him. Jason how are you letting her date him" Nico said glaring at his younger cousin.
Jason shrugged "She's older than I am, besides from what I know Luke isn't that bad of a guy".
Luke nodded his head at Jason "Thanks man".
Nico turned on Luke "You what are you doing dating a girl who's still in high school?"
"I'm only a month older than Thalia, the only reason were in different grades is because my birthday is right before the school deadline. Were both eighteen so there's nothing wrong with our relationship" Luke said looking Nico in the eye.
Nico fumbled for words causing Percy to save his cousin "Sit down Nico you look like an idiot".
Nico crossed his arms sitting as far from Thalia and Luke as possible causing Percy and Jason to start laughing. Soon the rest of their friends and girlfriends started showing up Frank and Hazel sat behind Percy as Leo and Reyna sat behind Jason. Connor and Travis were on the track team so they were warming up. Percy sat and talked with his friends as he watched Annabeth get ready for her first meet.