Those Strange People (A Mortals Meet Demigods Collection)

Amanda Holt

I sighed as my dad brushed past me and out the door. 

"Have a nice day, Dad!" I called after him as he started up the car.

My dad ignored me, like he always did, and drove off to work.

I went back inside and grabbed a bowl of cereal, one of my books, and the remote, flicking on the TV. Thank goodness today was a Saturday. I didn't want to walk in the brisk autumn air. Or even interact with my idiotic classmates. 

I wrinkled my nose as the random channel that was last on the TV turned out to be Disney Junior, and flicked the TV off. I guess I'll just read in silence. Sofia the First's voice irritates me.

I snuggled deeper into the couch and opened my book, ready to dive into a world like my own, but where everything is perfect.

..==..

A couple hours later, I got off the couch to grab a quick lunch. Grabbing a plate, I opened the fridge to see what leftovers might be buried in the back. There was nothing in the fridge except the water pitcher, a package of butter, and a couple bundles of green onions. I saw the same emptiness in the pantry and the freezer. Somehow the house was clean out of food.

Groaning, I grabbed my keys to the house and started walking to the grocery store a couple blocks away. Sticking a loaf of bread, a 3# bag of apples, peanut butter, jelly, and a gallon of milk in a basket, I paid for the simple groceries and headed back to my house.

Suddenly, I was jumped by no one other than Trevor Dallas and his gang, the Dominoes. 

"Where's the change, you little mother-*bleeping* bastard?" He shoved me up against a wall in the nearest alley. My bags lay forgotten on the sidewalk.

"I-I don't have any." I stuttered.

"Yeah, you do. Search her." Trevor ordered his croonies as he looked through the plastic bags, breaking the jar of jelly and smashing the bread. They patted my pockets, picking out the $3.48 I had gotten in change for the $30 I had given the cashier, and gave that to Trevor.

He stalked up to me and was uncomfortably too close to my face. "Do you know what we Dominoes do to lying little girls like you?"

I almost barfed from the rotten breath in my face. A small pocketknife was pressed against my throat.

"Leave her alone!" A new voice echoed throughout the alley.

Trevor backed up from me, scowling at the person who said that. "And who would make me? You?"

"Of course." The dark-haired boy crossed his arms defiantly over his bony chest.

Trevor and his gang attacked the skinny kid, and soon were all on the ground, groaning. I pried myself from the wall and warily came closer to my savior. His dark eyes gleamed with an annoyance, and his skin was even paler than mine. He was dressed in all dark clothing, and with one look at him, I would assume he was a goth or an emo.

"Thanks." I said as I accepted my bags from him. "I'm Amanda." I held out my hand.

He shook it. His hands felt rather clammy and cold. "I'm Nico Di'Angelo." The boy took a look at my smashed bread and broken jar of jelly. "I'm guessing your pb&j's aren't going to turn out that well, are they?"

I shrugged. "It'll work."

Nico shook his head. "How about I get you some more jelly and another loaf?" His voice had a slight musical accent, but I just ignored it.

"No thanks, I think I'm good. I can make the flattened bread and the bottom of this bag filled with grape jelly into a pb&j, no problem."

He grabbed my arm and tugged me back to the store. For a guy as skinny such as him, he sure was strong. Nico snatched a loaf of bread off the shelf, and I reluctantly snatched a intact jar of grape jelly. He handed the cashier a 20, and gave me the bag of unsmooshed bread and the unbroken jar of jelly. "There you go." 

"Umm...thank you." I started to head out of the store.

 Nico caught up with me. "How about I walk you home too, so that gang doesn't try to attack you again?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm good. I don't need any protection. My house is only a couple of blocks away."

He kept in stride with me the whole way back to my house. I finally got to eat my lunch, secretly grateful that the boy walking down the front walk had saved me from being another one of the Dominoes' playthings.

..==..

And that is how I met that strange person, Nico Di'Angelo.

This character was requested by @shadowyangel3. I hope you enjoy it, and I am very sorry for the wait!

~M