You've Got to be Kidding?

Percy POV

My muscles strained as I pulled myself out of the now-empty swimming pool. Not surprisingly, I was the last one here as I usually stayed late after practice. Something about the water just helped me think more clearly, which is probably why I loved swimming so much. However, I was late getting out today for a different reason.

As I made my way over to the locker rooms, I was stopped by Coach Hedge's bark, "Jackson, stand your ground a second!"

I turned around expecting the worst. Coach Hedge wasn't the nicest person. Usually, the team only received criticisms and orders from him, and although they were to make us better athletes, it came off fairly mean.

"Coach, What's up?" I asked.

He seemed a little uncomfortable as he stared blankly at my face. To do so, he had to look up as I was relatively tall compared to his stout 5'5 height. "Look, Jackson. Coach Terminus and I are actually quite impressed by your swimming. You've already excelled beyond Goode's records, and we believe you have a real shot at states as long as you continue in this way."

The coach said all of it quite quickly, but I managed to hang on to his words. After all, I wasn't going to deny a compliment, especially from a man who rarely gives them. I knew I was a good swimmer, but it still meant a lot to hear that the Coach was genuinely rooting for me.

"Thank you, Coach."

"So, Jackson, I suggest you don't screw this up for yourself and this school," he said as his normal aggressive self took over once again. I almost smirked at the quick turn of character. Honestly, Coach had to be aggressive because nothing else suited him. "Sounds good. Coach," I replied before entering the locker rooms.

I quickly showered and changed before heading to the auditorium with my bags, slightly damp hair, and a faint waft of chlorine. The reason I stayed so late today was because I promised my buddy, Jason, that I'd watch his audition for the musical. For moral support apparently. Although he didn't really need it. Jason had a solid voice similar to many pop artists today, and his acting was pretty good too as evidenced by his performance of Gaston in last year's musical, Beauty and the Beast.

I entered the auditorium to someone singing. I cringed at a few missed notes and voice cracks whilst taking my seat. Yes, I didn't know that much about music, but I listened enough to know how a smooth voice and song was supposed to sound. As I stared at the sheet projected onto the wall-screen on the right side of the stage, I realized that Jason had already auditioned. Lucky for me, my dyslexia wasn't acting up right now, and I could see that only three people were left on the list to perform. The rest of the auditions passed by pretty quickly as all three sang 'A Million Dreams.' This year's musical was an adaptation of The Greatest Showman film, which I hadn't even seen.

"Bro! You're late," Jason chastised as he pulled up next to me.

"Dude, I'm so sorry. I got held up by Coach Hedge." It technically was not a lie, but I didn't mention the fact that I was late coming out of the pool after losing track of time. "How'd it go?"

Jason just shook his head at me. He was one of my best friends and knew me enough to not fall for my lame excuse. Regardless, he answered my question: "I think it went well. I'm definitely fortunate to have Piper audition with me."

Piper was Jason's girlfriend of about four months. While they hadn't been dating for the longest time, they cared a lot about each other. Their relationship was actually quite different than the relationships I had as mine tended to be shorter and generally stayed physical. The longest relationship I'd been in was just over three months with a girl named Calypso. She was a good partner and girlfriend until she wasn't. I quickly snapped my attention back to Jason.

"Bro, I'm 100% sure you guys killed it. I heard you guys practicing 'Rewrite the Stars' the other day and y'all sounded amazing together. Anyway, the auditions are over right, are we set to le-"

I was interrupted by a man in his late 30s with golden blonde hair. "Alright, is there anyone else here to audition?" he asked boldly into the microphone. His eyes scanned over the auditorium, which had students sitting and standing throughout the room. Then, all of a sudden, his eyes fell upon me and Jason.

"You! You have to audition as well," he exclaimed in his same loud and wild voice that he used before.

"I, um-Sir, I already auditioned a while back," Jason answered politely.

"I know Jason, and you were wonderful in your performance this afternoon. I am talking about your friend; he has to audition. Everyone who comes into this room has to audition."

What?! You couldn't just force someone to audition. Suddenly, all the heads turned to me, and I immediately felt uncomfortable in the limelight. This was different than the limelight of swimming; I can tell you that much.

"Grover, can you please give this young man some sheet music and usher him onto the stage?"

My best friend looked over at me with a sorrowful look as he made his way over with some papers. Grover and I had been friends since elementary school. He was a rule follower and a green day specialist, which explains why he was listening to the director in the first place.

"Woah Woah, Grover I am not auditioning. Dude, I don't even sing. Are you kidding me?" I was in a panic now as Grover pulled me towards the stage. Of course, everyone's eyes were on me as I was undoubtedly making a scene.

"Nonsense. Every human being has a voice" the man sang as he made his way to his table off stage where another man and woman were sitting.

"Grover-"

"Percy. I've known Apollo for years now, and he isn't going to let you or anyone leave until you sing. Please Percy, just do it. Here, you can do A Million Dreams, which you've just listened to, and I'll conduct to make it easier for ya" Grover pleaded. Honestly, Grover was looking very stressed out like he always was around the musical and play auditions time. He's been working as a backstage coordinator or something for the past three years.

His pleading and stressed out face made it very hard to say no, especially on stage in front of everyone. "Ugh Sir, I don't sing or dance or act or anything like that. I am not interested in this," I tried the three adults offstage who were waiting for me to audition.

"Oh my gods, Jackson can you just sing already? Why do you always have to be causing trouble?" A few snickers and laughs followed.

I knew her voice like I knew an allergy or a bad rash. Her sweet highness was smiling all too innocently from her seat in the first row. Annabeth Chase. She was the all-around good girl and the complete opposite/bane of my existence. Never did I think that someone so pretty and talented could be so intimidating and irritating. Let's just say that we didn't get along in school, and we managed to avoid each other out of school.

I stared at the smiling blonde, then the rest of the student body in the auditorium waiting to go home, then at the three teachers staring critically at me, and finally at my pleading best friend's face. Ugh, you've got to be kidding me was the thought vibrating in my mind as I snatched the lyrics sheet out of Grover's hands.