Chapter Text
four
Annabeth first started playing when she was four. Ballet just hadn’t been enough of a match for all of the energy pent up in her tiny little body so her Dad signed her up AYSO and she took to it like a fish to water. Annabeth loved it. While the majority of the other four year olds would jumble around the ball or maybe pick some daisies, Annabeth wanted to score. She wanted to win.
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Percy wasn’t what you would call a graceful child. As a kid he always had various scrapes and bruises all over his elbows and knees from running around New York, tripping over his own feet. His Mom would always give an exasperated sigh, pull out the first aide kit and patch him up with a band-aide and a kiss on the cheek. After a few attempts at tee ball and soccer Sally finally took it upon herself. She took Percy to the local YMCA by their apartment and threw him in the pool. When she couldn’t get him out of the pool for another 2 hours she signed him up for weekly lessons.
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eight
She’s eight the first time she gets upset about a game. A girl on her team had been tying her shoe when the opposite team had run past with the ball and scored. Annabeth had stomped her feet in anger and had had to be told three times by her coach to go say good game to the other girls.
She had pouted the whole way home.
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Percy swims in his first competitive swim meet at a small local YMCA meet. He swims backstroke and freestyle. His mom is in the small bleachers in the sweltering hot YMCA. His stepdad Gabe isn’t there. Percys thankful for that. During his first ever race his goggles snap in half. He comes in last place and drives home with his mom his eyes red from the chlorine and his tears. He tells his mom he doesn’t want to go back to swim practice he wants to just go back to swimming lessons. He wakes up the next morning to find a new pair of bright blue competitive swim goggles on his dresser. When he grabs his swim bag and asks his mom if she’s ready to take him to practice he doesn’t notice Sallys smile. They go out for ice cream after practice and when Percy asks why his mom doesn’t answer.