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Percy POV

"Seaweed Brain, you know that they have the shutters for a reason?" Annabeth asked.

"Yeah, no time, Wise Girl. I literally have to go on stage again in 10 seconds," I said as I took off my shirt and undid my belt.

"How hard is it to just go behind the shutters while changing outfits?"

"Whatever. Besides, I don't see anyone else complaining," I said before dropping my pants and grabbing my next outfit (black jeans and a blue shirt).

A freshman girl near us blushed furiously as she averted her eyes. To be fair, she was caught red-handed staring at me in my boxers. Annabeth huffed in frustration as she came over to help me button my shirt.

"Well, you shouldn't be exposing yourself to everyone like this."

We were in the final dress rehearsal before the opening show tomorrow. We were actually nearing the end of the musical; there were only two numbers left. I was getting prepared for the second to last song: From Now On.

Even though I was in a rush, I couldn't help but appreciate the proximity between us. Only a few inches were separating us as her soft hands worked to button up my shirt. I felt little sparks of ecstasy every time her fingers grazed my skin.

She finished quickly before stepping back and handing me my pants. "You're seriously tripping if you think I'm gonna help with your pants, too, Seaweed Brain."

I only chuckled before finishing my outfit change.

***

The rehearsal ended quickly after that, and everyone was exhausted by the end of the show. We hadn't actually practiced all the scenes. Certain scenes were skipped as Apollo thought that they'd turn out best with the raw experience of performing them on opening day. One of these scenes included the kiss between PT Barnum and Jenny Lind (who was now played by Annabeth).

I was very anxious about how that would turn out, but my busy schedule forced me to not think about it that much. Plus, I had bigger things to worry about.

My nervousness increased as the week and hours passed by. I was never nervous about swimming and competition, but there was a certain vulnerability that came with performing on stage in front of a large audience. I had also amped up the swimming this week because we had districts this Saturday, and I had to be prepared to give it my all.

It sucked that the musical's opening day and Districts had to fall on the same weekend.

"Are you all as nervous as I am for tomorrow?" Leo asked as we walked outside.

"Leo, you're not even in the musical," Piper chastised.

"So, I have to judge my friends' performances on stage. Do you know how nerve-wracking that is?"

"Wow, Leo. I sometimes forget how much of a moron you can be," Thalia said.

"Hey, come on, Thalia."

"Play nice, guys," Jason said.

All my friends and I were going out for milkshakes today as a celebration that we were all performance-ready. I didn't feel ready even though we practiced the entire show multiple times over the past two weeks. I guess we'd have to see how it goes.

As we hung out at the cafe, Rachel decided to make an appearance. I could see my friends slowly losing their smiles as she approached our table.

"So, Annabeth. First, you steal my man, and now, you took my part as well."

"This was your fault, Rachel. No one told you to back out of the musical," Annabeth said confidently.

"And, I'm not your man, so can you just get over it," I added.

"Oh my god, babe. How can you defend someone who basically called you a monster?"

Annabeth was about to respond, but I beat her to it. I stood up as the anger rose. "Annabeth didn't mean it. She was angry and rightfully so. Maybe you can't understand that, but I can."

"Percy, she doesn't deserve-"

"Stop Rachel. It's me that doesn't deserve her. I'd be able to handle a hundred times more pain and a thousand more fights if it meant that I can be around her."

"Percy, we are supposed to be together." I could see Rachel's eyes watering, making me feel a little bad.

"I've told you before, Rachel, that I'm not interested in you anymore." My voice softened before continuing. "You have real substance, Rachel, and I can see that. You shouldn't be afraid to show yourself, Rachel, because you'll find a greater part of yourself that way."

She listened to me intently before nodding. Rachel wiped a few tears before stepping away.

I sighed before sitting down again. I really hoped that Rachel understood what I was telling her because I could tell that she's not a horrible person on the inside.

The conversations at our table returned back to normal in a few minutes.

However, Annabeth's intense gaze remained intently focused on me for the rest of the evening.

***

"Hey Percy, come here," Piper said motioning me towards the stage.

The red curtains were closed as things were being set up and the audience was arriving. We were about five minutes away from showtime. I was dressed in the infamous ringmaster costume. Being the lead, I was the first person on the stage. I would be the first to sing and the first to perform different dance positions for the title song: The Greatest Show. (Please see the video above for the intro :)

"What's up, Piper?"

"Nothing. Let's just look," she said pulling me towards the curtains.

We pushed the curtains open slightly and took a peak. My eyes widened at the crowd and the noise. The large auditorium's seats were packed. I couldn't even find my parents in the vast sea of people.

"Wow," Piper and I whispered breathlessly.

"Hey, what are you two doing?" Miss Artemis called. She seemed super stressed for a normally relaxed person. "Piper, go get situated for the number. Percy, we need you center-stage," she said urging us to our respective placements.

As I stood alone on the stage, I felt my nerves rising again. I suddenly felt like throwing up. Why did I drink that smoothie?

Despite all the noise, a snap caught my attention. I turned my head to see Annabeth backstage with a bright smile on her face. I couldn't help but smile back. Her beautiful smile was all it took to calm me down as I repositioned myself.

The music started playing and the choir started singing to The Greatest Show. The audience became silent as the music started. My back was to the audience when the curtains opened.

I waited for my cue before going into my first position. Then, the second position. Then, the third as I started singing the song. As soon as I started singing and moving, the nerves washed away.

My performance for the title song started strong, and the other crew members playing the various circus acts (Piper, Hazel, Frank, etc) joined into the performance. The number ended strong with the circus acts smoothly leaving the stage and me (PT Barnum) facing Dustin (young PT Barnum) as the music and my voice silenced. White fog filled the stage to create a dreamy atmosphere. After several seconds, the darkness consumed me as the lights focused on Dustin, who'd take over the story for a few minutes.

I could hear the cheering from the audience as I stepped backstage. A lot of activity was happening backstage, but I took a moment to appreciate the applause before going for my outfit change. It made me feel very good just like how a good swimming competition made me feel. I loved it.

My confidence grew as the show continued.