Olympian

11: Non-Stop

Percy POV

I groaned loudly as my alarm blared. Gods, alarms are the worst invention to ever exist. My body turned to the side as my hand reached for my phone to turn off the mini torture device.

Every one of my muscles screamed in protest as I sat up in bed, looking around the dark room.

It was still pitch black outside, but that wasn't going to sop me from getting to Olympia. Chiron and Lupa were going to check my times today after a quick warm up. I was excited to see how much I improved over the past two months.

I quickly pulled some sweatpants and a shirt over my boxers, grabbed my bags, clutched a protein bar, and quietly left my apartment. Usually, I don't bother waking up my mom and Paul.

It was too early in the morning.

The nice summer weather morphed into a chilly fall breeze. The pinch of cold was the worst part about getting up so early. The drive to Olympia was peaceful; I didn't bother with music because it would only disturb the serene calmness around me.

Chiron and Lupa were already blowing their whistles when I walked into the pool room.

It was a morning tradition they did to wake me up.

I wasn't necessarily a morning person, so this was their annoying way to get me up.

"I hate both of you," I groaned while setting my towels on the bench.

"I would think that you'd be used to this, Perseus," Lupa commented. Just like Chiron, Lupa also inherited the habit of calling me by my full name. They just wouldn't listen.

"I'm gonna get warmed up," I said.

Just then, Luke walked out of the locker rooms. I froze at the side of the pool as he approached the lane next to mine. The other swimmers don't usually come train in the morning; this was often a private training session between me, Chiron, and Lupa. Having Luke here alone with me made my blood boil.

Chiron and Lupa started explaining before I could protest. "You perform best under pressure, Percy. Hate to admit it, but competition with a rival adds the right kind of pressure."

"Rival is the understatement of the century," I snapped.

"I know there's bad blood-"

"Bad blood doesn't begin to cover it," I interrupted. Luke winced while getting in the water. Of course, I still stood my ground on the side.

Chiron patted my shoulder and turned me to face him. "You've practiced with Luke for so long, Percy. You even practiced with him after your breakup. Remember what I told you, Percy. The instant you walk into the pool room, all your troubles should vanish away. You're an athlete here."

I took a deep breath and turned to the pool. Chiron was right. While Luke and I had beef, swimming was more important. I nodded firmly before putting on my swim cap and goggles.

Then, I dove into the pool to start warmup.

The next two and half hours went by so quick. I was focused and in competitive mode.

My times had definitely improved. All of my strokes improved by a few seconds. As always, my best events were Butterfly 100m and 200m. Those events were what my coaches and I were working on the most. We were leaning into my strengths.

Overall, I was quite satisfied with my performance.

Of course, Luke was waiting for me in the locker room, seeming ready to dampen my good mood. I ignored him while going to my locker, still dripping wet. I needed a warm shower right now. My muscles felt tight, and I'd probably be late to school today.