OMGs everybody! I am so sorry that this chapter took forever to write. And what's worse is that it's mostly dialogue! . I'm not going to blame anybody for my temporary stop in writing, I had a family emergency which required me to drive across the country and I left my laptop at home! Ugh, I'm stupid. Anyhow, hopefully this chapter isn't as disappointing as the new jingles. Oh, how I miss Eric aka The guy.
Enjoy!
Archery was nothing. I managed to pull off one bullseye, even though it was on Amy's target, which was about ten feet away from mine. Plus, I didn't put anyone in the infimary, which is always good. After archery, I had to take some of my younger siblings to Percy for a swimming lesson. Chiron said that it was mandatory that we know how to swim before we participated in the canoe races. The kids were getting out, save some of the older teenage girls, and my siblings got in. I flicked my gaze around the bank and saw what seemed to be a sleeping Nico. A sleeping shirtless Nico. A sleeping shirtless Nico that was completely unsuspecting to whatever attack one might launch. I walked up and laid down next to him, rolling over on my side to face him. He didn't seem to notice. I jabbed my finger into his ribs. That seemed to catch his attention. He removed his arms from his face and rolled over to face me.
"Can I help you?" he asked. I shrugged.
"Just wondering what you were doing," I replied.
"I believe I was sleeping," he told me, which made me laugh. "What's so funny?" he asked.
"I don't know, just your tone," I replied.
"Do I need to impersonate your brothers?" he asked. I shook my head.
"No, no, I don't need another round of the Taco Song," I told him. He looked at me questioningly.
"Taco... Song...?" he asked.
"You don't want to know," I replied. He shrugged and looked into my eyes, making me feel like I was drowning in the chocolate river from that one Johnny Depp movie. He smiled a crooked smile at me and suddenly Spencer was lowered inbetween us. I looked up to see Chiron smiling warmly at us.
"I told you that hanging out with Taralynn wasn't considered an activity," he told Nico. Nico looked embarassed as Spencer climbed up on top of my stomach, smiling the entire time. Chiron trotted off, leaving us alone. I sat up, letting Spencer sit on my lap. He made all those noises that most babies make, smiling and giggling as he pulled my hair. Nico sat up and took him off of my lap.
"Sorry," he said, "I guess I should teach him not to pull hair," he added sheepishly. I laughed.
"It's okay," I reassured him. Spencer looked mad that he couldn't sit with me and started squirming to come back. "I think someone likes me," I said and Nico nodded.
"Wait, were you talking about me or him?" he asked after a moment.
"I don't know, who were you nodding about?" I asked him.
"Him," he replied quickly, pointing to his younger brother. I leaned over and whispered in his ear.
"Between you and me, I think I'm a tad too old for him," I whispered. Nico chuckled.
"Between you and me," he whispered back, "I think I'm a tad too old for you." I leaned back.
"Touche," I replied.
"Do you want to go somewhere else?" he asked me.
"I do, but I'm supposed to stay and watch them," I replied, pointing to my younger siblings.
"None of Apollo's girls watched the kids in the last class," he pointed out.
"Look again," I told him, pointing to Hayley Jenkins, one of Apollo's daughters that was a year older than us. He sighed.
"How long is this class?" he asked. I shrugged.
"About an hour, give or take," I replied. He let out a long, exaggerated sigh. Spencer mimicked him, making both of us laugh. He ate up all of the attention. Percy called out again, asking for Nico's help with my youngest sister, Kelli, who was terrified that a shark was going to come and eat her. Remind me to slap Connor and Travis for telling her to watch Jaws, I thought to myself. Nico sighed and handed Spencer to me. I sat Spencer on my lap and tried to teach him to play peek a boo, but I was failing. He just wanted to cover my eyes with his pudgy little fingers, giggling and laughing. But pat a cake did seem to come more naturally to him. Before long, I had him clapping and rolling, but he still wanted to cover my eyes. Eventually, he started to yawn and fall asleep. I bent my knees so that I could prop him there and still be able to watch. My eyes flicked across the lake, watching everyone else. Percy was demostrating a backstroke, my brothers were splashing my sisters and they were paying no attention, the girls that were my age giggled at Percy, and Nico was no where to be seen. I continued to look around, when I saw him out of the corner of my eye, coming up from under the water. He jerked his head back, sending his hair flying. He wiped the water from his face and opened his eyes. His abs were well defined, almost able to be called six pack abs. I could feel myself sinking into that feeling that most girls get when they look at shirtless Taylor Launter. My jaw popped open and I couldn't bring myself to blink let alone look away. He smiled at me and I thought I was going to scream.
What is this feeling? The feeling where you want to jump on top of a train and sing your heart out? Love? Really? No way, we're kids, hormones play tricks on us all the time. It can't be. I never felt this way when I looked at Percy, why does Nico make me feel this way? Why is it that everytime I look in his eyes, I feel that the world has stopped and everyone but us has dropped dead and are unimportant? Why do my fingers tremble when he flashes that smile? Why does my entire body feel engulfed with fire and ice (at the same time) everytime I hear his voice, so silky smooth, so entoxicating. Why does every nerve stand on end when someone mentions his name? Is it love? Is it what Annabeth and Percy have? Is this the love that they speak of? Is it?
He waded back toward the bank, water clinging to his hair. The Percy Fangirls, as I had come to call them, stopped looked at Percy long enough to take in the sight of Nico. Some of them squealed and whispered excitedly to eachother, while the older ones gazed whistfully toward Percy. The younger ones got off of their spots on the shore and walked towards him, throwing their arms around him, unafraid. Some of them fingered his abs while others ran their fingers through his hair, making jealousy burn within me. If it weren't for the fact that Spencer was asleep in my lap, I'd have stood up and took their heads off. He pushed away from them, leaving them disappointed. He got back to me and looked at me. I continued to glare at the fangirls, trying to decide whether to line their cups with poison or to just slit their throats in their sleep.
"You okay, you look like you're going to put firecrackers in their brains," he said.
"Can't be done without surgical equipment," I replied, not taking my eyes off of them. He inched closer and put his arm around my shoulder.
"Tara, don't be jealous," he told me, "Just think of it this way, they have no life, and you have me," he said before quickly adding, "And Spencer, me and Spencer." His touch released me from whatever animosity I was feeling, instantly cooling whatever rage was burning within me.
I leaned my head on his shoulder.
"You don't have to add him at the end of every statement," I told him, "I like you too." He stiffened and I felt his head turn to look at me. I gazed up and met his confused look.
"What do you mean you like me?" he asked.
"I mean that you're really nice and, despite what my brothers say, I don't think that I can do any better than you," I told him.
"But, you only like me," he said. I shrugged.
"I try not to say love," I started.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because love hurts more," I finished.
"Why would I hurt you?" he asked. I shrugged.
"I don't know," I replied. He rolled his eyes.
"You are pretty and confusing," he commented.
"And you are gorgeous and easily confused," I replied.
"We're perfect for eachother," he said and I sighed.
"You're just now realizing that?" I asked sarcastically. He shrugged and we sat there in silence, waiting for my siblings to finish splashing eachother. I guess Percy finally gave up and dismissed them after another half hour of being ignored. By then, Spencer had waken up and was trying to play pat a cake with Nico. I rounded up my brothers and sisters and sent them off to the cabin to change. Percy came out, telling the mass of girls along the shore to get a life, he's taken. They all sighed and left. He and Annabeth joined us on the shore.
"Tara, you scared the snot out of me earlier," Percy told me, "The way you looked at the girls after they were through with Nico make me think that you could kill them by just looking at them." Annabeth nodded.
"Yeah, Tara, we thought you were going to stab them with a jagged butcher knife until they bled to death," she added. I shrugged.
"Okay, so I freak out when people try to steal things from me, stealing is my job, not theirs," I told them. They all snickered at me and Annabeth plucked Spencer away from Nico.
"Hi, sweetheart," she cooed at him, "Aww, you're just as adorable as your older brother," she said and I started grinding my teeth. I could see her biting her lip for saying that and she quickly handed Spencer over to me. Nico and Percy snickered as Annabeth slowly inched away from me.
"Don't worry, Annabeth, I can't murder you in your sleep, Percy would then kill me, which would make Spencer cry uncontrolably, forcing Nico in a state of pure insanity in which he would start stabbing people with socks," I told her. Spencer clapped at the mention of his name and started to laugh.
"I don't see how he is related to you, Nico," Percy said, "Normally, you're all sad and depressing, this kid's the life of the party." Nico rolled his eyes and Annabeth and I laughed. Connor and Travis came up to bother us.
"Hey, sis, when we send you to watch the little peoples, that means that you watch them CONSTANTLY!" Travis told me.
"And not ditch them to play with your adopted son," Connor finished. They faked anger, but the playful looks remained in their eyes. I arched my eyebrow.
"Okay, then you sit here and let the zombie prince tug at your hair while planning on killing the Percy and Nico fangirls because they are TAKEN!" I shouted at them. Their eyes got wide.
"Tara, you aren't allowed to kill things," Connor said nervously.
"Anyhow, Chiron would know it was you," Travis said. Connor nodded. I shrugged.
"Oh well," I stated. Percy and Annabeth had drifted off into their own little world by then and were sitting really close to eachother, gazing into eachother's eyes. Eventually, Percy kissed her. "Ew, not infront of the children!" I shouted at him. Annabeth snapped out of her Percy induced trance.
"Oh, we're sorry, we forgot Spencer was here," she nervously said. I shook my head.
"I'm not talking about Spencer, he's a baby, he won't remember that, I'm talking about them!" I shouted, pointing at my brothers. We all laughed and Connor abruptly stopped.
"Wait, children? Travis, Mommy called us children!" he said. Travis pouted.
"Daddy, tell Mommy to be nice to Connor!" Travis said to Nico. We all started laughing again when the lunch horn sounded and we all got up to go and eat.
Well, yeah, I'm not going to make any promises on when Chapter Four will be written. I have hit writer's block and suddenly have the urge to write Criminal Minds fanfics. But I will update some time before August arrives, even if it kills me!
I love all the people that have been with me since Chapter One! And I love all of you that review! But not in the creepy way that will get me labeled as an internet stalker. 0.o Oh, and here, in honor of Grover (Who will be making an appearance in later chapters!), here's an enchilada! And if you don't like enchiladas, here's a taco, in honor of Taralynn and Nico. (: