If Only (Nico di Angelo) {Complete} {#Wattys2015 #Feels}

Chapter 2

Leo was the first one to move. "Don't just stand there!" He shouted. "Someone get him to the infirmary!" Chiron looked down at Nico's body. "Alright," He began, "I want whoever did this to step forward! Now!"

Nobody moved. Chiron gazed around at all of us, his eyes smoldering with anger. "Well it had to be someone." His voice was surprisingly calm when compared to the look on his face. His gaze kept flickering back to the Ares kids, who were huddled together, looking startled. Still, nobody moved. Percy tightened his grip on my shoulders. "We will find out who did this." Chiron said quietly, his eyes suddenly flitting over to me. "And I promise...they will be punished."

He bent over and picked up Nico. Percy let go of me and helped heave Nico onto Chiron's back. I watched helplessly as Chiron carried him away. Percy came back over to me and laid a hand on my back. "You alright, kiddo?" He asked me. I nodded wordlessly. Percy gave me a gentle push and walked away.

I wasn't sure why I felt the way I felt. Nico and I were just friends. We weren't dating or anything like that. I mean, sure, we'd grown pretty close in the last year...but...I mean...that didn't give me any right to...I mean...sure we were...and then...I shouldn't...

UHG THIS IS OVERLY COMPLICATED!

~*~

"Percy, will you shut the heck up!?" I snapped. It had been three days since capture the flag, and Percy had woken me up, yet again, with his loud snoring and constant flow of drool.

Percy snorted and sat up. "Wha' 'appened?" He asked, rubbing his face. "STOP WAKING ME UP SEAWEED BRAIN!" I yelled, throwing my pillow at him. It held true to its target and bounced off Percy's head. "Hey," he grunted, "only Annabeth can call me Seaweed Brain."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, I'll just have to call you Faucet Mouth." I retorted. Percy tried to slap me from his top bunk, but I dodged. "I don't approve of that." He said. I laughed. "You say that like I care."

Percy swatted at me with my pillow. I caught it and put it back in its place. "What time is it?" I asked. Percy shrugged.

Suddenly, the sound of a horn blared in the distance. Percy grinned at me. "Looks like you didn't loose too much sleep, didja Princess?" He snorted. "PERCY!"
"What?"
"I told you not to call me Princess!"
"Would you rather have me call you Fish-for-brains?"
"No!"

Percy shrugged. He put on his Camp Half-Blood shirt and a pair of jeans. "Whatever you say..." Percy said, grinning at me as he walked toward the door. "...Princess." He added quickly, sprinting the last few steps out the door and disappearing behind it. I got up to start after him, realized I wasn't in my clothes, stood there looking like an idiot for a second, and sat back down on my bed. Every morning for the past three days I've just sort of sat on my bed and thought about Nico. I've been trying to sort out my feelings.

Why, you're probably wondering, is it so hard for me to accept the fact that I...may or may not have feelings for Nico? Well, let me get this through you're head. I am the most cynical person in the world. I do not "love". I do not "like". My heart is sealed against those emotions, and I refuse to believe that anyone has opened it.

After I got changed I headed out of the cabin and stretched in the morning air. "Gooooooooood morning, Erica." Travis Stoll said as he strolled by with his brother Connor. "I see you're not at breakfast yet."
"You're right I'm not."
"Would you like to walk with us?"
"Let's see...empty out your pockets first."

Connor shook his head and turned to Travis. "She's too smart for us, bro." He said. "Right she is." Travis agreed, winking at me. I stiffened. Travis and Connor were my friends and all, but I didn't trust them. I wouldn't trust them if they paid me a thousand dollars. For two reasons, actually.
1. They're liars and cheaters
And
2. The money will be fake.

I walked to breakfast alone. When I got there, my stomach gave the usual hopeful lurch. Maybe Nico was better. Maybe he was sitting at the Hades table, laughing as someone from the Hermes table told him a joke.

But he wasn't. Feeling my stomach pop like a balloon, I grabbed some food, offered it not-so-gratefully to Poseidon (and maybe a little to Hades) and sat down next to Percy.

Chiron stamped his hoof five seconds after I sat down. "Well, demigods," he began once everyone had settled down, "I just wanted to let you know that we'll be having a few guests today."

"Please say The Hunters of Artemis!" Leo begged. That earned a few chuckles. "No," Chiron replied after he had stopped laughing. "Someone else."

"Who!?" Travis yelled.
"The Romans."