Moondust

Chapter twelve

“You aren’t walking with me?” Will asked when Nico announced that he would be getting off at a different stop. Nico shrugged, his insides twinging with slight guilt.

“I need to go to the hospital. My sister’s sick, and I need to check in on her. I’ll probably stay the night there…” Nico trailed off. Part-truths weren’t lies, right? Nico hoped so. The crestfallen expression on Will’s face was bad enough as it was.

“Oh, alright. Here, hold out your arm.” Nico raised an eyebrow as Will, too impatient to wait for a reply, snatched up his hand without waiting for an answer, digging around in his book bag and fished out an orange highlight marker, scribbling a number on his arm.

“Here. I’m guessing you have a phone, so you can call me from the hospital. You know, in case you get lonely.” Nico grinned a bit, examining the number on his arm.

“Will Solace, did you just give me your number? Smooth.” He smirked. Will blinked a bit. “Huh. I guess so? Anyways, just call me. I’ve got nothing else to do.”

Nico shrugged. “Will do, Will. No pun intended.”

“Hey!”

Nico laughed, and when Will gave up the scowl on his face and started to chuckle, Nico thought it felt like playing music: getting drunk on fortes and crescendos and the sound of happiness.

………………………………………………………………

5:58 p.m.

“You think…”

“Well, it’d help us an awful lot, that’s what I think.”

“I know Piper, but—“

“God, Nico. I don’t want to go against you, but you’ll get the cash if either of us win. You know I’ll give it to you anyways. I don’t think any of our boys need it.”

“…I think Will does. He wants to go to college, get a medical degree.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh.”

A sigh.

“You take care of Hazel, di Angelo. I’ll figure it out.”

“ ‘Kay.”

“…Does Will want to do it?”

“Enter the competition? It’s all he could talk about since walking out of the studio.”

“Like I said, I’ll figure it out. Over and out, Neeks.”

“Over and out.” Nico nodded, hanging up and looked around the waiting room. His eyes landed on a woman in white, bangles on her wrists and dark shadows under her eyes. He walked towards her. She heard his approach and looked up, smiling.

“Hi, Marie.”

………………………………………………………………

“Hello, Nico.” Marie Levesque rose, elegant and regal, wrapping her arms around her stepson. She smelled of spices and creosote and Hazel, which made Nico long for something, a semblance of childhood and innocence that was taken away long ago.

“How is she?” He asked.

“With Frank. Ms. Zhang just dropped him off. That boy is good for Hazel.” Marie made a face. “Apollo keeps speaking in medical terms. Honestly, he uses so many I think he makes up half of them himself!” Nico shook his head a bit at her comment, grinning.