Author's Note: This chapter takes place at the same time the last chapter does. The endings of the last chapter and this chapter are really the same.
Note: Thank you to my friend for editing and beta reading my chapters and all of that. I really appreciate it!
Warning: Homosexuality, language, child abuse, death, bullying, breakups, sexual themes (I'll add more along the way)
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. I am definitely not Rick Riordan. Also, I got the "Hades abuses Nico" idea from some fanfic… Though which fanfic I got it from I don't remember. Ciao!
More Disclaimers: Do I even want Tilly's to be mine? I don't even go there... BUT I don't own Nike or Hot Topic, and I really love both of those.
The Violin That Started it Again
Author: Loving Healer
Part 4: Percy Jackson & Silena Beauregard
Chapter Twenty-Three
Nico di Angelo
"It sure seems like awhile since we've been here," I commented tiredly as Silena dragged me from one store to the next. Now that she knew I had a thing for ice cream, we almost spent two hours in the ice cream store again.Someone please help me. I had to thank Annabeth for being there or we would've been there for a whole day maybe.
What did she tell her? I didn't know myself. Annabeth seemed just as tired as I was waiting for Silena to stop spending her time eating ice cream. How did she even stay slim? What magic did she have to perform to keep such a perfect body? Girls, I swear.
Annabeth was the one who whispered something into Silena's ear, which resulted in her jumping up from her seat with a horribly red face and dashing outside. Annabeth just laughed at her reaction and gestured me to follow, but what Annabeth told Silena is still a mystery to me.
I asked Annabeth what she even told Silena, but she only laughed, called me dense, and ignored my subsequent questions. Can someone pleaseexplain to me how I was dense? I thought I was smart but I guess not.
Oh well, at least we were out of that stupid store. I probably won't be eating ice cream for another two lifetimes now.
We passed by the newly-remodeled Tilly's store and Silena practically screamed, most likely breaking my eardrums in the process.
"We haveto go in!" Silena squealed, grabbing a tight hold on my wrists and jumping up and down. "Please?!"
"Okay, okay." I ripped my hands away and placed them on her shoulders so she could stop bouncing. "It wasn't even my idea to be here, so if you want to go somewhere, then just do it."
"Did you want to go to the Nike store too?" Silena asked me with a slight, stepping back and examining me. "I can't see you wearing Nike clothes and stuff like that. That seems more like Beckendorf's kind of thing."
I furrowed my eyebrows. "Wait, what? What are you talking about? Why are you suddenly suggesting we go to the Nike store?"
"Well you said 'just do it,' right?" She laughed lightly at her own joke. I only sighed and slapped a hand to my forehead with a heavy sigh of exasperation.
Annabeth laughed along. "You've got to admit that was pretty good. I didn't catch that either."
"I am notadmitting that it was a good joke," I huffed, shoving my hands into the front pockets of my jeans.
"Aw, why not?" Silena pouted. "It was pretty good."
"I'm still not admitting it."
"If I take you to Hot Topic, will you admit it then?"
I pretended to contemplate the offer. "No."
She pouted with a slight whine. "Nico!"
"Silena!" I imitated poorly, rolling my eyes in the process.
She laughed at my impersonation, and in the corner of my eyes, I could see Annabeth giving her some kind of stare that I couldn't read. It definitely wasn't a good look. A warning sign? What would she even warn Silena about?
"Nico, you seriously don't know how funny you actually are?" Silena asked me, tilting her head to the side and letting her long, blonde hair fall down to one side.
"Funny?" I repeated incredulously. "You think I'm funny?"
"Nico, you're actually the funniest out of all of us," Annabeth stated with a smile. "I mean, I never really had a sense of humor."
"Then what about Silena?" I took my hands out of my front jean pockets and gestured wildly towards the giggling girl in front of me.
"I'm just the super enthusiastic one, you know?" Silena grinned and bounced upon her heels as if to emphasis just hoe energetic she was. "I don't really say anything funny. But youon the other hand..."
"I'm not that funny guys," I denied. "You guys are just imagining things."
"Imagining you being a comedian?" Annabeth replied. "Yeah, I could definitely see that."
"You may have to smile a bit more and lighten up the color of your clothes to appear less intimidating and more fun to be around." Silena scanned me up and down as if imagining me in lighter clothing, which is nothappening by the way.
"Can we just get going to another store and not talk about me being a comedian in the future?" I pleaded. "I'd rather not be one when I get older."
Silena and Annabeth laughed.
"But it'd totally work!" Silena cried, grasping my shoulders and jumping up and down.
"It really would Nico," Annabeth joined in, laughing at Silena jump enthusiastically.
I rolled my eyes once more. Girls I swear.
"Can we just get on with our lives now?" I asked them once more, but this time, they finally agreed with me. Silena linked her arm with mine and lead me to some other store that I had never been to. It wasn't like I went to the mall on a daily basis anyway, unlike someone.Maybe like the person linking arms with me? I don't know, it might be a small possibility. I mean, does Annabeth even go shopping? I can't even picture it, and if I tried, I probably would've pissed my pants from laughing so fucking hard.
It was when we got to a nearby coffee store that the end began. Did that even make sense? I was kind of hoping it did. If not, then just go with it because it's not like I really care. Insensitive? Yeah, I was veryinsensitive, so you've got to get used to that too.
We only went in because Annabeth needed to go to the bathroom after having to eat so much ice cream. Thanks for that, Silena. We really needed to gain an extra ten pounds from just ice cream today. Definitely on the very top of my to-do list for today.
We were waiting outside the small bathroom in the cramped coffee store. The smell of-obviously-coffee filled the room, but I didn't mind it. I loved coffee anyway. Silena offered to buy me something while waiting for Annabeth to finish powdering her nose, but I turned down the offer unfortunately. I was still full from all of that damned ice cream. Never eating ice cream for a long time from now on.
"Hey Nico?" Silena broke my train of thought about cursing ice cream for dateless times.
"Yeah?" I replied simply, leaning against the wall behind me.
"Would you... Ever hate me?"
Now that question took me by surprise. What was she even thinking in that energetic mind of hers?
"What do you mean?" I pushed myself off the wall and stared straight into her crystal blue eyes. "You got me through the toughest times, like the abuse I got from my father and when Percy chea-broke up with me. You tried so hard to become friends with me even though we have absolutely nothing in common. Why would you think I would ever hate you?"
She gulped nervously, and her bottom lip quivered. "We really have been friends for a long time, right?"
"We really have, Silena," I agreed with a nod. "I'm actually kind of glad I gave up on pushing you away before. I finally-"
A pair of lips silenced me, and my eyes widened dramatically. Was Silena actually kissing me? Was it her? Was I imagining things?
My body instantly became still as her arms wrapped around my neck and her hand tugged on the hair behind my head. She pressed her body against mine, and I felt something wet slide down my cheek.
Silena... I thought miserably. When did you find out about your feelings for me? I didn't even know.
It was then that her lips were shoved away from mine. But, I didn't move at all. Did I?
I focused on whoever was standing in front of me, and I didn't think my eyes could get any wider.
Percy Jackson.
