Despite his dark reputation, Nico had never really seen the point to Halloween. Many people had tried explaining the historical significance but most of them didn't quite know what they were talking about. To them, Halloween was just a fun night every year where everyone was allowed to be a freak and beg for candy.
"Come on, Nico," Will Solace pleaded. "It'll be fun."
"It'll be degrading, is what it'll be," Nico responded, huffing and folding his arms across his chest. "Ever seen a son of Hades dress up like a freaking zombie? No. Because we have real ones. We don't need to go around pretending to be something we see every day."
"Please?"
"No."
"For me?"
"Gods no."
"Please, Nico?"
"No."
Will rolled his eyes and shifted his stance. He gave Nico the look. The look was something that Will had perfected over the last few months at camp. It clearly communicated his feeling of "If you don't do this you're a boring Dead Boy and you know you'll just be grumpy you missed out". When Will shot Nico the look, there wasn't much Nico could do to argue.
Nico's eye twitched. "No."
Will kept staring.
"No."
His eyebrow lifted a third of a degree more.
"Not. Happening."
The Look persisted, boring into Nico, wearing him down.
Nico's confidence wavered. "No?"
Will flexed his eyebrow a final time.
"Ugh, fine."
Will's grin spread across his face and made him light up wickedly like a Jack-O-lantern. "Yes!" He cheered and turned to his friend Lou Ellen, a small girl from the Hecate cabin. "Told you I could do it."
Lou Ellen shrugged and handed over a few shiny golden drachma, smiling at Nico the whole time.
Nico slouched and gave his best grumpy face. "You had a bet going?"
Will turned around, surprise on his face. "Of course we did. You sound surprised." He winked and started to walk to the Camp store where the Stoll brothers were selling realistic looking Halloween costumes. Without turning around, he called out, "I'll pick you up at seven, Zombie Boy!"