Heyyyy kids. So I was reading a couple previous chapters to kind of refresh when the characters were mentioned last and random details and whatnot, and apparently Nico has had his own car this whole time??? Like Jason's just been driving him everywhere (lmao poor Jason is the chauffeur in all my fanfics) when he could've done it himself???
When I finish this book, ya girl needs to do some editing whoops.
Okay so this really is more of a filler chapter while I come up with some kind of idea to advance the plot. Hope y'all are okay with that ahaha.
Anyways, carry on and excuse my random author's notes littered in different parts of the chapter.😂
[SLIGHT TRIGGER WARNING: brief mention of suicide (in conversation, not portrayed)]
Even if it was a secret Nico likely couldn't handle by himself.
*****
On the Sunday following Nico's last visit, Nico found himself surprised at the larger than average amount of people in the detention's cafeteria area during visiting hours when he arrived. More often than not, Nico came to see Percy after the designated hours for visitors simply because Dionysus didn't much care when he was there anymore. On the rare occasion that a police vehicle was outside, Nico just drove home and returned the following day.
Standing in one large group was eight people. Connor, Clarisse, and Percy were all obviously there, and Travis had recently returned as well. Clarisse's best friend Silena, who Nico had only met once or twice, and Silena's boyfriend, whom Percy had referred to as Beckendorf when introducing Nico, was also sitting there. Grover was there as well, standing next to Percy. And finally, Chris Rodriguez had apparently decided to come see his previous fellow delinquents, his face showing the same lack of emotion that Nico remembered from the last time he'd seen Chris.
His eyes subconsciously drifted over to Percy, who met the glance with his classic closed-mouthed smile that Nico had grown so used to. Nico smiled back to acknowledge that he'd seen Percy, continuing his strides over to where he was standing.
Grover, seemingly finishing up whatever he'd been saying to Percy, glanced over as Nico approached. "Nico, you're here!"
The brown-eyed boy shrugged. "I'm always here."
Clarisse looked back over her shoulder from her conversation to throw in a, "He's not wrong!" before returning to speaking with the others.
Percy rolled his eyes at her before looking over at Nico. "Oh, did you see that Travis got back yesterday after you left?"
Grover smirked as Nico nodded. The former had heard from a few of the friends within their circle that Nico had practically developed a daily schedule to visit Percy but never felt the need to ask about it. Grover had been hoping he wasn't the only one of his friends to believe there was some different kind of connection between Nico and Percy, despite seeing so little of their interactions together. Whether that connection was platonic or romantic, Grover really had no clue, but he felt it was rather obvious that it was there.
Lost in thought, Grover had apparently missed part of the conversation, for when he started paying attention again, the first thing he heard was Percy's, "Yeah, I guess I'll just have to deal with Clarisse because they deal with each other," followed by a nearly inaudible, "especially since Connor's now on my suicide watch."
"It'll be okay, Perce," Nico said, gently and what seemed to be a bit hesitantly placing a hand on Percy's upper arm. (Lmao y'all I misspelled okay bc I had fat thumbs and it autocorrected to ovary, and honestly I considered keeping Nico saying "it'll be ovary" just to be stupid, but okay you can continue now😂) Some of Percy's constant tenseness seemed to disappear. Grover was surprised, to say the least, that after all that Percy had been through, physical contact was what calmed him, if only a little.
But Grover still wouldn't dare touch Percy without his awareness. Before seeing Nico and Percy seconds ago, Grover was convinced that Percy reacted in the same way to all contact.
And apparently he was wrong.
Yup, Grover thought, mentally smirking, definitely something.
The two black-haired boys looked at each other for a moment before Percy sighed, spinning on his heels and returning to the larger group discussion a few feet away.
Nico glanced over at Grover. "So how long ago did you get here?"
The latter shrugged. "Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes. You've been here a couple days this week, right?"
Receiving a nod, Grover looked over his shoulder to make sure Percy's attention was focused into the conversation he'd inserted himself into with who appeared to just be Silena and Connor. "How's he been doing?"
Nico resisted the urge to scoff at the rather obvious question. "Okay, I guess. How can you really expect him to be doing with all the shit that's happened recently?"
Grover blinked a few times in annoyance to himself. (Does anyone even do this or am I just insane for occasionally expressing my emotions with excessive or exaggerated blinks?😂) "Ah, you're right, sorry. That was a stupid question."
"No, I'm just...sorry it's...," Nico's eyes flickered over Grover's shoulder to Percy for a split second before looking back at the boy in front of him. "It's been a long week."
Grover nodded understandingly, gesturing to the group of teens behind them. Nico's response was a hint of a smile before the two walked over and struggled to find the context of the current discussion that now included all of the room's current residents.
The two obviously missed the first part of the conversation, as they just walked into quiet chuckles before hearing Clarisse's, "And Silena proudly keeps up with her bitchy attitude towards all of them."
Nico saw Silena shrug indifferently. "Reap what you sow."
Travis gave a breathy laugh, shaking his head. "Oh, how I missed you not giving any fucks, 'Lena."
Nico never really talked to Silena or Beckendorf, and he'd only seen either of them maybe two or three times. They both seemed to be decent people, though, from what little Nico had experienced.
Percy chipped in. "Unlike your brother who gives too many." Connor jerked his head to the left and shot a menacing glare at Percy, who raised his eyebrows challengingly in response. The two maintained eye contact for a few seconds before Connor broke away, laughing. Percy simply smiled victoriously.
"You two are a mess," Clarisse said, shaking her head. Percy gave her a two-fingered salute.
Beckendorf glanced down at his phone before tapping Silena's shoulder. "Hey, your dad wants us back for dinner soon."
Silena sighed, turning to the group and side-hugging Clarisse. "Well, I guess we're out then. I'll see you losers later!" On her way to the door, she over dramatically high-fived all the males with a criminal record in the room and waved to Nico and Grover, who she wasn't quite familiar with. Beckendorf waved to everyone before the two walked out side by side.
"So hello, you two!" Travis started a conversation with Nico and Grover. Nico glanced over to see Percy chatting with Connor and Chris. He silently wished he could turn that way and talk with the three nearby, but it seemed that Travis was determined to talk with him. Plus, he had just gotten out of the hospital for potentially saving Percy's life, so Nico decided to give him the time of day, nodding a hello back at him.
Grover opened his mouth to say something before his phone started ringing. He quietly sighed, glancing down to see the caller ID. "It's Annabeth, I'll be back."
Travis shook his head as Grover walked away. "I remember Annabeth."
Clarisse nodded in agreement, looking at Nico. "How's she been?"
"Good, good. We lived in the same apartment for a few days not long ago," Nico answered them.
"Nice. You live with, uh...," Travis paused and seemed to think for a moment, "Thalia and Jason, right?"
The youngest of the three nodded. "Thals keeps referring to me as the youngest Grace sibling."
"From what I remember," Clarisse began, "you look more like Thalia than Jason does, anyways."
Nico nodded to confirm her statement. "Who don't you guys know?"
Travis shrugged. "We've never actually met Jason or, ah-what are their names-Frank or Hazel."
"Valdez still hangs out with you guys, right?" Travis asked, receiving a nod.
Clarisse sighed. "Gods, Valdez was an annoying twelve-year-old."
Nico cracked a smile at that before Travis continued with his questioning. "And I'm assuming you know RA-RA, too?"
"Reyna?" Travis nodded. "She'd hate you for that if she were here now."
"Trust me, I know," Travis explained, "We went to school together way back in the day."
"I think she mentioned knowing you."
The tallest of the three nodded. "Even at age ten, I think she hated my guts."
Clarisse scoffed at Travis, looking at Nico. "And you thought Percy had enough enemies."
"Hey, hey, hey," Travis corrected her, "I wouldn't say 'enemies'. More so just people who would prefer to not be my friend."
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
"Anyways," Travis changed the subject with a smirk, "how are you and Percy?"
Clarisse immediately smacked Travis upside the head.
"What?" Travis looked at her and rubbed his head where Clarisse had just hit him.
"Stop bothering Nico about stuff like that, asshat!" Clarisse whisper shouted at him, looking over to make sure Percy didn't suddenly decide to join their conversation.
Travis sighed at her, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, I totally missed you while I wasn't here."
"Ah, stop complaining," Clarisse said jokingly, "Percy would've hit you harder."
"Why are we hitting my brother?" Connor joined next to Nico. "And can I join?"
"Very funny," Travis remarked, flipping off his brother.
"I'm leaving!" Chris shouted, walking towards the doorway as Percy inserted himself between Nico and Travis.
Clarisse and Travis bid their goodbyes from where were, and Nico assumed Connor and Percy had already said farewell after they had spoken about finishing what they were talking about.
"He's just being himself, Connor," Clarisse muttered with an eye roll.
Percy looked over at Nico. "Is Grover still here?"
Nico nodded. "Annabeth called him a few minutes ago, they're still talking."
"Right," Percy said, not really giving it any more thought before engaging in another conversation with the rest of the juveniles. Nico, however, tuned out their words, trying to figure out why Travis's seemingly joking question had made Clarisse angry, if only for a few moments. He tried to pass it off as nothing, though, because after everything that had happened since he'd met Percy, Nico learned one definite thing.
Everyone was unpredictable.
I don't really have too much to say other than the fact that school starts in less than 30 days and I am not hyped.
Also I went supply shopping at Target the other day and they need to sell purple and orange notebooks because they just messed up all my color coding.
But you know, whatever works.🙃😂
Byeeeeee!