Recently I realized that this story is kind of all over the place😂😂 Like, we went from manslaughter to panic attacks to vandalism to murder?
This chapter is, once again, pretty dialogue heavy. And really awkward.
Anyways, enjoy😂👌🏻
Also shoutout to @cubone for being a dedicated, pleasant reader💙 I would like to dedicate this chapter to you even though there's a possibility it might get kind of dark😂😂
{TRIGGER WARNING: chapter contains mentions of murder}
"What were you told about Percy?"
*****
"Why do you ask?" Thalia inquired, slightly puzzled.
Nico shrugged. "It's just...this is still all really confusing to me, you know?"
"I can see where you're coming from, yes," Thalia replied with a nod.
"Maybe I...maybe I just didn't get the whole story," Nico explained his previous question, "So I was just wondering if you knew it."
"Long version or short?"
Nico furrowed his brows. "Short."
She gave him a half-nod, half-shrug kind of thing before beginning her story, "So I was a bit shocked at first, but I think I eventually understood. Rumor was that Percy's sentence wasn't as long as we all thought. He managed to break Luke and Ethan out for a weekend after they released him. Now I'm sure you realized that most of them are a bit on the wild side. Things got...out of hand, to say the least. The other two tried to stop Percy, but he apparently couldn't control his anger after something happened."
"What's 'something?'" Nico asked, fully aware that their two stories did not line up.
Thalia shrugged. "Luke never said. It had something to do with her, though." The electric-eyed girl had decided it was probably for the best if she avoided addressing Bianca by name.
Nico looked up to meet her eyes, a small realization clouding his thoughts. "You said Luke told you?"
She nodded, her face saying that she thought it was the most obvious thing. Nico thanked her before abruptly standing up and going to Jason's room.
He pulled a Thalia, knocking before just opening the door and peeking his head in. "Can I ask a quick question?"
"What's up?" Jason responded, propping himself up on his elbow and setting his phone down.
Don't answer questions with questions, Jason, we've talked about this.
Nico simply sighed at his flat mate, continuing with the aforementioned query. "What were you told happened with Percy?"
"He killed-"
"No, like, the story behind it."
A confused look covered Jason's face, but he answered anyways. "Honestly, I didn't get much of a story. I was told he was with Luke in the subway when something happened with her and Percy, don't know what, and all hell broke loose."
"Thanks, Jason." Nico gave him a fake smile before heading back to his own room until finally falling asleep around ten.
The next morning, Nico went through his normal routine. After school was over, however, he told Jason he had to do something before going back to their apartment.
Throughout the day, Nico had talked to Piper, Leo, Reyna, Frank, and he was on his way to go talk to Grover, who wasn't at school that day. (He thought it was probably best not to talk to Hazel about it since she had repeatedly told him not to worry about it.) And you know what?
Everyone had a different story.
He finally arrived at Grover's apartment, biting his lip before knocking.
"Who is it?" He heard Grover shout from the other side of the door.
"Nico!"
"Oh, then I'm not home!"
Nico suddenly looked really confused. "Grover, what the hell?"
A door swung open and scared Nico half to death. "Nico, what the hell?" He mocked.
"What happened to you?" Nico asked, taken aback at his friend's behavior.
Grover rolled his eyes. "What happened to you? I thought you were better than this, Nico." He went to shut the door, but Nico stuck his foot in before entering behind Grover.
"I'm not leaving until I talk to you," Nico informed, closing the door behind him.
Grover simply sat on the couch, set his crutches down, turned on the TV, and pretended Nico wasn't there. After a few moments, he glanced over to see Nico still standing in his apartment.
"Have you not noticed that I really don't want to talk to you right now?" Grover asked him, slightly annoyed.
"Well you're gonna have to want to for a little bit because I'm not leaving until you do," Nico stated, "You're being very...un-Grover-like."
"You're being very un-Nico-like."
"Why do you keep repeating everything I say?"
"I don't know, why you keep repeating everything I say before I say it?"
"That doesn't even-"
"Make sense. See, you did it again."
"Grover!"
"Nico!"
Nico groaned, sitting on the opposite end of the couch. Grover couldn't help but smile a bit at the exchange. However, it disappeared as quickly as it came after he remembered the situation.
"Can I talk now?" Nico muttered questioningly. Grover nodded, so Nico continued. "I assume you know something I don't?"
"That depends, do you know that you tore Percy apart earlier?" Grover asked him.
Nico looked up to meet his eyes. "I...I did?" He hadn't meant to actually hurt Percy, just maybe piss him off a bit. Replaying the conversation in his mind, though, Nico definitely noticed some pretty asshole-ish things he said.
Grover nodded yet again. "Do you actually think he'd kill an innocent girl?"
"Well, Luke said-"
"Forget what Luke said! Answer the question."
"Honestly? I don't even know anymore. I-I thought I knew him...but then Luke-"
"I said forget about him."
"How can I just forget about the most important news I've gotten in years?"
"Nico. Don't answer me, but who do you really trust? Luke or Percy?"
Nico froze. He had known Percy longer, but there's a pretty big possibility that didn't mean anything. Plus, him and Percy had that one night where their secrets just kept spilling...and Luke?
Oh my god.
"Grover, I have to go," Nico quickly stood up before getting stopped by the other boy.
"Do me a favor?" Grover inquired, continuing after Nico nodded. "Don't tell him I talked to you," he finished with a smile before sending Nico off.
Nico power-walked out of the apartment building (no running unless in an emergency!) and to the nearest bus stop. He considered calling Jason, but he really didn't know how long it would take. Plus, he wasn't exactly sure Jason world approve of his impulsive decision. After the anxiety-ridden, excruciatingly long car ride, Nico finally arrived at the facility. He pushed through the doors, giving the obviously unamused secretary a slight glare.
"Visiting fun was yesterday," the man said. Nico looked at his name.
"Listen here, Dionysus, I'm perfectly aware that visiting day was yesterday, but I would really appreciate it if we could come to an agreement here because I need to go fucking talk to Perseus Jackson. We're trying to sort out an...issue, and I-"
"Kid, I don't care. They're back there," he gestured in a door's general direction before directing his attention back to whatever he was previously doing.
Nico nodded in his direction before heading through the door and glancing down the hallway. He sighed at the numerous doors before cautiously knocking on the first one. And the next, and the next. He knocked on about four more doors before finally getting a reply.
"Go away, Mr. D! We're not doing anything illegal!" An unfamiliar voice shouted back.
"It's, uh, not him," Nico replied before being told to open the door. He took a deep breath before turning the handle and pushing the wooden slab open.
He was met with laughter, and his eyes immediately looked in Percy's direction, who was smiling at a guy next to him until looking to see who had come in to find Nico. His smile immediately fell and the room became quiet as four pairs of eyes fell on him.
"If you're here to tell me I'm a dick again, you can just go fuck off," Percy said bluntly, turning away from Nico and staring at his lap.
"No, I just came to, ah, talk," Nico spoke rather awkwardly, knowing how easily he could mess this up. Again.
"Then talk."
I love Grover so much and he isn't appreciated enough😫😂
Also sorry not sorry for adding Mr. D.