Favors (Percico AU)

Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Nico's POV

Will took a bite of his chicken enchilada. I just stared down at the table. What happened the day before still played in my mind without me wanting it to. I was so stupid to think he was actually going to ask me on a date. I didn't mean for that to be an expectation, but my inner self just went that way. I didn't want to go out with him and his friends. I didn't want to tutor him later that day. I didn't want to see him at all.

"Hey, Nico. What happened?" Will asked after realizing I was upset. "Nothing. Do you want to go with me to a night out with Percy and his friends? I might go if you go with me." He thought about it. "When? And where will we go?" "Friday night. Percy said we would get something to eat and to see a movie." Will hummed, "sure. I have nothing planned." I sighed; if Will was coming I guessed I could go too. I just felt like hiding under a rock for the rest of my life.

"Seriously, what happened to you? You look sad." I sighed again. I didn't want to tell him. I didn't want to tell anyone. I didn't even want to say it out loud in a room by myself. The embarrassment killed me. It was my fault though. I got too close to Percy and I started to get my hopes up. I told myself I would never do that again. I wanted to be with him so bad and I thought that maybe if I got closer to him he would start to like me. I tried to talk to him a little after school and it lasted for about two minutes. He seemed to like talking to me again. But the next day he got with Annabeth.

I was so broken inside I skipped school for two days until my dad made me go. Will try to make me feel better. He took me out for some guy time but it didn't help. Percy wasn't mine; I accepted that a long time ago. But love is a trap. You think it's nothing, and then you fall. Every thing that falls, breaks. Hope is just a pair of arms that makes you think you would be caught, but then reality replaces it with a hard surface. It leaves you to scrape yourself up and try to find the glue. With Percy, I'm trapped in a rerun. The same false hope tricked me so I would brake. And I just can't seem to find the glue.

"Did something happen with Percy?" He was starting to get on my nerves. I knew he was just trying to be a good friend but I tried to make it clear I didn't want to talk about it. "No. It's nothing Will. Don't worry about it." He pursed his lips but didn't say anything about it afterwards.

...

"Hey, ready to go?" Percy asked. I didn't want to spend another whole day with him but I had to. The worst thing I could do was to be a jerk to him. I said I'd help him with Italian and I was going to do that, even if it sucked the life out of me.

Percy needed to do his swim practice and I had to finish my book. So that is what we did for the next hour and a half. "Are you okay?" he asked once he got in the car. I nodded, looking out my window. "Are you hungry? I would like to get you some food on the way there." "You don't have to. I only have five dollars on me." I finally looked at him. He smiled, "it's my treat." I looked in front of me. I tried to tell myself that buying a burger didn't mean anything. I didn't have to try hard though. My spirits were already low.

"Are you still studying your flashcards?" I asked to change the subject. "Yeah. I remember a lot of them." "Like what?"

"Well, I remember bello is beautiful. Amazed is stupito. And... amare... love."

I swallowed. "Good. Is that it? The test is tomorrow." "I'm still learning." I nodded. I knew it would take Percy some time to learn another language but I wanted him to do well. We pulled up to a small Mexican restaurant. "Do you like Mexican food?" he asked. "Y-Yeah but, I thought you meant a drive-thru. It would have been cheaper and quicker."

Percy smiled, "Nico, you are worth more than a drive-thru. And, I don't want it to be quick." I stared at him with raised eyebrows. He wanted to spend time with me? He smiled even wider, "are you coming in?" I blinked and stepped out of the car. Inside, it was decked out in Mexican decorations. Red, white and green banners and streamers were all over the walls. Each table had a sauce holder with a cartoonish jalapeño with a wide smile and a sombrero. Mexican music played over on the speakers.