Olympian

34: Love

Percy POV

I'm not a fan of doing interviews.

I never realized how many interviews an Olympian has to sit through. As someone who did this before, Lupa coached me on what to say and what not to say. Most of all, don't offend or put anyone down. Always be personable and friendly. I'm usually funny too.

But, I'm grateful for the opportunities I'm getting.

Chiron was telling me about different sponsorship offers that I was getting. When your a famous athlete with a likable personality loved by fans, you get a lot of offers.

Chiron was not only my coach but also my manager at this point. He was sifting through sports contracts, trying to pick the best one. In particular, Speedo and MP wanted to do campaigns with me. Considering, I wear speedos a good amount to show off my swimmer's bod, it wouldn't be the worst idea.

I never realized that I could have a career because of swimming besides competitions. But, I am building a career for myself over my swimming prowess.

Chiron, Lupa, and I are already building a regimen to get me prepared for the next Worlds, Internationals, and Olympic competitions.

I was so ready and excited to continue improving and competing.

Today, though, I'm hanging out with my friends at the arcade. It's been so long since we last went to the arcade together.

The arcade is a tradition.

Annabeth was somehow beating everyone at bowling.

I couldn't help but just watch her body move. Annabeth was just so stunning even in such a casual and natural look. Gods, I'm in love with her.

"Will you stop oogling your girlfriend?" Jason said, smirking.

"Why? You jealous, bro," I teased.

"Maybe."

We laughed while enjoying our drinks. I was only having lemonade while Jason had a soda. I was craving a Coco Cola as well, but I'm still maintaining my diet. It's fine though. I'll have a break day from everything for my birthday next week.

Then, I thought of something, and my mind turned serious.

"What's wrong?" Jason asked, obviously noticing.

"I just can't believe that we'll be heading to college in a couple weeks. We won't be seeing much of each other anymore," I said sadly, sitting down on the funky arcade chairs.

"Dude, I'm just attending Cornell. Literally, just a few hours away. We'll still hang out all the time. You don't need to worry about that," Jason reassured.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Of course. You're not getting rid of me," Jason chuckled.

He patted my back to get me out of my seat again. I jumped on his back, laughing, as he stumbled back to the bowling alley. He's been my best friend for years now, and I knew that our friendship will remain strong even after going to different schools in different cities.

Rachel scolded both of us for being late because the group had been waiting. It was my turn to bowl. Our good moods lightened the annoyance easily.

Rachel handed me my bowling ball.

I turned to the alley and rolled the ball. It went straight into the gutter.

"WoOHOO, amazing job," Rachel exclaimed sarcastically. The others laughed as I feigned beign hurt by her words.

"You should stick to swimming, Percy," Rachel joked.

"yeah, Yea.."

I shrugged it off and rolled the ball for my second turn. I managed to get a measly five points. Even still, I was middle in the rankings. Leo, Piper, and Hazel were worse than me.