Disclaimer: Is Rick Riordan pretending to be a female fanfiction writer? Hmm... That's a hard one.

Nico was waiting. He was always waiting – waiting for his sister to come back, waiting to find friends, waiting for someone to see him for who he was, and love him. He doubted that any of those things were coming anytime soon, but he waited, nevertheless.

Now, however, he was waiting for dawn to come. He was sitting with his back to the tree, almost nodding off, when a certain whispering son of Poseidon, and his blonde girlfriend, tripped over his leg, falling headlong into prickly pine needles.

"Ow!" Percy complained. "I must have tripped over –" he glanced up, seeing a rather annoyed Nico glowering at him. "Nico. Hi. I didn't see you there." Percy grinned brightly.

"I got that," muttered Nico, grimly. "I was trying to get some sleep."

"Try sleeping in your cabin. At least people won't trip over you there," Annabeth suggested.

"I prefer the outdoors to cold, dank crypt-like cabins, thank you very much."

"Your choice," Percy shrugged. The couple headed off deeper into the woods. Nico didn't ask why – he was pretty sure he didn't want to know.

He knew he wasn't getting back to sleep anytime soon, so he stood up, slowly, stretching his aching muscles. "Ow." There was a muscle where his shoulder met his neck that refused to relax. He muttered something about dryads not respecting tired demigods.

He grabbed his hoodie and boots, and put them on over his not-pajamas (black jeans and a T-shirt). He then set off for the Hades cabin, for a change of clothes. A girl might have taken a shower, too, after spending a night in the woods (or five), but Nico figured he'd be fine. Guys don't need to shower, right? Besides, it's not like anyone ever went up and sniffed him. That would be kind of weird.

He exited the Hades cabin, looking like his usual, brooding self. He almost didn't notice the screaming coming from the border. When he did, his eyebrows raised, and he stopped in his tracks, wondering if he'd be needed. Apparently he wasn't, because the campers on guard helped carry a teenage girl to the Big House. He shrugged, heading to the dining pavilion. He sat down at his usual lonely spot, and started eating. He heard whispers about the new girl, but decided it really didn't matter. Campers show up every day. Why should this time be any different?

…

After an exhausting day of sword practice, eavesdropping, and people, Nico headed to his usual, solitary spot to take a nap before dinner. He found, to his great annoyance, a black-haired girl sitting there, leaned over a book.

"Hey." He glared at her. "This is my spot." She looked up at him distractedly. She then looked back down at her book. A couple moments later, she muttered,

"Uh huh." She scooted over six inches, not even taking her eyes off the book. Nico took a deep breath with his eyes closed, and counted to ten.

"I don't think you understand. This. Is. My. Tree. I sit here – and occasionally sleep here – every day. Only I sit here. Not you. Not a couple making out. Not even forest animals." The girl didn't look up from the apparently fascinating book, as she murmured,

"Uh huh. That's nice." Nico could have sworn he saw a slight smirk on her face.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Uh huh? Really? Wow."

"What does that have to do with this conversation?"

"I don't know."

"So you're paying attention now?"

"Uh huh."

"Good. Now, get out of my spot."

"Uh huh. That's nice."

"What, are you a recording?! I said to move!"

"Uh huh? Really? Wow." The brunette was clearly smiling into her book now.

"Hey!" Nico yelled. The girl jerked out of her book-induced trance.

"My homework's almost done!" She yelped.

"What?" Nico asked, perplexed.

"Sorry. It's a reflex," she replied.

"Uh huh. That's nice," Nico mocked. The girl glowered at him.

"Get lost," she shot back, annoyed. "I was here first! And don't you know better than to keep a girl away from her favorite story?" Nico rolled his eyes.

"Fine!" He acquiesced. The girl went back to her story, and Nico stomped back towards his cabin. "I hate girls," he grumbled. He heard a laugh, and saw Jason Grace leaning up against the wall of the Hades cabin.

"That's what they all say," Jason smirked.

"Who all says that?"

"Everyone. So – which wonderful young lady elicited this remark?"

"Some girl in the woods. I spent five minutes trying to convince her to leave my clearing, and she talked me out of it. She must be an Aphrodite girl."

"Or just an ordinary girl. All girls are like that, whether they have Charmspeak or not. What'd she look like?" Nico frowned, trying to recall.

"I think she had straight black hair. She won an argument against me while reading a book!" Jason raised an eyebrow.

"Reading? Aren't most of the kids here dyslexic? That might actually help us narrow her down." Nico shrugged.

"I don't care, as long as she's not in my clearing again tomorrow."

"She might show up just to annoy you."

"If she does, she's gonna regret it."