Solangelo Oneshots

Ghosted Part 2

"So, Nico," Percy asked, "What's your favorite meme?"
"What's a meme?"
"Will," Percy turned to Will, "Why did you bring a meme-hater into my home?"

"No," Will explained, "He genuinely doesn't know what a meme is. He's the ghost I was telling you about."

"You weren't joking?"
"Did I look like I was joking?"
"Okay, I guess not. So, you're dead? Cool."
"What's a meme?" Nico asked again.

"A meme is, well, a meme." Percy said.

"Not helpful, Percy. Nico, a meme is a joke connected to an image that many people like. I'll pull one up."

Will took his phone from his pocket and typed a command. He held his phone out for Nico to see. "But," Nico said, "Trees don't wear pants."
"That's the meme."
"But they don't wear pants this way or that way. How is this funny?"

"Here's a different one." Will pulled up a different meme.
"Is that supposed to be a frog? Frogs don't look like that."
"His name is Pepe. He used to be cool, but now he's a nazi symbol."
"Nazis? Still?"

"Here's another. This guy is telling you to perish."
"He's just eyes."
"This is a tide pod. Kids are eating them and dying."
"Why?"
"To be cool."

"I had a friend who swallowed a live goldfish to be cool."

"People did that?" Percy asked, sipping his lemonade.

"Yeah, it was a big trend. Everyone wanted to swallow a fish. A lot of my friends blipped off. My friend Andrew was like, 'I'm going to swallow this fish.' And I told him, 'Andrew, don't be dumb.' And then he swallowed his goldfish and died."

"That's gruesome." Will said, uncomfortable. Nico just shrugged. "People have always been dumb."

"Leo, this is Nico."
"Sweet! You're the ghost, right?" Leo asked.
"How many people did you tell?" Nico tugged at Will's sleeve.
"Only three." Will said.
Leo led them inside before launching into a story.

"So I wore the shirt even though it was see-through, because even though my girlfriend said it made me look ridiculous, I loved it. She said it made me look like a stripper and I was like 'who knows what I do when you're out of town?' And then she stared off into the distance as if she was evaluating her life choices."
"Wow. That's a wild story. Especially when all I wanted know was where you got your shoes."
"Oh, Target."

Will knocked. "Just so you know, Piper can be a bit much. She asks a lot of questions. Let me know if you need a break." The door opened.
"Oh! Hey! You're Nico, right?"
"Yes." Nico responded.
Piper opened the door wider to let Nico and Will in. "Come on in! Sorry for the mess."

"So, are you really a ghost?" Piper asked, pushing a mound of papers of a chair and into the floor.
"I am a ghost, yes."
"What's it like? You can sit here, by the way."
"Um," Nico said, sitting where the papers used to be. "I don't really know. Cold, I guess."
"Being dead is cold?"
"Applesauce, Piper, I don't know!"
"What are some misconceptions about the twenty's?"
"Um....." Nico said, looking around for answers. "Flappers? There were a lot less than books portray."
"Um, Piper, can we slow down a little?" Will asked. Nico didn't hear. Neither did Piper because she was talking.

Will knew that Nico was easily overwhelmed. Being dead will do that to you.

"What else?" Piper asked over Will.
"Uh, people said the bee's knees. But not as often as they do in old films. Like, it was a phrase, but not that common."
"You've watched movies?"
"Yes. Will showed me some. I really like Small Wonder."
"Piper, Nico's going to get overwhelmed. He hasn't spoken to anyone in over eighty years." Will tried to say. Neither heard him.
"What's Small Wonder?"
"Can we take a break?" Will asked. No one heard him. Why the heck was Piper such a loud talker?
"It's a tv show."
"What happens in the show?"
"I need to take a break. Sorry."
"One more question."
"Actually, I think I need to take a few minutes now."
"What's your favorite thing that's changed?"
"I need a break, please."
"Piper, leave him alone."

Nico got up and walked through the door, into Piper's bathroom.
"He can do that? Walk through walls, I mean?"
"He can only walk through doors. Not all doors, even. Just really, really thin doors made of pine wood."
"Why?" Piper asked.
"Piper, I get that you're curious. But Nico's overwhelmed. Can you chill?"
"Sure. But I have a question for you."
Will sighed. "Fine."
"Do you love him?"
"No more questions."

Will sat on the couch next to Nico. "What film are we watching tonight?" Nico asked, "Thanks for inviting me over, by the way. I like being in a house instead of a graveyard."
"You can come over whenever you want, Nico." Will handed Nico some popcorn.
"I know, and I appreciate that, but I don't want to bother you more than I already do."
"You could never bother me. I adore you."
"I adore you, too."
"Oh, and tonight we're watching the Princess Bride."

"Westley is hot." Will said. Nico gasped and looked frightened. "You can't say things like that, Will."
"Say what?"
"Say a man is hot. You're a man, too."
"Men can love men, now. Did you not know that?"
"They can?" Nico asked.
"Absolutely. As long as you aren't related and you're both in the same age range. Some people still get mad, but most people don't care about other people's business."
"So if I carried a torch for a man, you wouldn't hate me?"
"No, of course not! I'll like you no matter what. Who is he? Do I know him?"
Nico shrugged and ate a handful of popcorn. "Kind of."
"Is it Piper?"
"Piper is a Jane."
"That means woman, right?"
"Yeah."
"Is it Percy?"
"Percy's definitely a sheik. Not gonna lie. But no."
"I don't know what that means. Is it Leo?"
"No."
"I don't know anyone else. Unless it's me." Will laughed. Nico didn't blush, because ghosts don't have blood. Although, if one went by what made sense, Nico wouldn't be able to eat or sleep either. And he did those things. Nico didn't blush, because ghost don't blush, but if he had been a human, he would have blushed like there was no tomorrow. His entire face would have been pink. But he was a ghost, so he didn't blush, he just laughed and went back to watching the movie.