CHAPTER SUMMARY

Bianca and Nico find out the truth about their friends.

BEGINNING NOTES

Word Count: 2845
Content Warning: Underage/statutory rape (mentioned only, no details)

And all the characters are owned by Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

I wish I could say Bianca and I figured out the Octavian/Hazel situation right away. But we didn't. I told her the day after the Valentine's Day dance, and she was just as angry as me.

Of course I was. No one touches my little sister.

I told Nico we had to go to Persephone, but he wouldn't listen. I tried to explain that his stupid grudge against our soon-to-be stepmother shouldn't interfere with protecting our little sister, but, if you didn't already pick up on it, Nico can be super stubborn when he wants to be. And being nice to Persephone? That was non-negotiable.

February passed, then March, and there was nothing. It was so frustrating. I, as Papà's basically P.A., had access to all his records, all his accounts. I had every detail on the Olympus Scholarship at my fingertips, but I couldn't find a single damn thing that would disqualify Octavian. I started to pressure Hazel into bringing him to the house, but she never did. I hated watching her waste away; she looked more depressed every passing second. I'm not a violent person-

I am.

-but I wanted to kill that bastard and skin him alive. Persephone was right, like she'd said on Thanksgiving, Hazel trusted too easily. Maybe at the beginning we could've saved her, but now she was too jaded. Every opportunity I gave her to speak up she ignored.

April came, and still, nothing. My head was spinning. Yeah, the Jason/Piper situation had wrapped up, but that was also the easiest problem to solve. Nico and Papà still weren't talking to each other, Thalia was still clinging to Luke and had no moneyto raise a kid, Hazel was in a probably emotionally abusive relationship that I couldn't stop... and, the first week in April, I got a reminder that time was running out.

Nico, Percy, Will, and I were finishing up our homework in the usual spot when Persephone came in with a pile of mail. "Bianca," she said with a smile, "you have a letter."

She held up a fat envelope. Stamped to the front was, "COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS OFFICE."

"Dude!" Percy shouted. "You got into an Ivy League!"

"Congratulations, Bianca!" Will said and pulled me into a hug.

Nico shot up. "Congrats, B. I'll be upstairs," he said and ran off.

"Nico!" I yelled. I pushed Will off of me and bolted up the stairs after him. I could smell the signature mixture of cigarette smoke and marijuana from the hallway. But when I tried to come into his room, the doorknob wouldn't turn all the way. "Nico, Nico let me in," I begged. I tried the doorknob a few more times, but it was no use. Tears fell down my cheeks. I'd finally made some progress with Nico, and then this had to happen. I thought about going outside and climbing the gutter to his room, but, by the smell of things, he didn't have the window open. I can find a rock? I thought. But Papà would kill me for breaking a window. I'd look like a psychopath.

It was the hardest thing in the world to let go of that doorknob. I sank to the floor. I should never have applied to college in the first place. What was I thinking? How could I leave when my family still needed me?!

I needed to talk to Thalia about all this; I needed my best friend to help me. I shot her a text, but there was no answer. I tried to call her multiple times, but I kept getting voicemail. I cried myself to sleep that night, and when I finally did fall asleep, I had a nightmare of Nico killing himself. I didn't know what to do anymore.

It was raining the next day, but I walked to school anyway. I didn't bother to meet Piper; I was too depressed. Like I've said before, I'm pretty shy, and social interaction wears me out. Curse of the introvert. Maybe she could've helped, maybe she couldn't have, but I needed time to think on my own. Was it better to go to college, study marketing, get more involved in D.O.A. recording studios, and take some pressure off Papà? Or should I stay until Nico was ready to leave home too? I felt like I had to choose between my dad and my brother. How could I make that choice?

I was desperate to talk to Thalia, but she wasn't at school that day. Or the next. Or the next. I was starting to get worried; she wasn't answering my calls or texts, and no one had seen her in days.

I thought things couldn't get worse. Boy was I wrong.

I came home from school one day, and Persephone pulled me aside. That was funny, because it was the spring now, and she was working again. She was never home until after dark. And she looked worried.

"Is everything okay, Persephone?" I asked, concerned.

"Yes-I mean, well, I hope so," she said. "Hades and I set a date for the wedding. It's not until next summer, July 25th, we wanted to give Nico more time to warm up to the idea, but I'm afraid he's not going to."

That's definitely a possibility, I thought, but it would be stupid to say that. "You want me to tell him," I said instead.

"Yes. He has the best relationship with you, so we thought that if you told him, it would be our best chance," she explained.

"He's still mad at me for going to college," I admitted. "Maybe you should talk to Hazel about it, he loves her too."

"Hazel's been very depressed these past few months," Persephone said. "Her relationship with you and Nico has been one of the only things that still makes her happy. I'm afraid if she's the one who breaks the news, he'll lash out at her, and I don't want that. But I don't think anything can sour his relationship with you."

I sighed. "Yeah, that makes sense. I'll talk to him once I get him in a good mood."

"Take your time," Persephone said. "Like I said, we have until next summer."

Thalia finally shot me a text the next day.

DAT PINE TREE DOH

I need you to come over. I know you don't like the projects, but I need you.

Can't you come over here? I can send Jules-Albert in Persephone's car so it's less noticeable.

No, I can't. Please, Bianca, I need you.

I'll take an Über. I'm on my way.

Luke and Thalia lived in a... honestly, the best word is cottage. It's only a main room with a tiny bathroom in the corner. It didn't even have a shower, so they had a gym membership and would shower there. Their bed was pushed against the back wall, and then they had a kitchen and stove and fold-up table and chairs that doubled as a kitchen counter. There was a lumpy couch they'd found on the side of the road in New York City (it's pretty common that rich people will leave stuff on the sidewalk when they move) and a bookshelf for their library books. They didn't even own a T.V. or computer; Thalia "borrowed" an iPad from the school that was plugged into the one outlet they had.

I'd offered to buy her and Luke a house in a safer neighborhood, or, at least, one with a bedroom, but they wouldn't let me. Both of them have a lot of pride, and won't accept help beyond the local food pantry. It was horrible to think of what they had to go through, but, to their credit, they never complained. Things are better now because Thalia can work full time since she graduated high school. She's a waitress at a fancy restaurant where she can make almost a thousand dollars in tips if she picks up weekend shifts. Yeah, she works like sixty hours a week, and I don't like that, but, again, she won't accept any money.

At least she doesn't go to bed hungry anymore.

I know. It's awful, though. She's saving up for college, so hopefully things will get better when she gets enough.

Anyway, when I got to Thalia's, she was in tears. She was so hysterical that she couldn't even speak. I hugged her as she cried. We stood like that for a long time.

When she finally could talk to me, it wasn't good news.

"Luke's in the Titans," she managed.

My heart stopped. "What? Oh my god, how long?!"

"Since the baby," she said. "He said he wanted to give us a better life, and Kronos reached out to him. He- he told me in February."

"That's what that phone call was," I realized. "But you didn't break up with him?! Thalia, he's in a gang!"

"No, I married him," she whispered. "I had to, for the baby. He's trying to give us a better life."

"Oh my god," I said to myself. "Thalia, this is insane!"

"You don't know anything!" she yelled. "You're a billionaire with a trust fund and a mansion and a dad who fucking loves you! I have a dead mother and a millionaire father who won't stand up for me and a brother I can't fucking see 'cause Juno will kick him out too! Luke's-" Her voice broke. "-Luke's all I have."

"If you're okay with this, then what's wrong?" I asked.

"I'm not okay with this," she said. "And Luke's gone too far. Kronos- Kronos forced him to rob a bank. He didn't want to, he was terrified, but he said Kronos would kill him if he said no."

"Oh my god," I said again. "Fuck. And he got caught?"

Thalia nodded. She was crying again. "Silena Beauregard got caught by the police. She took a plea deal and told them everything. I'm not saying it wasn't the right thing to do, but... but they never got to do it. Kronos is furious. Luke's in custody. The police stormed in here a few days ago, and they won't even let me see him! They're keeping him in jail and..."

"Oh, Thalia," I said, and I hugged her again. "I'll lend you the money. We'll figure this out."

"No, that's not what I want," she said. "He's safe in jail, at least. I'm afraid Kronos will kill him if he comes back home..."

"You're staying with us for a while, you're not safe here, either," I said. "No arguments. I'll lend you the money for a good lawyer. We'll figure this out, okay?"

Thalia cried into my shoulder. I guess that was the best response I could expect.

May came. Luke was still in jail, Hazel was still with Octavian, Nico was still angry about Columbia, and I hadn't come to a decision. I felt like a failure. I prayed to Mamma every night, asking for her to guide me, wondering what she would do. Everyone used to say that I looked exactly like her. Why couldn't I take after her in more ways than one?

Finally, I decided that I had to do something. I couldn't control what happened with Luke or Hazel, but I could control what happened with Nico. I had to tell him about the wedding. And I'd defer Columbia for a year, enough time for Will to work his magic. He was taking a gap year too so he could save up for college. When I did go to school, I'd buy an apartment and take Nico with me.

Nico took it better than I expected. He didn't scream, he didn't kick me out, he just sat there, staring at the wall, blinking. He asked to be by himself after a while and promised he wouldn't drink or smoke or anything. I gave him his space. Then, I called Will and told him to get his butt over here. If there was anyone else who could get through to Nico, it was him.

On that note, I think I should take over.

I was surprised when Will came into my room. He didn't bother to knock because I guess he knew I'd kick him out. I didn't feel anything, really. My mind was blank. I knew this was coming, but I still couldn't believe it. I also didn't know how to feel about Bianca staying. I mean, I was happy I wouldn't lose her, and if that's what she wanted...

"Hey," Will said.

"Hey," I replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Bianca told me about the wedding. I wanted to see how you were doing," he told me.

I should've been happy about that. Will Solace wanted to see me. But the wedding finally sunk in, and I turned into a monster.

"How am I doing?!" I snarled. "Gee, let me guess, my dad betrays my mom, so I guess I'm feeling fucking wonderful."

"I know it sucks-"

"'Know it sucks?!' How the fuck could he do this to me?!" I yelled.

"Don't yell at me," Will snapped. "I'm just trying to help."

"Good, then march down there, and fucking break them up." I had to hit something, so I kicked my nightstand as hard as I could. The lamp fell over, and its ceramic body shattered.

"What the hell, Nico?!" Will cried. "Calm down!"

"Why should I?!" I screamed. "Why should I be happy I've got the worst fucking father ever?! He throws me out like trash, he doesn't give a shit about me, and now he's betraying Mamma too!"

Up until that point, I'd never seen Will Solace angry. And, let me tell you, it's the scariest thing you'll ever see. He never yells or throws things. He just... fuck, I can't even describe it. Menacing, that's what he is.

"How is he betraying your mom?" Will questioned. "Getting remarried after six fucking years is betraying your mom? You know what my dad did to my mom? She went to a music festival in Austin, she was sixteen, he was twenty-five. He manipulated her into moving in with him, she ran away with him, dropped out of high school, never spoke to her parents again because he wouldn't let her without feeling guilty. He raped her, fucking raped her enough that she got three kids. And when I was born, he left and never looked back. Never sent her a single cent. Never bothered to come back.

"Mom works at a gas station convenience store because she couldn't find any other job. As soon as he turned sixteen, Lee dropped out of high school and lied about his age so he could join the marines to support us because we were that desperate. Michael did the same thing. I can take hungry nights, I can take living in a homeless shelter, but you know what I can't take? Lee and Michael had to join the military because of my fucking shit father, and they both died last year, within months of each other.

"And then I had to come out as bi, and all that shit had to happen. We were still fucking grieving, Nico! And Mom had to send me away to Apollo, who only came out of the woodwork when he found out his sons died! But he still doesn't give two-tenths of a shit! Your dad gives you money, stays with you, feeds you, gives you clothes. And he's the worst because he wants to fucking get married?! Are you shitting me?! I have to send home every penny I get, I have to take this fucking job when I-" He gulped. "When it's the most immoral thing I've ever done."

"How is the school store immoral?" I asked. I was still in shock about what he told me.

"It's not that!" Will cried. "You really are deluded! Everything was fine, and then I had to go and fall in love with you!"

He froze. I froze. Without even thinking, I closed that gap between us and kissed him. It was perfect for about half a second until Will pushed me away, and it sank in what I'd just done.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I... how... how could I do that to Bianca?"

"We're not dating, Nico, we're just pretending," Will whispered. "It was just an excuse for me to see you."

"What? Why?" I asked.

"So I could help you through your dad getting remarried," he whispered. "She's paying me to be your friend." He shook his head. His cheeks were wet. "And I can't do this! I'm sorry."

And then he ran out of my room. I just stood there. I should've run after him, I should've told him it was okay, I understood, of course he was going to take the gig when his mom couldn't eat, I wasn't mad, I just wanted to be with him... but my feet wouldn't move, and the words wouldn't come out of my mouth.

END NOTES

This week's beta commentary:

STORY: I could smell the signature mixture of cigarette smoke and marijuana from the hallway
JOJO: damn that kid works fast
MELODY: You know Nico, when he commits, he fucking commits.

Credits:
Author: Melody Rose (Tumblr bianca-the-huntress)
Beta Readers: Jojo (Archive of Our Own bannedfrompencils), Luna Rain (Tumblr peppermintlove1), Oli (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you next week!

COMMENTS

Thank you to Crazypony4, theworstisgoingtohappen and waitingforacrossover27 for favoriting this story!

Bonzenz

I'm sorry but how metal is the name hades? Most people probably think that it's a stage name to promote his label.

Lol that wouldn't surprise me. Nico did mention in the first chapter that people joked that Hades was the god Hades, so that's not too far a leap.

Crazypony4

Squee! The Di Angelos are on the case.
Nothing can stop the dynamic duo.
Bianca, When is phase five going to happen?
Solangelo is going to happen very soon and I can't wait.

As we saw today, some things can stop the dynamic duo, though not much. Octavian is crafty, though, and very smart. And solangelo has indeed happened, though not how anyone planned, I think. Will phase five fix things? We'll have to find out!

Demigod208

Hey! It's meh, from Wattpad. Why am i reading this on ? I dunno, BUT IT'S AMAZING.
This book simultaneously breaks my heart, makes me laugh, scream, dramatically grasp, and die.

Hi! Nice to see you over here!
My intentions exactly ;) and I doubt this chapter did anything to change that.