Disclaimer: I do not own the characters Annabeth or Percy.
Practice, Compete, Win
Annabeth's POV
Monday, April 5th
Dear Diary,
Today I am going to try out for the competition in Manhattan. I want to go so desperately because I need to see Percy. I miss him so much and I'm starting to like him more than a friend. I have been practicing my butt off and I will go and see him. As long as he doesn't see me dancing, I'll be fine. I know he likes me for my badass monster fighting skills and not for any ballet skills I might have.
~ANNABETH
"Annabeth Chase." Ms. Princeton called me in, "You may begin when you are ready." I set my feet into first position and hung my arms in an oval so my finger tips just touched. The music began to play and I gracefully swept and dove across the clear floor. I made sure my toes were pointed, my chest was up, and that my arms flowed with the music. The music slowly tinkled to a stop and I did a small curtsy before rushing to get my point shoes on. As I did, I cautiously watched as Ms. Princeton scribbled onto her clipboard. Was she writing how amazing I was? Or maybe she was jotting down any minor mistake I made that could possibly prevent me from going to New York? I hoped not. Once my shoes were on and the music started to play, I gently tip-toed around on the floor. As the music got to its climax and the strings furiously played and the pianos keys were pounding, I began to spin. Faster and faster, I made sure that I pulled my weight up and clenched my butt. When I knew I couldn't do another spin, I slowed down and posed in my final position. Panting hard, I bowed and slung my shoes over my shoulder as I exited the room.
When I showed up to the next practice, I was thrilled to see my name on the board of who had been chosen to compete. I was going along with a girl named Brooke and obviously, Elise. "You girls know that I need you to win." Ms. Princeton announced again, "If I see you do anything other than sleep, eat, or dance while on this trip, you will immediately be off the team and banned from the studio. Am I clear?" All of our eyes as wide as saucers, we nodded. "Good. I will be handing out your routines today. I want you to practice at home as well as in the studio. We leave in three days." For those three days, I practiced like hell. By the day we were leaving, I could perform my routines backwards, on a tightrope, with an ice cube down my back; if I was asked. While on the plane, I rehearsed and rehearsed my routines in my head, visualizing myself winning the whole competition. I stretched out my whole body and dreamt about winning the whole way to Manhattan.
The hotel room had four beds and two bathrooms complete with a balcony and multiple flat screen TVs. There were two beds to a room and one bathroom in each room. It reminded me of the Lotus Casino rooms. Before any of us had the chance to pick a bed, Ms. Princeton assigned us where we would sleep. "Annabeth and Elise in this room." she patted one door, "And Brooke and I will stay in this room." she patted the other door. As soon as we unpacked and got settled, Ms. Princeton sent us straight off to bed. "The competition is tomorrow and I need all of you fully rested." she established. No one pointed out that it was only eight o'clock.
I woke up to the most horrifying sound known to man, and especially to woman. "I want to go so desperately because I need to see Percy. I miss him so much and I'm starting to like him more than a friend." My eyes shot open to see Elise laying down on her bed with my diary in her lap. "Give me that!" I grabbed for it but she stood on her bed and held it up high. "Aww, what's little dancer Annabeth gonna do?" Elise taunted and glared at me with amusement tinted in her eyes. I stared her down and almost reached for my knife that I had hid under my mattress. "That is mine." I told her, "It's for me to see only. Now give it back and we won't have any trouble." I didn't want her to read the rest of the entry because it enclosed demigod information. I silently prayed and stepped toward her holding out my hand for her to place the diary in. Elise held the diary high and looked like she was considering giving it back. "So, who's this Percy Jackson and why can't he especially see you dancing?" she inquired, "Are you ashamed of being a dancer? Is this too delicate for you? Maybe you can play football instead." That was it, suggesting that any dancer play football is an insult at its worst.
I jumped onto the bed that Elise was on and grabbed for my diary. "Haha, you're too short, aren't you, Annie Beth?" My eyes turned into a fire blazing so hot that I was surprised they didn't shoot flames. "You bitch!" I screamed at her and judo-flipped her over so she was lying down on her bed. As she stared at the ceiling in shock, I took my diary back and stashed it with my knife as she turned away. "What, where, how?" she stammered, "When did you learn to do that?" I sighed and flipped my hair over my shoulder. "I've had practice." was all I responded before heading into the bathroom to get ready. I took a hot half hour shower and straightened my hair so it would be easier to style and bun. Soon, we were off to the competition.
My costume was a beautiful light blue that flowed and had sparkles all over the corset. The tutu that came with it drooped slightly and it even came with ribbons to tie to my shoes and in my hair. I sat in front of the stained mirror, taking deep breaths. The bulbs around the mirror flickered and the counter was covered in makeup stains. Although every other dancer was decked out in eyeliner and powder, I wore little makeup. My eyes were clear and my face shone, the only makeup I wore was blood red lipstick. I was actually nervous, for the dances? Hell, no. I was scared because I was worried that I wouldn't have enough time in between dances to visit Percy. I had planned to go straight after my first performance to see Percy. I calculated the time it would take to get there, the prices of the tickets for the bus, and had found the shortest routes. I imagined myself hugging him and breathing in his salty scent. I snapped out of my daydream and went over my routine again. "Now, we have Ms. Chase performing The Wave as number 82." the loudspeaker called. I ripped off my legwarmers and grazed out into the center of the stage. A single beam of light shone on me and reflected off the sparkles on my costume. The enchanting music began and I got onto point by standing on my tip-toes. I flew through my routine and did my signature thirty spins in a row before I spotted him. I was on one foot and was in my needle when Percy's face peeked out of the crowd. I gasped and fell off point and onto my butt.