You never know - Pjo Fanfiction

29- Practise like you've never won. Perform like you've never lost

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"And: five, six, seven eight! From the top!" Hazel commanded, as the music played. Everything had to be perfect for the big day. It wasn't as if her whole life depended on the moment.

"Good work everyone!" She clapped while everyone left, her friends staying behind.

"Need help with anything?" Annabeth asked.

"Frank is at the shop, getting the new tights and hair dye." Hazel sighted before sitting on the floor.

"Wait, hair dye?" Percy asked, his eyes shinning "May I have blue?"

"Of course!" Hazel smiled "I can't wait for tomorrow."

The next day was the performance, the one Hazel had been waiting so long for. Her leg barely hurt anymore, and she had trained that choreography enough she could dance it blindfolded and in her sleep. 

That morning, she woke up panting for breath, nerves already in her skin.

"Wake up everyone!" She smiled "We perform at eleven, and have a lot to get ready!"

The girls yawned and groaned, and she giggled.

"Come on... Up, up, up!"

They rolled out of bed and zombie-walked to the bathroom.

"That's more like it" Hazel placed her hands on her hips and smiled "I'll just go wake up the boys"

She went into the common room and then headed for the boys' dorm. She flexed her hands before knocking like mad.

"GUYS!" She screamed "YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO GET DECENT AND PARADE STRAIGHT TO THE COMMON ROOM TO GET READY!!"

She huffed, proud of herself, and grabbed a bottle of hair dye for herself, which turned out to be deep purple. She had an idea. An unorthodox idea, but still one. The only thing she could guarantee was that they had never seen anything like it in their lives.

Piper, Annabeth and Calypso showed up no longer after. She gave away bottles of hair dye and they started. Half an hour later, while they showered and dried, they nearly screamed, for their hair had new streaks of the most vibrant colours.

"Relax, it washes off" Hazel tried to calm them and herself as she stared at her new look.

"Well, I like it" Calypso smiled, red streaks decorating her long blonde hair.

Piper had golden streaks while Annabeth had blue on her hair. Hazel had decided that pairs should have the same hair colour.

The boys came into the room a few minutes later, but they weren't alone. Their whole level needed a change of style in order to perform.

Hazel tintes hair after hair like mad, combining colours, while her friends did the same. By the way Annabeth, Calypso and Piper had a maquiavellian laugh, she was sure they were having the time of her lives.

"I can't stand dancing with you!" A girl with short black hair screamed to a blonde boy.

Hazel ran there and reconized the girl as Jason's sister.

"What's wrong, Thalia?" She asked.

"I won't dance with him" She announced.

"Isn't Reyna your best friend?" Hazel asked again.

Thalia nodded.

"Well, dance with her" She smiled "Reyna, now you dance with Thalia! Nico, you're with Will!"

She grabbed a bottle of bright yellow hair dye and headed over to Nico.

"You're welcome, brother" She smiled mischeveously as she added the hair dye.

"Shut up" He blushed.

When they all had colourful hair, they put on their outfits. The girls wore their white tutus, while the boys wore a leotard that looked the same, the ones they had been given at the start of the year. But, instead of putting on their typical tights, they wore bright coloured ones that matched their new hairstyle.

"Hazel, this is crazy" Calypso announced, spinning around in her new red look "I love it!"

Hazel laved her pointé shoes and smiled

"To the park, everyone! Let's have one final rehersal before the time comes!"

She put on her espardilles , grabbed her pointé shoes and started walking. She giggled at the fact that Nico, with yellow streaks, and Will with black ones walked side by side.

Frank jogged up to her, his hair purple. She had to stiffen a laugh.

"What?" He asked, placing his hands in his hair "You donñt like my new style?"

"Oh, I think it's lovely" She agreed "It's just that I wear it better"

"I won't argue that" He raised his hands up in surrender. "Hey, nervous?"

"Why should I be? I have practised and practised, and even practised some more." She lied. Her thrembling legs decieved her.

"Relax, it will be ok. You have practised like you've never won. Do you know what it's left?"

"What?" She asked, confused.

"To perform like you've never lost" He smiled.

"Stop stealing my motivational quotes!" She pushed him playfully, then started running "Catch me if you can!"

"Oh, you're on" He started running

"You'll loose!" She laughed.

"Never!"

Did he let her win? No. But she did cheat, after all. No one expected her to know how to climb up a tree, after all. Nor to jump into him while he passed underneath it.

"I won" She declared.

"Sure did" He nodded.

They all arrived at the stage andstarted to practise the choreography. The pairs worker well together, the colours were beautiful and everyone could see them... It seemed perfect.

Then, why was she so nervous? She laced her shoes three times because her hands wouldn't stop shaking. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself but still ended up jumping up and down, trying to shake the nerved away.

But she had the right o be scared. That performance would determine her fate at the academy. She needed it to be absolutely perfect. Every single step needed to be flawless.

The clock striked eleven. She took a look. Everyone, from her doctor to the students at the fashion academy, even her dad and Frank's grandmother and sister were there, sitting, staring at the stage thathad the curtains closed. Terpisichore had a clipboard and a pen.

She swallowed down, and her shoulders relaxed. She took a deep breath. She was ready.

While the rest hid behind the stage, her and Frank took a stop in the middle. They both had their arms pointed downwards, feet in fourth position, heads down.

The curtain started raising. The performance had begun.