Semidio High, Gym

The black-haired boy with the sea-green eyes smiled. Swimming, his favorite sport and pastime. Not that he actually had extra time, with Gabe... Stop, he chided himself, not now. He couldn't let that... inhuman thing... ruin his favorite part of the day.

He dove in the water, his strokes smooth and connected, as he streaked through the water like a professional swimmer. All his classmates stared, unbelieving, as the awkward, shy boy from class became one with the water.

The grey-eyed girl sighed, sitting on the pool's rim. She wanted to go swimming and participate, but Helen, aka worst stepmother ever, wrote a note to the gym teacher excusing her from every activity. "My little Annabeth is so smart, so very smart, but she absolutely cannot participate in gym-it must wear her out so, the poor dear," Helen had said, sickly sweet. Coach Hedge, the gym teacher, remained oblivious to all of her pleads, even when she ran a full mile without stopping in record time.

"Your stepmother knows you better than I do, cupcake. Sorry, no can do," he would always say, in his normal gruff voice. And she always knew that her chance that day was over. Turning her back on the pool, Annabeth Chase walked away, heading for the library.