Nico di Angelo and the Survivors

Chapter 8

"Don't have a mother," he said. Not only had he no mother, but he had not the slightest desire to have one. He thought them very over-rated persons.

"Seriously why can't we just turn them down?" Kris whined as she slammed her laptop shut. I grinned.

"Because they are experts at instruments you and me fail at. Also, Caprice recommend them for a quartet," I said as Kris groaned.

"I don't see how they're even good!" she whined and I raised my eyebrows.

"K, everyone knows Marshall is the best at trumpet and that Mattie is the best at the xylophone," I commented as she glared at me.

"I know that, but come on!" she shouted raising her hands in the air as she stood up, "We are also the best at what? You are a beast on the piano, viola, and the clarinet while I'm the best at the violin, the guitar, and the flute. We're also the best at the saxophone! We can just make an awesome duet and blow out the competition!" I sighed and closed my own laptop.

"Come on Jay, you know Caprice just wants to see if we can at least try to cooperate with other people," I tried as Kris collapsed on the floor. 

"Yeah I know! But its just...them really? I mean, I can handle people, but seriously those twins! God I had enough of them yesterday!" she complained, sighing as she rubbed her forehead. I nodded, remembering how Marshall practically blushed every time Kris looked at him. He almost fell and dropped his trumpet when Kris placed her hand on his shoulder while he was playing the trumpet.

"Marshall wasn't that bad..." I started, but Kris glared at me.

"I know you saw how he acted and do not get me started on his sister," she growled and I raised my hands in defense.

"Alright, alright," I muttered as I shoved my laptop into my bag. The girl Mattie was the worst. She practically frowned in disgust when we came inside the practice room. Caprice had just smiled and told us to play and after we did, she threw herself at me and clung to my arm as she kept telling Kris how she could at least try to brush her hair or add a little blush. I sighed as I zipped up my backpack. I frowned looking at it. It had just popped into my room one day, full of money and drachmas that my roommate tried pick-pocketing.

"Well...let's go to Starbucks!!" Kris yelled as she jumped up and grabbed my hand, dragging my to the coffee shop.

"You're unbelievable," I muttered, slinging my pack over my shoulders while Kris just grinned as we exited the dorms. It was a quiet Saturday, the sun high in the air. Kris gripped her leather jacket.

"Hey you alright?" I asked, worried as she stumbled a bit.

"Yeah I'm alright," she muttered as she tried walking, but I gripped her shoulder.

"Jay if your fever is comi-" I started, but she shoved my hand away and glared at me.

"I'm fine," she snapped, before storming off. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

"Jay you know I didn't mean anything bad," I said, walking into the shop behind Kris. She sighed as she paid the cashier before handing me a muffin.

"I know, I know, it's just that....I'm not helpless!!!!" she exclaimed, tearing a chunk off muffin.

"Alright, just don't take it out on the blueberry muffin," I said chuckling as she grinned. I bit my muffin in silence, savoring the poppy seeds on top. Having the goddess of flowers around, really gets to you. I studied my hand, the one that was burnt after touching Jay. I already had some suspicions, but nothing really matched. When she suddenly collapsed when we were walking, the people who went to pick her up immediately gasped after holding her. They were all red and the school nurse was panicking, saying her temperature was over the charts and that she was heating rapidly. They were all fussing, but right when Kris woke up she stormed out, ignoring the shouts of the medics. She didn't say anything after that, glaring at anything around her. The nurse was saying she walked out after she mentioned calling her guardians, leaving them all puzzled. Speaking of that...