Warning for the f-slur (You know which one, he was outed previously)

Part 1: Tiny Dancer

1.6: The Tune She Hums

"Whatever happens, happens. You're strong, you can take it." Nico di Angelo pointed a finger to his face in the mirror. It didn't surprise him how bad he looked, but he had other things to worry about at the moment. Reyna banged on the bathroom door, reminding him that there was only one bathroom for 3 people. He grabbed his stuff and ran out, trying to avoid an angry morning Reyna.

He jumped out and narrowly dodged a hairbrush thrown by an exasperated Reyna. She smiled lovingly at him and then slammed the door.

Nico rolled his eyes. Reyna obviously loved him, but her mood in the morning is like a coin. She can either be a bitch, or a big bitch. Nonetheless, she's a nice bitch. It's her bitchiness that almost convinced him that today was actually going to be a good day. Then he remembers, he's going back to school today. He was clinging onto the idea that maybe Elgin Copperfield was lying... but he wasn't born yesterday. Elgin wasn't the biggest fan of being discreet, he was an open book. It was safe to assume that everything was out in the open, and he was now going to be picked apart, alive.

Nico tripped on his jean cuffs, and left fingerprints on the transparent front door. He waved to Mr. Ross at the front office, and he shot him a thumbs up and a grin. Huh. Some people could be so annoyingly happy.

Nico walked to his first class, avoiding the few people who hung outside of classrooms before the bell. He duck his head into his English classroom, and glanced at Villareal. He glanced upwards, sighed, and turned back to his book. The bell finally rang, and Villareal stood up.

Nico felt something wet on the back of his neck. He turned around.

Spitball.

He glared angrily at the Freshman behind him, and he looked up innocently from his book. He caught Nico's eyes, like a deer in headlights. Nico glanced to the people behind the kid, and found a junior, by the name of Ethan, who was trying to hide a straw behind his magazine. Nico grit his teeth, and turned back to the front. Villareal was droning on about character development and whatnot, if he noticed anything, he didn't let on. Nico sank deeper into his seat and was ready to let it go, when he felt something slimy in his hair, again.

He glanced behind him again, to reveal Ethan, this time without hiding the red straw. Nico stood up, and walked slowly to Ethan's desk. He smiled up at him, twirling the straw between pale fingers. Nico flicked his tongue in front of his teeth, and then grabbed the annoying straw from his fingers, and snapped the plastic in half.

He put it on the floor next to him, and sat back down at his desk. Villareal sent him a warning glance, and he knew he was expected at 5 after class for detention.

Nico opened his book to page 76, and keeps reading about Darry or Dally or whoever the heck The Outsiders was talking about. He was starting to calm down, and regulate his breathing, when a note landed on the top of his desk. He eyed the person next to him warily, and the cold eyes of Jase Stephen. Like an idiot, Nico opened the note.

Faggot.

- The boys

Nico ripped the note, and tossed the pieces into Stephen's grinning face. "Don't ever call me that again, you cazzo." Stephen laughed, and his cold grey eyes made Nico feel dead, even more lifeless than Bianca. And that was talking much. Villareal glanced up from his lesson book. He covered his eyes with his hand. "If you have something to say, di Angelo, you might as well come to the front and share with everyone."

Nico opened and closed his mouth, and then decided the gods had already blessed him with an opportunity.

He stood up, straightened his back and walked confidently to the front. "As you may or may not be aware of by now, I'm gay. And I'm still going to be gay in 15 years, so if you don't like that, keep it to yourself." Ethan smirked at him, and Nico could feel his words eventually back-firing on him. To his left, Villareal nodded.

"Thank you for your PSA. You may now sit down."

- V -

From: [not in your contact list] ecopper

To: [you] nicodian

About: first day back

Body: well, i hope you enjoyed your day as an out-fag, it must've been very entertaining. I will say, I had a lot of fun watching it. Maybe, next time someone comes out, they'll go to you, and you can be a little "outcast group''

- V -

Nico stumbled into Reyna's bedroom. A small cot had been set up for him, but Reyna insisted he take the bed. Nico sat on her bed, and stared at the email notification on his computer. He read a few sentences, and then angrily closed his computer. Pushing his hair back, his eyes landed on a photo frame on Reyna's desk. It was her and Bianca, and looked to be taken around two months ago. He shakily picked it up. Bianca's eyes were closed, and he nose was scrunched up and touching Reyna's. It looked to be taken at St. Jerome pier.

Nico's hands closed around the purple frame. A single tear fell on the smooth glass, and Nico watched it roll until it met the dust at the bottom of the frame.

He closed his eyes, and felt more tears joining the former. Bianca was gone, and the hole left in his chest would never be filled, and he would never love anyone more (or as much) as he loved her. The truthness of that statement caused more tears, and his now red face became laden with salty cries of regret. But perhaps the worst part, is that he never apologized. He couldn't remember why he was even going to apologize, but Bianca would never know either. She had died before he was ready to let go. And now he had to try to let go, on his own.

- V -

"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

- The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald