I was bored out of my mind. As Nico slashed at me with his wooden weapon, I parried and deflected with ease. He attacked, I saw it coming. He strategized, I knew his plan. Children were of no interest to me unless they were able to outthink me. And those children I had lost interest in before had at the least gained my interest in the beginning. Nico didn't have my full attention from the start.

Once I had won yet another battle, I believe our fifth in the thirty minutes I had been there, NIco panted out, "I need a break," and staggered out of the room and down the hall. He returned quickly with two glasses of water and a plate of snickerdoodles on a tray. I eagerly devoured some of the precious cookies. I had not even seen one since last Christmas and it had been even longer since I had eaten any cookies. It was delicious and I had missed it.

"What do you wanna play?" NIco asked, pushing a stuffed rabbit off a chair to make room for himself. He did the same to the chair next to him, but I didn't feel like sitting. The boy frowned. I shrugged it off.

"I'm not sure. I don't know many games," I said, taking another cookie.

This cheered Nico up considerably. "We could play dragons. Or with Bianca's stuffies. Or we could even play chess or checkers if you want."

I shook my head, glancing out the window with a sigh. "I don't know how to play any of those," I admitted.

"I can teach you."

Have a little kid be teaching me things? No thank you. "I'd rather not learn, thanks."

"You don't have to stay here, you know."

I froze. Yes, I had definitely done something wrong and blown my chances at a stable living space. Did he plan on kicking my mother and I out of his house? Would he tell Mrs. di Angelo to fire my mom? She would not fire a good working maid just because said maid's son was a stick in the mud would she? This seven year old had too much power over me than I had ever thought. I was shocked into fear.

"Wh-What do you mean?"

Nico sighed, a single tear rolling down his cheek. "You don't have to stay in here and play with me everyday. You can go with your friends or something. My mother would never know. She would still pay you and you wouldn't have to be around me."

That proposition sounded promising to me, but the tears that the little boy let out were enough for me to stop and reconsider what I had been doing. I tried to relax and look more approachable.

"Nico, why does your mother want to pay me to play with you. You seem like a nice kid. Haven't you made any friends at school?"

"I don't go to school," he snuffled. "I have always been home schooled. At least back home we had neighbors whom were my age, but here we are surrounded by elderly people. I haven't seen a single boy, except for you. But you don't have to play with me. I can learn to play on my own."

A voice within me said that this kid was playing me. Reverse physcology. The kid was smart, but so was I. I was far too smart to fall for this.

But when I looked into those dark eyes, I saw a desperateness I never thought could exist in a child of his social standing. He was going through a tragedy. A was a child who had no friends to call his own. His family had packed up and moved to America on a whim. That, I think, constitutes a bit of empathy from me. I had also moved around and lost some friends. And he was crying for Zeus's sake. Despite what you may think, I am not heartless.

"That won't be necessary," I told Nico. "I would be more than happy to play some games with you. I plan on making you a friend and that's what friends do, am I right?"

Nico blinked as if he had not been expecting my words. "Really?"

I smiled. "Really really, buddy."

NIco grinned back at me, starting to put back his pirate toys and brought out a checker board. "Can I teach you to play checkers, Preston?"

I swallowed my pride and the lump in my throat as I nodded. Sometimes you have to learn things from your juniors, I supposed. "All right. How do you play?"

"On guard, Preston! If you do not fight me, Captain Nico of the Jolly Bean, you will have to walk the plank!" Nico exclaimed, chasing me around the playroom. I laughed and leaped over his advances, though sometimes I would stumble. I may have gone against some fierce fighters in capture the flag, such as Joyce from Poseidon and her beau Garrett from Ares, but Nico had gotten very good at being a pirate over the last few months. After I instructed him in some technics, Nico had even begun to surpass me in sword play. I had gone to a camp full of trained warriors for two summers and a barely taught mortal could disarm me? I was glad to have taken up long distance weapons back when I was first claimed.

"Nico, we don't have a plank!" I sputtered out through my laughter. The other boy had backed me into a corner and put his wooden sword up to my chest.

"That's Captain Nico to you, scoundrel!" he said while faking rage. "And we do so have a plank. On top of the table for you! Climb on and fall through the stuffies of doom!"

I hopped onto Bianca's tea party table, turned backwards and fell onto the pile of stuffed animals on the floor. "The plank has been walked, Captain! Anything else you want from me sir?"

Nico was trying his best to hold back his own guffaws. I could tell from his watering eyes that his laughter was close to suffocating him. I smirked, reached out, and began to tickle the life out of my little friend. Nico howled with laughter, sobbed tears of joy. This was by far the best part of my day; laughing and just having a good time with him.

"Preston," my mother's voice broke through the air as she opened the door. "Did you forget what today is?"

I shook my head and looked up at her from my spot on the ground. "It's Wednesday, mom."

My mom looked at me as if I was dense. "Yes, Pres, sweetie. It is Wednesday. June 5. You know, dear, the first day that you go stay with your father every year?"

My jaw went slack. I have forgotten the first day of camp. I was dense. I quickly stood up from the pile of stuffies and scrambled over to my mom. "Really? I can't believe I forgot."

Mother scowled at me teasingly. "I hope you didn't forget to pack, sweetie. Don't wanna forget something here. New York is a ways away."

I shook my head. I had finished packing last week. "I have everything, mother. I'll be down in a few minutes."

My mom nodded and exited the room. I turned to collect my things and stopped in my tracks. Nico was crying, giants tears rolling down his rolling down his face. I hurried over to dry them with my shirt.

"Nico, what's wrong bud? What happened?"

Nico snuffled, tears still flowing like a waterfall. "I-I forgot. That y-you're leaving. For three mon-months."

I smiled sadly at him. "Yeah. It's a long time, huh?"

He nodded. "You're telling me! I'ma gonna miss you, Pres." NIco enveloped me in a huge hug, squeezing tight. I wheezed out a laugh.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Neeks. Don't worry, though. I am still going to write to you. I can even call you when I get the chance. Maybe. And hey," I said, a thought coming to me. I took the shoelace out of my shoe and tied it to the size of Nico's wrist. "You can keep this pirate shoelace bracelet. I walk the plank, you get the treasure, right? I mean, it's a pretty bad substitute for treasure, but-"

Out of nowhere, Nico kissed my cheek. I could feel the crimson blush flowing up my face. Nico smiled. "Thank you Preston. I will treasure it always."

I felt Nico's lips on my cheek all the way to Long Island.

A/N This chapter is a lot shorter than the last one, but I felt like that was a good place to stop. And what the Hades Nico!? What are you doing? I don't even know ;) Just kidding. This may be the first time I am writing a story and am completely prepared. Like and comment what you think is happening. I hope you all are having a splendidly splenda week! Happy Thursday friends. Hope you enjoyed!