NICO

My back pressed up against the cold wall as Bliss closed her eyes and pushed her lips to mine. A soft panicked sound escaped my throat and my body went rigid, unable to move. She pressed her body up against mine, trapping me. Her perfume invaded my nose, too strong and overpoweringly sweet. My lips didn't move but her's did, kissing me hard, while my mind was screaming that this wasn't right. I didn't feel that thrill that all the books said came with a first kiss, I only felt flustered and scared that any minute someone would come down the hallway and see us, especially Percy.

Finally after a few seconds more Bliss pulled away, backing up a few steps, liberating me from her body. She let out frustrated sigh, shaking her head.

"Why can't you just... try!" she growled, pointing her index finger in my face, "You won't hold my hand, you don't want to talk to me, and now you can't even kiss me! What is your damn problem?!"

I scowled, wiping her black lipstick off my mouth with the back of my hand. This girl was an asshole. She had basically kiss-attacked me and she was blaming me for not "trying", not kissing her back. I knew one of the reasons I couldn't was that I was gay but the other reason was that she was insufferable. Even if I was straight I wouldn't have liked her.

"Okay, first off, Screw you!" I said leaning forward to get in her face, "Second I only dated you because you're hot and I wanted to impress my friends," That was only half true, but I wasn't going to tell her the other reason, "Third I can't deal with you anymore. We. Are. Over." I was done lying and covering my tracks. This was the last straw. Let Jason think what he wanted to think, he had no real proof anyway.

Bliss took a step back. She stared at me the hurt showed in her face, and there was a crease between her eyebrows. I had probably gone a little far.

But before I could start to feel sorry for her, her pain faded into a sharp glare. "Fine!" she spat flipping her red highlighted hair over her shoulder, "You're a shitty-ass boyfriend anyway!" She turned walking away quickly, "You'll never get another girlfriend, nobody likes you! No one! You're a brooding little SHIT!" She yelled over her shoulder, her voice quavering slightly with what might have been tears (but I doubted they were).

I knew Bliss had probably just said it because she was mad but it still hurt to hear, because I sort of believed it, I didn't have very many friends and didn't really hang out with people, a lot of the time because nobody really wanted to talk to me.

After she left, I saw no reason to go back to the movie. I quickly texted Jason saying I was going home and not to call me because I didn't want to talk. I knew he'd probably be worried by that, but I didn't really give a crap.

I caught a taxi to my apartment, and slowly creaked open the door. It was late on a Friday, around midnight and I prayed that my roommate was asleep. I knew if he saw my face he'd realize something was wrong and want to talk about it. Sometimes Will could read me like a book. But I really, really didn't want to talk right now I just wanted to sink into the soft sheets of my bed and go to sleep.

Carefully, I stepped inside, closing the door behind me as quietly as possible. The apartment was dark, all the lights were off, but I'd lived here long enough to be able to find my way around without having to see much. I set my keys down on the table and tiptoed slowly past the door to Will's room, praying to the gods that the floorboards didn't creak. I could hear faint snoring coming from inside my roommate's room. I smirked, one day I ought to tell the guy how loud he was, because Will didn't seem to know.

Will Solace had only been my roommate for two or three weeks. Jason had set me up with him after I'd told him about how I was struggling with rent. He'd known we were sorta friends, and he was worried I didn't hang out with people enough, so he'd put us together. But Jason knew if I figured out who he was putting me with I wouldn't agree to the arrangement, so our conversation went a little like this:

Me: Jason, I could barely afford my rent this month, I think I might need a roommate, you know, so we can split the rent.

Jason: Oh, really, that's so weird cause I know this guy who's been looking for somewhere to live. You guys should bunk. I could set you up.

Me: Sounds good, who is it?

Jason: He's great.

Me: Yeah, cool, but who is it?

Jason: A guy.

Jason: That I know.

Jason: You'll love him.

Me:

Me:

Me: Jason, what are you planning.

Jason: I don't know what you are talking about. I am merely helping my friend find a roommate.

Me: Jason Madison Grace, you better tell me who this person is right now or -

Jason: First of all my middle name isn't Madison.

Me: I don't give a shit, Grace, you better -

Jason: I'm texting him right now.

Me: What the Fuck! No! Not before I know who it is!

Jason: Why don't you trust me, Neeks?

Jason: Ooh, he just replied! He said yes, man. You've got a knew roommate!

Me: I will kill you.

I rested my hand on the wall feeling my way in the dark. My room was just down the hall from Will's.

I was so close.

I took another step forward and my foot landed on the floorboards with what seemed like loudest creak in the history of creaks. I cringed and stiffened with one foot up in the air. My breath caught. I listened for Will's snoring.

I heard him snuffle, and then there was nothing. No snoring. Nothing.

Was he awake?

Through Will's wall, I could hear the bed's muffled groan as he sat up.

Shit.

I moved quickly, tiptoeing to my room as silently as possible.

Before I could reach the door Will called, "Nico."

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I could hear his soft footsteps as he shuffled to his door, pulling it open, and flicking on the light switch that sat just outside of it. The hallway flooded with light.

PILES OF THREE-HEADED DOG SHIT!

"Nico," Will yawned, "You're home early, er I mean, you were gone for barely thirty minutes, don't movies last like an hour." He stood in his doorway in yellow pjs with smiling suns embroidered on them, reaching up to run a hand through his messy, bed-head blond hair that stuck up in all directions.

For some reason my stomach fluttered at seeing him like this. In the two weeks he'd been here, I'd never seen him before he cleaned up and had breakfast. He always woke up early and was ready long before I was. But seeing him now I thought to myself that he was cute this way, messy, and real.

Will squinted his pale blue eyes taking me in, "Gods Deathboy, you look horrible." He took a step out of the door way and I unconsciously took a step back, resting my right hand on the door to my room, but still facing him. "Your shirt's all wrinkled, you're hair's mess, you've got that upset look on your face, and is that... black lipstick all over your mouth?"

I really needed a mirror, "Go back to bed Will," I scowled dragging my hand across my mouth again.

Will's eyes widened, with what looked to me like worry. He surged forward and gripped my shoulders. I flinched at his touch (I hated it when people touched me) but he ignored it, staring me straight in the eyes. He had to look down; the guy had a good two or three inches on me height-wise. "Did someone kiss you?"

Why was he worried about someone kissing me? I looked down quickly, feeling a hot red blush spread it's way across my face. I ducked out of his grip and into my room, slamming the door in his face.

"Why do you look so upset?" Will called from behind the door, "Nico, what happened?" I could hear the tinge of worry in his voice.

I flopped onto my bed, not answering, and pulled up the covers. My lights were already off from when I'd left.

Why did Will always worry about me so much? He had back at Camp Half-Blood and he still did now. It got on my nerves sometimes. Well, all the time.

"Di Angelo get back here!" Will shouted. I covered my head with my pillow.

"Nico!"

"Screw off!" I yelled back, my voice muffled by the pillow.

Then it was quiet. For a minute I was scared I had genuinely made him angry, and that he would leave. I needed him to help pay the rent; if he left I was doomed.

But then, after a few more seconds, he called back, "We are talking about this in the morning!"

Oh goody. I groaned loudly. Why did he always have to be so damn interested in my life? Back at camp Half-Blood he constantly insisted that I talk to him when bad things happened. He'd said talking about things was good to help you get over them, or something like that. Well I just wasn't that type of person. I was the kind of person that dealt with things on my own.

"And don't you dare leave before we can talk or I will track your angsty-ass down and drag you back to this apartment!" Will growled.