Hell no!

Chapter 27. A hug (Nico)

After the cookies from Mrs. Solace, sorry Naomi, we went upstairs. I was sort of happy that I could stay here for dinner, but I'm not sure why. In Will's room I saw I had a text from Hazel, asking me if I was okay, but I ignored it. Then, after about an hour, we'd finished with English. We only need our teacher's approval, and done!

''So, now we've finished our English project, what do you want to do?'' Will asked me and I shrugged. How should I know?

''I don't know?'' I said slowly. I saw Will roll his eyes and close up our English stuff on his computer and looked I looked at the screensaver. That was Will, obviously, with a younger boy. Could that be his little brother Michael?

''Is that your brother?'' I asked, unsure if it'd be okay to ask. But he nodded and talked about him.

''That's me and Michael, about a week before we went to the beach…'' his voice wavered. I didn't know what to say, how to comfort him. So I went to my backpack and got out my sketch of the day Bianca had given me the sweater and I was smiling with her and Hazel. I am not sure why, but I showed it to him. It felt… safe. He knew how I felt, and I was trying to be a good friend.

''This is a drawing I made. It was on the holidays, when we were in Italy.'' I tell him, while handing it to him. He looked at my drawing and smiles, a genuine smile, I think.

''It's beautiful, Nico. You can draw really well.'' he tells me. I don't know what to say, so I want to show him a picture of Bianca. I take out my phone and search for one of my most recent photos with her, and clicked the one Piper made when we were leaving school. I handed him my phone and he looked at the photo.

''That's me, Bianca and Hazel, a week before…'' I say, my voice getting more and more quiet. I just can't say it. Then I explain about the photo. ''Piper took that picture with her p-phone, while we were goofing around.'' Why is my voice so shaky?! He must think I'm an idiot! ''She later sent it to all of us, Annabeth had been sick at home and told us it looked like we had a lot of f-fun. Bianca had shown the picture to our parents, and mom had laughed r-really loudly when she saw it and even dad had smiled.''

I remember that day really well. We were so crazy. It just…makes me sad but happy at the same time, because I never get to be crazy and happy with Bianca anymore. Will handed me my phone back and I pocketed it. Then all of a sudden, Will came and hugged me. I didn't know what to do or what to think, but then I melted into the hug. It felt so good, like the sun embracing me again, warming me inside.

''Thanks, I needed that,'' I mumbled to him the moment we broke apart. It had been a comfortable hug, very reassuring. It felt… safe. We were silent for a while, until my phone buzzed. I looked at it and saw Piper had sent me a text. Privately. Okay? I opened it. I also heard Wills phone, so he'd also gotten a text from someone.

Piper: Hey, Nico, how's it going? Studying?

Me: English project with Will.

Piper: U sure it's not Biology? ;)

Me: What do you mean?

Piper: S not studying each other's bodies? ;)

I felt my head get red. Damn it Piper!

Me: PIPER! No, just no! I don't even know him that well. We've just become friends! Just. Friends.

Piper: Okay, whatever you say, Neeks!

She sounded unconvinced and maybe even a little sarcastic. Ugh! But then I heard Naomi call us for dinner, and I realized I was quite hungry. So we went downstairs and Will and his mother started explaining about the broccoli soup and the cheese-corn bread, which she apparently made more often. I taste the bread, and it tastes really good! I close my eyes while eating the bread, to taste it better and enjoy it more.

''Your cheese corn bread is delicious, Naomi. Almost as delicious as…'' Bianca's pasta with cheese. That is, was, the most delicious things I've ever eaten. Bianca always made it just right, just like Nonna, and it tastes like an angel walking over your tongue.

''Thank you, Nico. Now tell me, Will, how was school today?'' Naomi says, changing the subject. Will started talking about history and art, and his mother was very interested in his art class, so she asked him what we'd drawn.

''I drew you, mom.''

''I drew my sister Bianca. I was really surprised I'd gotten a 9 for it, though.''

''Your drawing was great, Nico. And you obviously deserved it.'' Will complemented me and I blushed a little, as nearly no one ever complements me. Wait, that is the reason, right? ''Miss A. had said only one person had a 9 and that most had a 7 or 8.''

''Wow, Nico, that must have been a beautiful drawing.'' Naomi said. I simply nodded, not knowing what to say. Then Will's mother got the dessert. Cannoli. Just like Nonna made for us when we were little. I took my first bite and closed my eyes to fully enjoy the cannoli and taste all its deliciousness, reminding me of Italy. After the cannoli I said I had to get home and Naomi offered to drive me there, which I gladly accepted. Will was also coming along. In the car, all during the ride, I talked with Naomi about my friends and sister, about Piper, about Annabeth and also about Hazel, even though I'm mad at her, I didn't say one thing against her. Naomi seemed to like them from what I told her. At my house I got out and thanked Naomi and said goodbye.

''Thank you for bringing me home, Naomi. See you tomorrow at lunch, Will.'' I said and waved at them. Then I went into the house and told my parents about my day.

''Hey mom, hey dad, I'm home,'' I said while walking into the kitchen, where they were. ''School was fine, especially art, which was surprising. I got a 9, highest of the class, for my drawing. And at Will's place we finished English and then we had dinner with his mother. His mother had made soup and bread and we had cannoli for dessert, which tasted great!''

''I'm glad your day was so good, Nico. And I'm glad you've made a new friend. This Will seems very nice.'' mom said. I smiled at her, grabbed an apple from the counter and went upstairs. I put the apple on my desk for later and started reading in my History book to prepare for tomorrows lesson. After that, I made my Italian homework. Easy. I am better in Italian than the teacher, as it's my first language. Then Hazel came in, obviously wanting to talk, but I ignored her and she left. I know I'm not being nice to her, but I'm just very mad.

I went to shower and got ready for bedve some back info. Jason and Piper were talking to .as well as, respectively, Will and Nico

. In bed I started thinking about the day. About Will. About the afternoon. How he'd hugged me, full of passion. It was kind of weird, and unknown to me. Only my parents of sisters have hugged me before today. What does it mean? Does it even mean something? He was just comforting a friend, or wasn't he? We were just friends, were we not? Or does he…? No. That's just Piper talking. Friends, nothing more! Just a friendly hug, that's all!

AN: In the next chapter, I have writen the back info from these past two chapters, Jason and Piper were talking to eachother as well as, respectively, Will and Nico.

More about that in the next chapter.

Also sorry for not updating for such a long time. Apart from having a writers block for this story, my school just started back this week. So I'm probably getting less time to update.

:(

XXX

Satan-with-grey-socks