Stars in the Night Sky

Late one night, I walked across the pavement leading out of the dining pavilion and found myself on the only beach in Camp Half-Blood.

I made my way towards the shoreline of the beach and sat myself down onto a nearby rock, my rock.

I looked up to the moon. It shown beautifully against the dark sky and among the twinkling stars. Slowly, tears started streaking down my cheeks. This has been my routine for the past 4 months. I would act like I'm fine during the day, and let myself go at night. I was like a star. Not to shine the brightest, but to compliment another. To compliment something beautiful like the moon.

The silent tears slowly turned into quiet, hushed sobs. I heard footsteps behind me and I turned. Annabeth. My closest friend here at Camp Half-Blood. A fellow daughter of Athena. She was 2 years older than me. She was 18 and I was 16. She walked up to me and sat down on the sand, next to my rock.

"Out here, again?"

I mutely nodded.

Annabeth had seen me coming here to cry a couple of times during the first month and after a while, she finally came up to me and asked me what was up. Since then, Annabeth came to me almost once a week.

"You should tell him, you know." Annabeth said softly, almost sympathetically.

I knew exactly what she was talking about without having her explain. I shook my head.

"He hates me. Anyway, it's not like telling him is just going to magically make my problems disappear."

"It would certainly help."

"Yeah, well, it's not going to happen."

Annabeth didn't respond. She just watched the ocean's waves rolling into the shore.

I was there when Annabeth and her current boyfriend, Percy Jackson, got together. I was also there for her when he disappeared a few years back but unfortunately I did not accompany Annabeth on that huge quest. I was so happy for her that day they got together. I was so happy for her that I didn't even cry that night and stayed up all night talking with Annabeth about Percy.

Since then, she had seemed determined to help me with my love life. Therefore, is trying to help me with the boy I have been in love with since I was 12.

For a few minutes we sat in silence. Some people talk about 'comfortable silences'. To me, all silences are the same. There's no comfort in them.

"Do you really love him? Do you love him as much as I love Percy?" Annabeth asked suddenly.

I didn't say anything for a few moments, to collect my thoughts, and answered.

"I don't know what your love for Percy is like, but I would think you hold him in the highest standards. The only thing I can say is, I would die for him without a second thought."

Then we became silent yet again but this time, it wasn't interrupted until a few hours later.

Annabeth got up from the sand, dusted herself off and offered me her hand. I raised an eyebrow. My eyes still swollen from crying.

"Come on, it's 2 am. You need some sleep, and if you go missing-"

"No one will notice but you." I finished. Although I took her hand anyway.

"That wasn't what I was going to say." Annabeth said sadly.

"But you aren't correcting me either."

She didn't respond. I dusted myself off as well and we walked back toward our cabin.

"People would notice." She said forcefully. Almost as if she was trying to convince not only me, but herself as well.

"If they did, do you think they would care? Or was that party that the entire cabin had when they thought I died in that quest not enough proof for you?" I retorted then glared at the ground.

We had reached cabin #6 and we stood outside.

"Your parents would care!" Annabeth said as if she had figured out the world's hardest problem, her eyes lighting up in glee.

"Annabeth? Listen to yourself. Mom hasn't talked to me in ages and my dad abandoned me when I was 7. I was left to find camp by myself, remember?" I smiled at her half-heartedly.

"Oh.. Well hang in there, okay?.. Good night, Emma." Annabeth said defeatedly.

"Good night, Annabeth."

The next morning I got up, with my cheerful exterior on, even though I was a wreck inside.

When I left the bathroom from my morning shower, I saw that Annabeth was waiting for me at the cabin entrance, ready to go to breakfast together.

When she saw my false cheerfulness, she shook her head sadly in disapproval.

"Lets go!" I said, careful to add a bounce in my step to make it more realistic, my brown hair lightening in the sun.

Over the years, I was named most cheerful person at camp, but the Athena cabin just thought I was annoying. People in other cabins just think of me as that cheerful girl. Although, it used to be genuine cheerfulness. Now, it's all an act.

I sat down at the Athena table beside Annabeth, when I looked across the pavilion to the Hades table and there he was. 16 year old, Nico di Angelo. With his shaggy black hair, dark eyes and that aura that spelled 'danger'.

Yes, this was the boy that had squirmed his way into my heart and crushed me from the inside out, but no matter what, I couldn't bring myself to stop loving him.

I stared at him for a second longer then went back to my breakfast.

In the late-afternoon, we had a new exercise that Chiron, our activities director, was testing out at the camp and we were to be the first campers to try out this specific skill. Knife throwing. Not very original, but effective in battle.

The Athena cabin was learning this along with 2 other cabins. The Posidon cabin and the Hades cabin. Meaning; Percy, Tyson and Nico.

We were told to pair up with someone of the opposite gender. Tyson was to do this alone, because he was bigger than the rest of us. Annabeth was obviously with Percy. My cabin mates paired with each other and I was left to pair with Nico. Yay! Let's give the cold boy more opportunities to crush my soul!

Chiron spent an hour explaining our task. We had to use the knife and hit a wooden target. He spent the hour explaining every single detail and consequence for failing to learn the skill.

I lined up beside Nico and turned myself so I could see the target properly. I acted even more cheerful than usual for some odd reason I do not know to this day. I grabbed a knife in one hand.

"Would you like to go first, Nico?" I asked with false enthusiasm.

He looked at me in disgust.

"I hate cheerful people." He spoke bluntly.

He would say things like that to me a lot, and usually I would go with it and act nonchalantly about it, but something about today was different. Something in me snapped. I felt my mask of emotions break and I knew that all of the pain and misery in my life showed for a split second on my face.

He looked mildly surprised by the change in routine, that I didn't just brush it off. So was I, but I couldn't stop it. Suddenly my expression got darker. I was holding onto my knife like a lifeline, my knuckles turning white.

"Huh. Well, there's an interesting fact! There's no specific reason for that, is there? You just want to make everyone feel as bad as you do!" My voice rising with every word.

Everyone had their attention on me by now. I didn't care anymore. I barely saw that everyone's face was just pure shock, even Annabeth, who had only seen my sad side. No one, and I mean no one has seen me angry before. Not even me. My emotions had never fallen out of place. I couldn't handle it. Nico's face was a mixture of shock and confusion.

I screamed in exasperation and I threw the knife at the target. It didn't hit the bullseye but it helped with my anger release. I kept on with my rant. I was so mad, I was yelling by now.

"Why do you have to make me feel like crap, every single day! Everyday, I get broken far more than the day before, and all you do about it is make the wound deeper! I am not a machine! I have feelings! What gives you this insane idea that you have any right? I spend everyday, carefully calculating every single facial expression, every single feeling I let show. You're not the only one hurting in the world, Nico di Angelo! You're just the only one that shows it!" My face was flushed and red, my breaths coming in short and fast.

I looked around. My cabin mates looked beyond shocked now. Percy had dropped all his knifes and his jaw was slacked open. Tyson was looking on in interest, as if this were a cool television show that he enjoyed watching. Annabeth looked shocked as well, but proud and impressed at the same time. Then I turned to Nico. He looked really pissed off.

He was opening his mouth, probably to insult me with more curses than appropriate words, when all of my grief and sadness came rolling in at once after my anger release. I punched him in the face as hard as I could and he stumbled back and fell.

I knew he was about to tell me off when I screamed, "Why can't you realize I've been in love with you this entire time!"

I had tears rolling down my cheeks, but I couldn't stop there.

"Why do you hate me so much? Why can't you realize you hurt me more than anyone else? Why are you so dense, Nico?!" I yelled at him.

Nico's eyes were wide and he was left speechless. No one moved. Everything was silent. Only faint sounds from the forest could be heard.

I turned and ran to the only place where I could find peace. The beach.

I slowed to a walk when I could see the white sand. The anger was gone, only to be replaced by a wistful sadness. I slowly approached my rock and sat down.

I stared into the horizon for what seemed like hours, watching the sunset, until I heard footsteps behind me.

When I turned, I expected to see Annabeth waiting for me with a hug and maybe some food, but instead I saw Nico, panting and his cheeks flushed from running.

"Are you here to tell me off? Do you want to yell at me? Well go ahead. I have nothing to lose." I said with sadness weaved into my voice.

I had to wait a moment for Nico to catch his breath. When his breathing evened out, he responded.

"Um.. No, not really." He sat down onto the sand beside me, in Annabeth's spot.

"Where's Annabeth?" I asked.

"She's... Uh, well, Percy and Tyson are holding her back from running to you." He said with a chuckle.

I looked at him. I had never seen him laugh before. It was a nice sound. Then I actually processed what he said.

"Why are they holding her back?" I questioned.

"They told me I should talk to you first." He answered simply.

"Oh. So they made you come here..." I felt sad knowing that. I knew that he hated me already and I should know by now, but it still hurts. It will always hurt.

Nico shifted himself so instead of beside me, he was in front of me. "No, I wanted to come here. I wanted to talk to you. No one had to make me." He said softly.

I looked down at the sand and started ranting.

"Look, I'm sorry about yelling at you. I've been keeping it all in for months now and it just burst. I just wanted you to know that you're not the only one hurting. That people feel the same way and can relate with you. My father abandoned me when I was 7, my mom isn't responding to anyone and everyone at the Athena cabin hates me! I thought I could help you feel better about your sister by relating, but you just ended up hating me like the rest of them. I'm so sorry for confessing to you in front of everyone and now some people will think you're mean and cruel for turning me down an-"

Nico shut me up efficiently by grabbing my shoulders and crashing his lips on mine. His lips were smooth and cold, but I felt warmth coursing through me anyway, making me feel like I was flying. I was confused, why would he kiss me? Why was I kissing back? But all thoughts were pushed aside with one last thought in mind; Might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

He broke the kiss as quick as he started it. My mind was scattered and I felt dizzy. I blinked for a few moments and we sat in silence. Of course, not a 'comfortable silence'. That would be ludicrous and ironic.

"Why?" I asked.

Nico sighed like he knew the question was coming.

"I never hated you. I was jealous of you, I guess. I was jealous of how happy you seemed. I thought I would never be that happy and it made me bitter toward you. Although, you were consistent. You were the only one that kept trying to talk to me after a frosty response. No one else bothered with me. You were the one who always tried to help me. You were the one that didn't give up no matter how awful treated you. So I thought, maybe this could work." He finished with a sad smile on his face as if asking for forgiveness.

I slowly nodded.

Then he looked down as if he were embarrassed.

"Did you mean what you said?" He asked me.

I nodded. "Every word."

His face showed relief.

"Can you please forgive me, Emma?" He asked uncertainly.

I smiled the first genuine smile I had in a long time, and nodded once.

His mouth turned up at the corners into a smile. He approached me again, this time more cautiously, and brushed his lips on mine. He leaned back, took a deep breath and he kissed me again. He's not used to human contact, I remember thinking. I let out a laugh and leaned my forehead to touch his. I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the close proximity we were in.

The faded colors of the sunset made the moment feel even more special. We stayed like that for a moment longer until Nico got up, smiled at me and offered me his hand. I smiled, and grasped his hand while he pulled me up, and we walked hand in hand back to the camp. He flinched a couple times when I squeezed his hand or smiled at him but that was to be expected. He had been in almost complete solitude for a long time. Well, aside from that girl named Hazel who I heard was his sister. Which I didn't understand for a while but Nico later explained to me.

For the first time in a very long time, I didn't feel helpless. Sure, I still had other problems but I could live with that. No one's life was perfect.

"You know, maybe the world is the moon." I said, wondering aloud.

Nico raised an eyebrow at me. I smiled. "Maybe we are all stars. We all compliment one another, and maybe, just maybe, we all have the chance to shine the brightest. It's just up to us whether or not to try and take it." I said, reaching up at the sky as if I was grabbing a star.

Nico laughed. "Whatever you say, Emma."

I hope you enjoyed this! I know this is a bit immature and melodramatic but I just felt like writing something light and fluffy. Please review!