AN: not proud of this chapter but I tried a few times and couldn't really make it better and thought I should give you guys something so this chapter might be rewritten in the future but I didn't want to stall the story any longer so enjoy~

Will was one of the many teens at his school that went to their classes mostly on fear. Fear of no job, fear of the law. A monarch was a monarch, rules were rules. Punishment was punishment.

Was it a little much? Of course. Was anyone going to say anything about it? Never. And it was mostly okay. Will had planned to go anyways to further his career, his choice always falling between a doctor and an actor. It was broad, his mother always found time to say so. But it was the two things that made him happy.

So he went to school, he did his classes. When the school play came along, he auditioned after weeks of practice.

And he got in.

Romeo and Juliet, such a stereotypical play. But his school still saw it as something they wanted to do each year with new students to hold the parts. Will got Romeo, a part he hadn't been expecting. And Juliet, well... Nico di Angelo. It was an all-boys school, one gender to march the grounds. They could never get any girls to actually sign up to join, either. So a boy was always stuck playing the part, and this year, Nico di Angelo had signed up for the challenge.

Nico di Angelo... Will didn't know much about him except the fact that he was rude, he was careless, he was as messy as his handwriting. He never did his work, never turned a single assignment in. If it was any other country, he would have been kicked out long ago.

He was waiting to turn eighteen, everyone theorized. Then he could drop out. Will had no doubts that this was true.

But why? He never bothered to find out.

"Will." Percy Jackson elbowed Will in the side as the teacher left the room. "Guess what."

Will looked over at him as he let his pencil drop to the desk. "What?"

"Did you hear?" Percy grinned. "Cause of business and stuff, we might be going co-ed. We might be getting girls."

Will groaned. "That's what you're so excited about? It won't even happen until next year."

"And we'll be seniors." Percy reasoned. "And Annabeth might come. She could do all my work for me."

"I still don't see how you two got together."

Nico di Angelo got up from his seat and crossed the room, his thin fingers stained with blood where his nails started. "She's only with you for your money, you know."

Percy turned to face the newcomer with a faithful expression, but Will could tell how worried Percy had been about the topic for months. "You've never met her, so how would you know?"

"It's more of an assumption," Nico admitted. "Based on your personality and what you say. No girl is with you just because of how stupid you are."

"Di Angelo..." Jason Grace groaned from the front row. "They didn't ask you for your opinion."

"They were talking loud enough for us all to hear." Nico justified. He scowled for a minute as all eyes went to him, no doubt uncomfortable with the attention.

But then why would he make it in the first place, Will wondered. Why would he cause such a disturbance if he wanted to stay on the sidelines?

Why was he even there?

"You all are idiots." Nico headed out of the room despite the class not being over. "Just leave me alone from now on."

Will watched him go with a sick feeling. "Wonder what's always got him in a bad mood."

"He's always been like that." Percy pulled his phone from his pocket. "Ever since I first saw him. He hates everyone."

Nobody seemed to mention that even though Nico hated everyone around him, he hated himself even more.

"He got Juliet in the play." Will looked to Percy. "And I'm Romeo."

Percy chuckled to himself. "Good luck with that, Will. You're gonna need it. There's no way that kid is ever kissing you. If anything, he'll kick you in the balls if you tried."

Will didn't doubt it for a minute. As he went about his day, all he could think about was Nico di Angelo and what was to come. Fear hid a feeling Will didn't dare admit, not even to himself.

Play practice made them stay over in the auditorium. Will eyed Nico as he started, eyed those black eyes and that bottomless soul. What had those eyes seen? What had created a boy so hateful?

He turned away. He didn't see Nico staring back.

Will started walking home after practice with his bag slung over his shoulder, his eyes on the leaves as they blew across his path. Fall had always been his favorite season. He didn't even notice he wasn't alone until Nico pushed passed him, causing him to stumble and almost fall.

"Stop strolling," Nico commanded, stopping in his tracks to turn to look at Will. "Not everyone is as carefree as you. We have places to go."

"Yeah, sorry." Will rubbed his arm where Nico had probably created a bruise. "Um...yeah, sorry. It won't happen again."

Nico rolled his eyes before turning back around, continuing on his way. He didn't look at the leaves. They were crushed beneath his feet.

Will couldn't look away.