"Nico time for church!" Maria Di Angelo called up the stairs to me, I check myself in the mirror one last time. My shaggy black hair was gelled back and I tuck my starch white shirt into my black church pants.
"You ready Neeks?" Bianca smiled and handed me my black dinner jacket,
"Yeah I guess," I sigh, I wasn't really enjoying church at the moment, we were talking about homosexuals and how the lord hated them, it's not that I was one, it's just that it doesn't sit right with me, I mean take Lee Fletcher for example, he was a great friend of ours but he was banned from our church for liking another guy, I don't understand. Maybe I will one day. Just not now.
Bianca and I started to walk to our Prius when a moving van pulled up next door,
"New people?" I glance over at Bianca,
"Must be," she shrugged and tried to get a better look at the new neighbours, her coal eyes following the van with her tar black hair falling down her shoulders.
I followed her example trying to look in the moving van, a family of three boys. One older one around twenty three, he had sandy blonde hair and pale blue eyes, there was another boy who looked around my age, he looked similar to the older one but he had a dirtier shade of blonde and darker eyes that seemed to draw you in at one glance, the youngest one looked fourteen and had a baby faced Asian, he was defiantly adopted, there was no way they could be related, he was quite fit and had a tan face they both looked like they'd just come from the beach with excellent tans. They jumped out of the van and I felt like I had to shield my eyes, they seemed to glow,
"Mom you didn't tell us we had new neighbours," I inquired as Hazel and our mother walked out,
"I didn't know," she tilted her head in confusion as she looked over at the huge house next door, "they must have money, it is a lovely house," she muttered. I shrug and glance over at the boy around my age who matched my gaze then smiled and waved. I smiled softly back.
"We should go over later. Introduce ourselves," I murmured not taking my eyes off the boy,
"Nicolaus is right," mom smiled and unlocked the car, "all right everybody in!" she called as we all scrambled in trying not to get the middle seat, dad sat in the front seat, Bianca got a window seat and with my luck I got middle. Fuck. Hazel smirked triumphantly
"Oh shut up," I grumble and push her face away,
We stepped out of the black Prius and walked into the church, we took our places in the pews and stood up waiting for the priest, as soon as the service started he started to rant about homosexuals,
"If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them," I few murmurs of amens come from the crowd,
"Mom can I go to the bathroom," I murmur to her,
"Can you wait? This is church Nico,"
"Please I really need to go," I lied trying to get out of this part of the service,
"Fine but be quick," she stood up and waited for me to move, I stood up and sprinted out of the room. I sighed in relief as I got out of the room and walked into the boy's bathroom. I waited until I could no longer hear the amens,
"Nico are you okay?" Bianca asked quietly through the door,
"Uhh yeah, fine," I murmur and step out of the stall washing my hands,
"Are you sure Neeks?"
"Yeah just, a little uncomfortable," I mutter,
"I know what you mean," she murmurs, "especially with your friends,' she murmured, she meant the six of my friends,
"What's that supposed to mean," I ask defensively,
"I just mean your friends with homosexuals," she whispered the homosexual part like it was a swear word,
"Bianca they're gay, so what? It's not a bad word," I mutter, she sighed and knocked on the door,
"Can you at least open up?" she knocked more persistently, I swung the bathroom door open and she stood there smiling softly, "I know it makes you uncomfortable but at least go in now, they've stopped," she wrapped her arms around me, I managed to wrap on arm around her and pull back quickly,
"Back to church," I murmur and start to walk. She followed me in hot pursuit as we sat back down.
As the service ended the seven and I sat down at a little table in the back, "well that was awkward," Percy mumbled and drew small circles into Annabeth's thigh as she was sitting in his lap,
"I agree," she murmured leaning back into his chest,
"Why do they have to talk about 'that'?" Hazel mumble looking down,
"Because they want to brainwash us," Leo muttered and played with his fingers,
"Yeah but they're our friends!" Piper exclaimed a little too loudly and everyone started to glance at her she muttered a sorry and went back to our conversation,
"I know it's harsh Pipes but what can we do about it?" Jason murmured in her ear quietly,
"We could try and stop it," Hazel grinned optimistically,
"We're not heroes or invincible we will get in trouble," I mutter quietly,
"Being a hero doesn't mean you're invincible. It just means that you're brave enough to stand up and do what's needed." Piper murmured, "That's what my grandpa always told me," she smiled,
"That's very inspiring Pipes," Jason murmured and pecked her lips,
"Get a room," Percy laughed,
"Oh like you're any better with Annabeth," I laugh and nudged Percy softly, the couple turned a crimson red, making his sea green eyes pop,
"Nico and Hazel time to leave," mom came up behind us and placed her hands on our shoulders, Hazel and I stood up and waved goodbye,
The car ride home was silent with a few hums coming from Hazel,
"Mom? Are we going to go see the neighbours?" Hazel asked excitedly,
"Why don't you two go over and help them move in, Bianca and I will bake some cookies for them," Mom suggested, I groaned quietly,
"Nico stop that you need some new friends, I don't like you hanging out with those hooligans,"
"They're not hooligan's mom, they're very lovely people," Bianca murmurs smiling. We parked outside our quite large house and got out,
"You two that way," she pointed towards the neighbours house and lead Bianca inside, I sighed and started to walk over,
"You nervous?" Hazel asked and smiled,
"No," I lied "are you?"
"Little bit," she admitted and grinned, she knocked on the door quietly. The oldest one answered the door,
"Hello?" he looked a befuddled,
"Hello I'm Hazel and this is Nico, and we are your neighbours," she smiled sweetly,
"Oh hello I'm Apollo Solace," he smiled and held out his hand, I shook it gently, "Will! Frank! Come meet the neighbours," he called inside the house, there was a tumble and a few yelps "Get off me lard ass!" a squeak came from inside, two boys stumbled at the door, they were the same boys I saw in the truck,
"Hey I remember you," the blonde boy grinned and looked over at me, "you were the one who actually smiled, I'm William Solace, call me Will," he laughed lightly and held out his hand, I shook it lightly before he moved onto Hazel, he ended up kissing her hand softly which made her giggle lightly, I couldn't help but laugh,
"I'm Nicolaus Di Angelo but call me Nico," I laughed and wave to the taller Asian,
"I'm Frank Zhang," he smiled awkwardly and held out his hand and I shook it again. He and Hazel locked eyes and didn't take them off of each other,
"Frank Zhang," he said like he was in some sort of a trace,
"Hazel Di Angelo," she said in the same way smiling dreamily,
"Anyway," I clapped knocking them both out of their trace "we're here to help move boxes," I smirk at their heavy blushes,
"Are you okay with helping Will?" Apollo asked me,
"Uh I should be," I smile over at Will feeling a warmness spread through me. He smiled showing his perfect strait white teeth. He grabbed my hand and started to pull me up towards his room.
"So what do you need done?" I shuffle awkwardly,
"You really think that were going to be moving boxes?" he laughed softly,
"Well isn't that what you need done?" I laugh blushing slightly,
"I finished an hour ago,"
"Well then why am I up here," I smirk and tease, he just grinned down at me, he was a little taller than me, me face was around his shoulder,
"So what do you people do for fun? He shrugged changing the subject, his deep blue eyes searching my face,
"What?" I ask quizzically and bite my lip,
"Nothing but do you by any chance have a girlfriend?" he tilted his head sideways,
I blushed heavily, "no I don't," I mutter and look at the floor, "nor do I intend to,"
"So you're gay," he grinned, I frown slightly,
"I-I don't know…" I admit softly,
"How can you not know?" he asked questioningly,
"It doesn't feel right to like girls but I can't like boys,"
"Why not? There's nothing wrong with liking boys," he looked a little hurt,
"No no no that's not what I meant," I tried to save myself from this conversation,
"Then what did you mean," he crossed his arms,
"If I was gay I probably wouldn't do a very good job at it," I gnawed on my lip,
"What do you mean?" he looked at me confused,
"I mean I've never been kissed by a guy and I've never dated one, and, I'm Cristian," I whisper the last part and fiddle with the cross around my neck,
"So you don't date guys because you think God will smite you or something?" he tried to hide a smile,
"I guess," I sigh,
"Well, doesn't god love all his children?" he questions,
"I-I guess," I knit my eyebrows in confusion,
"And didn't he hang around with Mary Magdalen, who was a prostitute?"
"Again I guess?" I sigh in confusion, "where are you going with this Will?" I smile,
"Then why is being gay a crime? Prostitution is now a crime but why is being yourself one?" he smiled triumphantly, I was lost for words, my mouth hung open in shock,
"Nico time to go!" Mom called from downstairs saving me from having to answer,
"See you later Di Angelo," Will smirked and waved, I walked back downstairs still in shock and in some sort of dream like state,
"What's got you all dreamy," Hazel whispered,
"Nothing… Nothing," I smile,