See My Shadows, I'll Be Your Light

Will

I love school.  It's also my home, but I just refer to it as school.  I know everyone around, and everyone's usually friendly.  My room is always crowded- I have quite a few half siblings, but that's fine- it's always more fun that way. There was only one problem.  I'm an Apollo kid.  I aspire to be a doctor- I'm one of the best healers around.  But I wasn't enrolled in health class! So of course I went to Chiron to complain.  

"Will, my boy, what is it?"

"Chiron, you know I want to be a doctor, right?"

"Perfectly reasonable- you're the best healer I know."

"Well I'm not in health class and I find that disturbing. You think you could maybe change my schedule? I don't really need some of my classes..."

"Now Will, I know but you're a straight A student!"

"Chiron I need to take it! Anyone who wants to be a doctor needs health class!"

"Alright, fine, we'll fit it in somewhere.  There's just no arguing with you, boy." Chiron smiled and ruffled my hair and I slipped my hands in my pocket and walked away, humming.  For a moment I felt like I was being watched, but I shrugged it off and kept going.  The way to my room was long, but it was crisp and cool outside and I didn't mind.  I lightly stepped outside and across the snow.  On the way I looked up at the stained glass windows.  Zeus, Poseidon, Hades.  Then I looked back up in surprise.  As usual, the Zeus and Poseidon dorms were lit up, but this time, the Hades dorm was too.  The Hades room light had never been on. Not for as long as Chiron had been here, anyway, and he'd been here a while. My feet started sinking into the snow, so I shivered and kept walking.  When I reached my room, I plopped down on my bed and picked up my guitar.  I softly strummed a bit, knowing that in a few minutes it'd be time for lunch.  After a few chords,  I clapped my hands loudly.  As head counselor of my dorm, it was my job to lead them all to lunch.  

"Righty guys!! Lunch time!" I said loudly, and we all bustled to the cafeteria, chattering.  On the way there, I met up with my friends. Lou Ellen, a Hecate girl, and Cecil, a Hermes boy, were waiting for me at the staircase.  We walked together, each of us talking about our days as we went outside again and back into the cafeteria.  

"Hey did you guys see? The Hades dorm light was on when I passed it today." I told them, passing them each a tray to get their food.

"Really? But- oh thanks. But I thought it never was on." Lou Ellen looked at me questioningly. I shrugged.

"Maybe there's a new guy.  Or girl. I don't know. Maybe we have a new Hades kid!" I got a little excited at the idea.  We hadn't had a new kid in a while- not since Percy, actually.  

"Hey, yeah, that'd be great!" Cecil piled pasta onto his plate and we followed him.  

"Let's not get our hopes up though. You never know!" Lou Ellen, Cecil and I sat down with Piper and Jason. 

"Hey guys." Piper smiled.

"Hey." I answered.  

"Haven't seen you in a while, Will. How's it going man?" Jason asked me.

"Hey yeah, everything great! I just got switched into health class, so now I have that with you."

Jason groaned jokingly and I made a fake pout.

"Kidding, Will, you'll make the whole boring class brighter." he grinned.

I grinned back, the nicest I could, but my eye caught sight of someone behind Jason. My smile faltered and slowly came to a stop all together as I watched him. He kind of blended in with the shadow on the wall he leaned on. He stared at his shoes for a while and let his jet black hair fall in his pale face. He glanced up for a minute before slowly sinking down on the wall and sitting on the floor, and I caught his eyes. They were a dark chocolate brown. He looked away quickly and I noticed he was drawing on his wrist with a pen.

"Ummm WIll? Earth to Will!" Cecil waved his hand in front of my face and I blinked.

"What?"

"Where were you dude? You left us for a minute there." Cecil raised an eyebrow.

"More like 10 minutes. Will, you were staring at nothing for a while." Lou Ellen commented and Piper nodded. I laughed.

"Sorry guys. Just.. lost in thought." The others just shrugged it off.

"Anyway, lunch is over, so come on unless you want to be late for class... which if I know you, you won't, let's go." Cecil grabbed my arm.  

"Yeah, ok." I tore my eyes away from the boy in the shadows and followed Cecil.  We went to Main, where the Big Three dorms were, for Physics, and then down the hall for Western Civilization.  I hated Western Civ.  I didn't see that boy again for the rest of the day- until last period finished and I saw him again in the cafeteria. Just for a second though, as he grabbed an apple from a basket and left.  I shrugged it off. Then it struck me.  Black hair, dark eyes, with dark circles under them. Aviator jacket, skull t shirt, and black skinny jeans? Duh! Hades kid right there! I laughed out loud at my discovery and Cecil and Lou both looked at me strangely.

"Sorry guys, I just.. um gotta go a minute, I'll catch up later."  I smiled and waved as I turned and ran the other way.  I was up to my knees in snow by the time I got to Main.  I wiped the cold, wetness off as I entered and quietly went up the stairs to the dorms.  I checked my watch.  I had 15 minutes to be back in my dorm before the harpies came out on patrol.  Ok, let's see. I fidgeted with my watch as I approached the dorms, then ducked into another room, hearing footsteps behind me.  The pale boy with black hair trudged up the stairs, his hands shoved tight into his pockets.  He passed Percy's dorm and Jason's before turning in to the Hades dorm.  I nodded. My suspicions were correct.  As soon as the door shut behind him, I bolted out and back across the snow, shivering.  I made it back to my dorm with 2 minutes to spare.  Phew.  

"G'night guys!" I call to my siblings.

"Night Will! Night guys." they chorused back.

HI AGAIN, HOW YALL DOING? THANKS FOR READING THIS CHAPTER, AS YOU CAN TELL, NICO AND WILL HAVENT MET YET SO YOU'LL SEE ABOUT THAT NEXT CHAPTER!! SEE YOU ALL SOON! LOVE YOU ALL,

XXSAM