Lams At Camp Half-Blood

Part Twenty-Six

Nico again

"I'd like to take Alexander to see New Rome," I say to Chiron. I'm at the Big House now, trying to talk the camp director guy (?) into letting Alex, Percy, and I leave camp.

"Why do you want to do that?" says Chiron. He's in wheelchair person form right now, and he leans across the table we're sitting at, steepling his fingers.

"Well, it'd get his mind off of... Other stuff going on in his life, and he hasn't seen it yet. I just think it'd be fun, you know, just us dudes."

"Okay, who all would be going?"

"Alexander, Percy Jackson, and myself."

"Have you talked to Mr. Jackson and Mr. Hamilton about this?" He asks, his face serious.

"Not yet, but I plan to."

"Alright, you have my permission. You'll be escorted by Argus in one of the limousines this afternoon. Your safety is the most important thing."

"Okay."

I just stand there awkwardly for a few seconds. "So... We're done and I can go, right?"

"Yes, Mr. Di Angelo."

On the way to talk to Percy, I run into Will. Like, I literally collide with him. I stumble backwards. "Oh, sorry," I mutter.

"It's fine." Will sounds irritable, and I'm 99.8% sure that he's still hurt from what I said earlier. "Where are you going so fast anyway?"

"I need to go see Percy."

"Oh." He sounds sad.

"Not like that, I was going to ask him to go with me to Camp Jupiter."

"Oh. And you're not planning to ask me?"

"You're not the ideal person for this particular journey. I'm taking Alex Hamilton with me if he complies."

"I see what you're doing. You just want to get away from me for awhile. I'm 'controlling and clingy.'"

"No, what? Who told you that?"

"Oh, please. I heard you talking to Hazel last week when she was visiting."

"No, I-"

"Save it, Nico. I think we need to go on a break. I can't be in a relationship where we just insult each other all the time."

"Wha- babe, I thought you were having fun with that! I thought that was playful."

"Don't call me 'babe.'" He says, narrowing his eyes. "And sure, it's fun the first ten times every day. But even I have my limits, if you can believe that. Goodbye, Nico."

"I- Will!"

He just walks away.

I walk, boyfriendless, to go talk to Percy, in a worse mood than I was before.