A/N: So… this chapter introduces Will. I'm sorry, but this will not be insta-love. I apologize profusely. You'll see why. Also, sorry that Will doesn't stay for long this chapter… he will… eventually… just not now…
Warning: Character death; mentions of blood. Read with caution
Part 1: Tiny Dancer
1.3: Lay me down in sheets of linen
"Mr. di Angelo? Are you listening to me?" called the drawling voice of Mr. Villareal. His dark eyes looked at him disappointedly.
"Can you repeat the question?" Villareal sighed, pinching the bridge of his tanned nose. Nico was sure he was responsible for at least 55% of the premature gray hairs on his head. "Why does Cherry think she can fall in love with Dally?" Nico blanked. He ignored Cherry for the most part, she wasn't the most interesting character in The Outsiders, not by a long shot.
"Uh… Because he's hot?" Asked Nico, trying and failing miserably. Villareal sighed even deeper than before, and his classmates burst out into laughter.
"Stay after class again, if you will."
Nico grumbled but nodded solemnly. The freshman behind him gaped, looking like a fish more and more by the second. Not caring if anyone was looking, Nico flicked him the finger. The boy flinched, and turned to the window, cheeks flushed. Without turning around, Villareal announced:
"Detention, di Angelo. Tomorrow, you know where."
Nico glowered to his palms, and when he finally looked up, he glared bullets into the freshman's head. When class ended, he left the room immediately. The freshman stared sadly at him, and Nico pretended not to notice. The young boy sighed to himself and slumped a little before gazing at the note he had left on the abandoned desk in front of him. Maybe, if Nico hadn't left as soon as the bell rang, he would've seen it. But the "what-if-world" doesn't exist, and it's pointless to wonder what maybe, could've, should've happened.
- V –
[El – 12:23] why are you sitting alone
[El – 12:24] I'm sure Daniel would let you sit with him
[El – 12:24] oh well. Too bad people like you don't have any friends
- V –
"Nico? Nico? You there?" A hand waved in front of his face. Lou Ellen's ring clad fingers stared back at him, and Nico pushed them away irritated. Lou frowned, raising an eyebrow quizzically. Nico wouldn't really call themselves friends, but when Arianna released her rage on them with hard-core practices, people had to stick together. Lou wasn't that interested in tap, she only enrolled to get out of her mom's house. Nonetheless, Nico tolerated her company. "Please stop waving your hands in my face, I haven't gotten my tetanus shot yet and I don't want your rings to ruin my beautiful face."
She laughed. "I don't think you get how tetanus works, Nico."
"What are you talking about? I know everything about everything."
"Oh please. I know your chemistry grade."
"Fuck off, Lou."
She giggled. Honestly, she was so annoying. How could she laugh at Nico's obvious annoyance? She slid onto the floor beside him, their backs to the mirrored wall. Arianna was running late, so they had about 5 minutes before Arianna exploded her wrath on them in the form of harsh dance moves. Lou took Nico's water bottle, and started sipping it. He stared at her incredulously and she shrugged. "What? Hydration is key."
Nico snorted. "Yeah, key to making me kill you. Drink from your own bottle next time."
"That's what—"
A surprisingly loud groan around them interrupted Lou. Arianna walked in, sunglasses in one hand and sports bag in the other. She flashed them a quick smile, but they all knew it'd disappear in a few minutes. The door was open, and she gestured to someone on the other side to walk in.
A boy, with blue eyes and curly blonde hair, walked in and stood awkwardly next to Arianna. "This is Mr. Cleve's grandson, Will Solace. He plays the piano too."
Drew Tanaka waved to him, and the new kid smiled tentatively. Nico looked closer to him, and noticed he was taller than Nico, but then again, everyone was taller than Nico. For some reason, his towering height annoyed Nico. He brushed it off and tapped absentmindedly against the floor. After a quick introduction, Arianna shooed Will out, and they started the practice.
- V –
"You seem a little young to be a piano player."
"You seem a little small to be a dancer."
"That's bullshit."
"Don't worry; the feeling's mutual."
Why was Will Solace so infuriating? Why did he make Nico so annoying to those around him? Why was he a smart aleck? And most importantly, why did he make Nico so irreparably exasperated with the world? Why?
- V –
[El – 5:36] im bored
[El – 5:37] when was the last time you hooked up
[El – 5:39] I bet last night
[El – 5:42] gays are always so greedy
- V –
Nico wished the words on his screen weren't true. But the thing only problem was when someone at his high school was 'questioning,' or wanted to 'experiment,' they came to him. He told himself he was doing them a favor, but he wasn't talented at lying to himself.
He walked into his house and laid his bag on the couch. Bianca glanced at him from the kitchen, and he started walking to her, ready to launch into a spiel of apologizing to her. Bianca held up a finger and gestured to the phone she was holding. She didn't look annoyed, just frustrated with the person on the other end. Nico sat down on the kitchen counter, waiting. After she hung up, Bianca grabbed her keys off of the wall beside him.
"C'mon, I need to pick up Reyna."
"Why?"
"Just come, I'll even let you pick the music."
Nico beamed, Bianca hated his music, so he knew she wasn't kidding. He happily climbed into the passenger seat. Bianca revved the motor, and they shot off. Nico turned his music down and turned to Bianca. Nico twisted uncomfortably in the seatbelt and put his hands together in his lap. She turned to face him, just for a millisecond. "Bianca, I know that what I said the other day to you wasn't—"
They didn't see it coming. But no one ever does. It didn't make it any less tragic, her blood did that just fine.