Chapter 6: My First College Swim Meet

Life was looking up the next few weeks. Nico and I had a colorful conversation about his sharing of my personal information that may or may not have ended with his laundry being dumped all over his floor. Look, I know that isn't the most insane thing I could have done, but I wasn't going to be cruel. Plus, there is something to be said about causing someone a minor inconvenience over a harsh punishment. Regardless of my causing a clothing tornado on his floor, he also apologized profusely. I figured he really was just worried for me, and hey, it pushed me to face my issue head on!

Classes were fairly uneventful the next two weeks. Even Theater started to become more interesting as we jumped into reading The Two Gentlemen of Verona and watching different people act out the scenes. All in all, I may not always understand what Shakespeare is saying, but after Will explains it to me, he is pretty funny! Something about a love triangle, girls dressing as boys, and a clown whining to his dog really tickled my funny bone. I guess you could say I felt some parallels to how silly my issues had been the week prior and was really happy they weren't being presented to an audience.

Speaking of those problems, the next two Fridays with Annabeth were like night and day to the beginning of class. We actually managed to cohabitate in the study hall and talk about what we were learning in class. There was a close call when I suggested that Corinthian Columns were better than Doric Columns, sending Annabeth into a rage about ancient architecture and the usefulness of supporting structures, but I just thought Corinthians looked cooler! Regardless, we hadn't ripped each other's heads off, so it was a win in my book.

My alarm went off at 6 am on Saturday morning and I practically leaped out of bed. Normally, I would use the weekend to catch up on missed sleep and lazily work my way into the afternoon. However, today was special. Today was my first college swim meet! The nerves had been running through me all day yesterday, but this morning I felt far more excited than scared. My times in the water had steadily been improving as the guys pushed me past my limit in both the pool and the gym. In truth, I had never felt this confident going into a race. I woke up early enough to beat most of the other students on campus, but cars and buses of our rival schools were already starting to pull into the parking lot by the gym. Coach Hedge was standing out front going over the schedule with the other coaches. He shot me a smile and nod as I made my way into the back entrance. The locker room was all but full of guys physically and mentally preparing for their races. Everyone had their own preferred method. Somewhere deep in thought, others listened to music, and some, such as Luke and the Stoll brothers, were messing around as if it was just another day.

"Hey Perc, today's the day!" Connor reached out slapped by shoulder as I sat down on the bench and started to put my bag into a locker. "The whole school finally gets to see how hard we work!"

"People come to swim meets here?" I looked up at him a little confused. In my experience, swim meets were filled with parents, siblings, and maybe a few friends, but that was far from a student section.

"Well, we aren't exactly as popular as football, but we usually sell out the gym!" Luke smiled at me. Genuinely, there was something so calming about his gaze, like I could do anything with his support. A few coaches started to walk into the locker room holding stacks of paper. Hedge made his way over to use and passed us the schedule for the day.

"Alright boys, it looks like we are a bit spread out for events. Connor, the Backstroke individual events are earlier this morning followed by Travis in Breaststroke." The Stoll brothers made eye contact with a mixture of intense acknowledgement and a small smile due to the coach saying the word breast. He saw their look, but opted to ignore their childish behavior. "We have a small break when the girls are swimming their relays, then Castellan and Jackson, your individuals are also back to back. We end the day with the relay, so don't tire yourself out celebrating if you win." He looked around the group to make sure we were all on the same page, then passed out the schedules and headed out to the pool.

"Wow, the relay really is the last event. It would be really awkward if we lost." Travis didn't look up from the schedule, but he slowly sat down on the bench next to me.

"As if, we have a collegiate record setter, a set of hyper competitive brothers, and potentially the best freshman in the country in Free." Luke shot me a supportive look and then returned his focus to Travis. "If there is any reason to be nervous, it's because Katie is going to get jealous with how popular you are about to be." He reached his hand out to pull Travis up from his seated position. Travis jumped up with Luke's help and did a few small jumps to show that his confidence was back.

"You're right man, let's do this!"

We may not have been as popular as football, but it would be hard to tell! When we walked out of the locker room the stands were filled with cheering students and parents. There was an energy that almost made it feel like tiles of the pool were shaking under my feet. I had only experienced something vaguely similar to this at the state championship, and even that wasn't as loud! Luckily, I had a little time before my events to settle into the unfamiliar atmosphere. Without much ado, the events began, and we were cheering on the girls in their individuals.

"Wow, it looks like a lot of these schools have improved since last year." Connor pointed out that our girls were all over the time sheets from winning their events to coming in fifth. "Last year we pretty much dominated these early qualifiers."

"Dude, stop worrying, we are all going to be awesome and qualify for regionals." Luke gave him a reassuring look and offered his fist for a knuckle bump. They called for the men's 200m Backstroke and Connor stood to leave. We all stood with him and did a quick motivational chat before he went off to compete. Luke was right, he had no reason to worry. He flew through the water and finished second in his event. Honestly, he could have come first, but his take off from the block wasn't his best. Regardless, the cheers were loud when his name appeared in the jumbotron. He gave Travis a hug as he stepped up to compete in the 200m Breaststroke. Unfortunately, his heat was more competitive than Connor's and he struggled to keep up with the leaders. He touched the wall in fifth which was far from what he would have wanted, but he still qualified! When the women's events picked back up, Coach Hedge called us over for a team meeting.

"Alright gentlemen, it's no secret that these schools have improved their times from last year, but so have we! The first few events are behind us and we can't let them affect the relay. As for Castellan and Jackson, keep your heads on straight and don't let the crowd get to you." He gave Luke and I a determined but supportive look. Luke made his way over when his name was called with absolute confidence in his stride. He managed to come in both the 200m and 800m Fly. He waved to the crowd like it was nothing and I couldn't help but envy how easy he made it look.

"Jackson!" I looked over and saw hedge waving his hand for me to come and talk to him. "Look, I know this is a lot and I have been pushing you hard at practice, but this is your first event in college, enjoy it, focus on qualifying, and worry about winning later." He gave me a small smile and hit my shoulder as they called for the 100m free over the intercom.

I kept repeating to myself that I wasn't nervous, but that was a lie. I looked around at the crowd before getting up on the blocks and saw Piper, Jason, and Rachel sitting and cheering as loud as they could when my name was called. I waved up at them and smiled, then turned to find the camera that I knew was live streaming the event online. I gave a small smile and the 'I love you' hand gesture to my mom, who I knew was watching at home. She always did her best to make it to my meets, but sometimes struggled to get around work. I knew she wouldn't make this one all of the way across the country, but just knowing she was saying that she loved me too made my nerves calm. I stepped up onto the block and lowered my goggles. This was my event, the one I had set a record for less than a year before. I may not win, but I could at least push the others to their limits. Ready…the horn sounded, and I hit the water. The second I was in the pool the crowd noise disappeared and I was home. For my mom, for my teammates, for my coach, and for my school I jetted my way through the water and towards the opposing wall. My touch felt like it lasted less than a second and over a year all at the same time. I shot back towards the start of the race and put everything I had into the last 50m. When I finally touched the wall, the crowd roared. I looked to the screen, second place in my first ever college race. I was only 2 hundredths of a second behind first place, a Junior from Washington State University. He turned to see me and reached out his hand.

"Impressive man, you were really pushing it out there!" He jumped out of the pool and went to see his coach. Luke, Travis, Connor, and Coach Hedge came over to congratulate me on the race. We all went over to sit down on the benches around the pool and watch the women's relay. The race went by in a flash and our girls came out in third, a podium finish! Just as soon as the meet started, the mixed relay was upon us. We were called to the pool and a cheer broke out as we huddled behind the blocks.

"Alright guys, everything else is behind us. This is all that matters now. Leave the past in the past and put everything you have into the next 100m." Luke put his hand into the center of the circle and we all followed suit before breaking and patting Connor on the back as he took to the block. The horn sounded and the Backstroke began. We all yelled for Connor as he worked his way to the other side of the pool. Travis hopped onto the block and cheered his brother on. Connor touched the wall in second place and Travis was off. While Luke jumped up and prepared for his turn, I took a moment to assess the crowd. I always liked to look at those cheering us on while I wasn't the center of attention. Call me silly, but it helped me visualize what it looked like outside the pool when I could hear the crowd cheering for me. I found Piper, Jason, and Rachel again and all three were on their feet looking at the pool. I scanned through the crowd and saw Katie and Drew jumping up and down as Travis swam his heart out. Just as I rounded the stands with my eyes, I caught a glimpse of blond princess curls bouncing under a New York Yankees cap. I did a double take to make sure I wasn't seeing things.

"Go Luke!" SPLASH! I snapped out of it as Luke dove into the pool to begin his leg of the race. Travis had managed to keep up with the leaders and had only fallen back one place into third. I cleared my head of everything else in the room and looked to my right and left. Two lanes over I realized I was once again racing against the Junior from Washington State. I looked up at the screen to see that Luke had regained second and was catching the leader. I lowered my goggles, set myself in the block, and waited. I saw Luke's arm glide towards the wall and I dove into the pool. I didn't bother to check what place he was in when he reached the wall. In truth, it didn't matter. He could have been winning by 20 seconds and I wouldn't have tried my very best. The pool felt choppier than before, more ripples to swim through, but I liked that. As much as I enjoyed a calm pool, swimming the last leg in a relay always reminded me of swimming in the ocean though the waves. I touched the back wall and turned to hear the roar of the crowd cheering me on. When I finally reached the end of the race, the sound was deafening. We had won by 2 tenths of a second and my teammates practically dragged me out of the pool to celebrate. As it was the last event, Coach allowed us to run over to the student section to celebrate. I saw Jason and Piper rushing down to see me and Rachel practically leaped into my arms.

"Percy, that was amazing! I had no idea you were part mermaid!" She smiled at me and made room for Piper to come in for a hug. Jason reached over her to give me a high five.

"Thanks for coming guys! And yeah, you could say that I guess." I laughed at Rachel as she pretended to have a fish face. "Although I have to say, all of this swimming makes me hungry." I turned to look at Jason who rolled his eyes.

"Never a break for the cookie baker." Piper gave him a side hug and rubbed his back sympathetically. "But hey, I guess you deserve it after that performance!"

"Thanks again guys, I'll see you later tonight." I turned back around and headed back towards the pool. I saw Katie, Drew, and the Stolls over by the student section, but Luke wasn't with them. I assumed he had gone off to celebrate with some of his other friends. With a second to finally calm down, I looked back to where I thought I had seen Annabeth before the race, but the stadium was clearing out and she was nowhere to be seen. I thought for a second, had I imagined it? Was it someone else and I only got a quick look? At the end of the day, it truly didn't matter, because we just won our first race!

I woke up Sunday morning in pain. Muscles that I didn't even know I had were stiff and aching. I decided that a day in bed was deserved and opted to push all studying and picture practice for the week. Monday morning, I slipped out of bed and went to practice to find everyone in the locker room, but still in their regular street clothes.

"Is there some kind of protest going on that I am unaware of?" Luke looked over at me and cracked a smile.

"Coach told us to wait here until he came to get us." Connor reached over for a knuckle bump. The door to the room swung open and heads turned to see Coach Hedge. Rather than dawning his usual coach's shorts, polo, and whistle, he was wearing jeans and a school t-shirt.

"Alright, I don't say it very often, but I was proud of what you boys were able to do this weekend. Come out here and get your reward." He slipped back through the door and into the main gym. We followed him through the door and off to the side was a table set up where the girls' team was already seated. The table was covered in every breakfast food you could imagine. Pancakes, waffles, eggs, biscuits, cereal, bacon, and everything in between. It dawned on me that all of it looked homemade, and that it was only 7 am.

"Who did all of this?" I looked over at Coach Hedge who smiled and gestured to the back of the room where a woman in a chef's coat was bringing in the last tray of food.

"Apparently our friends in the food hall really enjoyed your effort on Saturday and offered to give you a treat. Everyone, this is Chef Fornax, and she is to thank for this delicious meal." She looked around the table and smiled at all of us. We erupted into thunderous applause and dug in!

"Is this normal?" I looked up at the guys between bites.

"Coach normally gives us a day off or something, but this is a first!" Travis shoved half a waffle into his mouth but did his best to answer my question.

"Hey man, who was the redhead at the race? She seemed pretty into you." He wiggled his eyebrows at me in a suggestive manner. My face turned a shade darker at his insinuation. Travis jumped in before I could answer and held his hand up before me.

"Don't mind him Percy, he is just looking to make fun of someone since he is in a committed relationship."

"It didn't look that way when he was talking to that blond chick." Luke reached out and threw his arm in front of Connor to shut him up. He let out a laugh and turned to look and see if anyone had heard.

"Listen, we were just talking, and I am still dating Drew," He paused and smiled at the boys, "But she was pretty cute."

"Well, I'm not tied down, what was her name?" Connor pushed his shoulder.

"Annabeth Chase, she's a freshman from Virginia." I could feel my pancake stick in my throat. So, she was at the meet. I guess the real question was, why. I mean, she was a student, so she could have just been showing some spirit, but I couldn't help but remember a certain nightmare I had on the bench a few days ago. And also, Virginia? Then why did she wear the Yankees cap? My fork hit my plate and all three guys turned to face me. "You good Perc?"

"Oh, um, yeah." I took a hard swallow to gather myself and looked over at them. "I actually know her; she is my project partner."

"Sweet, I have an in! Do you think she would be into me?" Connor lifted an eyebrow which earned him a punch from his brother. They both laughed before he turned back to me. It took me a second to realize he was actually waiting for an answer.

"To be honest, I don't really know very much about her, other than the fact that she hates my guts." I didn't look up from my plate. As much as their little meeting with Dr. Chiron had settled the feud between them, but things still weren't friendly. Their project was going to be good, but man was it going to be awkward.

"I have been there, but hey, give her my number and maybe put in a good word for the swimmer who earned the school a trophy!" Connor flexed and proceeded to laugh at his own joke, then went back to shoveling food into his mouth.

"You can give her mine too, even if things don't work out with tweedle dee over here I still want to invite her to our Halloween party!" Luke smiled at me with a mouth full of waffles. I had to admit that I had never considered Annabeth and I being at the same party. In fact, I was starting to realize that imagining her anywhere, but study hall and the library was hard to wrap my head around. Regardless, thoughts of Annabeth were quickly shrouded by the delicious breakfast in front of me as we changed the subject to whether or not Travis could fit an entire waffle in his mouth at once. He could not, he choked.

Classes that day didn't break my stride. Algebra was still kicking my butt, but Biology was starting to shift its focus to the ocean, and just the inclusion of water into the lesson made everything make a little more sense. In theater, we continued our reading of The Two Gentlemen of Verona. The show had taken an interesting twist with the main character betraying his friend, pirates showed up, and his fiancé was pretending to be a boy to spy on him.

"Now, who would like to act out the scene we just read?" Mr. D scanned the class from the stage. He was adorned in his usual sweatsuit and floor length flowy robe that looked like a rainbow had wrapped itself around his shoulders. I was doing my best to pretend I was still reading the script when I felt the hand beside me fly up.

"I will!" Will smiled at Mr. D who returned his gaze. Will stood and walked up to the stage next to the professor, "Can I be Valentine?"

"Of course, Mr. Solace, but who will be your Proteus?" They both looked for the next volunteer to agree to be his stage partner. To Will's dismay, all they saw was a sea of students trying really hard to not make eye contact, myself included. Mr. D put on a small smirk, "Well then, I suppose you get to volun-tell someone Mr. Solace, who is your victim of choice?" The second the question left his mouth my shoulders drooped. I dropped my script into my lap knowing that my fate was sealed. I slowly looked up towards the stage to see Will's bright smile beaming straight at me as he waved for me to join him on stage. I stood up, grabbed my script, and headed for the stage.

"I have to warn you, I am not even 100% sure I can read this." I let out a nervous smile as all eyes landed on me from the audience. I had never been in a situation like his before unless I was in the water, and that made it a whole lot easier to ignore the eyes. Up here I felt so exposed and my palms were getting sweatier by the second.

"No worries Mr. Jackson, just remember, this is the penultimate scene where Valentine discovers that you have been attempting to steal Silvia from him." He gave me a wink and motioned for me to breathe. "Will, whenever you are ready." He made his way across the stage as I desperately tried to read over the lines. I had worked really hard in school to conquer my dyslexia, but this flowery language was making the letters fly off of the page worse than usual. Before I could ask Mr. D to pick someone else, Will launched into character and began his monologue.

"Ruffian, let go that rude uncivil touch, Thou friend of an ill fashion!" He moved towards me and placed his hand on my chest just short of my neck like he was going to choke me. I may have had a solid foot on him, but his speed and intensity were enough to intimidate. I was so surprised by his change in demeanor that I hardly noticed that the room had fallen silent.

"Valentine!?" My line slipped out with a mix of surprise and confusion. I wasn't exactly sure what I was doing, other than embarrassing myself, but I couldn't help but try and match his intensity.

"Thou common friend, that's without faith or love, For such is a friend now. Treacherous man,Thou hast beguiled my hopes; nought but mine eye Could have persuaded me…" I am not going to lie, as he turned to walk around the stage I started to pay more attention to his actions than his words. The way he managed to sound so angry and yet so hurt. The class seemed to agree as not a word was spoken during his reading of the lines. He turned back towards me and made his way across the stage where he made direct eye contact as he continued to express his plight. "The private wound is deepest. O, time most accursed, 'Mongst all foes that a friend should be the worst!" His words ceased. I knew he was only acting out the scene, but I felt like I had hurt him in real life and owed an apology. I took a glance down at my script and realized that Shakespeare was 10 steps ahead of me. I took a deep breath and slowly read the words from the script.

"My shame and guilt confounds me. Forgive me, Valentine. If hearty sorrow Be a sufficient ransom for offense, I tender't here. I do as truly suffer As e'er I did commit." The room stayed quiet until a single clap came from Mr. D. The rest of the class quickly joined in as he brought Will and I to the front of the stage to bow.

"That, my dear students, is what this show is all about. Deep seeded emotion between friends and lovers. The true perils of life. Class dismissed!" As I turned to walk off stage and get my bag, I felt a hand grab my shoulder. I turned to see Mr. D smiling at Will and I.

"Is everything okay professor, did I do too much?" Will met his gaze with a bashful look of slight embarrassment that I didn't know he was capable of feeling.

"Too much?" Mr. D shook his head. "Quite the contrary boys. I picked this play to read in class for a reason." He walked over to his bag and pulled out a flier. "I am directing it this semester and wanted to see if my underclassmen could give me any new perspectives. Auditions are in two weeks, and I would be grateful if you came out." He handed the flier to Will.

"Honestly professor, I could have told you he should try out on the first day of class." I laughed and Mr. D gave me a knowing smile.

"Yes Percy, Mr. Solace was impressive even on day one. However, it was not until now that I noticed your talents as well." I laughed again, but his face remained serious. He reached out a hand and gave me a flier. "I know you are very busy with your swimming and all, but if what I saw today was real, then you have a true eye for the stage." He shot me a wink and turned to gather his bag and leave.

"But all I did was read a few lines. How could you possibly know if I am any good?" He looked up from his bag and took a deep breath. His eyes wandered around the stage as if looking for something that wasn't there.

"Your words were well spoken, yes, but your emotions and genuine expression are what quieted the room. That is a skill that cannot be faked" His eyes finally landed on me with a soft smile. "There is more inside you than you know Mr. Jackson." And with that, Mr. D turned and walked out of the room.

"Well, that was unexpected." Will patted me on the back and laughed at my shocked expression.

"Don't act so surprised, you have a lot of talent Percy, and splashing in some water is not where it ends." He smiled at me. "I know you probably won't have time to actually try out, but I would love to run scenes with you anytime." We walked out of the theater and went our separate ways.

Tuesday was my day off, but I spent most of it down at the cafe studying for my algebra test with Piper. She had taken the same class a year before and was just overall better at it than me. Plus, it didn't hurt that we were also able to munch on a few snacks while we worked compliments of Jason.

"Okay, I think I did this one right." I shifted my paper over to Piper for her to check my math. She was sipping her tea and had adorned a pair of fake reading glasses at the end of her nose to look like a judgmental librarian.

"We'll see about that Mr. Jackson." She smiled at me and looked over my work. "Mhmm, oh, it is -4ac, not -2ac, that's why your answer was all funky." I dropped my pencil on the table and leaned back in my chair.

"Ya know, math was much easier before they brought letters into it." Jason made his way over to the table to join us.

"I feel the same way. I was lucky Piper was there to help me last year or else I would have failed for sure!" He gave her a kiss on the head and picked up my practice problems. He stared at the paper for a moment with a blank expression, shook his head, and handed it back to me.

"Both of you are selling ourselves short. You are very smart; math just doesn't come as easy." She reached out and touched both of our hands and offered us a smile. "Now, try again with problem two Jackson." She sat back in her chair and returned to her judgmental teacher look.

Wednesday was more of a free day in Photography where we had to go out and take a picture of something on campus that made us feel 'content.'

"Remember, this is not happy or sad, but to be content is to be at peace with your own existence." Professor Argus had shown us examples such as a quiet stream he found by his house, a young girl laying in flowers, and a bird sleeping in a nest. He truly was a master at his craft, and my love of photography was surprisingly growing with each class. When I left the room I immediately thought of the pool. However, as I walked towards the gym my mind began to think of all of the other places I found solace. My dorm room with Nico, my friends at the Cafe, or even being alone in the garden. My thought process was interrupted by a familiar voice calling my name.

"Hey Jackson! Good to see you haven't drowned yet." I turned to see Rachel hauling what looked like an easel and paint supplies which all appeared to be slipping out of her hands all at once. I rushed over and grabbed the canvas just as her pencil box slammed into the pavement sending colors everywhere. I knelt down and tried to help her pick them up before other people started to stare, but she just stood and laughed as the pencils rolled further away down the path. I had to admire her confidence.

"Where are you going with all of this Dare?" I picked up the final few pencils and put them back in their case and helped her steady the rest in her arms.

"I have an art project to work on. I am going to the studio over in the Erato Arts Center."

"I know where that is! I actually have a class there this semester." She reached for her supplies, but I just started walking with her and ignored her efforts. "Besides, it looks like you could use a hand." I let out a laugh, but she just rolled her eyes. The building wasn't but a brisk walk and the studio was right off the main lobby.

"Thanks, I guess I could have made two trips, but where is the whimsy in that?" She placed down her supplies and started to set up her easel in the middle of the room. The room was dimly lit by a few small lamps around the perimeter and fairy lights around the back tables. Said tables were filled with assorted objects like fruit, anatomy skeletons, pictures, and clothing of every style. Rachel walked up to the pictures and looked around before turning back and sighing. "They never have any new pictures for inspiration."

"Well lucky for you I happen to have mine." I reached into my bag and pulled out my photography portfolio. In all reality, it was just full of the silly pictures I took in high school, but the portfolio sounded better. Rachel snatched it from my hands and started to peruse the images. I suddenly felt very self-conscious about what she might see., but she flipped the page, smiled, and pulled a picture from inside.

"Do you mind if I use this one?" She held up the picture of Hazel, Frank, and I sitting on the curb outside of the mall eating popsicles. The memory started to flood back as I remembered just how hot that summer day was. We all had wet hair because we decided to run through the mall sprinklers to cool off. The owner of the ice cream shop by the entrance had seen us running around like children and offered to give us free popsicles to enjoy the day. He was an older gentleman and said we reminded him of how simple his life used to be. We were only 14 then, but something about running through sprinklers on a hot day and eating popsicles made me feel like I was a kid again.

"Yeah, but on one condition." Rachel looked at me with interest. "You get to use my picture for your project, and I get to take one of you painting for mine." She smiled and took the picture over towards her easel.

"That's a deal Jackson, but if you make millions selling the image of an incredibly perfect and mysterious girl painting, I get a piece of the profits." We shared a laugh and we got to work. We talked about our time growing up in New York and how incredibly different our lives truly were. It was a mixture of both funny and sad how two people could grow up a few blocks from each other and yet live such different lives. I snapped a few pictures while she worked until I got one that I felt really spoke to the prompt. I looked at my watch and realized I only had a few minutes to get back to class, so I said my goodbyes and went to rush out.

"Wait, Percy, your picture." She went to follow after me, but I turned and stopped her.

"Hold onto it until your painting is done, but I want to see that painting." I smiled and left the art center to head back to class. I walked into class just in time to turn in my image to Professor Argus.

"Alright then everyone, let's take a look at what you found." He began to move through pictures of students on the green, the student center rec room, and one person had even gone off campus to a local restaurant and taken a picture of their favorite booth. Professor Argus had comments about lighting, reference point, and emotion for each image he saw. Then my picture of Rachel was on the screen. It was a shot from over her shoulder as she sat on the floor in front of her easel. Her shirt was covered in assorted paint colors and she was only a few strokes into the piece. Professor Argus studied the image for a few moments, then turned to the class.

"Who took this picture?" I slowly raised my hand. "Mr. Jackson," he paused for what felt like ten years before finishing his thought, "Well done." He smiled at me and moved on to the next image. Something about his smile raised my confidence by 300% and made me feel like I could actually do this as a career one day. Now, if I could only feel that way about math! But hey, that's an issue for another day!

A/N

Another Chapter!? In under two weeks?! I told you I had new ideas! I am really starting to get a hang of the characters and how I hope they develop.

Percy may not have won his first race, but he did win on a few in class assignments! How will his new talents effect his school life? Will he try out for the play? What will Annabeth think of his new picture?

Let me know where you think the story is headed, or what you would like to see in future chapters!

As always, thank you for reading!

GRNLEP1309