Hola, heads to Nala Jackson for giving me a thumbs up on this one. This thing is over on Wednesday and remember: my stories aren't over until I write 'The End', so don't stop coming 'till you've heard it! Thanks for reading and I'm killing two birds with one stone in terms of what you guys wanted to see here :) So...
XIV
December 11-12th
Nico was up in the middle of the night, with a notebook opened on his knees and a flashlight stuck between his shoulder and tilted head. How did people in movies do this? He was getting a neck cramp.
He scribbled across the page and erased and scribbled again and over and over.
Finally he read over it and deemed it fit enough, so he closed the binder, rubbed his neck and passed out.
"Alright my little darlings, who wants to go next?" Miss Padma said looking up with a crocodile grin.
As usual, nobody wanted to. Nico didn't care how much he'd invested in those- he wasn't going up there willingly.
"Wimps!" She yelled out. "You're all going to have to go anyways!" Miss Padma said. She mused, "It's gonna happen…"
Some guy coughed.
"Good Lord Stewart Brown- what a bunch of wimps! Really people? Mr di Angelo then."
Nico got up, gathered his papers and planted himself in front of the Smartboard screen, wondering who Stewart Brown was. He looked at Miss Padma who was writing his name on a test sheet (10 $ she'd write 'Nicholas' or 'Niccolò' on the grid again. For crying out loud people; Nico; it wasn't short for anything whether the long form sounded Italian or not).
She looked up at him and smiled her crocodile smile.
"You may begin Nico."
"My name is Nico di Angelo, and these are my paragraphs for the assignment on short texts and emotions and stuff."
Nico rocked at oral presentations, as you could see.
"Okay, well, umm, I guess I'll go by alphabetical order like everyone else…"
Anger- by Nico di Angelo
I've been angry a lot in my life. I've been / through some pretty insane things since I was about 10 and they've made my emotions spin like a house in a tornado. I've been angry at myself, at people around me, at people that used to be around me, people that aren't there anymore, et cetera. But what takes the cake is when somebody lets you down. I used to fully depend on my half-sister, Bianca.
Both of us were alone unless we were together. And then one day she got the golden opportunity that people always talk about, to change their lives and live differently and all that. And she took it. She left to do her own thing in life. I should have been okay with that, but I wasn't. The only solid thing I had was Bianca and then she left. She'd made a promise to me once that she'd always take care of me, and then she'd turned her back and let other people worry about me. I felt betrayed and toyed with. I didn't want other people around, I wanted Bianca because everything else changed with the seasons, but Bianca didn't. She decided to change her life- as if I wasn't good enough for her life. Of course, now I don't see things like that, but I was 10 years old at the time. In my head, I needed something permanent and she'd just decided that I could deal on my own. The worse was that Bianca died in an accident not long after. Not long after at all. Then there was really no chance I'd be back on my feet again, same old Nico with something solid. That made me mad. I'd been left, and now I had absolutely no chance to catch up.
Happiness- by Nico di Angelo
I did get back to my feet eventually. Two years or so after Bianca passed away, I started at least acting social. That's when I met Sarah Barclay. She can make you laugh when you're about to cry. Her constant state of happy rubs onto you whether you like it or not, even when every cloud in the sky is right above your head. We were best friends for about two years before we left 'friends' behind. You don't need to know the whole story, but holding Sarah's hand made the world feel sweeter and lighter than I was used to. I could tell you about the biggest pranks that Sarah pulled and that I was dragged into, I could tell you about every time Sarah and I were let loose around the city, or about the most magic moments, the sweetest kisses and the real moments that I said 'light at the end of the tunnel- check'. But really, I think I was just happy having Sarah by my side, thinking things were moving on, and finally finding something good. That's happiness; not a moment, a mile.
Sorrow- by Nico di Angelo
A lot of the times when I've been angry I've been sad as well. It doesn't matter why or what caused it, but I have. I've been through every emotion from love, to jealousy, to gut-wrenching sadness. The funny thing is- the best in me came out when I found the best I could, Sarah. And the worst in me came out because of the same reason.
Sarah and I were 15 when she started having headaches, balance problems and she was always tired. I guess you can figure out what it led to seeing as I wrote it down here, but Sarah was diagnosed with a brain tumour. She was sent to New York for treatment, and my cousin Percy let me stay with him so I could stay close to her. The shock of thinking that something was wrong with Sarah, that something was hurting her, that she was in so much danger because of her own body and that I couldn't do anything about it… This could fit into 'anger' as well, but it really shocked me how such a good person could be plagued with something like that. I think an even worse blow for me was in late November. See; we've always known that Sarah's tumour was malignant- which meant that the cancer cells could spread anywhere. But not that long ago we found out that it had spread to her lungs, but that it was too late, and that Sarah would have been too weak to survive surgery anyways.
So the sorrow in my life was dealing with the fact that my girlfriend, the first person in a long time to make me feel okay, was terminally ill.
That one day she'll slip away, and the world will keep spinning, school will stay in session, and the tide's going to keep coming in and out. That nothing will change except for me, because the day that that happens, everything will change for me. Heck, I wonder if Sarah will even live until Christmas. Her health slips every day and everyone knows it. I love her so, so much. She loves me too. And because I love her that much I'm going to have to stay with her and hold her hand when it happens. I'm going to have to be okay after she slips away because that's what she wants for me, and that might be the worst part- Sarah's asking me not to be sad. I'm going to have to pretend that I'm brave and put up with everything and everyone else –including the idiots- at the same time. I'm going to have to pretend that it really won't be the worst thing of my life. I'm pretending right now that I don't know that it's coming like a meteorite. And I don't know how I'll do it, but for Sarah, I will.
Nico closed his eyes. Again, with the misty eyes.
"Yeah, well, that's it." He said. He looked at the expressions of the people in his class and Miss Padma's round and sorry eyes. He stood there for an awkward second, and a slow round of applause started. Nico scurried to his seat behind Ian's as fast as he could. Hands shot up.
"Hun?" Nico asked.
"I have a question." Andrea Roberts, the girl who raises her hand for everything, said.
"Umm… Okay." Nico said.
"Do they know how long she has to live?" Andrea asked. Thing with Andrea: she doesn't have a 'conscience' which made her unapt at recognising what was 'awkward' and 'don't ask that'.
Nico balanced from foot to foot.
"They said two months when I asked once, but usually they always overestimate things, and Sarah's doing worse than ever so…"
"Is that why you punched Bryce Carlton yesterday?" Nico's face darkened.
"Yes," Nico said. He tried to go back to his seat but he kept getting questions. Questions he didn't want to answer. What is she like, what kind of cancer, how does chemo work, does she feel like she's dying, for how long has she been dying, how did they not find the cancer in her lungs before, can't they do anything...
He didn't have to look at Ian for help.
Ian whistled for attention- a loud whistle that would've gotten him all the dogs in New York at his feet.
"Yo, give the guy a break." Ian said. "He marked it under 'sorrow'. I may not be a genius-"
"You're not," Derrick called.
"-But he probably doesn't want to talk about it."
The class quieted down, listening to Ian better than they listened to teachers. Miss Padma stared down at Nico like she was trying to find something to say. Nico shot her his deluxe 'talk to me and you'll regret it' look- which he usually didn't give teachers but Miss Padma had it coming.
Strangely; he felt better. Like the metaphorical anvil was weighed off the metaphorical heart-not-broken-to-pieces.
As Miss Padma was trying to corner another student into presenting, the bell rang. Everyone was out so fast that she didn't have time to nail anyone- and that included Nico.
He got a lot of 'sorry' and 'aww, that's so sad!' in the hallway and people seemed to pay attention to him. They'd never done that before with him. They'd always just accepted and dismissed the little Goth kid that, for some reason, Ian Donatello hung out with.
"I feel like they're all talking about me." Nico said, as he and Ian walked across the cafeteria, so they could get outside. It might be winter but Ian was in a mood for onion rings, and gods forbid he got none.
"That's because they are all talking about you. That was deep Nico."
In the hallway they passed an empty class where students were watching a slideshow about rebuilding houses in a country that had just gotten an earthquake- a trip called 'Shelter in Syria'. Nico spotted Eileen as one of the students standing at the front and briefing, trying to convince the others to sign up.
"About Eileen; she was upset yesterday. But, you know, mom came home from work and they locked themselves up in her room and did whatever it is girls do when stuff like this happens, and she's all good now. I think she knows about Sarah. Anyways, you don't have to worry about her. She's not upset or mad at you, and you're still invited to her Sweet 16 because I need moral support and Derrick doesn't count. He's another reason I need moral support. Anyways, bring Sarah if she's okay with it. You don't even have to stick around for long."
"Thanks," Nico said. "And speaking of meeting Sarah- she still wants to meet you."
"Anytime. As you know I try to keep my social calendar at a reasonable level."
"You mean you won't go out with every girl in school or hang out with the freakishly popular?"
"Snap- is that Brittney Vanmatre and Cecil Nolf going in line at the chip wagon? No- they take forever to order! Run Nico!" Ian said before sprinting off to catch up. Nico rolled his eyes, but followed Ian. Maybe he did want onion rings too.
Nico led Ian through the hall.
"Hey Tall Dude!"
Nico saw Clay trudging to the playroom, pulling an IV unit behind him, followed by Big Bertha.
"Hi Clay," Nico said.
"Who was that?" Ian asked.
"A kid called Clay. Don't ask; he thinks I'm the best thing on earth because I'm tall."
"Poor kid- dementia is it?"
"Oh, shut up." Nico said. He knocked on Sarah's door.
She had bags under her eyes like she hadn't slept, and she probably would be right now except for the fact that Alena was pointing out the parts of an aunt in a book called 'Lifestyles and Lives of Insects and Arachnids' for her. (Alena was weird that way. Contrarily to the rest of her siblings, she took the fact that all these spiders were coming after her as a chance to dissect something still alive with feeling no guilt whatsoever).
"Hey, look what the chimaera dragged in." Nico said. Alena spun around.
"Shut it di Angelo. And look at that- you're interacting with live things again!" She said spotting Ian.
"What, is he known to talk to rocks?" Ian said. His hands were stuffed deep in his pockets because the cold had frostbitten his fingers in the two seconds he'd had them unprotected when they stepped out of school.
"Not exactly," Sarah said.
"Ian, this is Sarah Barclay, Sarah, this guy's Ian Donatello."
"Hey," Ian said.
"Yeh." Sarah said.
"What?" Nico asked thinking 'oh great, multiple personality disorder here we come'.
"It's hey backwards. Y-E-H, H-E-Y. I was really bored before Alena showed up, and nobody else was working on the PCP and… Well, I stole some lady's mirror in the hall." Sarah pouted.
"Did you give it back?" Nico asked.
"No." Sarah said like the idea had never possibly come to her.
"She's been saying random words backwards forever." Alena said. "I had no idea she was this good at spelling."
"It's genius! I insult people, then they have to figure out what a Krej or a Toidi is, and by that time I am long gone! Just think, I can make all the Squirt+ Crystal jokes I want with this. It's revolutionary!"
"I like that;" Ian said, nodding in approval. "I can use it on my brother. Good thinking, Haras."
"No I'm Haras Yalcrab." Sarah corrected Ian, dead serious.
"Oh, sorry." He said. "So who's your dneirf?"
"Alena Hartney," Alena said, getting up and holding out her hand. She was wearing a long camp shirt, jean shorts and white pumas- which was something you'd only be wearing if you were in nice, never cold, Camp Half-Blood. She was looking very sweet and innocent today, and Nico saw Ian's resistant go down the drain. Oh boy…
"I'm just a friend from their old school."
"Oh Nico, revolutionary news from that place- Alena finally found out that Julio was an-"
"Sarah, just because we broke up doesn't mean that I appreciate the recent labels you've put on his head." Alena frowned. Sarah coughed 'it's true'.
"Oh thank god, can't stand that kid." Nico said.
"You should have told me!" Alena said. "I would've done something about it if I'd have known he was… Him!"
"What was the fight about?" Nico asked.
"Oh, he bullied Brendon Giroux into pushing for being counsellor instead of the role going rightfully to me, because he thought it would 'ruin our relationship' or something like that- it caused everything else to go to chaos, Annabeth had to stay over a night to fix things and Minnie and London haven't talked to him since- it's upset the cabin's whole order."
"Something bull." Sarah summed.
"Counsellors?" Ian asked.
"It's a long story, Ian. Maybe we'll tell you someday. Our old school worked like a summer camp except more awesome but with the learning bit that we could all pass on."
"Education is key! If you don't even bother with academics, how will you-"
"Except for this special brand of people called 'Alenas'." Nico said. Alena hit his arm and Sarah laughed.
"You're fighting like an old married couple!" She said. "Back off, Al, he's mine. You can take Ian."
Alena and Ian both blushed but their eyes met.
"It's my sister's sweet 16 on Sunday. I need someone to dance with and there's going to be free cake." Ian offered with a smile. Alena looked him over with steel grey eyes, suddenly harsh, but Ian didn't even flinch.
"Sounds okay to me, then." Alena said, judging Ian worthy once he passed the glare test.
"Ooh, can I come? Spiking punch is fun!" Sarah said.
"Actually, yes my mom wants Nico to come for the first and I'm sure he has nobody else to bring, but no for the second. I'm the one who gets to spike the punch."
"Oh common, why?"
"Because it's my sister. I am forced to live with her; I get to spike the punch."
"Sounds fair," Sarah shrugged. "And I was kidding- really?"
"Well, Nico's coming so I guess you can come too." Sarah smiled.
"Haven't been to a party in a long time." She said, "This should be fun."