You never know - Pjo Fanfiction

8- Dance with your heart and your feet will follow

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A bruise was the least painful thing Hazel got from her fall at the trial. She was angrily pushing her split closer to the ground, in her room, and punching her feet until the tips were perfect.

"Stop! You'll hurt yourself" Annabeth grabbed her hands

"She's right, you know" Hazel whispered

"Who's right?" Piper asked

"Kelli"

"That huge bi--?" Drew started

"Yes!" Hazel screamed "You've seen me today! I'll NEVER be a dancer!"

"That's not true" Annabeth sat next to her "You never give up, Hazel. And I know that you will keep fighting. Because just one girl can't cut you down"

After a minute, she stop pushing and sat normally.

"But what if, at the end, I'm not special?" She whispered

"Stop talking nonesense!" Piper smiled "You're special just because! You're unique, you make your own path. And that is something Kelli will never be able to do"

At last, Hazel got up.

"You're right. I won't do any better by sitting here, pittying myself. We're at actual Olympus!"

"That's my girl!" Drew smiled "Hey, we should go to the beach!"

"But, shouldn't we train-" Annabeth started.

"Shh. Beach it is. I'm not getting in, not as if I want to, so let's enjoy my only day in this huge place by having fun" Drew said, as she put on her sunglasses. "Let's go!"

"No" Hazel stopped them "We need to go grab lunch before. I'm starving!"

The girls giggled and walked to the canteen just as noon fell over them.

They grabbed the sandwiches and ran outside, thankfully not running into Kelli.

"Come on!" Drew urged

They ran outside of the building. The Sun shone bright and it was hot outside, as  it was still early September. The pavement was burning up.

The sea was just a few meters from the academy, so they didn't have to walk much.

"Hey, we don't have swimsuits" Annabeth pionted out.

But Drew took her dress off and jumped into the water, in her underwear.

"Last one is a rotten apple!" She yelled.

They needed no more. The three of them jumped into the water, which was only shoulder deep, and swam for a while.

The water was warm and they were having fun. They lost their sense of time until Hazel pointed it out.

"Hey, wasn't dinner at seven pm? And curfew?" She asked.

"Oh damn, what time is it?" Annabeth asked.

"It's..." Piper checked her watch "Half past six"

Never, in her lives, had they ran back so quickly. They showered within minutesand showed up at dinner with their hair dripping wet, in t-shirts and shorts.

"Phew, we made it!" They all exhaled, relieved.

They sat together. Piper wanted them to sit with the boys, but Kelli and Rachel were there. Hazel could have sworn she saw Annabeth's knuckles go white from grabbing her knife so hard when she saw Rachel scooting closer to that boy with sea green eyes.

"Drama" Drew said, excited "Go kill her, Annie"

"Oh please" Piper side-hugged Annabeth "She won't do that now. She'll slowly plan revenge and make her suffer"

"I think she's more mature than that" Hazel offered.

However, Annabeth got up.

"I don't want other people touching what's mine" She said.

They all choked on the stew they were served.

"Woah woah, hold on a second" Drew said "Yours? What did I miss?"

But Annabeth was already up, walking towards the boys.

All Hazel could see was Annabeth sitting next to the boy and engaging in conversation. Then, after saying something to him, she grabbed his wrist and lead him to their table.

"Phew, thanks for saving me!" He said "If she went through her nail colour one more time, I swear-"

He sat next to her while the three girls stared, wide eyed.

"So, how does being property feel, huh?" Piper asked, smiling.

The boy stared at them, confused "I'm Percy, by the way..."

They all introduced themselves and chatted over dinner until it was time to go back to dorms.

"Night!" Annabeth told him before leaving. But before she left, she gave him a kiss on the check.

"Woah, what was that?" Hazel asked when they were in their room.

"It was a small reminder that he was mine" She smiled

"Annabeth Chase, I didn't know you were a badass" Drew said "I'm so proud"

Their routine was similar to the day before, but with a change. For, when they were all asleep, Hazel got up quietly and leaved the room, still in her nightgown.

Truth be told, she was terrified. She had the feeling she would never be good enough for Olympus Ballet Academy. So she went to the studio, in hope of training for a while.

The had just started warming up when she heard footsteps.

"Oh dear" She though "Caught"

But what she didin't expect was her brother to show up.

"Nico!" She ran to hug him.

"What are you doing here in the middle of the night, sissy?" He asked.

"It's just..." She sat in the floor "I did horribly in the technique trial. If I fail this one too, I'll have to go home"

"Is it coreography tomorrow?" He asked

Hazel nodded "Orpheus"

"I know the one! Want me to train with you?"

Her eyes lighted up "Would you?"

He went into the first possition and motioned her to do the same.

She danced, focusing only on the steps and doing them perfectly. She fell twice, trying to reach a level that was impossible, and ended up face first into the floor.

Nico lent her his hand.

"That's not you" He said "I don't want you thinking about technique"

She was desperate, holding her face, but Nico held her hands and stared into her eyes.

"If you dance with your heart, your feet will follow. I know you can do this, sissy. I believe in you"

And, somehow, that was all she needed to hear.

She got up, brushed the hair from her eyes and started dancing once more. This time, tshe thought about the ballerina. She tried for every emotion to surface.

She spinned and danced through the stage, feeling the trust, the desesperation and the hope Eurydice felt, for then turning it into dispair when Nico turned back, and she faked to fall down, back into the depth of the Underworld.

Nico smiled at her, proudly.

"You're gonna leave them open-mouthed" He said.