𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐞 || PJO Fanfic

FIVE

Atalanta POV

I woke with a start. I yawned and stretched. After I changed, I went to breakfast.

I noticed some Greek demigods today. I hoped, hoped he would be there... and then I saw him. Nico Di Angelo, my former best friend. He was clad in his usual black jeans, a t-shirt with skull designs, and an aviator jacket. He wore his silver skull ring like usual and a Stygian Iron sword was hung beside him. He was chatting with a guy, blonde hair, blue eyes, with a slight tan. He was handsome, and his looks particularly screamed, "IM A SON OF APOLLO". I was surprised that the ghost king was hanging out with this bright, happy and well... exactly-the-opposite-of-him guy.

I tilted my head. My blonde hair fell across my face. Should I go over and talk to them? Ask them if they could bring me to Camp Half-Blood? Surely, if Nico requested specifically, Leila and Hazel and Frank would have to let me go. Besides, that boy beside him looked nice, maybe I could try my luck with him. I mean, Nico has refused me the last few times I asked. "rules are rules," he had said. Maybe this boy could change Nico's mind.

I walked over to them, "Nico!" Nico turned, but there was no recognition in his eyes, "I'm sorry, you are..?"

Nico gave me this look confused look, and his friend, the blonde guy, slapped his back cheerfully with a laugh. "Nico can't—"

"It's me, Atalanta! I'm offended, how could you not recognise me? I was literally your first friend here." I crossed my arms. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me, get lost, you're not Atalanta. As far as I know, she has black hair and green eyes, blondie." Oh shit. Shit. Of course! Stupid Zane and Janice, the potion hadn't faded yet.

I thought a while for those secrets he only told me, "hmmmm... you told me that your sister Hazel was from the Underworld. I was the first to know. You told me about Camp Half Blood. I was also the first to know about that. we used to sit on top of the Hades temple all the time and chatted. Does that ring any bells?"

"Look, blondie—"

"And you probably forgot, but there are these two bullies named Janice and Zack that bullied me all the time, and Zack might just happened to have forced some strange potion down my throat to make me look like this." I gestured at my hair and face.

"Okay, okay. What do you want?" Nico asked, his voice was cold, but I could've sworn he looked surprised at me yelling at him.

"You know what I want. To go to Camp Half Blood."

"Absolutely not. I can't afford to go against the Roman rules."

"Okay, what?!" The blonde guy gave us a confused look. "Nico! She just wants to go to Camp! That's not a huge problem." He smiled at me and stretched out a hand, "by the way, I'm Will Solace, son of Apollo." I smiled and shook his hand, "Atalanta, daughter of Neptune."

He froze, "Neptune..." he murmured, "Poseidon?" I smiled and nodded.

"WOAH, your one of the big three's children? That's so cool! Wait, though, why would Zack and Janice bully you? Why would anyone? You don't seem so bad." Will asked.

I waved a hand, "oh, Neptune brings bad luck, blah blah blah. It's a Roman thing. It's been like that for as long as I can remember."

"Oh."

In the end, Nico let me go with them, after a lot of persuading and kissing. Yes, I know, kissing. Turns out, Nico and Will were dating. Honestly, they looked adorable together, but when I said so, Nico just frowned at me. I absolutely did not like the way he looked at me. Why did he not like me so much?

Or maybe I was just over-thinking. Nico didn't hate me, he was just like this.

He was just like this.

I repeated it in my mind over and over.