Annabeth felt butterflies in her stomach as she nervously glanced at her phone. They were two months away from her championship fight and only a month away from Frank and Hazel's fight. The two of them had been training hard. They had a plan locked into place for both of them and were hammering out minor tweaks and changes.
Her eyes stayed focused on the scheduled slot of her phone's calendar, and she nearly crashed into the door. Annabeth looked up and walked through into their break room. Reyna was resting her arm on the table. Frank and Hazel were examining her wrist.
"It's just a splint," Reyna said with an unconvincing smile. "They want me to wear it for the next few days and then only wear it at night after. Not counting all the damn wrist exercises."
"Does it hurt?" Annabeth asked suddenly. Reyna glanced at her and shook her head. She slowly tried to move her fingers.
"It's stiff," Reyna answered. Annabeth nodded. She had been observing her friends for the last three weeks. Frank and Hazel were completely focused on their fights, most of the time. Other times, they were more worried about if the other was getting proper training in or not.
Frank had missed two days the week before because his grandma fell while he wasn't there. He spent the two days with her in the hospital and had been a nervous wreck. His grandma was out of the hospital now, thankfully without injuries. Frank was trying to argue with her about getting one of those medical necklaces that she could use to call for help in case she fell again, and it didn't seem like he was gaining ground on that front.
Hazel's family had put out a few more articles, but stoking the flames of the controversy wasn't working. Since Hazel didn't respond to it, the story didn't gain that much traction, and no reporters really cared to ask her about it after the first few weeks of trying. It still clearly bothered Hazel, but anytime they asked, she put on a brave face.
Reyna had been a lot more quiet ever since her suspension. She showed up earlier than everyone else and left later than them as well. Reyna seemed like she was back to normal. Well, most of the time. Whenever Reyna thought she was alone or didn't notice anyone looking at her, her entire demeanor changed. A scowl invaded her face, and her shoulders slackened like she held the weight of the world on them.
Annabeth had been keeping a close eye on Reyna. It seemed like she was getting over her relationship with Thalia, and the other woman was wasting no time on it either. Thalia was also going to be in and out of town for the next few weeks as she checked on a couple of cases, so Annabeth would have the place to herself.
Which Annabeth was super grateful for. She loved Thalia and saw her like a sister. A damn annoying, irritating, can't clean up after herself sister. Not to mention the fact that she left dishes to soak overnight instead of just doing them immediately. So, Annabeth was grateful for the break.
"So, we're arm wrestling soon?" Hazel teased.
"I don't want to embarrass you too badly," Reyna smiled slightly. She studied the splint and slowly withdrew her hand from the table. "Lupa has me picking out all the supplies for the next month. Who wants to go with me to get everything tomorrow?"
"I'll go," Hazel offered.
"I will as well," Annabeth added, watching Reyna's reaction. She didn't receive one
"Me three," Percy chimed in from the door. He walked towards them. "I heard you got the cast off."
Reyna rolled her eyes but presented her hand on the table again. Percy examined her cast, "If you need help with your exercises, let me know. You're taking pain medicine, right?"
"I am," Reyna promised. She put her hand back in her lap again. "Nico made sure that I brought it."
"Do you need a fourth?" Frank asked as he looked at them.
"No. You can help us bring in the supplies, though. We'll get lunch, too," Reyna replied. She slowly stood and walked towards the fridge. Reyna opened it and grabbed a bottle of water. She pinned it to her stomach with her injured arm and then used her good hand to open the cap.
Annabeth looked back at her phone. She studied the text that she had sent to her father. After speaking to Lupa, she was able to secure front row tickets for her brothers. They were also allowed backstage, with the promise that they would not bother Annabeth or Reyna as they prepared for their fights.
Her father probably wouldn't be there. It would either be just her brothers or her step mother accompanying them. Hazel and Frank also promised to keep an eye on them, so Annabeth could focus entirely on her fight.
"Reyna. Annabeth," Lupa began as she stepped into the room. Annabeth turned to look at her trainer. "Come to my office for a moment."
Annabeth nodded and stood. She walked towards Lupa with Reyna a few steps behind. They walked towards Lupa's office. As they stepped inside, Lupa closed the door and motioned for them to sit. Annabeth took a seat at the desk.
There was something wrong with Lupa. It was in her stance. Her shoulders were tense, and a barely concealed scowl grimaced her. Reyna slowly sat by Annabeth. She didn't meet Lupa's eyes, instead filtering her gaze over the room.
"Do you two remember when I told you that one of your fights would be the main event for the anniversary?" Lupa questioned as she sat down behind her desk. Annabeth nodded her agreement.
"Yeah. Annabeth is going to main the event," Reyna answered as she glanced to the side. "Did something change?"
"Something changed," Lupa confirmed. Annabeth's shoulders deflated, and it felt like a punch slammed into her gut. She wouldn't lie and say that she wasn't disappointed. Annabeth allowed herself to get excited, and it seemed like she had put the cart before the horse. "Is that why you pulled your little stunt, Reyna?"
"What?" Reyna asked as she looked away from Annabeth and focused on Lupa. "What are you talking about?"
"Is that why you pulled your little stunt with Clarisse?" Lupa repeated, almost impatiently. Reyna studied Lupa, but her jaw was visibly clenched as she started to grind her teeth. "You punched Clarisse in the face to garner more attention on your fight, and now, officials have decided that your rematch will cap off the night."
"I wasn't pulling a stunt, Lupa. This wasn't just to have the final fight," Reyna muttered.
"But that was part of it."
"It wasn't," Reyna argued. Her gaze flashed to Annabeth. "I wouldn't do that! That was your place on the card to have."
"It's okay," Annabeth swore, and she forced herself to smile slightly. It sucked that the main event had been taken from her, but she wasn't going to argue the decision and cause more dissent.
"Annabeth, I didn't punch Clarisse because I was trying to draw more attention," Reyna continued as she fully turned towards Annabeth. "That wasn't the reason."
"Then, why did you?" Annabeth asked. Reyna stared at her and looked conflicted. Her gaze moved back to Lupa.
"Because Reyna allowed her temper to get the best of her. Again," Lupa stated flatly. Reyna turned back to her mentor, looking like she was going to argue. Instead, she slumped back in the chair and crossed her arms like a pouting child.
"Just talk to the officials and have them change it back," Reyna muttered.
"Don't you think I tried?" Lupa snapped. Reyna glared and looked back at the desk. Her jaw was visibly clenched, and the knuckles on her hand were white as she dug her fingers into her arms. Annabeth slowly looked between the two.
Ever since Reyna's suspension, Lupa had been acting differently. It was clear that she was disappointed in Reyna and upset at her, but she wasn't getting over it. Or, she wasn't hiding it anymore. Before, Lupa seemed to treat Reyna like she would a little kid. Sure, the kid was going to mess up; it was expected. You would just gently tell them what they did wrong and help guide them to a better way.
That wasn't the case anymore. Lupa had seemingly done a one-eighty, going from guiding Reyna to now reprimanding her. Annabeth watched agape as she realized that Lupa had finally reached her breaking point with Reyna. That was why she was being so harsh now.
Lupa was at the end of her rope. She didn't know what to do to get Reyna under control, and this was her last ditch effort.
"Are we done here?" Reyna slowly asked.
"Yes," Lupa said. Reyna immediately stood and stormed out of the room. Annabeth slowly stood as well. Lupa was staring down at her desk. "I'll try to talk to the officials again."
"It's okay," Annabeth reassured.
"A title fight should always be on last," Lupa argued.
"Back in the day, I would agree. It's different now. A lot of people are drawn to the drama, and this is probably one of the most hate fueled rivalries ever. I can't blame the officials for putting it at the top of the card. It might even help draw new eyes, and those two are going to war."
Lupa didn't look convinced. Annabeth nodded to her and walked out of the office. As she closed the door behind her, she saw Reyna waiting for her. Reyna walked towards her, "I didn't punch Clarisse just to draw attention. That's bullshit."
Annabeth hesitated. Part of her believed Reyna, and the other part thought it really was her temper. Reyna continued, "Look, Clarisse said something about Lupa, and I just lost it. That's why I punched her. Not for the stupid reason Lupa is accusing me of."
"Why not just tell Lupa that?" Annabeth questioned.
"Because Lupa is just going to think that I'm making another excuse," Reyna muttered bitterly. She shook her head and looked away. "I don't know how Clarisse even knows about that. Lupa hasn't told anyone."
"About why she stopped fighting?" Annabeth assumed. Reyna shot a look at her so quickly she probably almost gave herself whiplash. "Lupa told me. About the miscarriage."
"She told you?" Reyna repeated. Her eyes narrowed. Annabeth instantly knew where the train of thought was going.
"I would never tell anyone about that, least of all Clarisse," Annabeth said as she felt a flash of her own anger. "How dare you accuse me?"
"How else would Clarisse know?" Reyna pressed further. Annabeth hardened her glare. Then, she shoved past Reyna and stormed down the hall. "Annabeth, wait!"
"How dare you accuse me?!" Annabeth demanded again as she whirled around. "What the hell is your problem?!"
"I'm sorry," Reyna tried to defuse the situation. Annabeth shook her head as frustration flooded her being. "Annabeth!"
Annabeth was no longer in the mood to entertain the conversation. She stormed down the hall, leaving Reyna behind. Annabeth walked back into the break room with the others, and as they looked at her, she forced a fake smile into reality.
"Everything okay?" Hazel questioned.
"Yeah. Lupa was just telling us the main event for the anniversary show is up in the air," Annabeth deflected.
"I thought you were locked in for the main event," Percy pointed out as a frown touched his face.
"Well, they are reconsidering. Reyna may take that spot. As long as one of us gets it," Annabeth explained as she shrugged and tried to pretend like she didn't care. The smile remained glued on her lips. From the look in Percy's eyes, he could see clearly through the facade. "Now, come on. We have a lot of work to do today."