Percico: Stories to Be Rewritten

Chapter 5

By dinner time, Elizabeth still hadn't appeared 'like she always did.' Most of the campers were starting to get worried, thinking that there was an evil plot involved. The teachers, on the other hand, were thinking of more pressing matters. At least, one of them was.

"We need to find this Elisa girl, before the other campers start getting ready for another attack on the camp or some crazy shit like that." Mr. D said as he drank a Diet Coke from a wine glass, sitting at the head of the table with Percy and Chiron on either sides as they ate. Nico sat next to Percy on his other side, looking out at the tables that have always been separated by godly parent. "Does anyone know who saw the twerp last?"

"We did," Percy said, a grim look on his face. " We saw her last night. She got really upset and ran away from us after we talked."

"Her name" Nico hissed, his words like an icy storm that caused spines to shiver, skin to grow goosebumps, and sent frost bite into every person's soul who heard him. " is Elizabeth." Nico glared at the cursed god with a look that could have turned Medusa to stone. "Get your names right."

Mr. D rolled his eyes, unafraid of Nico's horrible gaze and icy daggers that were only his words. "Sorry." He said sarcastically.

"Was she seeing you about her... personal problems?" The centaur asked carefully, making sure that his words would not be overheard.

"No, sir." Nico growled, his eyes scanning the tables with hawk-like eyes. "We just stumbled on her in the lavender grove while taking a midnight stroll."

"Oh." Chiron said, a little more concerned about the girl to try and pry into Nico's personal reasons for being so angry.

As the three adults talked more, devising plans and arranging for search parties from the Athena and Aries cabins, Nico's eyes wandered over all the campers. The open couples were eating together, feeding each other food off their forks or holding each other's loving gaze when they accidentals caught each other staring, or just smiling and laughing about some inside joke. Other kids were just fine with them, laughing along with the jokes, gabbing about how cute they were, and making playful fun at them. And the ones who were secretly in the closet still were eating and laughing along, hiding blushes when their crush talked to them or playfully messed up their hair. How had he been so blind? How could he not notice this happening. Nico blushed a little realizing that he usually just focused on Percy, kind of like the two girls from Aries' cabin were at the moment.

Nico's eyes rested on the white haired girl, Alex, sitting a little ways away from the rest of the group. She was looking at the Aphrodite table like she was waiting for her 'best friend' to just show up out of the blue. Nico saw the concern on her face, those forest green eyes filling with real concern, bitting her lower lip a little, and her fork just playing with the pasta and meat-sauce. Then, without even a word, she got up with the tray in her hands as she left the dining hall.

Nico got up and fallowed her, the suspicion he had for her growing with every step as she headed right to the Big House. He watched from the shadows as she opened the door and entered the homy hall and open the door to the basement are and disappearing into the darkened depths. Nico fallowed, hanging back on the stairs as his eyes adjusted, the Hephaestus girl's voice wafting through the stale air like a lighthouse beacon for this wayward sailer.

"Liz... I brought you some food." Alex sounded a little more cheery than she should have sounded. There was a small yelp from the corner, a dull light gleaming in the corner just out of his sight.

"Damn you girl! Trying to scare me halfway to Hades house and back?!" Nico blinked. That was Elizabeth's voice, but she didn't sound hurt or anything, not even sad. She sounded like the happy go lucky little fangirl she was. "What was for tonight?"

"Pasta and meatballs in that good sauce you like." Alex said as she slipped down and sat by her. "You sure it's a good idea to stay down here?"

"It's better than being in the woods with all them goat guys trying to hit on ya." Nico could hear both the girls laughing, Alex's a kind of giggle while Elizabeth's was mostly a big heartfelt 'make you warm and fuzzy feeling' laugh.

"True!" Alex said, trying not to sound a bit nervous. "But I still don't think this is a good idea."

"Relax, my sweet sister from my mama's mister!" Elizabeth said in a smooth jazzy tone. Nico could picture her fluffing up the collar of her sharp black jacket like a mobster world in the 1920s, though he knew subconsciously that she was probably still in the black long sleeve tee and tattered jeans she had on last night. "It will all be fine. I planted the notebook, he talked to you and about half the camp looking for me, and the whole place is looking for me now." There was a small pause, like she was thinking things over. "Now, both Mr. Di Angelo and Mr. Jackson have a reason to come out of the damn closet! It's hurting me to keep this secret!"

"I know." Nico heard the loving tone in Alex's voice, envisioning how she was leaning her head on Elizabeth's shoulder as a comforting gesture as she yawned. "But, you know everyone isn't as forward as you are."

"Load of bull!" Nico heard the stuttering in her words, like she was blushing from her crush's actions. "But you know, this is just a small push."

"I can tell you only thought your way through half this plan, Liz."

"Shit, you can tell?"

"Well," Nico said, finally getting tired of listening. "its kind of obvious you didn't think about the part about Alex sneaking away being suspicious when she still had all her food on her plate." Coming off the staircase and into the glow of the old oil lamp that was burning in front of the two girls, he crossed his arms as he stared down at the two of them. "Found you."

Alex was hugging Elizabeth's arm, her head bolting off her friend's shoulder so it didn't look like she was being lovey dovey. He looked really scared, like she was expecting a punishment. "Oh, h-hey Mr. Di Angelo." She said sheepishly, a dark blush forming on her cheeks. "How long you b-been listening?"

"The whole time." He looked at the little runaway daughter of Aphrodite with a stern look. " You two got some explaining to do."

Elizabeth looked up at him sheepishly, a small little twitch at the corner of his mouth like she had planned for this. Nico didn't like that look. Not one bit.

"Sure, Mr. Di Angelo. I'll explain."