After the incident with Jason in the empty classroom, Nico couldn't stay focused.
In his third period drawing class, he continued to space out, and just be drawing random squiggles. "Oh, Mr. di Angelo!" Mrs. Maryam said questionably, "What is this?" Nico grimaced, and tried to empty his mind of the incident and focus on Mrs. Maryam.
In truth, she had to be the most beautiful woman in the school, passing both students and teachers. Her hair was short, and stuck out on both sides, her bangs ending in a curl. She was pale, and had dark jade eyes. She was the most fashionable teacher they had. She was from England, and there was also a rumor that she was married to Mrs. Lalonde.
Nico didn't reply, he just stared at his ruined drawing before he quickly erased.
A kid leaned over and examined his drawing from the desk beside him curiously, in which he recoiled from the stranger.
Nico did a double take when he saw him. He was almost... elf-ish. He had wild curly hair that was about the length of Nico's hair, with slightly pointy ears, and wide brown eyes.
His face was dirty with soot or whatever the hell was on it. His face was freckled, but he also had a slight case of acne. "Dude, that looks nothing like a vase of flowers."
His voice had obviously not broken yet, and cracked slightly when he glanced down. Was this guy wearing... suspenders?
"Do I know you?" Nico said in a quiet, dangerous tone.
His brows furrowed. "Actually, no you don't."
He shifted and stuck out his right hand, which was covered in pencil marks. Nico didn't shake it.
"I'm Leo. Leo Valdez, the man who gets ALL the ladies." he stuck his thumb at himself and grinned. Nico remembered Hazel mentioning him, now that he thought about it. Nico turned to the side and continued erasing his page.
In the corner of his eye Leo looked like a deflated balloon.
"And you're talking to me why...?" Nico uttered, loud enough for his pointy ears to hear.
"Hey, who spat in your coffee?" Leo stuck out his lip. "From Jason and Hazel, duh! Don't be so mean!" Nico's heart skipped a little and his hand froze.
...What the hell?
"Jason's... really popular." Leo said. "In his own group, that is. He's not so stuck up as he looks."
Nico stopped erasing and looked at him. "And why should I know?" Leo frowned. In Nico's opinion, the guy looked totally different when not smiling.
It looked... wrong even.
"You attracted Jason like a magnet, man. He's the kind of guy that inevitably discovers everything about you, strips you bare and discovers your nature. Sounds scary, but it isn't, really. Just, here's a piece of advice." He smirked. "Quit fighting it. Be nice, alright? I bet that bruise on your face is killing him, because he can't understand you. So don't be an ass to him, alright?"
He turned back to his paper, as the bell rang.
"Seriously," Leo said as he began to grab his bag. "Just be nice to him today." Nico stared as Mrs. Maryam began to collect the papers. He took his bag and threw it over his shoulder, and left.
Jason was already sitting down when Nico entered the classroom, his expression faltered when his eyes fell on Nico.
Be nice to him today.
Sighing, he didn't do his usual glare as he headed to his seat, but he didn't smile or show any emotion.
"So I heard you have Italian with Hazel. I took that course too, you should help me with the homework." He half-smiled.
"A-and..." Nico spluttered as he made himself reply. "And 2-D Art with Leo..."
He wasn't looking at Jason, but he could sense Jason's shock. "Dude, if you ever take Latin courses, I got you covered. I'm fluent in it, I learned it at my Middle school."
He leaned back in his chair. "I, uh..." Jason leaned forward again as Nico responded. "Was actually thinking of taking the course next year in the first college semester. Thanks."
Jason was silent.
"Did Leo say something to you?"
Nico looked up, surprised. Light shined through the window behind Jason, making his face barely more than a shadow, and also making his eyes even more piercing.
"Every time he talks to someone about me, they act all funny. I don't know why you're forcing yourself to be nice, but the fact that you're trying means a lot." He smiled sheepishly.
Nico slid his chair back a little, the chair scraping loudly.
"No, I never spoke to him. I just knew him from hearing about him." he growled. Jason blinked. "He usually talks to everyone. That's strange," he said, his voice a little strained.
Nico cast a glance to the back of the boys head, and then back to Jason, just as the bell sounded and Mrs. Lalonde stood. Nico mentally thanked her.
"Okay class, I decided to do something a little unusual for this semester. I know you all know about the main gods, Zeus, Hades, Poseidon and the others, and you were probably expecting some kind of boring thing with all the minor gods. But, since there are so many new students, I'm assigning a project. I want a completed diorama of the thirteen Olympians."
Hazel raised her hand. "Aren't there twelve?" She asked. "I want Hestia included," Mrs. Lalonde explained.
"The pictures must be drawn or printed in color. I want facts, how they lived, some of their children, who they're married to, all of the details. I set up some of the essentials in the back. Best not work on this just in class, I recommend at home, too. You have until the end of the week to complete this with your partner." She clapped her hands, and strode to her desk.
At home, too... her words echoed.
Great. Thanks, Mrs. Lalonde.
Nico couldn't bear imagining having to explain to Jason why he couldn't come to his house, and why it had to be Jason's house.
Maybe he could just work extra hard and class and he wouldn't have to work on it at home? His thoughts continued in a jumble before a hand lightly touched his shoulder, causing electricity to shoot through his veins, causing his heart to go mad, and an involuntary shudder.
It was Jason.
Nico forced a glare, while his heart still going rapid. "You uh... Weren't replying. I was checking to see if you were okay in your head." Jason said.
Oh.
"I was asking if you wanted me to go get the supplies." Nico sighed and nodded.
Jason stood and sauntered over to the supply table, Nico watching through his black hair. He really did look like a clean cut-football player from the back, what with such broad shoulders.
Nico was about to look away when he noticed something along Jason's forearm. He felt the hair on his arms rise as he gazed at the long horizontal scars that went across the inside of his lower arm. He could only see half of them and it was from a distance, but he could tell they were was thick and deep. Nico swore he felt a tingle on his upper arms as he looked. How many were there? Twelve?
Could he have...?
Nico's train of thought didn't have a chance to finish as Jason strode back over, a slight smile on his face, carrying a poster board, some markers, and a few pairs of scissors, along with a few blank sheets of paper.
"So dude," Jason began. "Which house do you wanna meet up at?" Nico shrugged slightly.
"Mine?"
The dark teen nodded.
"I guess you can ride home with me, too. Will your folks be cool with that?" Nico turned his head to the opposite side of Jason and grimaced. "Yeah." Nico muttered.
He thought of the marks on Jason's forearm again. He flicked his eyes to the side, finding the marks on his right arm.
So he was left handed.
They were even worse up close. As Jason turned to look at him, Nico quickly directed his eyes to his face. "So, meet at the front of the school, I'll drive by." He said, looking down at Nico.
After that, they began the project, them deciding Nico was going to do the drawings, while they started making the lines for the columns for characters, when the bell rang.
Jason stood, and stretched.
As they walked in the hall, Nico glanced over at the blond-haired boy.
"Hey... How old are you?" Jason looked surprised by the question, before he touched the back of his neck with his hand sheepishly. "I'm 19. I know, I'm a little old to be a Senior, but I started late and then failed kindergarten."
What a guy.
When Nico sat, he kicked up his feet as usual and closed his eyes, but this time didn't put his earbuds in as he waited for Jason. It surprised him slightly that it was only the second day, but he was so used to him by now. But as he heard movement in front of him, it was much to noisy to be just one person.
He opened one eye, to find Jason, Hazel, and Leo sitting in the seats in front of him.
Jason pulled out two sandwiches from his bag, both turkey, and slid one to Nico. Leo, who was next to Jason, then slid a bag of cheeots, more of slung them, they flew off the table and hit the wall, falling on Nico's foot. And then Hazel, much slower than Leo's movements, rolled a waterbottle in his direction.
"We heard from a little birdy that you didn't eat lunch." Leo grinned. Nico cast a dark glare at Jason.
"You're going to eat it," he said as he looked at his gathered lunch for Nico.
Okay. Nico had to admit. The lunch was pretty good. He usually just bought cheap fast-food, so it was refreshing to eat something else.
During lunch there was conversations about the project, Leo flirting with Hazel, and occasional remarks from Nico. The dark teen was surprised at the unfamiliar feeling that he felt when he looked at the people sitting in front of him.
For once, he didn't feel so isolated.
Nico wondered how long this would last.