When I heard the words "terminal cancer," let's just say that I wasn't happy.
Who would be? I mean, I had something of a life to live, and here I am, throwing it away to some dumb disease.
Plus, the oxygen tank is annoying.
I was unpacking the few things I had brought with me. It appeared that I had a roommate, but whoever he was, he wasn't present. I decided to walk around the hospital, and nearly forgot my tank. Damn, I hate that thing.
The halls echoed with remnants of kids and hopes and dreams. And voices. Yelling.
Just then, a wheelchair whizzed past me. The wheelchair then ran into a wall, dumping it's inhabitant onto the floor.
A boy, with dark hair and sea green eyes, stood up, laughing. Then he noticed me.
"You might wanna watch out." He suggested. Still in shock, I didn't answer.
Then another boy in a wheelchair rocketed past. He swerved to avoid us, and crashed into the wall as well. He cursed colorfully, and all I could think of was how angry my stepmom would have been.
This kid looked like an elf, with his mischievous grin and pointed features. His dark curls bounced when he laughed, which was a bit unnerving. "Percy! Man, I almost had you too!"
The green eyed kid laughed. "Think Will's gonna get mad? We did just destroy two wheelchairs. And technically those were the fifth ones this week."
"Nah, he'll never notice."
It was then, I think, that they noticed me.
"Hi! I'm Percy. What's your name?" The green eyed one was quick to ask.
"Uh... I'm Nico. Di Angelo." Way to go, me.
"Hiya Nico! I'm Leo, the ultimate McShizzle, bad boy supreme!" The Latino kid, Leo, stood up, holding out a hand for me to shake. I just stared at it, so he moved his hand to his pocket. "So... Lungs?" He asked, pointing to my tank.
"Oh. Yeah. Stage four." Both boys winced.
"Whew. That sucks." Percy said, shaking his head.
"Totally." Leo shrugged. "Well, I have a growing tumor in the stomach area, and Percy here has a good sized one in his noggin." He rapped his knuckles on Percy's head to emphasize his point. Percy flinched away, rubbing his head.
"Thanks for that, Leo." He snapped, when another voice cried out.
"SEAWEED BRAIN!" The voice was decidedly feminine, and most definitely angry. I turned to see a blonde girl marching towards us.
Now, I'm not into girls, but she was pretty. Her hair curled into ringlets like a fairytale princess's, and her skin was a Californian tan.
However, she had a terrifying look on her face. She stomped directly over to Percy, promptly whacking him upside the head.
"Idiot! Will is going to kill you guys. And Dr. Chiron has been going crazy. Cut the old man some slack, will you?" She rolled her stormy gray eyes.
"Sorry Annabeth." Percy replied, rubbing the back of his head ruefully.
It was then the girl looked over at me. "And who is this?"
I opened my mouth to speak, but Leo interrupted me. "This is Nico. Lungs." I just nodded instead.
The girl smiled. "I'm Annabeth. Brain tumor."
Percy threw his arm around Annabeth's shoulders. "And my girlfriend!" He gave her a big kiss on cheek.
I had to admit, I was a bit disappointed. Percy was pretty cute, and more my type than Leo's. Oh well. There were going to be more boys here.
"Well, Nico, how about I introduce you to everyone else? I think we should leave these idiots to their own shenanigans." Annabeth gestured down the hall from where she came.
"Sure." I said, and she smiled. I followed her down the hall.
"This is mine and Piper's room." Annabeth said, gesturing to another room. "Piper isn't in there now, but I'm sure we'll find her somewhere."
I nodded, a bit out of breath. Annabeth walked really quickly.
"I wonder..." Annabeth looked over at me, a suspicious look on her face. "Do you share a room with Jason?"
I managed a breathless word. "Who?"
Annabeth nodded, rolling her eyes. "I'm an idiot. Is your room number twenty?"
I nodded, and Annabeth laughed. A simple, short, amused laugh. I was tempted to laugh too, but my lungs disagreed.
"You share a room with Jason. He's a nice guy, but if you need your space, be sure to tell him. He's... a bit of a hugger. No shame at all." She shook her head, and her cheeks flushed. I suspected there was a story there, but I wasn't in the mood to ask.
"So what is everyone like?" I asked, sitting on a bench in the hall to catch my breath. Annabeth leaned against the wall.
"Well, you've met Percy and Leo. Your first impressions of them sum up their entire character, for the most part. Piper, my roommate, is a bit on the mischievous side. Don't bring your valuables when meeting her." I found my hand moving to cover the skull ring on my finger. Annabeth didn't seem to notice.
"She's also good friends with Percy, which isn't good for either of them. You wouldn't believe the shenanigans those two get up to." She shook her head. "Jason's your roommate, so I've already told you a bit about him. Then there's Frank and Hazel..."
"I already know them." I interrupted, which maybe wasn't the best idea. Annabeth raised a curious eyebrow.
"Hazel is my half-sister. And Frank is her boyfriend. Hazel is actually the one who recommended this hospital to my step-mom." I felt like I was rambling, but Annabeth didn't seem annoyed or upset.
"Huh. Cool." She grinned, pushing herself off the wall and into a standing position. "There's one more person... but I think it's better if you meet him in person." She smirked, and I began to worry.
"W-what's their name?" I managed, standing as well.
Annabeth's smirk only widened. "His name is Will Solace."