Black and White

22- Will

I was right. 
The minute we arrived, Nico was welcomed in with a friendly smile and wave, and I was regarded with disdain, but welcomed anyway. Jason had short, neat blonde hair and electric eyes, covered in a pair of rectangular glasses. 
"Hey. I'm Will."
"Hi Will. I'm Jason." He squinted, then pushed his glasses up his nose and smiled widely. I knew it was fake, but I thanked him for inviting us and went after Nico anyway. The other people who were there seemed chill enough. There was a girl named Piper, another named Reyna, her friend Hazel, a boy named Leo, and us.  We introduced ourselves to everyone and went into Jason's house.  It was a nice place, but it seemed a bit.. cold. 
"Okay!!" Jason entered the room behind us and grinned.  "So I know most of you haven't met, but I wanted to bring you all together and hang out tonight.  All my favorite people."
His favorite people? I'd never even met him before.  "So I thought to get to know each other, we could start with a game of truth or dare. Who's up for it?" We all looked around.
"Sure." Leo was the first to talk. He was comfortably leaning on the wall- it was obvious that he and Jason were close and he felt at home here.  He ran his fingers through his brown curls, shrugging.  "Okay. Why not?" Piper grinned.  She was playing with the hem of Leo's shirt in a totally sisterly way.  Reyna gave a light chuckle. "Yeah. Let's do it." Nico and I nodded, adding our 'okay's and following Jason into what he had said was the living room.  We sat in a circle on the floor.  "I'll go first," Piper said.  "Mm.. Leo. Truth or dare?"
"Dare. This bad boy can take anything." He winked.  "Okay, then.. I dare you to wear makeup for the next three rounds!" Leo's face contorted into one of disgust.  "Makeup?!"
"Can't back out!" Piper laughed, already opening her purse.  "Drinks, anyone?" Jason asked cheerfully.  I glanced at him, and his eyes focused on me.  "Yeah, sure." Reyna and Nico agreed, shooting halfhearted smiles over at him then returning to the show of Piper applying Leo's makeup.  "What about you, Will?"
"I- ah- sure." His gaze was making me slightly uncomfortable.  "Why don't you come help me in the kitchen?" He stood up and I followed, biting my lip.  As soon as we exited the room, his grin dropped. He leaned on the counter of the kitchen, beckoning for me to come closer.  "So, here's the thing."  He stared at me blankly. I swallowed.  "There's a condition that's pretty rare, where the universe messes up.  It gives someone two soulmates and one of them is destined to be alone depending on which one the person picks.  Say, hypothetically, it was you and me. And Nico had to pick." My stomach dropped. This wasn't hypothetical- he was too calm. "It's too late. He's picked me. I showed him color.  And he showed me.  You're too late." I stuttered angrily, trying to enforce it into both our minds. He wouldn't leave me for Jason, would he?  "Be that as it may, I'm not going to spend my life alone.  I saw a rainbow when I met him.  So, it's me or you, and we both know I have the advantage."
"How?"
"I did a bit of research after I met Nico.  On you, your family, your history... I heard about your mom."  My breath caught in my throat. Oh no...  "About how years ago she shot that man."  He smirked.
"It was self defense! She couldn't do anything else to protect herself!" I could feel tears forming in my eyes.  "You're defending her after she killed someone?"
"It was self defense. He was an armed robber and she saved lives by doing what she did." I snarled.  "Your mother means the world to you." He mused.  His calmness was making my heart race anxiously.  "Here's the deal.   If your mother lands herself in jail, and by that I mean I'll call the police on her, you're still a minor. You'll get sent somewhere or something- you can't live alone.  There goes both your lives. You'll be alone- and you won't be able to support Nico either- he'll think you left him.  Or.. you could leave now. Don't let him come back to you. Leave him with me and complete the rest of your life in happiness with your mother. Either way, it's up to you.  If you don't, I'll call the police." He pulled his phone from his pocket.