The Violin That Started it All

Part 2) Chapter Twenty-One

            I sighed in defeat and averted my gaze to the ground and the perfectly polished shoes of the two men. “Fine.”

            The two men nodded and took a step back, allowing me some space. I inhaled through my nose, breathed out through my mouth, and proceeded to opening the door.

Once I closed the door and looked up from it, I found Paul still on the couch, and Sally’s hand resting on Percy’s right shoulder. Percy was sitting in a cushioned seat adjacent to the couch. His head tipped downward toward the ground, and his elbows rested on his knees. His fingers were intertwined, and it looked as if he was deep in thought. Tyson was apparently there now, because he was leaning against Paul.

            I brought everyone’s attention to me once they heard me close the door. All their eyes shot up towards me as fast as lightning, and I could see that they were waiting for an explanation. I didn’t want to tell them that I had to move into an orphanage, but what lie could I even tell them? I guess I could sneak out later.

            I could also tell that Percy really wanted to jump up from his seat and rush towards me, but Sally’s hand on his shoulder restrained him from doing so.

            I gulped. Then, an idea sprang into my head.

            I put on a sorrowful expression. “They…told me that my father died.”

            All of their eyes’ widened at the news I just broke to them, but Tyson looked utterly perplexed. I guessed at age seven, you don’t know what “died” is.

            “Nico,” Sally breathlessly said, bringing a hand up to her chest, “I’m so sorry.”

            I shook my head. “It’s fine.”

            “Maybe you need some time alone,” Paul suggested, grasping Tyson’s hand. “Go upstairs into your room for a bit. We’ll call you down for dinner.”

            I nodded. “Thanks.” I stole a glance at Percy, but he face was unreadable. I couldn’t tell if he knew I was lying or not, but I decided to keep up with my act.

            I nodded at all of them before making my escape up the stairs and towards my not-my-room-anymore.

When I got up the stairs and into my room, I threw the door closed without looking back, which was the greatest mistake I made that day.

            The next thing I knew, I was pushed against the wall, but not hard enough for it to hurt. Arms were found at both sides of my head, trapping me in that position. I looked up with shocked eyes at my not-going-to-be-soon boyfriend Percy Jackson.

            “Percy?” I asked in bewilderment.

            “Why did you lie again, Nico?” Percy’s face only had one thing written across it in giant capital letters: anger.

            “What are you talking about?” I decided to play innocent, straining to keep my face the same so it wouldn’t reveal that Percy found out my plan.

            “Don’t ‘what are you talking about?’ to me. I know you were obviously lying,” Percy snapped. “What did they really say to you?”

            I gulped. Shit, Percy read me like it was right out of a book. I clenched my teeth together and stared to the side. “Why do you know me so well?” I muttered.

            Percy took my chin and his hand and forced my gaze onto him. “Because I care about you, that’s why. Anything else you want to ask before you tell me what they were really talking about?”