18: Blue

Coach Hedge POV

Ever since Percy's small accident in the pool, we were being a lot more careful. I was being very critical about which teammates would help Percy with the flip turns.

I was suspicious of Luke Castellan, but there was no proof.

Nonetheless, I was only going to let trustworthy friends of Percy's help him in the pool.

"Coach, how was my time?" Percy asked loudly as he treads water.

Percy started training with the entire team last week. However, the team's practice was over, and only a few swimmers were left in the pool today.

"Actually, it's very good, Percy," I said as I approached him.

"Is it competitive with last year's time?" Percy asked.

I sighed. I knew that he wanted to be back to his full potential. However, that was a very difficult thing to accomplish, but he was getting closer.

"Not yet, Percy, but I think that your times are very competitive anyway," I said boldly.

"But, they aren't good enough for upper-level competitions," Percy said a little disappointed.

"Come out of the pool, Percy," I said.

Percy pulled himself out of the pool and walked along the edge until he found his walking stick. Then, he followed the sound of my footsteps to the bench.

His hand fumbled against the bench as he sat down.

"Percy, I think that you're ready for local swim meets and competitions," I said firmly.

"Wait, really?" Percy asked in surprise.

"Yes, we have to start sometime, and your times are very good, Percy."

"Besides, you should remember that your times will potentially continue to improve as you compete. Practice will only give you so much motivation," I said.

Percy stood up suddenly. His face was bright with a smile. I could tell that he was happy and excited.

"So, the next meet is this Saturday, right?" he asked as he turned towards me again.

"Yes, but you'll compete in the heats starting in December (so in two weeks). Is that all right?" I asked.

"Yes, absolutely," Percy exclaimed. "Thank you so much, Coach. Swimming again wouldn't have been possible with you."

I simply nodded with a smile.

That's what coaches were for: to bring out the best of their players.

Frank and Leo joined Percy in celebration before they left towards the locker rooms. I was nervous about letting Percy compete. Swim meets were filled with many individuals who might not all be as understanding about Percy.

Regardless, Percy was an excellent swimmer (the best in our town in a long time) even while blind, and he deserved to showcase his skills.

***

Jason POV

"Bro, why are you doing this?" I asked.

Percy had decided to help cook food for Thanksgiving. An audio recipe was playing in the background, and ingredients were laid out on the counter.

"Because I'm bored, Jason. And, I thought that it would be a good idea to help out with Thanksgiving dinner later today," Percy said cheerily.

"I just don't understand why this is necessary. You even invited Mr. Bruner, Thalia, Annabeth, and me," I said as I took a bag of chips from his pantry.

"Bro, why can't I cook?" Percy asked.

"Well, because you're, um, not a good cook," I said as I faltered through the sentence.

I regretted the words that almost burst out of my mouth. I was about to say that he couldn't cook because he was blind, and I felt awful.

Percy paused with the ingredients and looked over at me.

Of course, he knew what I was about to say. I could see the emotions in his eyes.

"Sorry," I muttered softly.

Percy sighed as he turned back to the ingredients on the counter.

"Well, you want to help me with this?" Percy asked softly.

"Of course, I got nothing to do in your house if you're in the kitchen. So, what are we starting with?" I asked.

"Blue mashed potatoes," Percy said brightly with a smile.

I was so glad that Percy wasn't hurt by my slip-up. I started laughing as Percy grabbed the potatoes off the counter.

While having a lot of fun, Percy and I got to work.

***

The food looked great on the table, but I wasn't sure how it was gonna taste. Neither Percy nor I were cooks by any standard.

"Wow, Percy, you didn't go light on the blue food," Mr. Blofis said with a chuckle.

Mr. Blofis was right. There was a lot of food that was dyed blue because Percy had an obsession with the color blue.

Percy simply nodded but didn't say anything.

I could tell that something was bothering him. Everyone could tell that he wasn't completely okay.

"All right, everyone, let's give a prayer before we eat," Sally said warmly.

Everyone nodded. I watched as Annabeth closed her eyes and implicitly wished for something. We all did the same before starting to eat.

Sally handled all the high-profile foods, but even the food that Percy and I made was delicious. I was actually very proud of myself.

"Hey, Jason, is everything all right with Percy?" Annabeth whispered.

"I don't know. He was fine before, but he seems a little dull now," I said.

She nodded in response.

I knew that Annabeth cared a lot for Percy. I really liked Annabeth, and I was grateful for how much she has helped my best friend.

"I'm gonna talk to him later," Annabeth whispered firmly.

I nodded towards her before turning my attention back to the rest of the table.

While I wanted to talk to Percy, I figured that Annabeth was the best person to talk to him. After all, somehow, Percy and Annabeth got a lot closer.

Piper and I were pretty sure that Percy had feelings for Annabeth.

However, Percy was repressing it. I had even asked him about dating, and he simply evaded the conversation. Percy deserved to be in a loving relationship. Blindness wasn't a reason to avoid love in any way.

***

Annabeth POV

Everything was delicious, and I made sure to tell Sally that before leaving the dining area to go talk to Percy.

Percy was standing outside on his deck balcony. He had a soda in one hand, and he was drinking slowly. I quietly stepped outside and walked towards him.

"Seaweed Brain, what are you doing here?" I asked as I stopped next to him.

"Just getting some fresh air, Wise Girl," Percy said without actually turning to face me.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked gently.

"Nothing," Percy said unconvincingly.

"Well, the food that you cooked was very good," I said.

Percy cracked a small smile.

"We struggled so much to cook all the food. Jason and I didn't know what the heck we were doing. We got lucky, though," Percy said with a smile.

I laughed as I playfully slapped his arm.

"That is so like you, Seaweed Brain," I exclaimed.

"You want a drink?" Percy asked as he held out the Coke he was drinking.

I took the drink from him and took a sip. Percy gazed in my direction as I drank some of the soda. It was almost like he was actually looking at me. His sea-green eyes were sparkling with life and emotion.

"So, now that you're smiling again, you want to tell me what's up," I said firmly.

Percy sighed as he looked forward again.

"Wise Girl, I love blue food. I always have as you can tell," he said.

"Yeah," I said in confusion. I still didn't understand what the problem was. Percy's favorite color was blue, and Sally and he always make blue food when it's possible.

"However, what's the point of making blue food now? I can't see it, so I wouldn't even know," he said softly.

I gently touched his arm.

"Percy, I know that you can't see the food, but everyone else can. Also, you'll know it's blue because you made it. You do it for yourself because it's a loving tradition between members of your family," I said.

"It seems pointless," Percy said.

I sighed as I stared at him. Percy didn't get like this often, but when he did, it was difficult to cheer him up. Blindness must be so hard sometimes.

"Percy, what color shirt am I wearing?" I asked.

He turned towards me in confusion. His eyes instinctively looked me up and down even though he couldn't see.

"I obviously don't know, Wise Girl," Percy said sadly.

"Yeah, but you know me. What would I be wearing right now to a Thanksgiving dinner?" I asked firmly.

"Well, we're all pretty casual right now. So, you're wearing jeans (probably darker)," Percy said initially.

"Yeah, and?" I asked to make him continue.

'Wise Girl, how would I know the color of your blouse?" he asked in frustration.

"You knew it was a blouse without your vision. Take a guess."

"You're favorite colors are white and gray. However, you also look good in red and black. Since it's Thanksgiving, you probably wore red over the other colors," Percy said hesitantly.

I was wearing a maroon blouse. He was pretty much spot on.

"See, did you need your vision for that?" I asked.

"I-, I was right?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes, you were. I am wearing dark jeans and a maroon blouse, Seaweed Brain. You're able to figure things out even without your vision," I said before pausing.

"It's gonna hurt sometimes, Percy, but you're okay," I said firmly.

Percy was simply gazing in my direction as we stood outside. The moon and stars were shining brightly in the cool night. He had emotions swirling in his eyes.

Suddenly, his arms came forward.

I stood there in shock as Percy's arms wrapped around me firmly. Percy's warmth and comfort radiated off of him as he hugged me.

I slowly wrapped my arms around him as well.

"Thanks, Wise Girl," Percy whispered into my ear.

His embrace tightened around me. We stood there in each other's arms for a long time. Nothing else happened, but neither of us minded.