Empty Closets

Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Black and Blue Plague

"LEO!"

I march over to him outside of the dining hall. He's currently talking to Calypso. I roughly grab his hand and pull him aside so we're not too close to anyone.

"Hey dude," Leo says nonchalantly, "chill. What is it?"

"You promised to keep it a secret!" I tell him.

Leo's voice lowers. "Look, I'm sorry, but I had to tell her. You don't understand."

"Oh, yeah? Why did you have to tell Hazel?"

"I didn't tell Hazel."

"Well Hazel knows that Nico and I are dating."

"How?"

"Not sure. Wait, who did you tell?"

Leo's face slightly reddens. "Look. I know you told me not to tell her, but I had to tell Calypso because I swore on the River Styx that I wouldn't keep anything from her ever again." His face becomes so red that I start picturing him as a Mexican apple.

Then it hits me. Leo had been really close to Calypso last night...

"Oh," I say. A really big smile creeps onto my face. Then I let out a short laugh. "So that's why you were so focused on leaving the bonfire last night! Alrighty then, as long as you don't say anything, I'll keep you r secret a secret."

Leo, whose face is now back to its original tan color, smiles. "Thanks, man. But Nico can know, I guess, as long as he doesn't say anything. Gods, dating's so complex sometimes. You have to try to keep that person happy and you have to tell them everything."

"Well, of course you do." I hesitate then say, "You have to make sure they can trust you, and you can trust them in return. Oh yeah, did Calypso promise you the same thing?"

Leo nods. Then he smiles and starts walking. "Well I have to go. I'll see ya later."

"Okay," I say.

As he walks over to the dining hall, I see Nico, and I immediately make my way over to him. He is standing near the lake.

"Hey!" Nico says with a smile on his face. "You weren't yelling at Leo, were you?"

"No," I reply. "And he didn't tell Hazel, but he told Calypso."

Nico's eyes widen. "Why? He said he wouldn't!"

"I know, but last night, he swore on the River Styx that he wasn't going to keep any secrets from her ever again. And she promised the same exact thing."

He's silent for a second, but then he smirks. " I KNEW he sounded impatient on the phone last night!"

"I know." I smile and we both start to laugh. "But no one can know, okay?"

"Okay." (The Fault in Our Stars, I know)

Then Nico's eyes shift over to the woods. He gives me a knowing glance. Then his stomach grumbles.

"Maybe we should eat first," I suggest.

He nods. "Good idea." So we head off to the dining hall and get in line, grabbing two black trays from the towering pile.

Once Nico heads over to his table with his food, I head to mine.

"But he swore he saw it happen!" a boy across from me was saying. The girl on his left elbows him in the arm. He looks at me and stops talking.

"Uh..," I begin, "did I miss something? Again?"

A few people try not to laugh. Then a few other tables look at us until eventually, they have attracted the whole cafeteria's attention.

"I don't see what's so funny about me being curious," I shout. That's when I feel my phone go off.

Sliding my phone open, I see that I have a new text from an unknown number. I open it and I see a video, the thumbnail being the inside of a strawberry bush. I press play.

"I promise you it will be all you could ask for," I hear Nico say. The camera focuses on two figures, which I later realize are Nico and me.

Oh no. Don't tell me this is what I think it is...

"I want you to be happy that you're dating me," Nico concludes. It is. My eyes start to tear up as I hear myself say, "Who said I already wasn't?"

As I watch myself kiss Nico, I hear a door slam. I look up and see Nico run toward the center of camp. I immediately run after him.

"NICO!" I yell to him. "NICO!"

"WHAT?!" Nico hollers back. He turns around and exposes a bright red, tear-streaked face.

"DON'T RUN FROM THIS! PLEASE!"

"I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE!" Nico turns around and walks to his cabin. I run up to him and turn him around so he's facing me.

"Look Nico, I know it's been a rough few weeks, I know, but-

"Few weeks?" Another tear falls down his face. "I've gone through MONTHS of torture and bullying and humiliation and I just can't TAKE IT ANYMORE!"

"What are you talking about?"

Nico sighs and tries to wrestle out of my grasp. I hold onto him tighter than before. He kicks my shin and I stumble onto the ground.

Nico sprints to his cabin and I run after him. I hear footsteps behind me and I see the rest of the 7, well, except for Annabeth, chase after me. We try to open the door but it's locked.

"I think I've got this," Jason says. He slightly shoves me out of the way and places his hand near the lock. Bolts of lightning soar through the lock and the door opens with a click.

We rush in and hear Nico in the bathroom. The next words that he say cause me to die inside.

"Hades," Nico says in a teary voice, "Dad. Please let me see you again."

Hazel screams and Jason bolts the door open.

Nico lies on the floor, his eyes closed from pain. He slowly starts to lose consciousness.

"HELP!" Everyone starts to scream. "HELP! HELP!" Leo heads to Dionysus, who is lying on a chair in the sun. Meanwhile, Piper follows Frank and Jason to the infirmary. Hazel and I, both screaming Nico's name over and over, try to cover up the scar on his left arm with as much bandage wrap as we can find.

The next few minutes seem like a blur:

Screams and cries are heard all around the camp, and at least 15 people are crowded in or out of the Hades cabin. Dionysus and a blonde nurse from the infirmary rush into the bathroom. The nurse lifts Nico and carries him to a red car.

"Where are you taking him?" I desperately ask.

"There's nothing we can do here," she replies. "I have to take him to a mortal hospital. There's one that I know a shortcut to. We can get there in 2 minutes."

"That might not be enough time," Jason says, short of breath from running. "I can fly him there."

"Oh, are you sure?"

"Yes. Where is it?"

Once Jason is told where to go, he takes Nico from the nurse's grasp and runs from the room. Everyone watches as Jason jumps into the sky with Nico in his grasp.

"Everyone at the strawberry field!" Dionysus says. "NOW!"

Everyone heads to the field except for Hazel and me, tightly holding onto each other and sobbing until we can no more.