CHAPTER SUMMARY
Thanksgiving dinner has consequences, both good and bad.
BEGINNING NOTES
I'm... I'm not even going to give you an excuse this time, I'm just going to admit that I'm insanely terrible at posting. And I don't know why.
I do want to reassure you guys though, this fic is 100% prewritten and will NOT go unfinished. I just have to get back into the habit of posting each week. But even if it takes a year or more, this fic will see it to the end.
I know this one's on the shorter side, but this and next week's chapter was too long to combine.
And all the characters are owned by Rick Riordan.
Credits at the end.
So, yeah, that happened.
I helped Sally hide all the sharp objects in our house after Nico's Thanksgiving outburst. I was still trying to wrap my head around it. Was Papà right to put Nico in the hospital if he'd said he had nothing left to live for? Or did Nico tell me the truth during our heart-to-heart after the party, and he was saying anything to get attention from Papà as he got more distant? I was confused, I was shocked, and I didn't know what to think. Mamma always had the answers. Why didn't I?
Will pulled me aside later that evening. "Percy's doing damage control with Thalia, Luke, and the others," he said, "I'm going to try and talk to Nico."
"Okay," I said. "I'll have the money for you on Monday." I sighed. "I'll pay you double for this, too. I'm so sorry this happened, I- I didn't expect it at all."
Will smiled at me. "It's nothing. It happens."
"Your dad tells you your brother was suicidal?" I questioned.
Will laughed. "In this family? Yeah, it happens."
I laughed too. "I guess you're right," I said. "We aren't the most normal, are we?"
Will gestured around him, drawing attention to our expensive mansion. "No, I don't think this is normal at all."
"Go on," I said, and I playfully shoved him away. I watched him run up the stairs. I couldn't help but wonder why it was taking so long for Nico to become friends with Will. He had gotten through my defenses so easily and, while they were nowhere near as strong as Nico's, they weren't easy to avoid, either. It should've taken Will a month at the most to crack him. Something else was going on, and I needed to know what.
I decided I was going to follow Will. It wouldn't be hard to eavesdrop. It wasn't wrong to me; Will reported back to me after every conversation, anyway.
Oh you fucking bitch you did not.
Oh, I did, dolce fratello. I even recorded it on my phone. Why don't you put it in the playback...
NICO: Whoever you are, get off my fucking back.
WILL: Wow, you've got a potty mouth.
NICO: Blow me, sunshine.
*Rustling*
NICO: I didn't say you could sit on my bed.
WILL: Good, 'cause I didn't ask for permission. Would you turn the music down? I'm trying to have a conversation.
*Music increases in volume*
WILL: Fine, have it your way.
NICO: What are you doing-
*Rustling* *Music stops*
NICO: You fucking unplugged my speaker!
WILL: I want to talk, death boy. For god's sake, give me a minute.
NICO: Don't start with that fucking nickname again! You have no right to touch my shit!
WILL: You pointed a knife at your dad, and I'mthe one who's out of line?
NICO: Would you- would you just get angry, sunshine?! For once in your fucking life, yell at me! Cuss me out! Tell me to get lost!
WILL: No.
NICO: You're a freak.
WILL: Freak who's dating your sister.
NICO: Get out of my room.
...
WILL: If you hate me so much, why'd you set us up in the first place?
...
NICO: You make her happy.
WILL: And I can't make you happy, too? Be your friend?
...
NICO: No, you can't, Solace. Just leave me alone, please.
I dashed into my room. A few seconds later, I heard Will go back downstairs. I waited a little while for Nico to cool down, then I went into his room. He was passed out on his bed, an empty bottle of vodka in his hand.
I pushed my tears down. Will was going to work, but I had to make Nico less of a trainwreck while my five-point plan took effect. I wasn't going to enable this behavior anymore. I grabbed a garbage bag from the bathroom, and then I tore Nico's room apart. I grabbed every bottle of alcohol, every pack of cigarettes, every little baggie of marijuana (at least I hoped they were all pot leaves) and tossed them away. I put the garbage bag in my room and locked the door behind me. Nico wouldn't wake up until the morning, at least; I'd have my intervention then.
"Thalia!" I called on my way down the stairs. She and Luke were getting ready to leave. I hugged her. "I'm so sorry about tonight. Do you have to go already?"
"Luke's got work tomorrow," Thalia started to say, but Luke cut her off.
"Don't worry about it, Thalia," he said, "I can head back on my own."
"Luke," Thalia protested.
"When was the last time you had time to yourself?" he asked. "It's fine. I can handle a night alone."
Thalia pulled him aside. I watched them quietly argue until Thalia finally caved. She kissed him goodnight and walked him to the door. The door slammed shut. She stood there, one hand on the doorknob, staring at Luke as he walked to his shitty, beat-up, fourth-hand car.
"Do you think he's good for me?" Thalia asked.
"Good for you, how?" I asked.
"Good," Thalia repeated. "Right."
"I don't think he's right for anyone," I admitted. "In and out of jail, dead-end job, I get he's had a hard life, but he's a loser, Thalia. If you're starting to wonder whether you want to be with him... maybe that's a sign you shouldn't be."
"We're having a baby, Bianca," Thalia whispered.
She'd finally told me. I pulled her into a hug and said, "Whatever happens, I'll be right there to support you. What are best friends for?"
"Thanks, Bianca," she said. That was all I needed.
The next morning, Percy and I had an intervention with Nico. He didn't scream or cuss us out-he never did anything like that when Percy was around. He promised both of us that he'd try harder; I didn't know whether to believe him. At first, it seemed like it worked. Things got a little better in the next few weeks; I didn't catch him drunk, or high, or smoking. He didn't disappear to that alley to meet up with Alabaster C. Torrington. I even saw him talking with Hazel sometimes.
It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, though; new problems replaced the old ones. He holed himself up in his room, refusing to go to school, and when he did, he'd pick fights, he'd cuss out teachers, vandalize property. It got harder and harder to get him to talk to anyone besides me, Percy, and Hazel. I looked up the signs of clinical depression on WebMD. He checked almost every box.
More than that, he wouldn't even look at Papà anymore. Christmas came, and they hadn't said a word to each other since the Thanksgiving from Hell. I talked to both of them on their own, trying to make some sort of peace, but nothing worked. I knew Nico's threat was genuine. He'd never stay away from me, but once he graduated high school, he'd never talk to Papà again. If that happened, we'd never get our family back to where it used to be. I carried that fear every day.
The last day before Christmas break, Piper assaulted me in the cafeteria. She grabbed my arm and pulled me to our usual table. I didn't dare stop her-angry Piper is a scary Piper. She pointed to a pile of little papers on the table and said to me, "Get him to stop, Bianca." I'd never heard anyone sound so annoyed.
"Good morning to you too," I said. "Who to stop what?"
"Percy. Tell him to cut it out," Piper said. "My locker is full enough without this bullshit."
"How do you know it's him leaving them?" I asked.
Piper raised her eyebrows. "I know seaweed brain's handwriting."
I glanced down at the papers-they were all the love notes Percy had been sticking in her locker (if you didn't figure that out). Sure enough, they were all written in blue pen. "He didn't type them..." I groaned, "Why the fuck wouldn't he type them..."
"So you'll get him to stop?" Piper demanded.
"Text Annabeth or Grover," I advised her, "We've been trying to reel him in, I promise. You should've gone to them in the first place-why'd you even come to me?"
"I needed to vent in person," Piper said, "And you were the first person I saw. Texting in all caps doesn't do it for me."
You still have pictures of the notes, don't you? You gotta read some of them.
Yeah, let me pull them up...
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
The one you love,
is right in front of you!
Signed, your secret admirer.
If you were a transformer, you'd be Optimus Fine.
Signed, your secret admirer.
Have you been covered in bees recently? I just assumed, because you look sweeter than honey.
Signed, your secret admirer.
You must be made of cheese, because you always look Gouda!
Signed, your secret admirer.
If you were a vegetable, you would be a cute-cumber."
Signed, your secret admirer.
There's like thirty more.
What did you ever see in him, Nico?
His abs.
Fair.
But, back to Piper.
"What's been with him lately?" Piper asked me. "Percy's been so weird. There's no way he actually likes me, is there? Because I can't do that to Annabeth."
I bit my lip. I wanted to tell her about Jason's crush so badly, but it wasn't my secret to tell. "He... he wants you to get a boyfriend, I think," I said.
"Ohhhhh," Piper laughed. "This is about sky guy's stupid-ass crush, isn't it?"
"YOU KNOW?!" We turned. Percy and Grover were standing there. Percy's jaw was to the floor.
"Of course I know, he's so obvious about it," Piper said.
"Then why aren't you doing anything?!" Percy demanded. "Oh god, don't tell me you don't like him too, because you guys would have the cutest babies-"
"I like him!" Piper cut him off. "But I don't want to date someone who can't string two words together in front of me. When he's ready for me, I'll be there. In the meantime..." She took the pile of papers from the table and dropped them on Percy's head. Fifty small pieces of paper floated to the ground around him. "Get some better pick-up lines." She let out a breath she'd been holding. "Oh, that felt good. I needed to throw something."
The warning bell rang. Piper, Grover, and I left Percy alone, covered with those little papers, as his world collapsed around him. "She... knew..." he whispered to himself. "She... knew...?"
The second I walked through the door to bio, Will, like, appeared out of thin air, grabbed my arm, and dragged me to my seat. "Hey!" I cried, and yanked my arm away from him. "What's with everyone grabbing me today?"
"I'd grab you anytime, mamasita," Chris Rodriguez shouted. His idiot friends whooped and hollered. I felt the blood rush to my face. I wanted to crawl into a corner and hide. I hated attention.
That fucking... You should've told me! I'd've pummeled that bastard into the ground.
That's why I didn't tell you, genius. It's fine, anyway. Chris's girlfriend, Clarisse, elbowed him in the stomach and called him a douchebag for you. She spat, "Pick on someone your own size," then they started making out in the middle of the room.
Eww.
I pushed my hair in front of my face and scurried to the back of the classroom. I wanted class to be over already, and it hadn't started yet.
Will knew it was best not to say anything. He told me some stories about his mom to cheer me up. He was going back home for the break and was super excited; it was the first time he'd seen his mom since he moved to New York. Mr. D handed out our midterm pretty soon after that, and, by the grace of God, I could hide in my work.
"Pretend you're sick when we go to your place," Will whispered in my ear on our way out the door. "I think I've cracked your brother."
And, with that, I think you should take over, Nico.
No problem.
*Rustling*
Take over what?
Will!
*Rustling*
Eww, don't kiss right in front of me.
Bianca! Hey, long time no see. How are you?
We're actually recording something, sunshine.
Ohh that's what the mic's for. I was gonna say.
What are you doing awake? It's almost three in the morning.
Couldn't sleep, wanted to pop by.
I'd be quiet if I were you. Papà would freak if he caught you guys alone together at night.
Well, you'll be our witness, then.
*Rustling*
*Laughter*
He just sat down criss-cross-applesauce on the bed.
Like the five-year-old he is.
What? It's storytime! I'm sure the podcast's good if Nico's doing it.
You're gross.
You know you love me.
*Bianca groans. Long, drawn out, overdramatic*
We're telling the story of junior year.
Why?
You'd like to know, wouldn't you?
I can get it out of you one way or another.
*Another groan from Bianca*
What part are you at?
Christmas. You walked in just in time.
Ooo, fun! Go on, death boy, tell me a storyyyyyy.
He's rocking back and forth. He's fucking rocking back and forth like a kindergartener.
I'm tired, though. ... Will, no. ... I said no! Will! ... ugh, fine. Just stop pouting.
Yay!
Christmas, then we're bothgoing to bed.
In separate. Rooms.
I'm not arguing there. I want to be awake when we finish recording tomorrow, not a zombie who's been up all night.
TMI! Will, stop wagging your eyebrows! Ahh! Go, Nico, just go!
END NOTES
A surprise visitor! Happy we got some solangelo? Well, you'll love next week's chapter...
Thank you to /pick-up-lines/ for providing me with those terrible, terrible pick-up lines.
This week's beta commentary:
STORY: I grabbed every bottle of alcohol, every pack of cigarettes, every little baggie of marijuana (at least I hoped they were all pot leaves)
JOJO: nico is apparently also hiding oregano, very italian
MELODY: Nico, what is this?!
MELODY: Are you hoarding
MELODY: CILANTRO?
Credits:
Author: Melody Rose (Tumblr melody0rose)
Beta Readers: Jojo (Archive of Our Own bannedfrompencils), Luna Rain (Tumblr peppermintlove1)
Please comment so I know what you think! See you next week (probably... hopefully... maybe)!
COMMENTS
Thank you to maryhadalittlelamb123456789014 and SociopathicChild for favoriting this story!
Guest
:Amazing. Nico is dying inside and overwhelmed and the same time! Just beautiful...keep going I love the story :) 3
Aw thank you! Hopefully you're still reading...
Demigod Life
omg I'm hooked!
this story is so good and I can't wait for the next part.
The darkness of Nico really contrasts with sweetness of Bianca.
i love how we get an insight into more of what Bianca's like. I love this chapter!
I feel bad for little Nico but I can't wait to find out how him and Will get together. And the bombshell about pregnant Thalia...didn't see that coming! I can't wait to see what you do with it.
Really love this and can't wait for the next part! And sorry for such long review, I just wanted to let you know how much I loved it.
Never apologize for long comments, I love 'em! And I'm so sorry I made you wait this long for an update...
Fenikkusu94
Theory Time. Hazel loves Frank. Ocatvian wants Hazel. Ocatavian blackmails Hazel with info about Frank.
We shall see.
Wow, no wonder Nico thinks Hades doesnt love him. But to be fair Hades hasnt exactly tried to reach out to him as he should.
Yeah, but to be fair Hades is a very flawed character, human or god, and his biggest flaw (to me) is an inability to reach out to others emotionally. Except Persephone... maybe.
Junebug
A) Thank you for noticing meeeeee!
B) Nico is reading this over my shoulder. He says that there is no way in Hades that he would be chanting 'don't cry don't cry don't cry' over and over in his head. He's right. He would be full-out sobbing.
N: Hey!
Me: :)
You're welcome! And shhh, you can't say that in front of Nico! (Even though it's true)
Wait... Frank asked out Hazel and she said NO?
N: Oh, boy... Here we go again...
Me: Shut up, Nico.
N: Make me.
Me: I will, once I'm done with the review. Now go play with your action figures.
N: They're figurines! Not action figures!
Me: Same difference.
You made Hazel say NO to Frank? And OCTAVIAN asked her out?!
N: No way.
Me: NICO!
In the words of Bianca di Angelo: NICO STOP BUTTING IN!
Pandamonium1868
Omg. You. HAVE TO HAVE TO HAVE TO FINISH THIS! i love it, 99% im just not crazy about nico smoking. I get it, hes in pain, but it still feels... Wrong to me. But i'll follow you through, this is A-MAZE-ing
Well, it's getting finished now! Uh, it was always finished, but now I'm finishing posting... whatever, you get it. And tastes are tastes, I don't have Nico smoking in any of my other fics, but in this one it felt right. Teens smoke and vape, and Nico's looking for an escape.
The Goode Ravenclaw
I love the chapter! I'm just going to point out that the chapter name is 1000% the plot of tcoda. I love that Nico and Hazel are starting to bond, I love their relationship in canon! I can't wait for the next chapter, keep up the good work!
Yes lol it is, 100%. And I'm sorry I made you wait like a gazillion years for this chapter, but... yeah, no buts. I'm sorry.
that was one ***up thanksgiving... I loved the chapter though!
(sorry for the delayed review, I was in Guatemala with no Wi-Fi so I couldn't comment or anything)
It was indeed! And no worries about the delayed review, I'm sorry about the delayed upload.