WHISPERS • A PERCICO AU

• Chapter 16 •

Once the clock striked 4:30PM, the crowd dispersed, most leaving the stands and heading for the exit, but the rest gathered around the four winners, who would lead the quarter-finals next week.

Nico gazed intently at Will Solace, who was leading the competition by far. The modest teenager was accepting the compliments that were thrown at him with reluctance, but the glint in his eyes was telling him the opposite: Nico had never met such a selfless person before.

He smiled at the thought— but when he turned around where Percy supposedly was, he was gone.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one surprised. Annabeth and Piper were frantically looking around: the brunette asking people around, the blonde fumbling with her phone, desperately trying to get in contact with her friend.

"Well, we should go, Nico. Dad just texted."

Nico brusquely turned around, and a warm pain shot in his neck. Gritting his teeth, the black-haired boy nodded, grimacing.

Where was Percy? It was the only thought present in Nico's usually over-crowded mind. He was shrouded in darkness, reaching out blindly, hopelessly trying to grasp for an answer that wasn't there.

As Bianca led him out of school, Nico closed his fist tightly, panic flaring through his body. Percy was missing.

And it was probably because of him.

Blinking back frustated tears, Nico replayed past events in his brain. Percy had left midway, but he hadn't heard the muffled whispers that were adressed to Annabeth and Piper.

But suddenly, the brown-eyed boy caught a glimpse a crouched figure hiding in the shade, sitting on the bench outside the school gates. The boy was looking down, so he couldn't see his face. Tousled black hair covered the small bits of tanned skin Nico glimpsed.

With a jolt, Nico realised it was Percy. Newfound relief flooding through him, Nico cracked a smile. He ran to him, leaving a befuddled Bianca behind him.

When he reached him, blush filled his face. Percy looked up, alerted by the oncoming footsteps. Are you okay? Nico signed frantically. Nobody knew where you were!

Percy's helpless expression quickly turned into one of anger. He stood up so suddenly, Nico was taken aback, taking a few steps behind.

Scared, he raised his eyes to meet his, but they weren't the same sea green eyes he fell in love with. They were blazing with bitter resentment, the flames licking upwards. There was something else, but Nico just couldn't wrap his mind around it.

"Why do you care?" Percy snapped. "I can do whatever I want, I don't care!"

A red shade tinted his face, but Nico didn't know if it was from anger... or something else.

But anyway, the green-eyed boy was seething. 

And Nico wasn't sure if he wanted to know why. Because staring into those turquoise whirlwinds full of intense emotion, all his senses screamed "run!"

He had never seen Percy like this. He had never thought of him as dangerous. But right now, his whole world was flipped over, and Nico stepped back more, afraid of this new Percy.

I—, Nico began, struggling to find the right words as his hands failed him. But it was useless anyways— Percy gave him one last blazing look before breaking into a run, his feet hitting the ground with full force.

The brown-eyed boy wanted to follow him, but it would be useless— his speed was no match compared to Percy's,

He slumped his head: he had failed, once again. Cold bitter shame flooded through him as he sensed Bianca coming closer to him. "What happened, Nico?" she asked anxiously, placing a comforting hand on Nico's stiff shoulder.