DEMIGODS. (Percico/Pernico)

˚‧º·Chapter Eighteen‧º·˚

I pulled up in Nico's driveway, my heart pounding. My fingers drummed nervously on my steering wheel as I attempted to regain my composure and build up enough confidence to knock on his door. It was Saturday, prom night. Now that it had finally arrived, I never felt so nervous.

I took a deep breath, snatched my keys from the ignition, and left my car, anxiously walking up Nico's steps.

This was a bad idea. What if his dad changed his mind? What if Nico doesn't want to be seen with me?

I shook my head and raised my hand to knock on the burgundy door, the white boutonnière box in my hand and my heart in my throat. I knocked quickly as if the wood was burning hot.

Geez, was it always so hot out here? I pulled at my collar nervously, waiting for someone to answer the door. Maybe no one heard me.

Knock again, Percy. Knock on the damn door. Then another voice, arguing with the first one. No, Percy, you don't want to appear too eager.

I disobeyed the second voice and knocked again, louder this time. A couple of moments later, I received my answer.

Bianca di Angelo opened the door, makeup on her face and her hair tied up into a neat bun. Two strands of dark hair fell at the sides of her face, framing it. I'd seen her a few times in the hallways at school, and she always looked beautiful. She was known throughout the entire school as being beautiful. In fact, she was prettier than I'd ever seen her as she stood before me in her doorway.

But she was no Nico.

I smiled politely, gripping the box tightly in apprehension, but overall keeping my composure. She raised her eyebrow at me expectantly. My eyebrows raised quickly; I realized I needed to say something.

"I'm here for Nico," I said.

A somewhat mischievous smile appeared on her face. "I'll get him for you."

She walked through the living room that I'd seen a hundred times and called up the stairs to her brother.

"Neeks! Your boyfriend is here!" she said, and my face felt hot.

"Ah! I'm not ready! I'll be down in a minute!" he shouted down the stairs. It was quiet for a moment as he realized what she said. "And he's not my boyfriend, Bi!"

She laughed. "Sure," she teased, looking over at me.

I stood awkwardly in the doorway, unsure of what to do. I didn't want to look too eager and just walk in. She acknowledged my reservations and let me inside, where we sat on the couch, waiting for Nico to finish up.

"I'm the girl, and he takes longer than me to get ready," she said, under her breath.

She wore a sparkly, slim-fitting, black and silver dress with a split on the knee, and the colors fit her pretty well. The back of her dress pooled around her, and she made an attempt to pull it in to neaten it. Her eyes were like Nico's, warm and brown, and a splash of freckles trailed over the bridge of her nose, similar to Nico's, but darker, more prominent.

"Sorry, he takes forever," she told me. "But it's his first prom. He's actually really excited."

"Me, too," I replied quickly. I winced at my answer, knowing it was too incriminating.

She smiled to herself, and the telltale pattering of Nico's shoes descended the steps, getting louder and louder as he neared the floor. I stood, the anticipation physically hurting me.

He turned the corner with a timid smile. Usually, in those cliché high school movies, the guy watches the girl intently as she slowly traipses down the stairs, the most beautiful he'd ever seen her. Cheesy music would play in the background, time would slow down. This was different. Not just because he was a guy, but because he was Nico. This was real.

His usually messy hair was combed back elegantly, his sleek suit fitting his slim body like it was made just for him. His red handkerchief and tie nearly matched the redness of his cheeks as he looked up at me with his dark eyes expectantly. He was wearing his contacts, like usual, but it suited him well. He looked like a model in a prom magazine: sophisticated, poised, graceful.

"Percy, please say something," he said.

I realized I hadn't said anything—I was staring at him. I mentally shook out of my stupor and smiled at him.

"You look great," I told him, handing him my box.

He raised his eyebrows in pleasant surprise as he accepted the box, opening it and pushing the tissue paper aside to reveal his boutonnière. He smiled, picking it up to admire it.

"It's perfect," he said quietly. Then, he realized he had forgotten mine. "Wait for a bit, I'll be right back."

He rushed back up the stairs, leaving an amused Bianca and me alone in the living room.

I had to take a moment to absorb all of what happened. He was beautiful. These sentiments that I dubbed my whole life as cliché and overused were different when you experienced them firsthand. I didn't know if I could last all night; he looked perfect. It helped that I was falling for him, for his eyes, his sense of humor, his modesty, and his shyness. He was out of his shell now, too, and that was equally adorable.

He came back down the stairs before Bianca had a chance to tease me, presenting me with a similar box. I playfully thanked him, and his cheeks flared.

I opened the box, discovering the white rose and little filler flowers wrapped in ribbon.

It was perfect.

"Thank you," I hugged him. Alike the last time I hugged him, he tensed up. I laughed slightly at his nervousness and pulled away from the brief hug. "Where's your dad?"

"He's upstairs. Why?"

"My mom wanted you to come over so we could take pictures."

"Oh, okay," he said. "I'll go tell him."

He turned to the stairs again to inform his father of our plans, and once his footsteps lessened, I turned to Bianca.

"He..."

"He's what?" Bianca asked, a sly tone in her voice.

"He's... Wow."

She laughed, and I suddenly felt embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it. He looks incredible."

I nodded in agreement.

"Okay, let's cut to the chase," she said, her tone serious. It intimidated me a little. "When are you going to ask him out?"

"What?"

"You can't just string him along like that. You gotta ask him out. He likes you, and practically the whole school knows you like him."

"The whole school?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "But I'll tell you right now, if you break his heart, I'll be after you."

I smiled. "Yeah, I know. I'd be worried about your dad, too. He'd tie me up and put me on a rotisserie if I hurt him."

She laughed, entertaining the thought. "Yeah, he would."

Nico came back down the stairs with a smile on his face. "Let's go."

"Ready to roll?"

"Don't say that, please."

I laughed.

He waved goodbye to Bianca, complimenting her before we left, headed for my mom's house. She would be so thrilled to see how beautiful he looked in his suit.

Bianca's words repeated in my mind, telling me to make a move or tell him that I liked him. I knew I couldn't just lure him in just to panic and leave. I didn't want to break his heart, either. He was so damn important to me and the band that I didn't want to ruin the bond we had between us. He gave me a nervous look and my heart fluttered. I didn't want to deny myself of what I wanted, but I didn't want to hurt him, either. As I drove back to my house, I cast a sideward look at him and felt myself fall deeper for him. I was falling in love, and I couldn't stop it, no matter how hard I tried. I didn't want to stop, either.