Update time! So because of Thanksgiving break I had time to write this. However, I still have not even touched my homework…oops. But I really wanted this chapter to go up and you guys always find a way to make me less stressed about everything I've got going on so you deserved another update! I hope you guys had a good Thanksgiving if you celebrate it and enjoy this chapter! I recommend listening to the song in this chapter while reading (I don't own the song).
Review Responses:
Guest: I'm glad you like my story so much that you're now addicted to it haha. But you didn't have to wait long for this update! I'll try to keep them coming as fast as I can!
Artemisbow510: Really you broke your squeal record already? I can't wait to see your reaction when Percabeth actually gets together! Lol. I shouldn't be saying anything though because that's honestly me.
IMPORTANT: The content in this chapter is not accurate. I repeat, it's not accurate and competitions probably aren't like this but when I used to skate I never competed so I don't exactly know what the situation is like. I don't even know if there's a competition to qualify for regionals…oops. I apologize but please keep reading!
Disclaimer: Don't own
Beep! Beep! Beep! Bee-
Eyes still closed, Annabeth slammed her hand down on the noisy black alarm clock positioned on the bedside night table. After another minute, her eyelids opened only to close once again when sensing the light coming in through the window. She blinked multiple times until her eyes were able to adjust to the burning bright light. Checking the time on the digital clock, she moaned wanting nothing more than to get one more hour of sleep. She knew that wasn't a possibility though.
It was eight o'clock on Sunday morning. Otherwise known as competition day.
Having this thought in mind, she grudgingly sat up in bed and reluctantly removed the covers from her legs so she could stand up and get dressed. The competition didn't actually start until 3:00 but on the days that she had to compete she would spend the few hours she had before just preparing and rehearsing the routine in her head and maybe even acting some of the movements out without skates to make herself feel more confident. As she observed the clothes that she had hanging in her closet her eyes skimmed over the outfit she was going to wear later on.
If there was one thing Annabeth didn't like about figure skating it was the short dresses they had to wear along with tights. Don't get her wrong, they were absolutely beautiful with the sequins and designs on them but a little too short for her taste. Not to mention she really hated wearing tights because they were super annoying to put on and she was always afraid of them ripping because of how thin the material was.
The outfit she was wearing for the competition was a purple dress with lace along the waist up while the bottom skirt part flowed down but stopped before it even reached mid thigh. It was sleeveless but she'd worn dresses like it before so she wasn't too worried about freezing to death. The tights paired with it were a simple nude color. Her stomach flipped in both excitement and anticipation as she looked at the dress.
She was determined to move on to the regional competition. Last year she had made it to regionals but she got so nervous during her routine that she fell and unfortunately didn't make it past that. This year would be different, that's what she kept telling herself.
She picked out a pair of black yoga pants and a grey thermal quarter zip to wear but first she stripped out of her t-shirt and boy shorts and got into the shower. The water hitting her face helped her wake up more and she thought about everything that would be happening that day.
More people than she had originally thought were coming to see them. She was surprised considering it wasn't a huge event, it was just to qualify for regionals. Most people would usually come to either regionals or sectionals, which were after regionals. She had heard a couple of people talking about it at her school and Luke had told her he was coming as well. Something about it being his 'duty' as a friend. The thing that surprised her most was that the entire Trident's team was coming to watch them. Granted Coach Hedge was making them attend, Annabeth was still a little taken aback when Percy had told her yesterday. She was guessing that her coach was going to make the figure skaters go to the Trident's first game on Friday in return. She found herself actually looking forward to the event instead of dreading it though.
Christina wanted them all there by one in the afternoon. Why they had to be there two hours early she had no idea but Annabeth knew better then to disobey the woman. She was also going over to Piper's house around noon because the girl had practically begged her to do her hair and make up until she gave in. That gave her four hours to herself to do whatever she needed to prepare. She stayed in the shower until the water became cold, simply enjoying the droplets raining down on her skin while the steam from the shower filled the room and covered the mirrors in a frosty layer of warm air.
When she was finished, she changed into the clothes she had laid out beforehand and combed out her wet blonde hair. When she went down for her breakfast she noticed that her mother had already left for work.
Her mother wasn't coming to see her skate. Athena hadn't gone to see her daughter skate for years. Sure, she'd gone to a couple practices and maybe caught the end of a routine a couple times but she'd never really seen her skate for a long time. Annabeth knew her mother was insanely busy with work but she wished she could come to one competition. She tried not to let it get her down. Her mother just thought of figure as something different than her.
She blended up a healthy fruit smoothie and poured herself a bowl of cereal. Once she was done eating it was already nine thirty. She washed her dishes and put them into the dishwasher before going into the basement of her house where she would have more space to practice her routine. It sounded weird that she would practice without ice but it was what a lot of figure skaters did and she found that it really helped. She placed her ear buds into her ears and started the routine that she'd now practiced so many times she was sure she'd be remembering it for the rest of her life.
Annabeth barely recognized the ice rink she practiced at every day. There were groups of people seated in the bleachers and the lights above the rink that were used for performances were moving around instead of being off. The thing that was the most out of place was the judge's panel off to one side of the rink. No one was sitting there yet but once the competition started in about half an hour she was sure there would be a line of people.
"Ladies, focus. This is still the same rink you've been practicing at six days a week every week. Don't let a crowd and some judges panel scare you." Christina said, addressing her skaters as they all stood in a group near the rink.
"Oh, I'm not worried coach. After all, I qualified last year. They have to pick me again this year." Rachel replied confidently, flipping her hair as she said it. Annabeth rolled her eyes.
It was true that Rachel had been another skater who qualified for regionals last year. They had competed against each other again during the actual regional competition but like Annabeth, Rachel hadn't gotten through to the second round and she didn't get to move onto sectionals. What gave Annabeth confidence though was that Rachel had gotten around the same score as her last year even though Annabeth had fallen during her performance and Rachel hadn't.
"Yes Rachel well, there are new skaters every year. You can't automatically go in there and think you're getting a spot. You all have to work for it." Christina said. Rachel sighed, not really paying attention to the woman as she turned to Rebecca and Ashley standing next to her.
Annabeth cast a glare towards the redhead. She didn't say anything though. She needed to focus on the competition and her routine. She couldn't let herself get sidetracked by things that weren't worth her time and energy.
"Alright, I'll stop droning on. I assume I've done enough of that this morning. Take the next twenty minutes to get your skates on and finish stretching if you didn't stretch enough in the dry room earlier. I'll be inside introducing myself to some of the judges." With that, their coach left to enter the ice arena.
"You nervous?" Calypso asked, coming up to stand beside Annabeth as they walked into the locker room. Piper soon followed.
"Yeah, a little. I think a lot of them are excited nerves though. At least I hope they are." She replied, watching as a few of the skaters from different leagues walked past her.
She was happy that the competition was taking place at her rink. She knew every last inch of that ice and maybe that would give her the upper hand against everyone who had to travel to get there. Probably not, but she was hopeful. When she got into the locker room she quickly put on her skates and adjusted her hair that was up in a ballerina bun. She kept the windbreaker she had on that had a small picture of a white figure skate and her name embroidered in the corner. She was already wearing her performance outfit like all the other girls underneath but she was sure it was going to be cold when she walked through the doors to the rink.
A lot of the other skaters were dressed similarly to her and their hair was up in either a bun or a high ponytail. They wore makeup to match their outfits. Annabeth made sure not to touch her face too much. Piper had done her make up earlier and she knew if she smudged it her friend would kill her.
She checked the time as she packed up her things. T-minus ten minutes till competition time.
"Dude I swear that girl was totally checking me out!" The curly haired Latino boy claimed, nudging Percy's shoulder to get his attention as they sat in the middle section of the bleachers inside the rink waiting for the performances to start.
"Yeah, alright sure Leo. She was probably just looking at someone behind you. You do know there are about a hundred more people here right?" He replied, turning to face his jokester of a friend.
Leo grumbled, taking note of the many people surrounding him. "Whatever. Seriously, though how come we've never come to a figure skating competition before? I'm really enjoying the show."
"You mean all the skaters walking around and stretching in their short outfits to get ready? Competition hasn't started yet buddy. Though I should've seen that line coming." The boy on the other side of Percy interrupted, his electric blue eyes met Leo's brown ones. Being the immature person he was, Leo stuck his tongue out at the blonde in return.
"You're just upset you haven't seen Piper yet." He teased, exaggerating the girl's name. Jason's cheeks immediately turned a shade of light pink.
"I have to say, I agree with Leo on that one. What's up with that, you gonna ask her out man?" Percy cut in as they both looked expectedly towards Jason. Percy's eyes shone in amusement and curiosity. After a moment he replied.
"Uh…well, yeah I was kind of hoping to ask her after the competition. She's pretty cool. You think she'll say yes?" He asked the two of them bashfully, looking up to them for an honest answer.
"Don't see why she wouldn't. It's pretty obvious the two of you have a thing for each other." Percy supplied. Leo nodded in agreement.
"Hey! Jackson, Grace, Valdez! You three done with your little girl talk? Competitions about to start." Coach Hedge shouted from a few people further down. A couple of the other Trident's players turned and laughed at the three of them who were caught off guard from the outburst.
Percy shook his head and faced forward to the ice in front of him as the speakers announced the first skater that was going to perform. As he watched the different skaters perform their routines, he couldn't help but wonder when a certain blonde was going to take the ice.
Annabeth shuffled uncomfortably. At the moment Rachel was currently performing her routine for the judges. Annabeth was right after her and she was feeling a mix of emotions. Fear because the judges seemed to be watching the skaters very closely but also excited because there was just something about being in a competition and skating that gave her a rush.
She studied Rachel's movements. Her landings were clean and solid. The music she chose was a slow song that matched her routine perfectly. Annabeth had taken a risk with the music she chose. Most people had chosen slow, soft songs to skate to but not her. She wanted to stand out and the best way she could think of to do that was to pick a song none of the other skaters were performing to. The judges sat off to the side writing down several notes as they watched Rachel. When she had finished there was a loud applause and she smiled smugly as she got up from her resting position and skated off the ice. On her way off, she accidently bumped Annabeth's shoulder as she was entering.
"Oops." She said sarcastically. She offered her an expression that was completely fake. Annabeth shook her head and took off her windbreaker jacket to reveal her full outfit. It was her turn now and she wasn't going to let Rachel get to her.
Piper and Calypso wished her luck as she was waiting to be called next. Both girls had already performed and done amazing.
They called her name and Annabeth smoothly skated to the middle of the ice where she would begin her routine. She took in her surroundings. The judges sitting directly in front of her, the crowd in the bleachers on all sides of her that were clapping as her name was announced and the glossy ice underneath her skates. Before she started she noticed Luke seated in the bleachers. He smiled at her and she grinned back, blaming her rosy cheeks on the cold atmosphere.
The next thing that caught her eye was the group of hockey players in the middle of the crowd. So it was true, the Trident's team really was at the competition. Her eyes skimmed over the many guys and Coach Hedge. She stopped when she spotted three guys within the group. Jason offered her a friendly smile and Leo winked at her. She internally rolled her eyes before seeing the midnight haired boy sitting between them. He instantly met her eyes and what she saw in them surprised her. His eyes were calculating. It was as if he was challenging her while at the same time a spark of amusement shined in his green orbs. He tilted his head as if to wish her luck before she broke eye contact with him and got into her starting position. She waited for the music to play.
On and On-Cartoon
Hold me close 'til I get up
Time is barely on our side
I don't wanna waste what's left
The storms we chase are leading us
And love is all we'll ever trust, yeah
No, I don't wanna waste what's left
And on and on we'll go
Through the wastelands, through the highways
'Til my shadow turns to sunrays
And on and on we'll go
Through the wastelands, through the highways
And on and on we'll go
Annabeth flew across the ice, skating to the fast paced song and managing to keep up with it. The judges watched as she performed several different jumps starting with simple spins and twirls before working up to an axel and a Lutz. She felt the stares of everyone in the crowd, giving her an adrenaline rush as she continued.
On we'll go
Finding life along the way
Melodies we haven't played
No, I don't want no rest
Echoin' around these walls
Fighting to create a song
I don't wanna miss a beat
And on and on we'll go
Through the wastelands, through the highways
'Til my shadow turns to sunrays
And on and on we'll go
Through the wastelands, through the highways
And on and on we'll go
The speakers announced as she performed another double Lutz, landing it perfectly before she performed a toe loop and another axel. She added a little flare to her performance by doing simple turning movements with her skates. She smiled, feeling completely at home on the ice.
And we'll grow in number
Fueled by the thunder, see the horizon
Turn us to thousands
And we'll grow in number
Fueled by the thunder, see the horizon
Turn us to thousands
And on and on we'll go
Through the wastelands, through the highways
'Til my shadow turns to sunrays
And on and on we'll go
Through the wastelands, through the highways
And on and on we'll go
She ended the routine with a double axel and managed to land it much to her pleasure. As the instrumental part of the song came to a close, Annabeth slowly positioned herself in the final pose of her performance.
The entire audience burst into applause and she laughed silently in joy while the judges finished writing notes on her routine. She waved to the audience but before she could turn completely around to exit the rink she saw that Percy was smiling brightly at her and clapping loudly. She grinned, exiting the ice a minute later. She didn't miss the envious look cast her way by Rachel.
There were about five performers after Annabeth so after her routine she sat with the other skaters and watched as the competition came to an end. It took the judges another twenty minutes after everyone had skated to come to a decision on who was moving on to the regional competition that would take place in a few weeks from that day. There were eight spots and about twenty different skaters had performed.
It happened so fast she almost missed it but Annabeth was ecstatic when she heard her name announced through the speakers. She had qualified. She was going to regionals. Following her name was Piper, Calypso and Rachel. There were others from different leagues that were called but Annabeth hadn't recognized the names.
She was pulled into a group hug with Piper and Calypso. Ashley and Rebecca congratulated Rachel. The two of them had also competed but not qualified. Christina congratulated her four skaters on their success before they began to exit the area where the crowd was now piling up as everyone was leaving at the same time.
They all stood together in the hallway after switching out of their skates. Christina gave all the girls a speech on a job well done that ended in all of them applauding the four girls who were moving on to regionals. When the group dispersed, Annabeth found herself face to face with Luke Castellan. He surprised her when he enveloped her in a hug. She slowly hugged him back after getting over her initial shock. Her cheeks felt as if they were on fire.
"You were absolutely incredible Annabeth!" He complimented her after pulling away from the embrace. She bit her lip awkwardly and smiled shyly, not really knowing what to say.
"Here…these are for you." He said before turning around to the bench behind them and grabbing a bouquet of flowers that she hadn't even noticed. He handed them to her and she laughed sweetly as her cheeks flushed even more.
"Thank you Luke. These are beautiful." She sniffed the mixed assortment of flowers and sighed at the fresh scent they emitted.
"Not as beautiful as you looked skating out there." He replied softly, staring at her truthfully.
Annabeth nearly had a coughing fit at his words. That was definitely not something a friend would say to another friend. Before she had the chance to say anything else they were interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Chase!" Percy called, moving through the crowd and towards her once he saw her. Annabeth looked up and smiled when she saw him.
"Hey, congratulations you did great! I guess giving you the rink yesterday paid off because that double axel was solid." He said once he got to her. She laughed and shook her head.
"Thanks Jackson. Look at you using figure skating terms." She teased mockingly. He shrugged, flashing her a grin. His eyes then moved to focus on the bouquet of flowers currently resting on one of Annabeth's arms.
He hadn't realized Luke, who was silent throughout the entire exchange, was standing right next to them until a moment later. Annabeth noticed Percy's expression instantly change to a scowl as he turned to look at the other male who was glaring back. She could feel the tension surrounding the three of them.
"Luke"
"Percy"
Percy connected the dots to how Annabeth had gotten the bouquet of flowers and she saw his green eyes flash with something undecipherable as his scowl hardened. Luke broke the uncomfortable silence, turning to face her once again.
"So Annabeth, you wanna go grab something to eat to celebrate? My treat." He offered.
Interrupting once again before she could answer, Percy spoke up not knowing what came over him.
"Or you could come with me and some of the guys. By some of the guys I mean Jason and Leo. We're going to Rikki's diner for lunch." Percy invited.
Annabeth looked cautiously between both boys, thinking about what to do. A couple weeks ago she would've gone to eat with Luke but her and Percy had been on really good terms lately. They were now both her friends and she was put in the middle. Both guys looked at her expectedly for an answer.
"Uh-um…I-"
"Annie!" She heard the familiar shout of her best friend Thalia from behind her. She turned around to see Thalia, Nico and Will with Calypso and Piper close behind them. Piper was smiling like an idiot, which could only mean something happened between her and Jason. She would have to ask later.
"Congrats Annie! I'm taking you all out for ice cream lets go." She said, taking Annabeth by the arm and starting to turn back around.
Annabeth mentally thanked the Gods that she had the opportunity to get out of the uncomfortable situation she was put in. Before leaving with Thalia she turned back to both guys.
"Sorry guys. Maybe some other time?" She asked.
"Yeah, of course."
"For sure."
They both answered at the same time before turning quickly to glare at each other for the hundredth time. Annabeth smiled before leaving with her friends at her sides.
"So…you gonna tell me what that was all about back there with the two hottest guys in school?" Calypso whispered when they were a safe distance away. She hooked her arm through Annabeth's arm that wasn't holding the flowers.
"There's nothing to tell." Annabeth replied nonchalantly.
"Mmmhmm"
What's that I sense? Jealousy? I know there wasn't too much Percabeth in this chapter but they can't only be about that! At least not yet *wink wink*. I hope you all liked the competition! It's not accurate and I know that but this is my story so I can make stuff up haha. Anyways, let me know your thoughts!
REVIEW, REVIEW AND REVIEW!
-M