Equinox

Chapter 8 - Nico

For the first time since the war, I got a good look at camp.

It was surprisingly peaceful, with only a few campers scattered about. It was still pretty early, so I didn't blame them. I'd be sleeping if I could.

I sat down at my table at the pavilion, planning to sit there until breakfast was served. As the time passed and the sun rose, more and more campers started to join me. I was kind of upset; I missed Hazel leaving almost a week ago. So that left me alone, at my own table. Not like I wasn't used to it.

Speaking of Hazel, I made a mental note, I need to call her soon.

Eventually breakfast officially started. Everybody (except for Percy) sat at their own table, including me. I couldn't keep myself from stealing glances of the Apollo table, which, like always, was the loudest and most lively.

Will caught my gaze. He held it for a moment before I turned mine back to my cup of tea. The Apollo table went quiet for a moment before kicking right back up into hysterics. However, it was one voice quieter.

"Hey," Will said, sitting in front of me. I blinked.

"Hi?" I didn't mean for it to come out as a question, but yet it did anyway.

"You look lonely," he noted. I laughed.

"Thanks for noticing."

"Come on, come sit with us." He offered his hand to me, standing up. I shook my head.

"No, it's okay. It's technically against the rules."

"Then why's Percy sitting with Annabeth?"

"They're special."

"Well, I think you should be allowed to break rules too, seeing as you sort of helped save the statue."

I brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. It worked its way back in front of my eyes again. "You think so?"

"Sure. Come on. If you get caught, I'll tell them you have a doctor's note."

I smiled, resting my hand gently in his. "Lead the way, Sunflower."

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Sitting with Will's siblings was both horrible and amazing at the same time.

I got to know the siblings closest to him in age, Kayla Knowles and Andrew Lake. They kept elbowing each other and making passes at each other in Ancient Greek. I couldn't exactly comprehend what they were saying, but it sounded pretty funny.

His younger siblings were pretty scared of me. To be honest, I don't think I blame them. If you saw a small, homeless-looking, patch-work stitched teenager with a menacing glare at all times and a parrots and pineapples tropical shirt sitting at your table, wouldn't you be scared? They stayed quiet the entire time.

Even the Oracle, Rachel Dare, sat with us. (Which was understandable, seeing as her sponsor is Apollo.) I sat beside Will and in between him and Rachel.

Will absentmindedly pulled the hair tie (he told me he always kept them for his sisters) on his wrist on and off. Kayla laughed at him in Greek. He responded. I assumed it wasn't something very nice, because Kayla acted shocked and put a hand on her chest. I brushed the hair out of my face, laughing at Will along with Kayla. He blinked at me.

"Is it hard to see with all that hair in your face?"

I stared at him, occasionally glancing at his lips. "Uh, maybe?"

"May I?"

Without waiting for permission, he scooted closer, swinging his leg over the bench so that he was straddling it like a saddle. His hands reached up for my hair. Quickly, he pulled the hair out of my face and twisted it into something that felt suspiciously like a bun. He wrapped the hair tie around it. One of his hands rested on my shoulder.

"Better?"

My face reddened. "I guess."

We lingered like that for a fraction of a moment, staring into each other's eyes, until Kayla whispered to Austin loudly, "When are they gonna kiss?" In Italian. I pretended not to understand her. Will looked mortified. I pulled away.

"Yeah, thanks."

He swung his leg back under the table and stared down at his food. "Don't mention it."

For once, the rest of the table stayed quiet.