BIANCA
I stand in the Hades cabin. My cabin. Nico sleeps in the same bed he slept in the first night we came here. There's a photo of us when we were younger on the wall, right beside of photo of him and Hazel. There's a framed photo of Will and him sitting on his bedside table.
I don't open his drawers, but everything in the open I investigate for hours, trying to build an idea of the person he's become.
There are pills in his bathroom. A lot of them. And a note on the wall - don't forget meds. Two blue each morning. one white morning and evening. Love Will.
There are notes on all the walls. Most little love notes from Will, and a couple from Hazel, but there are a lot of reminders from Nico to himself.
Don't forget Frank's birthday. Send mythomagic card.
Call Hazel.
Don't forget visiting Roman camp next Thursday.
Get more meds from Will.
Ask Will about that pain in my elbow.
Ask Will if my heart should do that thing of I should be worried.
Ask Will how you'd know if you're allergic to something.
Get jacket back from Will, and then, in different writing: no xxxx
I take one of his notes down. The one about the Roman camp. I look at his writing. I recognise it, still. The weird way he does his A's. The fancy R's he does. I don't know why, but I start to tear up just seeing it.
The door opens suddenly, and Hazel walks in. She stops short when she sees me.
'Sorry. I...I'm not used to...' she starts.
'No, it's fine, I was just. Looking round.' I say.
'I'm not here much. I live at the other camp. So he's sort of taken over.' She explains, looking at all the notes on the wall.
'Yeah.' I say, 'he used to have such a good memory. Never forgot anything.'
'He forgets silly things now. Like the day of capture the flag. Or what he's allergic to-'
'Strawberries.' I say.
'And nuts now.' She says, 'not fatally, but his face goes all red. It's more funny than anything.'
I turn away, looking back to his note.
'Sorry, I didn't mean to...um...' she falters, 'I know he's your brother, and I-'
'You're his sister too.' I say quickly, 'no, of course. I'm...I'm so glad he had you. Has you...I just don't know him anymore. And it hurts a little.'
Hazel sits on Nico's bed. She looks at the photos on his wall, then back to me.
'When Nico bought me here, and I found out about you, I was so scared he was hoping I could...replace you in some way. Like he lost a sister, gained a sister, y'know?' I sit on the bed opposite her, 'but he never did. He never compared me to you. The thing with Nico, I don't think anyone really knows him. Not fully.'
She goes on, 'Maybe Will. He sees Nico in such an incredible light. They really do love each other. But even then, there's so much that Nico's gone through that only Percy and Annabeth can understand. And there's being a child of Hades, which only you and I can understand.'
'So I don't think I know him better than you. I just think we know different parts of him. He's grown up a lot, but he hasn't changed. Not really. He still plays piano and speaks Italian. He still has his mythomagic cards - don't tell him I know that though.'
I laugh and so does she. It feels like a tension has broken. A balance set right.
'So I guess that sort of makes you my sister.' I say, 'I'm not sure if it's younger or older at this point, but...sister.'
'I've never had a sister.' She says.
'Neither have I.'
'I guess we should go save our brother.' She says, smiling slightly.
'Someone's got to.'
