Please Don't Leave Me

He Called Me Beatuiful?

Luke sets me back on my feet. I can feel my face burning and he is grinning. I feel instantly guilty. What would Jason say? I can't think about it. I can't think about him, or a searing pain will shoot through my head. My brain feels like it is turning to mush. I don't understand. I'm confused, I like Luke, as a friend of course, but I don't want to leave him alone. But I also don't want to leave Jason to grieve, while I am having fun. For all I know, he could have hooked up with Reyna, or even Drew, basing on his state of depression and shaded judgment. Something to hide the pain.
I want to know how everyone else is handling my death. There's a knock on my door. "I'll get it," Luke says, I feel awkward, like he's still trying to impress me.
"Nico??"
"What?" He's here??
"Luke. Where's Piper? Is she okay?" Real concern is strong in his voice.
"I'm here Nico."
He runs to me and pulls me into a hug. Luke is shifting his weight from one foot to the other, arms crossed on his chest. Uncomfortable. Nico lets go, and looks me up and down. "You look hot. What happened to you?" He knows, and he's teasing me. Blushing, I give him a friendly punch on the arm and say, "I know, right! Jerk." I know he isn't hitting on me because he's dating Will Solace. He smiles, I'm surprised to see him like this. But it's nice, he's funny and cute (like a puppy) when he's happy. "So how's...... Uh...... You know... Ummm..."
"Jason?" A small headache is present, it's severity growing, then it's gone. I nod.
"He's.... Well... He's.... I... I haven't seen him since."
"Did you leave?"
"No, he hasn't come out of his cabin. Leo cut a little flap in the door, so we switch each day, passing him breakfast, lunch, dinner. Small things." Wow.
"Drew?"
"She's pretty happy. Because your gone. It's quite scary. She's always trying to get into his cabin. Chiron put her on cabin arrest."
"What about everyone else?"
"Percy is down, he doesn't talk much. Annabeth hasn't really been paying attention in classes or doing her work. Leo won't go anywhere near the forest, the forges, or the Aphrodite cabin. Hazel isn't perky, and Frank keeps turning into a sad puppy or anything that looks sad. Will screams at people if they are playing heartbreak songs too loud, because he says Jason can hear them. Connor and Travis haven't played any pranks, and the Demeter cabin's plants have been drooping. It's quite depressing."
I never knew people cared so much. I feel like it's my fault.
"It's not, Piper." Oh gods.
"Did I say that out loud?"
"Yeah." Earning a smile from Nico, I wrap my arms around him and we embrace each other.
"I love you."
"Me too. As a friend."