ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: THANK YOU SO MUCH TO The Goddess of Atlantis, who suggested the idea for this story.

NOTE: (I am not good at Italian - I used Google Translate. Sorry if it's not correctly said/read).

~ CHAPTER ONE ~

Mixed Emotions

NICO'S P.O.V

I was confused about Happily Ever Afters. All those fairy tales where the princess is rescued by a guy? I wondered where a person like me would fit in. Closing my eyes, I was lost in thought.

"Non cercare di adattarsi. Appartengono dove dovresti essere," my dad once said. Don't try to fit in. Belong where you're supposed to be.

"Where?" I asked out loud. "In darkness?"

"Hey, what's up?" a voice called. "You okay?"

"Yeah." I shifted uneasily. Only one person had that affect on me: Will Solace, son of Apollo, with a smile that could be annoying but eventually endearing. I never really noticed or talked to him, until we met on a day face-to-face (when he hid behind a bush, coincidently where I was hiding).

Will sat down beside me, looking around. "This is your thinking spot? Nice."

I glanced at him. "I guess so. You know, I sit here when I'm thinking about life."

Will nodded his head understandably. "I saw you a few times here before. What are you thinking about now?"

Oh gods. I turned red, glad that he couldn't read minds. "Uh, you know - everything. The war, Hazel, and..."

"Me?"

I nearly choked. "What?"

Will's face turned serious. "You know, when you sit here, your face looks so calm. You don't seem worried, and you even smile."

"I smile?" My voice was filled with shock, and I wondere dif I had my mouth grinning and eyes closed. Not exactly a good image, I thought. Angrily, I reminded myself that I couldn't possibly be more of an outcast than I already was.

"Don't worry, you look very cute," he teased. "Like David by Michelangelo."

"What?" I asked. "Who's that?"

"That's for you to find out." I wondered if it was a mistake, but I could feel Will move closer so our bodies were touching. My stomach clenched, filled with happiness and surprise.

He was definitely distracting me - so much, that I blurted out: "You look like Prince Charming."

"Thank you," Will grinned. "I knew if I'll stick around you'll hand over a compliment."

"Forget I just said that," I said hastily. "I mean, your hair is golden and-" Can I shut up now? I told myself furiously. "You look like your dad," I babbled on.

He laughed, and my stomach clenched again. His laugh was a pleasant sound; filled with kindness and humour that you could join in with. I noticed that his eyes crinkled a bit at the corners, while his lips curved over easily, perfect white teeth gleaming.

Looking away, feeling embarrassed, I picked blades of grass near my feet. Studying it - like it was really interesting, I exhaled slowly. This usually helped calm down my heart rate.

"Hey, can I show you something?" Will asked.

My pulse quickened, as I watched him expectantly.

Will held out his hand.

I stared at it curiously. His hand was well tanned, smooth, and maybe soft.

"Can you hand me some grass?" he said.

I handed over the pieces in my hands. "What-"

"Shhh," Will whispered. Closing his eyes slowly, he sat there, silent.

I raised my eyebrows up, but didn't say anything. If Will was meditating - that was a waste of time. Before I could leave, wind blew gently, tousling both of our hair.

Will opened his eyes, and let go of the grass gently. Each green blade moved soundlessly into the wind, blowing away.

I watched, my eyes transfixed. I never knew watching grass was entertaining.

The pieces moved, circling around us and flying high into the air, as if some Venti were collecting each piece, but more gentle.

"How did you do that?" I asked. For some reason, I was whispering.

Will's voice lowered, too. "Something I learned from a friend of mine." His eyes flickered into mine, like he was searching for something readable.

Looking away, I pulled my legs up to my chest. "Kind of cold out here."

"Guess so." Will hesitatingly rose up. "I'm going to leave. Make sure you don't stay up too late; it's already seven."

"Okay." Watching him leave, my eyebrows furrowed together. Some part of me wanted him to stay.

§§§

I could hear some laughter as I walked back to my cabin. Many demigods were outside, chatting and laughing loudly. Pausing outside, I sighed, feeling lonely. You have friends – or at least people who would like to be your friend, I could hear Will's voice remind me.

"We people always feel left out."

I turned, seeing a person from the Nemesis Cabin. She had curly black hair, like her mother; a hooked nose; and green eyes (unlike Percy, they were more of a grape green). Her name was something like Mary or Terry.

"Not exactly fair," she mused. "Just like life. How's it going between you and Solace?"

I glared, annoyed that she actually asked a personal question. "Don't you think that's highly-"

"Oh, please. I was just trying to start a conversation." She waved her hand. "Now what's your name - Nick? Nicholas?"

"It's Nico." I studied her. "And your, uh, Mary?"

"It's Berry," she corrected.

I tried not to smile when she said it. Daughter of Revenge with the name Berry? Sure, I could handle it. After Percy named that Titan Iaptus Bob, nothing really fazes me. "Must be a hard name to live with."

She flared. "My name is Berry after Halle Berry - or maybe Amanda Berry!"

"Never heard of them." I tapped my fingers against the door handle. "I'll see you around."

"Hang on!" Berry locked her eyes on me. "You ever feel like you don't belong?"

"I-"

She nodded. "That's what I thought." She thrust a leather book at me. "You'll need this."

"Thanks." I decided not to tell her that I hated reading - after all, rejecting a gift form the Daughter of Revenge was not a good idea.

She went, and over her shoulder called, "You better use it!"

Dreading she was going to come back, I pulled open the book. It was blank, with only lines. Looking at it in disbelief, I slowly came to a realising thought: She gave me a diary.