Solangelo One Shots

Memories of Cardboard Swords and More

This is my hundredth update, which is honestly insane. Thank you so much for sticking with this book for such a long time, it means a lot! Also, this will use a little bit of language, just a warning.

Will's POV-2006

"Avenge me, Will," Nico gasped, falling to the rough ground with a look of utter shock written across his face. "Avenge my death." One hand desperately clawed at the air while the other clutched at the hilt of the sword in his side. Will dropped to the ground, shaking Nico's shoulders as tears welled up in his big blue eyes. 

"Nico, Nico don't die!" he gasped, fingers digging into Nico's skin. "Please, Nico, stay with me!" The hand in the air dropped to Will's chest as a small, watery smile spread across Nico's face. 

"Avenge me, Will." With a lung rattling gasp he drew in a last deep breath before his hand dropped from Will's chest, falling to the wood chips scattered across the bustling playground. Will sat back on his haunches, tugging the sword out from where it had been wedged between Nico's arm and side. The cardboard was flimsy in his hands from hours of slashing and stabbing at the air. 

"You're a really good actor, Nico," he said, smiling down at the black haired boy. Nico cracked open and eye, smirking as he pushed himself up. Wood chips clung to his back and he brushed them off, letting them rejoin the hundreds of thousands coating the playground.

"You really think so?"

"Yeah!" Will beamed. "You could be one of those people on Broadway, the ones with the loud singing voices. Mom's always taking us to those, she says we should appreciate the theater more."

"That would be cool," Nico mused. "You really think I'm good?" 

"I think you're amazing." The smile spread wider across Nico's face as the bell rang in the distance, calling the first graders back to the stifling classrooms. "We should do this next recess," Will said, handing Nico back his sword. "It's really fun playing with you."

"I like playing with you, too." From across the playground one of Nico's friends called out to him, beckoning him over and Nico waved goodbye, running across to reach his line. "See you tomorrow!" Will raised his hand in farewell as his friend moved further and further away from him, and a small pang of sadness pierced his young heart. But Will knew that he would play with Nico the next recess, and the next, and all the ones after that, and that was good enough for him.

Nico's POV-2014

They were staring at him again, pointing, laughing. He could hear them from all the way down the hall, their chuckles as they smirked at his long black hair, his dark clothes. He couldn't quite make out their muttering but he had heard their words enough times to know what they were saying. How can one person be that emo?  Doesn't he know that all of that black makes him look disgusting? I just don't get it, why would someone choose to be that ugly? No matter how many times mean words were thrown his way, how many giggles and whispers followed him down the hallway, each one seemed to sting more than the last. 

He almost skipped play practice because of them. They were clustered in front of the theater doors, feet pressed against the walls and arms crossed over their chests, making them appear larger than life. He didn't want to walk past them, didn't want to hear their hisses but the play was in a month, and what were they going to do without their lead man? 

His steps were slow, almost sluggish as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, his head bent down to the ground as he tried to avoid as much eye contact as possible. Maybe if he didn't make eye contact, they would ignore him. And if he didn't make eye contact, no matter how many mean words left their mouths, they would never be able to see how much it hurt.