Nico Has Never Learned Anything -- A Solangelo Story

Chapter 5- Will's P.O.V.

-Sunday-

Yesterday seemed to go really well for Nico with the reading lessons. He seemed upbeat when we left considering, and he seems a lot happier with the idea of going back.

After all that stuff with Percy being there on Tuesday, I wasn't really sure how the next session would be, but we figured things out and it went a lot more smoothly this time around.

We figured out that it's best for both of them if Percy stays in his room or is getting dinner when we're there at the same time. Him coming while we were there last time was super distracting, and kind of weird.

I forget that Sally is his mom until Percy is at home, for starters. Nico and Percy have a really weird relationship, so it's really just better for them to just avoid one another. No other reason.

"Last one?" I suggest, since we just finished a second one. We don't usually do more than two or three at a time.

Nico is starting to see a little bit of progress now. We're even doing little reading games when we've got free time, so he can keep up with learning. Like now, we're sitting in the Hades Cabin with some cut-up fruit in front of us. Nico's leaning against me on the couch, and I've got a book of Mad Libs in front of me. I blink at the page, ready to wrap this up for the day.

"I'd say. I'm getting tired."

I lean down and softly kiss his head. "Me too. My eyes are starting to hurt. I'll just flip to the next one..."

I flip in the book to our next mad lib, smoothing the page out and glancing over it.

"My eyes have hurt the whole time." He chuckles.

"Really? You've been doing well." I encourage him.

"You're just saying that so I'm not as discouraged."

"No, I mean it. You've been doing so well the past few weeks. I'm proud of you for sticking with it~"
I was literally just thinking about it two seconds ago, even. He's really been improving, I'm glad he didn't give up when he wanted to.

"Eww, shut up." He shakes his head.

"Here." I hand him the page that makes it so the story is a surprise to both of us. "Go ahead."

"Me? I can't write."

"No? You don't want to try it?"

"I mean, I can't write at all."

If I had learned nothing, I'd say he's only saying it like that so he doesn't need to do it, but based on the fact that he didn't know how to read either, there's a high chance he's telling the truth.

"Are you just saying that, or is writing next?" I ask.

"...What do you mean? Did you think I knew how to write?"

"I guess I didn't think about it." I say, taking the paper back. "Ready?"

I won't focus on that right now, we should just do this Mad Lib then move on.

"I can't read, I can't spell, I can't write... I can copy things though. Things look okay when I copy them," He chuckles, "Okay, now I'm ready."

Now that he's done ranting, I look at the first word. "Person in room. There's a lot to pick from."

"In this room? William."

"...William." I write, shaking my head. "Now, I need a number."

"Any number?" He asks.

"Any number!"

"One thousand five."

I write it in. I love it when he gives weirder answers, it makes for a funnier story later. "Okay, I'm sure that'll end well... Adjective."