Hey guys! So for this short story, the seven, plus Thalia, Nico, Will, and my OC are all set to be normal teens who are really good friends. Nico and Will are going to be straight in this fanfic. I'm not against LGBTQ or anything, I just wanted to write a story with a straight Nico. Italics are a person's thoughts, a line will separate points of view. WARNING! PANIC ATTACK AND ASSAULT IN THIS CHAPTER! If you get triggered by something like this, then be cautious. Anyway, Enjoy!
-Allison-
I walk through the crowded halls of school, heading to lunch. I try to move fast so that I get a good seat at our lunch table. I grab my lunch from my locker, because our cafeteria food is disgusting, and head to the lunchroom. I'm almost to the cafeteria doors when I bump into someone. Someone taller than me. That's not that hard though, since I'm only 5'5. This person has to be at least five inches taller than me though. I look up to find chocolatey brown eyes looking down at me. I blush. Nico.
"Sorry Nico." I mumble at the same time he says, "Sorry Allison." I blush a little harder, and I'm pretty sure I see a little bit of red on his cheeks too before he ducks his head and keeps walking to wherever he was going. I mentally facepalm myself for being so stupid around him.
Here's the deal with me and Nico. I've known him ever since I was in third grade. He's two years older than me, so I met him when he and my brother, who is Nico's best friend, came over to my house after school one day. They hung out a lot at my house before 8th grade. Ever since 5th grade I've had a crush on him. A major crush. Maybe it's not even a crush, with how long it's been. Maybe it's love. Will, my brother, used to let me tag along with him and Nico when they went to parks and stuff. We all grew up together basically and it was the best. Nico and my brother were great big balls of sunshine and my best friends. But when I was in 8th grade, and Nico was a sophmore in highschool, his sister Bianca died of leukemia. It changed him a lot. He started wearing black hid his emotions from everyone. Will tried talking to him but Nico never opened up. It was understandable. But he still hasn't even now, two years later. He doesn't talk to anybody much anymore. It hurt my heart to watch him go through that and it still does. Bianca used to watch us all and drive us places when she was allowed to. And Nico has really looked up to her. And then he lost her. I am on the verge of tears just thinking about this.
I gather my thoughts and go into the cafeteria. I head to our usual table and see that everyone is already there, except for Nico, as usual. I end up sitting by Leo, which isn't the worst, but I would much rather be sitting by my best friend Hazel. She and I are sophomores this year, and her boyfriend Frank, along with Piper, Jason, and Leo are juniors. Percy, Annabeth, Will, and Nico are seniors this year. Thalia is also a senior but she got held back a year so she should have been a college freshman. She sits at our table because Jason is her brother.
I pull out my book since I probably won't talk to Leo. He's a little too loud for my liking, and way too flirty. He even has a girlfriend at a school across town! I'm about halfway through my chapter when I see Nico come in the cafeteria doors out of the corner of my eye. I look up from my book to watch him. His thick raven hair is flopped across his forehead in a really attractive way. He's always been a pretty good looking kid, but over the last few years he's gotten hot. Just last year he was the same height as me, and now he's so much taller. I know he's lean under the black leather jacket he wears. He and Will used to play lacrosse together with Percy and Jason, but he stopped when Bianca died. He wears a black shirt and ripped black jeans. He has a nicely chiseled jaw and a slightly upturned nose, which is super cute. His brown eyes almost always give away his insomnia and his pale skin sometimes makes him look dead. But it all just heightens his attractiveness. I've heard that girls ask him out a lot but he always turns them down. I watch him for a few more seconds before going back to reading my book. I don't need him knowing that I watch him. I hear someone sit down beside me and look up to find Hazel. A year ago we all found out that she and Nico are step siblings. Well, they had just become step siblings anyway. Her dad married Nico's mom. She has gorgeous chocolate brown skin and gold eyes with wavy dark hair. She is a ray of sunshine in everyone's day because she is kind inside and out. I wish I could be like that, but I have social anxiety sometimes so I am not comfortable talking with people I'm not familiar with. "How's everything going with you? Sorry you got stuck next to Leo today. I'll definitely make sure to save you a seat tomorrow."she says. I smile, because she is just the best friend ever. She always asks about how I'm doing rather than just coming and talking about herself. "I'm doing okay. Social anxiety is acting up again." I say solemnly. "As you can see I'm hiding myself in my book again." "Aww I'm sorry." she says. I know she really is, and she gives me a hug just to show it. "How are you feeling today?" She asks. "Like really?" I chuckle for a moment. She is taking a psychology class and likes to practice what she is learning about feelings. I answer honestly. "A little depressed." I say shamefully. She gives me another hug. "Is this about Nico again?" she whispers to me. I give a little nod. "You can't let yourself get depressed over a boy if you don't even know he likes you." she whispers. "You should just ask him." "Why can't you ask him for me? You're his sister after all." I say, trying to give her my best puppy dog eyes. "No way. This is definitely your job to ask him. Anyway, we're not that close yet. You know that. He doesn't let himself get close with anyone anymore, from what you tell me." she whispers back. "Besides," she says, her grin coming back. "If I asked him for you, he would probably know that you put me up to it. And you obviously don't want him knowing so…" she trails off. "Yeah yeah, nevermind about it then." I say. She nods, then launches into the story of how Frank asked her to homecoming this year, even though it's still a month away. I listen like a good friend and before I know it, the period is over. There's only two more periods left in school. 'I can make it before I hit panic attack level social anxiety,' I think. My last period is debate, and while I really enjoy the class, I do not like sharing my ideas with everyone else. Creative writing is my next class. I love this class, since I get to work by myself for most of it. Sometimes my teacher pairs us up with another student but it's not horrible because of how much I love to write. And read. I love to read stories about romance. And now all that my romance filled brain can think of is the old Nico asking me to homecoming.
- # -
Debate class isn't too bad today. I find out when I have a paper due, and then we have to work on it. A persuasive argument essay is not hard. But I also find out when the debate is. It is next Tuesday. So we have to have the paper done on Monday so our teacher can grade it and make sure it is good for tuesday. He already created teams, and I am happy to see that Annabeth is on mine. This debate class is for any grade, so Annabeth thought she would take it, and somehow we ended up together. After class, I say goodbye to Annabeth, who goes to meet Percy who is her boyfriend. I head to my locker. I walk slowly, because I know Will is at lacrosse practice and he'll text me when he's ready to go. I make it back to my locker and put the books I don't need away and grab my headphones that I use on the morning bus. Will has to wake up early for morning lacrosse practice and I like to sleep a little later, so I take headphones to block out everyone on the bus. I put everything in my backpack and close up my locker. I wander around the school for a little while. I'm just heading to the fine arts entrance where Will picks me up when the creeps of the school circle around me so I'm almost against a locker. My heart starts to beat rapidly and I can feel an oncoming panic attack. My breath starts to speed up. Luke Castellan, a senior who is being held back a year, and Ethan Nakamura, who is the same age as me start taunting me.
"Oh look who it is," sneers Ethan. "Little miss I'm too good for everyone else so I won't talk to them."
"Yeah!" says Luke. It looks like Ethan is the smart one.
"No, n-no I-I-I don't thi-nk that about anyone!" I stutter. I start to feel dizzy and my heart rate rockets.
"Well then, why don't you waste your time on anyone else? Is it because you're scared that they'll make fun of you for stuttering?" Ethan says again. He and Luke inch closer so that my backpack is pressed against the lockers so that they don't touch me. "Well, you should be scared. Because I know I'd make fun of you for it, and Luke too." He sneers. They step closer and I know I have to stop this. There is no one else in the halls, I know because I walked around them for fifteen minutes.
"I-I don't talk to people because I'm scared they'll be like YOU!" I say with as much voice as I could with a lump in the back of my throat. The tears start to form in my eyes. "Mean and rude and-"
"We're not mean, we're just rude." Ethan says. "But we could be mean," he says. An evil grin spreads across his face. "How about we take her out back Luke?"
"Yeah!" agrees Luke. That seems to be about all he can say. My breathing picks up again to the point where I almost can't breathe. They each grab one of my wrists tightly and start to pull me towards the door. I start to hyperventilate and the tears fall.
"NO NO NO NO NO!" I scream. "Let me go! Put me down! No NO NO!" I scream and thrash all the way to the doors.
"HEY!" I hear all of a sudden. Ethan and Luke stop in their steps. I stop my screaming and just start trembling. I fall to the ground in a heap as they turn around and let go of my wrists. My backpack drops to the ground as I immediately curl into a ball, with my arms around my head, shaking all over.
"WHAT are you doing to HER!" the voice yells again. I can tell it is a male voice but I don't want to look up until Ethan and Luke are gone.
"We- we we-re just taking h-er out to ea-at o-or someth-ing." I hear Ethan stutter.
"Well it doesn't look like she wants to go, does it?" the boy shouts again.
"N-no no, it doesn-" Ethan says.
"Well then scram! Before I make you go forcefully." I hear anger creep up in the boy's voice. The two boys run through that door as fast as they can. I hear their footsteps echoing off the courtyard outside. I cry some more and am still trembling before I finally get the courage to look up. But before I can look up, he speaks, calmly. Soothing. Nothing like the rage I had heard a moment ago.
"Hey, hey Allie. It's okay, they're gone now." he says. Only my parents and a few close friends call me that, so I am thankful for whoever it is. I hear him walk over to me and feel an arm on my shoulder as the boy sits down next to me. Bravely, I sit up very slowly, still trembling. I don't look into the boy's face until I'm fully sitting up. I look up to find a pair of chocolate brown eyes I know all too well, except this time they are full of concern rather than sadness. I burst into tears again. He pulls me against his chest and wraps his arms around my shoulders. I put my arms around his waist and cry into his shirt. After a while I stop crying and regain my regular senses. I feel embarrassed, but I don't want to let go. I hear his heart beating steadily in his chest and it calms me down.
"What happened, Allie?" Nico whispers. Tears start streaming down my face again and I grab his shirt. He strokes my hair, waiting patiently for my answer.
"I-I was walking ar-around the ha-alls and th-they cro-owded me aga-aisnt a locker a-and star-ted to s-ay things a-nd-" my breath hitched again and Nico cut me off.
"Hey, hey," he says again. "Just calm down a bit. You can talk when you're ready." he says softly. More tears come down. My heart swells with love for this boy, who, even after he closed himself off from us still cares. He wouldn't do this if he didn't care. He holds me and I cry for about fifteen more minutes. When I finally have cried all my tears, I pull away from Nico and look down at the floor. His hand reaches to my cheek to wipe away the rest of my tears and he tilts my head up to look at him. My heart soars and I blush even more, which I don't think is possible since my face is already red. He looks so concerned. I take a breath.
"Ethan and Luke caught me as I was walking around, waiting for Will to be done with lacrosse practice." My breath hitches again and I take another breath.
"They got close to me so I backed up against a locker. They started saying rude things and made fun of me because I stutter." I look down again. "I tried to stand up against them but I was scared. I called them mean and rude, and then they said they would take me out back, so I tried to put up a fight, hoping that someone would hear me." I looked back up at Nico and his eyes were dark with anger.
"I'm just so thankful that you showed up!" I say and bury myself in his shirt again. As I start crying again he wraps his arms around me and strokes my shoulder.
"It's okay now. They're gone. Allie. You don't have to worry anymore." he says softly. I slowly stop crying again and this time I realize how good he smells. I take a deep breath, trying to steady my breathing, but also just smelling him. He smells like fresh pine and honey, and the usually manly scent. Nico gently grabs my shoulders and pulls me away from him. "Do you need a ride home, Allie?" he asks. "Or do you want me to wait with you until Will is done with lacrosse practice?" My heart soars again. He really hasn't changed on the inside, just on the outside a bit.
"Will is almost done. I can wait for him in the gym." I say. I wipe my eyes with my sleeve.
"Alright Allie." he says. He stands up and then puts his hand out to help me up. I hug him again.
"Why did you help me?" I ask.
He doesn't answer, just pulls me tighter for a few more seconds. He leans his head on mine and whispers, "Because it's always been you." Then he lets go, grabs his bag, and walks out the door. I watch him walk away, and I wonder what he means when he says that.
Let me know what you think of this story in the comments! I should have the next chapter up soon. There is going to be at most 3 chapters. Thanks so much for reading! :) ~kalisfandomstories1004