If there was one thing that Annabeth hated about her career, it was the fact that there were truly no days off. The gym didn't require them to come in on holidays, and they didn't have to be there on weekends. Amateurs didn't have a required time to be at the gym as long as they were ready for their fights. But to be the best, Annabeth had to go into the gym on days that others would take off.
Annabeth believed that there was a hunger that separated the goods from the greats. It was a hunger to not only win but to leave your mark on the world of professional fighting. Someone who was hungry would go in on weekends or holidays. Someone who was hungry would not allow their personal issues to get in the way of fighting.
And Annabeth had a lot of personal issues going on. The first was the call that she had received the night before. Annabeth had not slept since getting that call. Part of it was because she was worried about Reyna. The two had started off on the wrong foot, or maybe it was just an overly competitive foot, but they had bonded over the last few months.
Nico had sent out a text to everyone that Reyna had woken up earlier that day and was doing better than expected. It sounded like all of her tests had come back negative. They were going to keep her one more night as a precaution before releasing her tomorrow.
And that was Annabeth's first problem. Nico told them that Reyna had taken her eyes off of the road for a single second and hit a patch of ice. One mistake had caused Reyna to get into a car wreck that almost ended her career. And almost killed her.
Annabeth's entire life was spent being cautious and thinking every step through. She didn't want to go into anything half-cocked, and she did her best to have all of the knowledge she could before walking into any kind of situation. All of this caution was thrown out the window by fighting.
A single wrong move in the cage could end her career. She had seen people paralyzed, and one even died before modern regulations and rules were put into place. There were plenty of minor injuries in training that could add up over time. None of it really bothered Annabeth until she saw how fast reality could hit someone in the face.
Part of her didn't get it. She had done such a good job of keeping her fear and anxiety down. It didn't bother her as much as it first did when she decided to join the wolves, but she couldn't swallow it back now. It may have been the lack of sleep or the fact that her face off with Leila was happening later that night.
Annabeth spent half of the night before worrying about it. She couldn't text Piper, who was probably asleep and wouldn't understand. Percy was in the same boat. Both of them would listen, but they wouldn't understand. Anyone who wasn't a fighter just wouldn't get it.
Annabeth had to prove herself. She had to prove that being in the Delian League was only the beginning of her career, not the peak. It would prove her extended family wrong. All of her doubters and critics online would be proven wrong. Lupa wouldn't look like a fool for offering Annabeth such a huge contract.
Things were only made worse by the phone call she had received ten minutes ago. She had been in the gym training, working on her strategy of what to do against Leila. Hazel and Frank offered to help them, but she wanted to work on her strikes on the punching bag. The two left her alone, and that was when her phone rang.
The phone call started normally enough. Annabeth's father was asking her about her day. He mentioned that he heard about Reyna, and they had joked that the news worked fast, but tabloids worked faster. The conversation was great, until it went wrong.
Sitting in her car, Annabeth kept playing the last part of the conversation in her head over and over again. Tears stinged her eyes.
Beth, I've been thinking about what happened during Christmas. I have a question to ask you.
Is the family upset at you for defending me?
No. No. It's nothing like that. I spoke to your grandfather actually. And, he brought up a good point.
…which is?
Are you sure this isn't a phase? Being bisexual. Just think about it. You've never shown an interest in women before now. Not until you joined Lupa's gym. You said that Reyna is bisexual and another female fighter there dated her. Are you sure that Reyna or the other one isn't flirting with you and causing you to be confused?
Annabeth hit her steering wheel in anger. It wasn't a phase. It wasn't like she woke up one day and decided that she didn't want to be straight. She was just attracted to men and women! An angry huff left as she jammed her keys into the ignition.
Annabeth thought that things had changed. She thought her father understood that she was bisexual. That it was just who she was. It was not a phase and would never be.
But what if it was?
Because her father was right. In high school, she found a few females attractive but never acted on it. She never mentioned it to anyone besides her closest friends. Was it truly because she was in a phase? Was she trying to figure out who she was and was being influenced by the people around her?
Gwen hadn't flirted with her. And Reyna had maybe once or twice. Along with trying to grab her breasts the night before, but Reyna also had her brains scrambled. She probably thought Annabrth was Thalia or someone else.
Annabeth pulled out of the parking lot for the gym. She had to talk to someone about this, but she wasn't sure who would understand. Thalia wouldn't. She didn't care what her family thought, and with her being strictly lesbian, it was different. There was no doubt about how she felt and no doubt it wasn't a phase. It was different for Annabeth.
A deep sigh left Annabeth as she knew where she needed to go. Her drive was in silence as she didn't bother to turn on the radio. Her thoughts were too cloudy to be interrupted. The silence suited her better today.
If there was one thing she hated, it was this self-doubt. It felt like it was never ending. Trying to get rid of it made her feel like a dog chasing its tail. She was so close but could not grab onto the confidence that would dispel this demon. She thought making it to the Delian Leagues would be it. Then, it was winning the championship. After that, it was standing up to her father.
The self-doubt always came crashing down like a poorly made house of cards. And she was the one who set those cards up. She started with a solid base of training and support from friends. Somewhere in the middle, it just all fell apart. Annabeth didn't know what she was doing wrong, and it frustrated her.
She knew she was talented, but was she good enough? Was she really going to live up to the legacy of the Wolves before her? And if she did, would she be good enough to make her mark? To have her name be recorded in legend?
Would her family remember her? Would they think fondly of her if she didn't have a kid? Or was that how her legacy was supposed to be left? As someone who just continued the bloodline after they wasted a few years in a phase of liking women.
Annabeth pulled into the parking lot and got out of her car. She glanced at her last text from Nico and then made her way into the hospital. Should she have called Reyna first or sent her a text? No, that wouldn't work. Hylla had the remnants of Reyna's phone. Was someone else visiting her?
Annabeth stopped and took a deep breath. She made her way into the hospital and towards Reyna's room. The door was opened, and Hylla was standing at the door with her back turned.
"Nico will pick you up tomorrow, and you will rest. Or else," Hylla threatened. Annabeth stopped walking, unable to make out Reyna's muffled reply. Hylla turned toward her and smiled. "Hey."
"Hi. Is this a bad time? I can go," Annabeth began. Hylla waved her hand and walked towards her.
"Reyna's just moody because she's hungry. You can visit her. And thanks, Annabeth. I don't know what would have happened if you didn't answer Reyna's call," Hylla said.
"It's not a problem. I'm just glad she's okay," Annabeth said. Hylla gave her a grateful nod.
"I'll see you around," Hylla said as she started to walk. "Have a good one."
"You too," Annabeth returned. She let out a deep breath and walked towards the door. Annabeth stepped into the room. "Hey."
"Hey," Reyna greeted as she looked up from the bag of food in front of her. Annabeth studied Reyna's face. There were fresh bruises on most of Reyna's face, along with a few minor, sealed cuts. Bruises chased down her neck and probably to her chest.
"How are you feeling?" Annabeth asked.
"Sore," Reyna answered. She sighed and looked at her wrist. Annabeth frowned as she saw the cast. "Pissed at myself too. I'm sorry for calling you like that."
"I'm glad you did," Annabeth began. "I would rather you call me than be left there. What did the doctors say?"
"The worst thing is a tossup between a concussion and my wrist. It's broken but shouldn't need surgery. It's just going to be cutting it a little close with the fight with Clarisse," Reyna answered. "And, the doctor was worried about me getting another concussion. Apparently, too many in a short amount of time is pretty bad."
"Concussions are bad in general," Annabeth commented. "Can I sit?"
"Go ahead," Reyna answered. Annabeth walked towards Reyna's bed and sat by her. "Is Thalia okay? I haven't been able to text her."
"She was worried about you. She hasn't visited yet?" Annabeth questioned. Reyna shook her head and then winced. "Don't do that."
"Yes, mom," Reyna retorted with an eyeroll. She carefully pulled her fries out. "Want some?"
Annabeth took a couple and nibbled on them, trying to build up her courage. Reyna ate quietly and winced every couple of seconds. Her hand rubbed her jaw.
"Reyna, can I ask you something?" Annabeth whispered. Reyna glanced at her and seemed to be waiting. "How did you know that you liked women? That it wasn't just… a phase?"
"A phase?" Reyna repeated. She had been in the middle of trying to unwrap her burger but turned to look at Annabeth. "What do you mean?"
"How do I know that being attracted to females isn't just a phase? Like it won't be something I feel for a month or two before leaving?" Annabeth asked.
"Did your dad say something to you?" Reyna asked. Annabeth nodded. "I don't think you're going through a phase, Annabeth. I just think he can't accept you for you."
"How do I handle that?" Annabeth wondered.
"I don't know," Reyna admitted. She slowly reached out to grab Annabeth's hand and squeeze it in a comforting manner. "Maybe, your dad just needs time. Or maybe, he'll just never understand. All you can do is keep being you."
Annabeth sighed and tried to pull her hand away. Reyna tightened her grip and looked her in the eyes, "When's the last time you went on a proper date?"
"It's been awhile," Annabeth admitted. "I've been so focused on my career."
"You're at the pinnacle of your career," Reyna stated. "You are at the top of the mountain with nowhere higher to go. Why not date?"
"Because I can fall off the mountaintop at any moment. I have to be ready, and dating would just distract me," Annabeth answered.
"It doesn't have to," Reyna said. She sighed and laid her head back. Pain crossed her face. "The first relationship I had with Thalia suffered because I was so focused on my career. Now, I'm trying to balance it. You should try the same."
"When you don't have a fight or are still in the preparation phase, you can spend more time with your date. When you're closer to a fight, you focus more on that. That's what I'm trying to do, and hopefully, Thalia understands," Reyna continued. She placed a hand to her forehead. "Sorry. Headache."
"Thinking makes your head hurt?" Annabeth teased. Reyna flipped her off. "Can I ask you something else? How are you so confident in yourself?"
"With dating?" Reyna asked as she shifted and winced.
"No. With fighting," Annabeth answered. "You're so confident that everything will be fine in time to fight Clarisse. And you were so confident against Silena. How?"
"Training," Reyna answered after a few moments. "I knew that I did everything in my power to be prepared for my fight, so I just had to let my skill carry me the rest of the way. As for the fight with Clarisse, the doctors said I need to rest for at least a month or two before training. I know if I rest I'll heal up and then be ready to make up for all of the training that I missed."
"You make it sound so easy," Annabeth grumbled.
"It is," Reyna said. A frown touched her lips. "Are you not confident in yourself?"
"No," Annabeth admitted in a quiet voice. Reyna gently grabbed Annabeth's hand again.
"You should be," Reyna stated. A smirk came to her face. "Honestly, I wasn't happy that you joined the Wolves."
"I got that impression," Annabeth admitted.
"And, that was because you're so damn good. I was worried that you would instantly outshine me. That Lupa found a better pupil that she would turn her full attention to," Reyna explained. She sighed and closed her eyes. "You're an amazing fighter, Annabeth. You wouldn't be a champion if you weren't, and I know you're going to kick Leila's ass. Then, I'll be coming for you."
"If you beat Clarisse," Annabeth said. She gently rubbed Reyna's hand as she found the other woman's grip comforting.
"When," Reyna corrected. "Confidence is half the battle, and you should have confidence in spades."
"I try to. It just feels like bravado a lot of the time," Annabeth mumbled.
"It shouldn't," Reyna said. She opened her eyes and sat up. Reyna took a bite of her burger. "If you weren't good, Lupa wouldn't spar with you. Right now, Leila can't beat you. Your lack of confidence can, though. Just trust your training."
"Thank you," Annabeth said softly. She stood. "I'll leave you to eat."
"You can stay," Reyna began. "Hylla bought extra food, and I'll go insane if my only entertainment is a soap opera."
"I would, but I have a face off with Leila today," Annabeth informed.
"I'm sorry. I should be there for you," Reyna began.
"You got into a car wreck. You should just be resting," Annabeth insisted. "Try to get some rest. I'll make sure Thalia visits you soon."
"Thank you," Reyna said. She smiled.
"I should be thanking you. For listening to me and helping," Annabeth said softly. She gently squeezed Reyna's hand one more time and left the room. The conversation had left her with a lot of things to think about, but Reyna was right. Annabeth needed to trust in her training and do her best. That way, she would win.