Chapter 2: Loveless

"Paper doll come try it on, and step out of that black chiffon. Here's a dress of gold and blue, sure was fun being good to you."

The Mills Brothers song boomed from the vintage record player and filled the entire vicinity with the soothing sound of jazz. Nico brought his knees up to his chest and hid his face in shame. God forbid anyone were to ever see him cry. At least the dreadful tears had finally stopped.

"Nico?" a soft voice called from within the flower maze. "Nico, where are you?"

The Italian boy stiffened. The voice belonged to his seventeen year old sister, Bianca.

He heard the older girl sigh. She paced back and forth throughout the maze in a fruitless attempt to locate her younger brother.

"Nicolo, I saw you run in here," Bianca said in a sing song voice. Nico could tell her patience was wearing thin. "Don't pretend like you can't hear me!"

Nico kept his mouth shut. Bianca stomped her foot in frustration and searched the maze for the currently mute teen. The chocolate eyed boy heard rushed footsteps approaching, but he didn't dare move. He didn't have the energy to run anymore.

"There you are!" Bianca huffed. "Didn't you hear me? I've been looking for you forever!"

Have you ever thought that maybe I don't want to be found?

She plopped down next to Nico and wrapped an arm around his thin shoulders.

"Hey," she said softly. Her big chocolate brown eyes filled with concern and her voice dripped with sadness. A twinge of guilt panged at Nico's chest. "What's wrong? Why are you upset?"

Nico lifted his head, the distress and confusion clearly plastered across his miserable face. There was no way he could mask all his regrets.

"I really screwed up."

"How so?" Bianca pondered, tapping her chin with her fingers.

It won't kill me if I talk to her about it. I'll just tell her Will's a girl I met.

"I talked to this little dish inside," Nico started. "And I think she might have fancied me. Being the idiotic fool I am, I believe I may have scared her off for good."

"Well, you are quite a bluenose," Bianca quipped.

Nico snorted and rolled his eyes.

"I am not."

"Oh come on!" the older girl challenged. "You can make all the ladies on the east coast swing, but when it comes down to actually carrying a torch, you're a flat tire!"

Nico playfully shoved the dark haired girl and giggled. He loved the fact that seconds ago he was wallowing in a sea of his own sorrows, but now here he was, having quite a gas with his big sister.

"Aren't you just the cat's meow, Bea?" Nico retailed playfully.

"Oh hush, you're just trying to butter me up and line me!"

A wide grin made it's way onto Bianca's face and she leaned closer to Nico.

"What did she look like? Do I know her?"

"I don't believe so," Nico said after a few seconds of hesitation. "Rumor has it she and her family just moved here from Austin, Texas."

The Italian boy couldn't see the blank expression on Bianca's face or the wheels turning in her head. Her mind was rapidly working to piece together a conclusion.

"Why, isn't that swell?" she cheered. "What did the dame look like?"

Nico couldn't help the small smile that forced it's way onto his rosy lips at the indirect mention of Will.

"She was a zazz girl," Nico whistled. "Her smile was so bright it could make the sun take a hike. Her eyes were bluer than any ocean I've ever seen. And her hair, goodness gracious Bea, she had the prettiest blonde hair I've ever laid my eyes on!"

Bianca clenched her jaw. More and more pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fall into place. She needed to test her theory and see if her analysis was correct.

"How old did the girl look?" she questioned.

Nico blinked.

"I didn't ask her, but she looked around my age. She was really tall, but her face screamed teenager."

"And you said this family is from Texas, correct?" Bianca pushed.

"Yes," Nico replied. "Why does any of this matter?"

"Are they the Solace family?" Bianca continued, ignoring Nico's question.

"Yes, they are. Again, is there a point to this interrogation, or is this gobblwdygook pointless?"

The Italian girl removed her arm from around Nico's shoulder and scooted away. The younger boy gave her a questioning glare.

"What is the matter with you?" he pried, dramatically waving his thin hands in the air.

"The Solaces don't have a daughter our age," Bianca breathed. "The only 'pretty blondes' in the Solace family are Apollo and Wilhelm Solace."

Nico went into an instant panic. His eyes looked like a deer caught in the headlights. His chest felt a thousand times heavier. Was it always this difficult to breathe?

"No, Bea, listen. It's-It's not like that!"

It was too late. Bianca already had tears falling down her olive cheeks.

"Nico?" she wailed. Her eyes looked glassy and broken. Bianca's chest was heaving. "Are you a fag?"

At that moment, Nico's entire life replayed in his mind. He remembered the time he was five years old and kissed a little brown haired boy on the train. His memory flashed back to elementary school when he developed his first real crush on a boy named Evan Daniels. Nico's mind jumped forward to middle school when he wrote a love note to a boy in his class named John Peters. In the end, he crumpled up the piece of notebook paper and tossed it into the garbage bin.

"Nico!" Bianca screamed, ripping the terrified boy away from his thoughts. "Are you a fag?" she repeated slowly.

"I can't deal with this right now!" Nico cried.

Nico shoved his sister aside and sprinted into the mansion. He quickly shuffled up the stairs and locked himself in his room, slamming the door shut behind him. Thankfully the song Love That Boy drowned out the sound of his unintentional rampage.

Nico snickered. How ironic.

At that moment, he didn't care that he wasn't being a proper host. After years of striving for perfection, he realized none of it mattered.

~Page Break~

"Mama, do we really have to go to school today?" Bianca questioned. "It's only been a week since papa came home!"

Maria gave her daughter a sympathetic smile and patted her on the shoulder like any good mother should.

"I'm afraid so, mia bella."

Bianca sighed and crossed her arms in annoyance. She loved learning, but she hated school.

"I'm sure it won't be so awful," Maria reassured her. "After all, it is the first day. I'm sure it'll be a piece of cake."

"Maybe for Nico," Bianca whispered spitefully.

Maria's wide green eyes filled with tears. Bianca regretted opening her mouth at all.

"Never speak that way, mi reyna. I love you. Your father loves you. Your siblings love you. Whatever those ignorant students at Dalton Academy say is meaningless!"

School life for Bianca had never been easy. Her hair was dark, her eyes were chocolate brown, and she had olive tinted skin. Anyone who saw her could easily figure out she wasn't American.

Nico, on the other hand, was as pale as a ghost. He could pass for an American any day of the week.

Dalton Academy was a private all white school located on the Upper East Side of New York City. The only reason Bianca was allowed to attend the exclusive school was because her father was rich and well respected enough to get her in.

Sadly, her father's reputation couldn't keep her safe from the other students. They were horrible towards her.

Why don't you go to the colored school? a girl named Kayla Hamilton once told her in disgust.

Sorry, this table is for whites only. I guess you'll just have to sit in the back.

In the back? More like on the floor or outside with the birds!

The sound of students laughing still rang in her ears.

This is the white girl's bathroom, go do your business somewhere else!

Mr. Jenner, I don't want to be partners with the colored girl! It's unconstitutional!

You're only here because your daddy got you in. You don't deserve it. It's not in your blood.

"I know," Bianca said. "They're just so mean to me, mama!"

Maria pulled her daughter into a hug and squeezed the Italian girl.

"I know," she sighed. "Those children may come from wealthy families, but they have no class whatsoever. That is what distinguishes us from them. Now go out there, keep your chin held high, and show them how a real uptown girl behaves!"

"Yes, mama!" Bianca cried. Her mother always knew how to cheer her up.

"Now get your younger brother and get going! Sebastian is waiting out front!"

Bianca nodded as Maria ordered Nico to come down stairs.

The two siblings hadn't spoken since the rose garden incident. Whenever Bianca tried to speak to Nico, he would either shut her out or walk away. It was truly aggravating.

If only Nico would let her explain herself! Bianca wasn't homophobic. She wasn't angry with him. If anything, she was in too much shock at the moment to fully comprehend what was happening.

The only thing that made her upset was that Nico hadn't confided in her sooner. They were brother and sister. They weren't supposed to keep secrets. In the back of her mind, she always knew her little brother was gay.

How does a boy as powerful and handsome as her younger brother not get a lady? When Nico turned thirteen years old, she finally pieced the truth together. For years she watched her younger brother silently suffer, locking his feelings away in his heart, and refusing to be himself.

Nico lived his teen years loveless and alone. Yes, he had a loving family, but a real relationship with another person never crossed his mind. Bianca knew it was because Nico wouldn't allow himself to fall for a boy. It shattered her heart.

The dark haired teen came down the stairs, hugged his mother, gave her a light kiss on the cheek, and walked out the door all in one swift motion without glancing at Bianca once.

They rode in silence all the way to Dalton Academy. When they arrived, Nico practically flew out the door and disappeared into a large crowd of white students. Bianca banged her head against the car door and sighed. Today was going to be a long day.

~Page Break~

Nico sat in the back of his homeroom class, writing in his black notebook with a dark blue gel pen, which had both been gifts from Hazel. His younger sister was an amazing artist and always gave him little presents here and there.

"I'm serious!" a blonde haired girl named Rachel shrieked. "He's going to be in this homeroom!"

"Rubbish!" another girl named Lacey hollered.

Their group of friends snickered. Nico continued to write in his notebook, hoping the girls wouldn't notice him sitting in the back. Eventually, they did.

"Hey Nico!" another girl named Daisy called. "How was your summer?"

Nico flashed the girls his award winning smile and set down his pen and notebook.

"Not nearly as lovely as you fine young ladies," he remarked.

The gaggle of girls fanned their faces and surrounded the Italian boy's desk.

"Any summer romances?" Rachel pried. "Are you finally carrying a torch for some lucky dame?"

"That question's above my pay grade," Nico chuckled. "But to answer your question, no, not a single lady was able to catch my eye this summer."

I met a really cute boy, though. But don't worry, there's no chance I'll ever see him again anyway, so you're all safe!

"Isn't that just the cat's meow, girls?" Rachel asked.

"Surely," Lacey agreed with a wink directed at the chocolate eyed boy. "So Nico, you're not rationed, are you?"

Nico's smile fell, but it returned so fast none of the girls seemed to notice. A wave of relief flowed through him.

"No," Nico purred. "I'm not going steady."

He knew it was wrong to flirt with these girls and lead them on, but it was the only thing that made him feel better about himself. The attention helped calm his nerves.

"If you're not busy this weekend," Rachel started. "Maybe you and I could go to the hop?"

Nico took the girl's hand and gave her a bright smile. Lacey and Daisy burned red with jealousy.

"It sounds wonderful. I'd love to accompany you, but I'll have to make sure I'm not doing anything with my family on that day. Is a rain check fine?"

Rachel nodded her head eagerly. "Yeah! Just let me know tomorrow!"

"Sure thing, doll," Nico said with a seductive wink.

He knew he would end up rejecting Rachel tomorrow morning. Even if he wasn't busy this weekend, he would have lied and made up a ridiculous excuse to get out of it.

The group of girls danced over to their desks as more students started pouring into the classroom. The bell indicating the beginning of homeroom rang throughout Dalton Academy.

"Good morning, class," Ms. Dodds greeted in the same bitter tone she normally spoke in. "This year, we have a new transfer student from Austin, Texas joining us at Dalton Academy."

You have got to be kidding me, Nico groaned to himself. This isn't happening right now. It's not going to be him. It's impossible and-

"Please welcome Wilhelm Solace," Ms. Dodds said in a monotone voice.

The same blonde haired boy from last week strutted into the classroom with the same damn smile that never failed to take Nico's breath away. His golden blonde hair was flawlessly combed, his face was as clear as a summer's day, and he looked downright sinful in the school's all black and blue uniform.

"Please," Will stated, showcasing his sun filled smile which even managed to thaw out Nico's cold heart. An audible swoon chroused throughout the classroom. Even Ms. Dodds had to fan her beat red face. "Call me Will."

The blonde haired boy scanned the rows of students. He made eye contact with Nico and immediately stopped his searching. His smile grew larger, if it was even possible. A light pink blush spilled across Nico's pale cheeks.

"He's a total dish," a girl named Penelope whispered from behind him.

"He sure is dreamy," another girl named Lynn proclaimed. "He's probably already going steady with some lucky dame, though."

You have no idea, Nico thought to himself.

"Well, Mr. Will Solace," Ms. Dodds said with a genuine smile plastered across her face. It was the first time Nico had even seen the woman look happy. "There's an empty seat next to Mr. di Angelo located in the back. Nico, dear, could you raise your hand?"

"Oh, no need," Will insisted. A smirk tugged on his lips as he sailed down the aisle The nervous expression etched onto Nico's face fueled his hunger. "Nico and I happen to already be acquainted."

More gasps rippled throughout the classroom. Nico wanted to fade into the shadows and never come out.

"Hey there, Loveless," Will whispered into Nico's ear. A cold chill ran down the shorter boy's spine.

"Why did you just call me?" he hissed back.

"Loveless," Will repeated. "You know, someone lacking or without love. Loveless."

"I heard you the first time," Nico barked. "I'm asking why you called me such an immature name. We hardly even know each other."

Will snickered.

"Before last week, we met before. I'm sure you'll remember from where. Eventually."

Nico froze.

"Wait," he deadpanned. "I've met you before?"

Another snicker escaped Will's blood red lips.

"You have a really bad memory."

End of another chapter!

Wow. An update in under twenty four hours? I don't know whether to be embarrassed or slightly proud of myself. I'm going to go with the ladder.

Honestly, I'm just writing this along as I go (like I do with all my other stories), so any suggestions would be phantastic. I have the plot planned out, but writing it is all done on the spot. No planning or outlines needed!

Reviews, follows, and favorites are welcomed like Nico at the end of The Blood of Olympus.

Dictionary:

Damn: A girl or woman

Bluenose: A prude

Carrying a Torch: To have a crush on someone

Flat Tire: A dull or disappointing date

Gas: A fun or good time

The Cat's Meow: An excellent person or thing-AKA my second favorite phrase ever

Line: Insincere flattery

Zazz Girl: An attractive young woman

Gobblwdygook: Long and seemingly pointless rant

Above My Pay Grade: Not required to answer a question

Hop: A party or fun event or place

~The OG Judicorn