"Jason! Yo, Jason! Wake up!" Leo says, shaking me awake. I open my eyes.

"Leo!" I exclaim. "Get out of my room! I'm not even dressed!"

"Calm your pectorals," Leo says, rolling his eyes. "Get dressed! I'm making Ofrenda's!"

"What's an Ofrenda?" I ask. Leo's eyes narrow.

"It's an alter with gifts to honor the dead. Duh! Haven't you ever celebrated Dia de Muertos?"

"Gifts for the dead?" I ask.

"I thought that was obvious," Leo says. "Just...get dressed. I'll just show you. Geez! Are Hazel and I the only people who know about this Holiday?"

"I've heard of it...I've just never celebrated it," I say. "Or, I don't think I did."

Leo waves it off, and walks to the door. Before he passes through it, he turns back to me. "Hey, do you want me to make an Ofrenda for you? Is there anyone in your family who died?"

"No...I don't think so," I say, shaking my head. Leo gives me a thumbs up.

"Good for you! You don't have anyone in your family who died! Lucky." Leo begins to walk downstairs, muttering to himself. Not in a hostile way. He just does that a lot. He scratches his ear, fiddling with his belt. I get up and shut the door, then turn to my closet, pulling on a pair of jeans and a Camp Half-Blood shirt. I look in my mirror (Piper installed it), looking at my reflection. My hair is a mess, but I just woke up. I brush my fingers through it, with a shrug. I showered yesterday, and I know that Annabeth is already there, so there is just no use trying. She has taken a considerable amount of showers since she got back from Tartarus. As though she doesn't feel clean at all. It's sad, really. Percy is right when he says that she is beautiful. I mean, not that I want to date her or anything. She is just my beautiful friend. Sort of like Hazel and Reyna, who I'd never consider dating. Piper is my beautiful friend, now, too. Funny, so is actually everyone on this ship, except maybe Hedge.

I walk out of my room and down the stairs. Hazel is just ahead of me, carrying soaps and fruits and things.

"Haze?" I ask. Hazel turns, with a smile.

"They're presents for my Mom," She says, with a nod of the head, then continues on her way. I follow her, trying to make conversation, trying to see if she could explain to me what we do on Dia de Muertos. She tells me what she knows, which is enough for me to understand. It's people who gather to celebrate a dead friend or family member. Celebrate them, I guess, while having fun. That's what Hazel said, anyway.

"So, you're celebrating your Mom?" I ask.

"Yep!" Hazel says. "I'm going to make Gumbo for her. She loved that."

"But wait, if you're a daughter of Pluto, why do you have to celebrate it? Can't you contact her just any time?" I ask. She turns, raising an eyebrow.

"That's not how it works. Nico is the one who can even sort of contact the dead. I celebrated this with my Mom every year, so I'm going to celebrate it this year, as well. It's simple," Hazel says. "Just because I'm a daughter of Pluto doesn't mean I don't celebrate Holidays like this. I still love them." I nod my head.

"Cool. It's going to be hard to celebrate it with most of us, though, right?" I ask.

"No, actually. You and Percy are really the only people who haven't celebrated it at least once before," Hazel says. "Leo and I talked with everyone this morning. Annabeth and her Dad went to Mexico to look at the architecture there, at November Second, the last day of Dia de Muertos, and ended up celebrating it. Piper and her Dad were touring Mexico after one of his movies. Frank went there on a School Trip. In the last few years when Nico was exploring he went to Mexico. Reyna, before Camp Jupiter, went with Hylla..."

"Okay, I get it," I say, with a sigh. I feel a little stupid now. Hazel nods.

"It's okay! I explained it to Percy this morning, too!" She says.

"I feel so much better. Thanks, Haze," I say.

"That's sarcasm, isn't it?"

I shake my head. "It's nothing. Come on, Leo will come and get us if we aren't down there, soon." Hazel nods, continuing onto the deck.

Leo has decorated the deck hardcore for the Day of the Dead. Seriously. I wonder if Nico helped him...

The railings are lined with skulls, sugar skulls sit on a layout table, the walls are decorated, small fake bones line some of the floors. Surprisingly, it looks beautiful to me. Despite how...dead it looks, it's very colorful. A giant banner in sparkly letters read "DIA DE MUERTOS!" Leo must have done that. It's really cool.

Leo has a giant grin on his face, as though he had far to much caffeine. Which he probably has, actually. He brings a tray over to me.

"Sugar Skull?" He asks, with an evil giggle.

"They aren't...real, right?" I ask.

"Heck no! They are made out of sugar! I spent all night on them!" He says. I take one off the tray, and bite into it. It is completely made out of sugar. Wow. Leo hands one to Hazel, but her hands are still full. Leo puts down the tray, and takes some of the things out of her hands.

"Here's your Mother's Ofrenda," He says, putting some of the things Hazel carried down onto the small alter.

"Thank you!" Hazel says. She walks to the Ofrenda, sitting down next to it, taking a bite out of her Sugar Skull. Everyone else in on board, as well. Nico has two. One for his Mother, and one for Bianca. Piper has one for her friend. Leo has one for his Mother. Percy and Annabeth share a few, for their own friends. Frank also has two, one for his Mother and one for his Grand Mother. Reyna has several. Hedge also has several.

I don't have any. I'm lucky, I guess. I don't remember my Mom, and Thalia is with the Hunt. Reyna is here, and so are all my friends. I haven't lost anyone. But everyone else has. That makes me extremely sad. I mean, not that I'd ever want to lose someone, but I guess it's a strange form of survivals guilt.

Leo puts on music, and begins to dance. It's the kind of music that I've never heard before. Both Leo and Hazel seem to like it.

Weird, I thought Hazel was from Louisiana...do they celebrate Dia de Muertos there? Or does she celebrate it because she's a daughter of Pluto? How confusing.

Annabeth and Percy stand up, beginning to dance. They laugh, happily. Frank and Hazel dance. Piper and Leo begin to dance, which is sort of awkward. It looks like they aren't dating or anything. More like they're just dancing. Reyna, Hedge and Nico stay still, as well as me. I suppose I could ask Reyna...

But I don't really want to.

"Your tired dance moves are getting me down!" Piper says, jokingly.

"Oh, you wish, McLean!" Leo says. They both giggle. I wish I had someone like that. I walk over to Reyna, asking her to dance.

"Alright," Reyna says. "But this doesn't mean anything, alright? I am your Praetor, not anything more."

"How about a friend?" I ask.

"Okay," Reyna says, after a minute. I begin to dance with her. It isn't as cool as I always thought it would be. Reyna is extremely formal. She doesn't dance like Annabeth and Percy, she seems somewhat uncomfortable with all of it.

We switch partners. I dance with Annabeth, who is less tense. More jumpy. She's fun to dance with. A lot more fun. She doesn't seem to care what everyone is thinking of her. She is a good dance partner.

Next, I dance with Piper. And it's awkward. She keeps a distance away from me. I keep a smile on my face, and eventually she returns it.

When I dance with Hazel, it's like dancing with a little sister. A very smart little sister who I respect completely. She is a lot of fun to dance with as well. She is the only one who isn't awkward. The only reason it was awkward to dance with Annabeth was because she kept looking over my shoulder at Percy, who was dancing with Hazel at the time.

This is surprisingly one of the best days I've ever had. I love it. I was never one for dancing before this, but I'm actually enjoying it.

Soon, the boys out number the girls, so I switch to dancing with boys. Apparently, Hazel convinced Nico to dance with her. Though, it seems Nico refuses to dance with anyone except her.

I dance with Percy, because it isn't very awkward dancing with him. Except, he is. He seems uncomfortable, looking over at Annabeth every few minutes.

I walk over to Nico after a few minutes.

"Hey, want another dance partner that isn't your sister? I could convince Percy, if you want!" I say this quietly, so only he can hear. Nico narrows his eyes.

"Don't you dare!"

"Hey! I didn't say it could only be Percy! Name any guy on the deck! I can get them to! Frank! How about Frank?"

"No," Nico says, shaking his head. "I don't want to dance with anyone."

"Oh, come on! Just pick someone!"

"Why? I mean, who would dance with me? Like, do you want to dance with me?" He asks.

"Sure!" I say. Nico stops.

"Really?"

"Really."

"You don't think anyone will look?" He asks.

"Hazel is eating Sugar Skulls, Leo's talking with Festus, Annabeth and Percy haven't stopped looking at each other all day, Frank and Piper are getting into a detailed conversation, and Reyna is in the lavatory. So no one will look!"

"What about Hedge?" Nico asks, uneasy.

"Well, he might look, but that's alright," I say. Nico sighs, looking around.

"Okay..." He says. I take his hands, and I begin to dance. Nico doesn't really dance at all. He just moves his feet to the beat of the music, which isn't all that bad. It's great, actually, and a lot of fun. After a while, he seems to be less tense. He doesn't smile or anything, but he does dance. Full out, actual dancing. It's awesome! I grin at him, pulling him close to me, spinning him around. Nico coos, shivering a little, but doesn't seem to object.

He is my favorite dance partner.

After awhile, Leo turns the music off. Nico practically falls into me. I catch him. He looks up at me, and I look down at him. Maybe a moment to long. After a minute, Nico pulls away.

"Uh...thanks, that was...okay," he says.

"You're welcome!" I say.

"Here, do you want to...sit with me?" He asks, gesturing to his Ofrenda's. I nod, and walk to his Ofrenda's. They are so close to each other, that when we sit down, our knees touch. Nico shudders.

"Hey, it's okay!" I say. "So, which one is for your Mom and which one is for Bianca?"

"This one if for Bianca," He says, sadly, pointing to the one closest to me. It has a green cap on it. "She was wearing that, when I first found out I was a Demigod. I was eleven. Three years ago, it was."

"Three years ago?" I ask. "You've only known that you're a Demigod for three years?" And...he's awesome! How did he achieve so much awesome in just three years?"

"Yeah," Nico says, bobbing his head. "It feels like longer. Bianca's been dead for three years. It's why I don't go back to Camp Half-Blood. A week after she learned she was a Demigod, Bianca...passed away." He stares bitterly at Percy. "But, I brought her spirit back, for a few minutes. I searched for months. I spent the whole first year looking for her. She came back to talk to Percy." He spits the last part. "She told me it wasn't his fault...but it's hard to believe..." He stops talking, pulling his knees up to his chest. "I don't know why I'm telling you this."

"It's okay. I'm fine listening," I say. "...What was your Mother's name?"

"Maria."

I laugh. He looks at me, scowling.

"What's funny?" He asks.

"Oh, it's nothing," I say, putting my hands up. "It's just that Hazel's Mom was named Marie, and your Mom was named Maria." He chuckles.

"Yeah, I guess that's sort of funny..." He says, calmly.

"What did Bianca look like?" I ask.

"She was really pretty," Nico says. "She looked like me, except much prettier, of course. I mean...I'm not pretty or...no, that came out wrong..."

"I think you're pretty," I say, jokingly. "You are a very pretty young man. Very, very pretty!"

"Stop!" Nico says, offended.

"No, I actually mean it. I think you're very...pretty." I mean this sincerely. Nico looks at me for a minute.

"You're pretty, too."

"Thank you," I say. "Glad you think so! Oh it's good to know that I'm pretty to both girls and boys." Nico scoffs.

"You aren't the most good looking boy here!" Nico says.

"I'm hurt. I am very much hurt," I tease. Nico laughs.

"Thanks, Jason," he says, after a few minutes.

"For what?" I ask.

"Thanks for making this day...pleasant. I was dreading today. I hate thinking about them dead. I hate having to deal with it..." He shudders, shutting his eyes. "But you made this...alright."

"You're welcome," I say. Nico is for sure my most beautiful friend.

AN. So...I did my best! THANK YOU ANON FOR THAT WONDERFUL IDEA! Dia de Muertos was literally the most wonderful idea ever! I studied Dia de Muertos just for this reason!

I'm still doing the Bianca's Birthday story, though. It'll take me awhile, though...anyway, what did you think? Was it alright?

Coffee.