An Old Friend (A Nico Di Angelo story)

Chapter one: An Unwelcome Face

I don't own Percy Jackson or any of it's characters. There. Sorted.

EVANGELINA'S POV

I groaned as I felt someone's hand shaking me awake. This continued for a while. They shook me, and I groaned. I finally extended one of my hands out from under the covers and grabbed my phone to check the time. 4:56 a.m. I sat up, deciding that, no, there actually wasn't a time too early to be sarcastic.

"Can I help you, Jess?" I asked the woman standing in front of me.

Of course, Jess wasn't my mom. She was only ten years older then me, 27. She was my adopted sister, who took care of me.

She sighed. Of course she did. "Angelina.." I shook my head in disgust. My name was Evangelina, which was much too long and... formal. Angelina sounded like angel. That didn't work either. Eve, though, I liked. It was simple, and didn't attract anyone's attention. It was perfect.

"You have to get up. There's... an emergency." She finished, and gave a weak smile. I couldn't help but, once again, notice how beautiful she was. She just had this unreal beauty to her, that even her fake smiles were gorgeous.  Most of the time she wore layers of makeup, which I would never understand. But when we were at home, and she had no makeup whatsoever on her face, was when I thought she looked like the most beautiful girl in the world.

She had long red hair, which was a bit orange, but that was good, because that's how you knew it was natural. She had mesmerizing hazel eyes, with flecks of emerald green in them. Freckles danced around the bridge of her nose and apples of her cheeks, and made her seem like a cartoon character. Or a pixie. With clear, porcelain skin and perfect teeth, she seemed like a real life red-head Barbie.

I raised an eyebrow. "Emergency." I repeated dully. Nothing interesting happened in my life. Ever. Terribly sad tragic things? Well, obviously. It would take days to type up the list. But interesting things? Forget it.

I sat up, feeling more awake by the second. "There are people downstairs." She added, and I tensed up. She nodded, understanding my hesitation, and continued. "I'm pretty sure you may know one of them."

With that, I immediately scrambled out of my bed. I grabbed my brush and quickly combed my hair, then raced out of the room, caring but not really caring about my pajamas. I kept running until I reached the main foyer.

I was a little out of breath, having just run for at least two minutes. I continuously told Jess we needed a small house. It was just me and her. Well, and her dog Jeff. But she insisted we keep the family... er... well, mansion.

I froze when I saw two people sitting on the smallest couch. Two boys, one looking rather uncomfortable, but happy. The other looked exhausted and surly.

I caught my breath as I looked at the two boys closer, both of which didn't seem to have yet noticed me as they craned their necks to look around the entire room.

One looked about... maybe a few years older than me. But he had an air or authority. With messy black hair and sea green eyes, he reminded me of the boys that hung out around the mall with skateboards. But different. He had a lean build, and I figured he worked out. I shook my head, not being able to recognize the boy. Jess must've meant the other one, then.

I shifted my gaze to the one that looked pissed off and tired. He had raven hair, also messy. This boy looked my age, obviously younger than the other boy. He had dark brown eyes, possibly even darker than mine, which surprised me. Unlike the other boy, who was wearing a bright orange t-shirt and jeans, he was wearing all black.

I frowned, remembering the boys face from somewhere. But before I could say anything, Jess entered the large room and spoke, making us all turn to face her.

"Angelina, these are our guests." I nodded, and turned back to the boys who seemed to be noticing me for the first time. The one with the green eyes quickly stood and started rambling. Thanks, explanations, more thanks, apologies for any inconvenience... I wasn't paying attention. I was staring at the other boy. The one who looked familiar.

He was staring at me with wide eyes, which were filled with panic and... worry? He stood from the couch and slowly approached me as Jess spoke in hushed tones to the older boy.

"Hi." He said quietly. "I'm sure Jess told you about me?"

I shook my head. "She just told me I might know y-" I cut myself off as I suddenly remembered where I knew the boy from. My eyes widened in shock, and I looked at the boy with a new perspective. I scowled at him, anger suddenly coursing through me, hot and plentiful. I pulled my fist back and punched his chest with all the force I could muster. He doubled over, clutching at the spot my fist had made impact.

I couldn't believe this boy. I remembered now. All too well. Nico di Angelo, the only friend I had made in a long time. There one day, gone the next. As if he had simply vanished into thin air. Where was Bianca, then? And Nico... god, he looked so much taller. And I suddenly felt the stinging of my knuckles. I guessed he'd put on some muscle. He certainly didn't look, or act, like the little boy who tried to convince me to play Mythomagic so many years before at Westover.

I suddenly felt dizzy as a memory, murky and untouched, presented itself to me.

Two young children, brother and sister, sitting awkwardly at a festive dance. I stood only a few yards away, exchanging weak smiles with the boy as Jess texted me nonstop. I looked down at my phone to reply to Brenda's worried fretting, then glanced back up, only to see that the duo was being rushed out, and towards the exit, by... Dr. Thorn? I stared in a haze as a boy with sea green eyes followed, soon chased after by a blonde girl, a guy with spots all over his face, and a scary looking girl with electrifying eyes. I stared at the door for what seemed like hours, before finally running towards the open door, only to be swept along by the sea of crazy girls. I finally escaped, and sprinted towards the door, and ran outside, sliding in my Louis Vuitton flats. I stared at the emptiness before me. Only silver arrows remained in the snow, but I kept looking for anything. Anything at all.

My only friend was gone. Left without a trace.

The memory pained me, and I suppose Nico could tell. He rushed forward, and held my arms securely as I stumbled around in a dizzy haze, and one last detail from the memory flashed before my eyes.

After a few hours of searching, I walked back to the door, and noticed something in the snow nearest to the exit. A few of the cards the boy had been holding, tossed into the snow by the wind, and his sisters hat, sunken into the snow next to them. I kneeled down in the cold snow, not caring that my knees would probably freeze off, even if I was wearing jeans. I clutched the cards and the hat tightly, and cried silently. Not like how I expected, with loud huge sobs. But slow, small tears were all I could muster.

The memory cleared from my vision, and I muttered something tiredly. "I... hate you."

And with that, I fainted.