Chapter 1: Greetings

I sat there; at the table outside the Big House with Chiron and Mr.D. They were both playing some kind of card game. Mr.D. was sipping out of a Diet Coke can. Chiron's face was grim. It was that way since the first time I told him who I was. It was about 10 minutes ago.

On the top of Half-Blood Hill, a boy, about 19 years old, strolled up to the top. He wore an orange t-shirt; with writing I couldn't read from here, and blue jeans. His head was topped with unruly long black hair. Next to him appeared a girl with curly blonde hair. She was wearing the same t-shirt and blue bell-bottomed jeans. He looked at her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She sunk into his deep embrace.

"Ah," Chiron called. "Annabeth and Percy! You have finally arrived!"

The two named Annabeth and Percy raced down the hill to meet Chiron. Annabeth gave the centaur a big hug. Percy shook his hand.

"Hey Chiron! How's it going here?" Percy asked. He glanced over Chiron's shoulder to look at me. "Who's this?"

"This is - Jane." Chiron had a hard time getting my name out. "She is our most – curious - case."

"Oh. Ok. So, should we show her around? Or have you already done that?" Annabeth asked.

"I guess you should show her around." He looked at me. "So we can decide what to do with her."

His face scared me and made me look away.

"Go on." He said coldly.

Percy and Annabeth took me and started showing me around. As we were walking around, Percy broke the silence. "What did you do?"

Annabeth elbowed him. "Don't mind him. He just doesn't think before he speaks."

"You're the one to talk; your mother is Athena." Percy muttered.

Annabeth glared at him. "I'm Annabeth. This is my, extremely rude, boyfriend Percy."

"Hey!" Percy protested. She hugged and kissed him.

"Hi." I said shyly.

Annabeth looked concerned. "Something wrong?"

"It's nothing."

"Look, Jane." Percy said. "It's hard for everyone here. We've all been through this. And the sooner you get through it, the sooner I'll get to work on a new, new-camper speech."

A small smile waved across my face, then faded.

"Look, no one here has been though what I-" I broke in my sentence. I saw one of the most beautiful sights in the world. A boy, walking on the shore across the way. Water glistened off his perfect body. His black-with-skulls-and-cross-bones bathing-suit was soaked with water. He looked about my age, but taller than me, by far. Shirtless, he came toward us.

"Hey Percy!" He yelled. "What's up, man?"

He picked up a towel and dried his long black hair. He ran toward us, saying hi to other people along the way.

Hold your ground, Jane. I told myself. He's just a boy, a completely amazing boy with a six-pack. Oh man.

"Hey! Nico! Dude, look at you! You've grown in the past year! Your 15 and you have a six-pack!" Percy exclaimed. They bear-hugged each other.

Nico shrugged. "Fighting monsters can be quite the work-out."

He turned to Annabeth. "Hey! It's been too long!" Annabeth said. They hugged like long-lost friends.

Finally, he turned to me. "And, who's this?" He said in a small voice, smiling. I looked away. I felt his eyes on my face. "I'm Nico. Son of Hades."

"Jane." I said.

He didn't say anything. I saw out of the corner of my eye he was still staring at me, smiling.

"Jane." Nico finally said. I looked up. "I like that name."

I smiled shyly and turned away. He did the same.

"Um," Annabeth said, breaking the silence. "We're just going to leave you two alone." She and Percy smiled as they turned around.

Nico's POV

"So, um." I stuttered, trying to make conversation. "I like your shoes." They were tennis shoes, so that wasn't exactly the smartest thing to say. Hey, cut me some slack. She was gorgeous. She wore a green and blue blouse and wore purple jeans and white tennis shoes. Her curly/wavy blonde hair was gelled and her bangs were straightened. Come on, Nico! I told my self. 'I like your shoes'? Come on! Just pretend she's Bianca. Oh wait! BIANCA IS DEAD!

"Uh, thanks." She said, surprisingly smiling. Yessssssss. I thought. Saved by a smile.

"First day here right? How do you like it?" There we go Nico. Better conversation.

"Ok, I guess." She said. I could have sworn I heard her say after that, "Better now."

I smiled and she blushed, noticing that I heard what she said.

"So, you have any questions, ask me." I said.

"I have one," She spoke up. I got a first taste of her eyes. They were blazing gold. I had never seen anyone here with gold eyes, but some of the cabins didn't have anyone in them yet, so how would I know if it wasn't one of those gods? I almost thought - no. I put that thought out of my mind.

"What time is dinner?" she asked.

I laughed. "You read my mind. I'm starving. Dinner is in about one hour. What do you want to do until then?"

"I don't know." She said. "What do you do in your free time?"

I smiled. "One-on-one basketball?"

She smiled. "You are so going to lose."

"Oh, we'll just see about that."

Love me, hate me, say whatcha want about me, but Annabeth and Percy are wondering if you seek my stories! ok that was lame but whatever! comment! review! please don't flame!