You're All I Need [Solangelo AU]

XXVIII

Will's POV:

As soon as school was over the gang went to Leo's house.

I'm not particularly mad about Hazel roping me into going —I probably would've said yes on my own, eventually— but I'm suffering from what you might call a 'I-beat-up-my-crush's-dad-and-he's-a-bit-scared-of-me' cold and it is kicking my ass.

Luckily, my absence from the world was covered up by everyone's chatter and laughter. They didn't seem to notice that I was acting unlike me.

When Hazel found me in school she took one look at me and asked what had happened. I told her about the encounter with Nico in class and how I had just left, and then why I left. (I couldn't bear to see his face recoil in fear again.) She told me that he blamed himself for what may or may not happen with Hades and proceeded to convince me to invite everyone to my house after school so once everyone else leaves she'd get Nico to stay so we can talk. (The only reason I agreed was because I knew my parents wouldn't be home until late.) When Percy and Annabeth suggested we go to a new ice cream place I figured it meant I wouldn't be asking everyone over but no, on the way to Leo's house she clarified that she still intended for me to invite everyone.

Back to the present. The gang was filing into Leo's dad's car, talking amongst themselves. Hazel stood with Nico, and when she glanced at me, I gave her the slightest nod. 

Annabeth was driving, Percy sat next to her. I sat in a row inbetween Reyna and Leo. Piper, Calypso and Frank were in the row in front of us and Jason, Hazel and Nico sat in the front.

Soon after accommodating ourselves, we were on the way to the mysterious new hangout.

-

It's called À La Mode.

Percy and Annabeth didn't leave us completely in the dark on the trip there— they told us the name, and that it was close to an apple orchard.

We were shuffling our way inside now. It was empty besides the workers and two boys who looked our age, sitting smack middle of the place. One had on a striped blue polo shirt and a cast on his left arm, while the other had a gray-ish jacket and long brown hair. The boy in the cast seemed to shrink when we all walked by them, and the other leaned forward and began muttering words I didn't catch, and I was kind of glad. The scene felt strangely intimate.

"Everyone needs to look at the menu to see what they want," Annabeth's voice brought me back to what was in front of me. The gang was standing in front of the counter, reading the menu. I walked forward and did the same. There was an abundance of flavors. My eyes caught pistachio and decided on that, waiting for my turn in the line. After a minute I ordered, and sat at the table the gang had deemed ours.

Everyone was chatting with each other, joking and smiling.

Abruptly, Jason sat next to me. His expression looked like how I imagined a detective's would look.

"Hey, Will," he greeted. I inclined my head in response. It felt like he was going to ask about a certain something and I'm not telling him or anyone else the precise details of why my face is beat up.

Surprisingly, Jason didn't say much to me after that. He conversed with the others at certain moments, and though he kept glancing at me, didn't ask about my face. Soon after everyone was eating their ice cream, and I had to admit, it was good.

"Sometimes I think I want to be a professional surfer," Percy said randomly. Everyone looked at each other with 'what the hell?' faces and then simultaneously bursted out laughing.

"Have you ever actually been surfing?" Reyna asked, a smile playing at her lips.

"Yes, duh! My mom and I go to a cabin on the beach often and I learned there," Percy said. "It's really wild."

"I bet." Piper snickered.

Eventually, everyone had finished. Hazel looked at me and I grimaced.

"Uh, hey, guys. . ." I started. "Does anyone want to, like, come over to my house? Like, right now. .?"

"I do!" Leo chirped immediately. Great, because it's your car that we're going to use, I thought.

"Nico and I would like to as well," Hazel said. I resisted the urge to look at him.

"I'll go too," Jason agreed, as did Piper. After some conversation Frank decided to go and Annabeth, Percy, Reyna and Calypso politely declined.

"You got somewhere better be?" Leo joked when Reyna said no practically right after Jason and Piper agreed.

Reyna glanced at Jason then averted her eyes. "You could say that," she replied. In return, Jason looked anywhere but us. I looked at Piper dumbfoundedly but she looked as confused as me (or, for that matter, everyone else).

"Oh-kay then, we'll drop everyone off and then head to Will's house," Hazel said. The others agreed and we left À La Mode.

-

Once we finished dropping off Calypso we headed to my house. I was sweating buckets. Hazel's plan was perfectly orchestrated, but it still felt wrong in a way, planning this behind Nico's back.

At some point we all ended up in my room. We had already picked at our homework in the living room, but mostly talked. We were in my room because I was going to put my bag in it and everyone followed. Now they were investigating it, studying every knick knack. Excluding Nico, who was dragged here by Hazel. He was standing awkwardly in a corner.

"What's this?" Frank asked, holding up a guitar figurine.

"Oh, uh, my dad got that for me a few years ago." It was a gift for my 12th birthday, when I was obsessed with the guitar and ukulele.

"That's cute," Piper said. I nodded absentmindedly, distracted about what I was going to say to Nico.

Hazel cleared her throat. I looked at her and she raised her eyebrows. I nodded and she brought out her phone. "Wow, would you look at the time? It's already eight." She was a terrible actress.

"Oh, sorry guys, but my parents are going to be home soon. Can we end this— uh, hangout. . .?" I said in monotone.

Leo agreed about it being late, considering he still had to drop everyone else off. Before he could leave the room, Hazel took Nico aside and began muttering to him quietly. The others kept going, heading to the living room to get their stuff.

After a minute, Hazel hugged Nico, walked out of the room, closing the door. Nico and I were alone in my room.

He was still standing in a corner of the room, hugging himself, staring at the floor. I inhaled quietly, told myself a silent encouragement, and spoke.

"We need to talk."