Everything I'm Not ~ Solangelo

Chapter 16

The rest of the day passed in a meaningless blur. Finally, the last bell rung and dismissed us. I was the first one in the hall, just like always. I sprinted to my locker, hoping to beat the oncoming flood of students. Will was already waiting for me.

"Hey, Sunshine," he said as I approached my locker. 

"How many times have I told you not to call me that?" I replied, rolling my eyes. 

Will smirked, "Obviously not enough." He slumped against a locker and began rambling on about something. But, his words soon became unintelligible as I slipped into a daydream. 

I was standing on a beach. The wind rustled my hair and sent chills down my spine. The waves crashed against the rocky shoreline, and gulls cawed overhead. I suddenly felt a pair of muscular arms wrap around my waist. I peered over my shoulder, and was met with a pair of breathtaking green eyes. Percy. He flashed me a blinding white smile, and brought his lips close to my ear. I felt his warm breath against my skin, "I love you." 

"Nico? Are you listening to me?" I snapped out of my daydream and saw Will staring at me curiously. 

I shook my head, "Yeah, I'm fine. What were you saying?"

Will sighed, "You know what? Never mind. Let's just go." He gestured for me to follow. I slung my bag over my shoulder and hurried after him. We stepped outside of the school and approached the curb where my bus was waiting. 

"Bye, Nico," Will said. 

"Later, Will," I answered. I waved to him before turning and boarding the bus. Hazel joined me a few minutes later, and immediately began babbling about her day. I ignored her and sat in silence. Instead, I fell headfirst into another daydream.

It was me and Percy again, except this time we were walking through a city. Colorful lights flashed and buildings towered around us, reaching up to scrape the night sky. We shoved our way through the crowd with out fingers laced. The sound of a million different voices speaking a hundred different languages seem to blend together to create some kind of strange, urban music. I recognized this city from the photos Hazel had shown me. It was New York. Percy pointed things out as we walked, telling me what they were and explaining the history. His voice was like a lullaby, lulling me to sleep. I laid my head on his shoulder and gazed at his perfect face as we moved. I could hear his heart beating, a soft thump, thump thump, thump, thump in his chest. 

Wait a minute, I thought, Do you like Percy Jackson?  Suddenly, my daydreams melted away. Did I like Percy Jackson? I recalled a conversation I once had with Bianca. 

It was last winter, just before she died. We were sitting at the kitchen table, sipping cocoa and watching the snow gather into large drifts. 

"What's it feel like to be in love?" I had asked. 

Bianca shrugged, "Well, you've watched Dad fall in love before."

''I know," I replied, "But watching is just seeing. What about feeling? What's it feel like to be in love?"

Bianca sighed and began twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "I've been told it's pretty wonderful. Most people say you have a lot of dreams- good dreams- and you just feel this kind of bliss."

I nodded, "Have you ever been in love?"

Bianca laughed softly and shook her head, "No. Have you?"

"No," I replied. 

She sipped her cocoa and smiled at me, "I'm sure it'll happen when you're ready."

Well, I was certainly having daydreams. As for warm fuzzy feelings? I pictured his sea green eyes against his bronze skin. My heart sped up and my body grew warm. Check. 

So that was my diagnosis. I was in love. With Percy Jackson. I slumped in my seat and rested my head against the cool glass of the window. I was in love with Percy Jackson. Awesome.