The Youngest Hawthorne

8. Running

“So Percy is coming to school with me?” I ask.

“Yes. If there’s anything he’ll need to know to fit in, you might want to tell him about it tonight. He’s terrible at picking up on social cues, and it’s been a while since he’s gone to school that’s not for half bloods,” Annabeth says.

“Hey! I can read social cues just fine!” Percy protests.

“It took you three years to realize that I liked you, seaweed brain.”

“Fair enough. But I’m just going with her for… how long am I going with her?”

“Until the monster attacks slow down enough that Leo can handle them on his own, I guess.”

“Ok, well, I guess I’ll go find something else to do with the rest of the break,” I say, turning around.

“So what do we do now?” Xander asks.

“I don’t know. It’s Hawthorne House, there has to be something.”

“Ooh! I know where we’re going!”

“Where?”

“Do you trust me?”

“With my life.”

“Then follow me!” He leads the way, and I go next to him. He takes me to an indoor trampoline park.

“This place has its own trampoline park? Why am I even surprised anymore?”

“I don’t know, but this seems like the best place to finish our pillow war. We can use those pillows on the couch,” he says, pointing to a little couch at the edge of the room. We each grab a pillow, then start on opposite sides of the room on the trampolines.

“CHARGE!!!!” I yell, bouncing over to him. Then the real chaos begins. We’re both lying on our backs, laughing our heads off, when Xander’s phone starts buzzing. His ringtone sounds like it’s a piece written, produced, and performed by him. I would not be surprised if it is.

“Yeah, we went to the trampoline room. Mhm. Ok, we’ll be up in a bit,” he says, hanging up. “Training starts again in fifteen minutes.”

“Do we have to go?”
 
“Yeah, probably. Let’s go.” We walk back up to where everyone else is waiting.
 
“Come on. The demigods are all on the track already.” Grayson says. “And the sooner we finish this, the sooner I can get back to work.” We all start heading out onto the track, since Hawthorne House has one of those, where, sure enough, all the half-bloods are waiting for us. We aren’t doing anything too complicated, just a race, then some other mini obstacle courses.

“Ready, set, GO!” Frank yells. Everyone takes off running, and, no surprise, the only real competition is between the Hawthornes. Nash is in first, then Grayson, Jameson, Xander, Avery, Libby, and I’m at the very back. It happens in an instant. I’m paying a little too much attention to who’s in first, and not enough to my running, so my foot falls in just the wrong way, causing me to wipe out. I can already tell that I probably sprained it again.

“What happened?” Will asks, dashing over to me. He’s a doctor. I kinda forgot about that part.

“I sprained my ankle.”

“Just eat this-” he starts, but Nico cuts him off.

“You can’t give ambrosia to mortals.”

“Right. Sorry, I’m used to treating half-bloods. If I try to  give this to you,” he shows me a bag of some sort of food that’s been cut into squares, “don’t take it. It’ll make you literally burn up. So… I’ll start by wrapping your foot.” While he does that, everyone else finishes the race, and comes over, concerned.

“Y/n! What happened?” Xander asks when he notices everyone crowding around me.

“I sprained my ankle,” I explain.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he says. I shrug.

“I do this all the time. It’ll heal fast.”

“Can someone go get an ice pack?” Will asks.

“I will. Be back in a minute,” Hazel says, hurrying back towards the House.

“Well, I guess you’re done training for now,” Annabeth says. “Everyone else, pick an obstacle course, and see how long it takes to get through it.”

“Can I stay here? She’s one of my best friends.”

“She’ll still be here when you’re done. Oh my gods, I sound like Coach Hedge.” Percy laughs and puts an arm around her.
 
“I guess now would be a good time to remind me how to act in mortal schools,” Percy says.

“Just stay to yourself, don’t answer questions unless you know the answer you have it 100% correct, and come find me during lunch, and you’ll be fine.”

“Got it.” I watch everyone else run through the obstacle courses, and feel glad that I don’t have to do them. But I still have to tell Xander that I like him. How do I say it? I’ve kept it a secret for so long… I just don't know what to do.

Soon enough, it’s time to go inside, where I have strict orders to keep my injured foot elevated. And crutches, so I don’t have to find somebody to carry me, or crawl everywhere I want to go.

After dinner, everyone goes to watch a movie. It’s pretty good, but all I can think about is how I’ll have to tell Xander how I like him. What if he doesn’t like me back? What if he does? Ugh, it’s all too confusing. So before we go to bed, I say what could very possibly be the five most dangerous words known to mankind.

“Xander, I need a distraction.”