Chapter 11: Leave Me Alone
Will POV:
After learning about Nico's past, I made it my goal to ask him how he was doing every day. Well, every school day. I also invited him to anything and everything the group was doing. He normally would say no, and walk away, but at least I invited him, showed him that people do want him to come.
About a week or so after spending the night at Nico's, I learned where Nico eat his lunch. I know he had lunch the same time as everyone else in the group, but I never once saw him in the cafeteria. Turns out he is "normally" in the library. I don't know how much that's true, but I decided that I would go find him.
I packet my lunch, told Cecil that I had to go to the library during lunch for some class or another, and that I probably wouldn't make it to the lunch room. He said he would see me later, and I dashed off to find the mysterious Nico. Turns out the library is huge, and a million places to hide. It took me a good ten minutes to find him. He was in the darkest corner, with every few chairs around. I should have known to look somewhere dark, but I guess I was hoping he would be kind of visible. Nico blends into the shadows so well, almost like he's melting into them.
I smile and walk over to him. As I get closer, I notice he is reading a thick book. I was about to clear my throat to signal my presence, but before I could, Nico looked up and glared at me. "What do you want?" If he's glare didn't make me step back, his harsh voice did. I didn't mean to, but I'm glad it was only half a step. I don't want to seem like Nico intimidates me. "I wanted to see where you always go for lunch."
"Well you found me. Now leave."
"No." He stays silent, but deepens his glare. I sit down next to him and start pulling my lunch out. As I start eating my sandwich, I look over to Nico again. He went back to reading. "What's ya reading?" I ask with a mouth full of food. He looks over at me before lifting the book off his lap to show me the cover. It was a book full of Greek myths. I nod my head, he puts the book back down and starts to read again. Before he can read too much I ask him another question. "How are you?"
I hear something snap, and I look over to see that Nico somehow had a pencil in his hand and snapped it in two. Not only was his pencil broken, but his expression also snapped. He snarls, and was grinding his teeth together. I'm about to ask what's wrong, before Nico cuts me off. "Stop asking how I am. Ever since I told you what happened to me, you want stop asking how I am. I don't want your pity Solace, so LEAVE. ME. ALONE!" He barks at me. Slamming his book shut, stands up and leave.
I don't know if I'm shocked, confused, or scared. Instead of following after Nico, I sit quietly, kind of pouty and finish my lunch, thinking over everything that just happened.
After the incident in the library, I haven't talked to Nico since. I don't want to upset him again. Apparently my moods been down since then too, because Leo, Cecil, and Lou told me they are dragging me to the mall to play mini putt-putt this upcoming Friday.
Cecil POV:
I don't know what happened to my newer friend when he went to the library a few weeks ago. Before he eats lunch there, he's all smilely and bright, next time I see him, he is down in the dumps and hasn't felt it since. I talked to Lou and Leo about it and we all agreed that we would try to get his mind off whatever it is that's bothering him.
That's how we ended up picking mini putt-putt at the mall. We were playing a few rounds, and it seemed to bring his spirit up a bit, but once we went to get ice cream from the food court, some triggered him and went back to the sad puppy dude, that I hated seeing.
Once we got our ice cream and found a spot to sit, Lou finally asked Will what was wrong. Of course he was being polite and said nothing. That grinded my gears. "Dude! You have been mopping for a little more than a week! Don't tell us it's nothing!" He flinches a bit from the shear value of my voice. Yeah, I'm playful and love to prank, but when I need to be serious I can be. "… I ran into Nico in the library." He says quietly.
"Okay? We knew he goes there during lunch. What does that have anything to do with your mood?" Leo asks.
"I kind of pissed him off." Leo whistles at that. I look at Will like his a dead man. Apparently Lou Ellen is the only one that has a brain to ask what happened. "How can you kind of piss him off? You either did or didn't."
"Yes I pissed him off."
"What did you do?"
"Um …" He looks away not wanting to meet any of our eyes.
"What happened?" Leo asked again, but this time he narrowed his eyes. Almost like he has an idea of what Will and Nico were talking about. I give him a questioning look, but Leo just ignored it. Will look back over to us. Then his eyes went wide when they land on Leo. They almost look like there's hope in them?
"Can I tell Leo? Alone?" Will looks a little nervous. Now this is perking my interest. What could Will tell Leo that he can't tell all of us?
It's true that Lou and I haven't know Nico as long as some of the others, but I didn't think there was really anything that we all didn't know. Leo nods and they both get up and walk away. I look over to Lou and she has the same look that I probably have. "What could they be talking about?" She asks you.
"I have absolutely no idea." I look over to where the other's walked to, then back at my prank partner. My lips start to turn into a mischievous smile. "Do you want to listen in?"
"Of course. How are we going to do it?"
"Let's give them a minute before we move. We don't want to seem suspicious. Then we just have to try to get as close as we can without being found out." Lou nods. Then we start to move.
Leo POV:
Now, I know people think I don't know what's going on, or that I'm stupid, but really I'm pretty smart. It might just be that I have really bad ADHD, that people think I can't be smart or know what people are talking about.
But I had a feeling I knew what Will was talking about. It was one of the only things that not the whole group knew about, so if Will was reluctant to share, then that must mean he learned about di Angelo's nightmares.
I can guess what set the guy off, but with Neeks, don't let him know I call him that, you can never be 100% sure. So we get up and walk a good distance away so the others can't hear. Before he can say anything I ask, "When did you find out about the nightmares?" He seemed a little shocked about my bluntness, but answered none the less. "Um … the Friday of the week his sister died, I spent the night." I nod. Makes sense. I heard Jason had to go over almost every day that week at some point because of nightmares.
"Alright. So what does that have to do with pissing off di Angelo?"
"Apparently he thinks me asking how he's doing is my way of pitying him." Now I'm confused. He doesn't blow up like that unless – "How often did you ask him?"
"Um … at least once a day. Only week days though." Now all the pieces are together. "It might not seem lie pity to you, but to di Angelo it is. If it was someone who didn't know, he might have been pissed but would try to not blow up. They didn't know, so they don't deserve his wrath. Though for someone who knows … I'm only guessing here, but it would be like everyone always saying 'sorry' when someone you knew dies. You don't want empty words, a reminder that someone is wrong or missing. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, but I'm worried about him. I care that he's hurting and doesn't tell anyone."
"Why's that?" Cecil asks. I don't know how long they have been listening in, but I don't think they learned about Neeks nightmares.
"What?" Will turns around and asks.
"Why are you worried about him?" We all look at Will waiting for an answer. It seemed like forever before he finally spoke, or it's just my ADHD acting up worse than normal. "I … I don't know."
Hu. I was expecting more than that.
