Here's Chapter 1. Well, it's actually the first and second together, but someone (named Takara Phoenix, awesome writer) suggested I do it this way. I truly hope you like it and, just so you know, another story is being written right now. Enjoy
Recording 2:
It's me again. The first week of school is over and I already want it to end. My pockets are full of papers with girls' numbers and the auditions for the swimming team have been going on for the last three days. Grover and Annie try to help me, but they've both got better things to do and two demanding girlfriends to care for. Piper already confronted me for "keeping her woman out of bed" and Juniper is always there to drag Grover away. I have other people who care about me - or at least pretend to - but only these two are close enough for me to confide in them.
There is a crowd of new kids that try to be friendly. They have already Annabeth and Grover at their side. There's Rachel, a weird red-head that seems to know everything before it happens, the Stoll twins, Travis and Connor, the "Prankster Kings", Thalia, and awesome tomboy that can kick anyone's ass and five more kids that I know only by their names, Frank, Hazel, Leo, Jason and Reyna. But the most interesting one to me is Nico di Angelo.
He also belongs in their team, but seems as though he doesn't fit. I already knew Bianca, his sister, before he came here - we are in the same Chemistry class - but she never mentioned a brother. He always keeps his distance with the others and rarely talks. His face is formed in a permanent glare, his brown eyes full of cold, dangerous power. He has something that makes everyone look away when he walks in the hallways in his black jeans and black leather jacket with a band T-Shirt underneath and scares even the worst bullies. He is mysterious and the whole bad-boy-style is tailored on him. The bangs of messy hair in front of his eyes add to his tough image. He may be young and new here, but he acts as if he owns the place. He's intriguing, the least.
I've heard his friends call him "Ghost King". It suits him, with that dark aura of his, he looks as if he can make the worst criminals cry like babies with a look. But he's also protective of his friends and possessive of what's his. Like a couple of days ago, when Luke and Octavian, the captains of the football team, tried to "accidentally" push Leo in the lake outside our lunch room. He had to be restrained by the twins and Thalia as Frank, a literally huge boy, glared at them while rushing to help his hurt "firebug".
He has also started a martial arts club with Clarisse la Rue, Frank's cousin and my classmate. Some say he wants to make an organisation of trained serial killers, others that he aims for an army of the undead. I'm thinking of joining since Annabeth said he may teach sword fighting and I've always wanted to try. Mom once told me it's our family gift. One of my great-grandfathers was a trusty sword fighter and protector of the king that lived in this very own castle, known all over the world, and the legend sais the talent was given to us by the Ancient Gods themselves! Of course I don't believe in those stories but still, it makes me want to try. Plus, I'll be able to find out more about the new guy. I don't know, he has something that urges me to get to know him. Maybe it's the hidden pain I saw in his eyes the first time we looked at each other.
Actually, I think I'm going to find them right now and ask for more information about joining his club. Grover left a while ago saying they were meeting at the stables. I could use Blackjack as an excuse, I actually hadn't had a chance to check on the horse yet. He is a beautiful black stallion, tall and proud, that arrived in the school the same year as me. We are best buds since then and we quite fit together, he is fairly popular too in his world. He is said to have legendary ancestors too, some even say he's a descendant of the mythical Pegasus!
I have to hurry, they might leave any time! Bye!
Recording 3:
It's only been three weeks but, as I already mentioned, this year is already horrible, worse than any other. Everyone is in a frenzy and it sucks. And the fact that I've come closer with the "new guys" doesn't help. All girls believe that, since Annabeth dumped me for Piper (apparently we were dating?), I need someone to help me "get over" her. Which also affected the girls I'm hanging out with. They are always faced with hateful glares and insulting words. They always assure me they don't care and that all that matters is our friendship, but I can still see the hurt in their eyes. Is it selfish of me to hate the idea of giving them up? They are real and they care for me, what I think and how I feel. Even this hostile behavior can't make me change my mind about hanging out with them.
I've gotten to know all of them, and they are even more amazing that what rumors let people know. Rachel is super fun, but you should never leave her alone with the Stolls if you love your life. Thalia is cool, but pretty scary sometimes and also very protective of her younger brother, Jason. Believe me, you do not want to anger her. The male member of the Grace family is slowly rising to fame too, but luckily has Reyna, who's hot-tempered but level-headed, to keep him in line. Leo is the weirdest and most adorable of all, a restless little thing with two very protective lovers at his side. The boy, Frank, is called "The Shape Shifter" and they say he got stuck mid-shifting, to explain the contrast of his bulky frame and babyish face and the girl, Hazel, is called "The Golden Girl" because of her startling eyes. The three have a quite complicated relationship but, as long as they are happy, I am alright with it.
And since both my best friends, as well as every other couple, are super busy, I am usually stuck with Nico. Not that I mind, the kid is more interesting than all the Harry Potter movies in one. We spend a lot of time together now. We train together five days a week and hang out during the weekends. Our friendship is slowly getting stronger, we bond faster than I've ever managed with any other person in my life. It was weird at first, he kept avoiding me and when I managed to make him stay in the same room with me for more than a minute, he barely talked. We mostly sat there in silence, avoiding staring at each other unless necessary.
Our time back then included only our training and it would have stayed that way, had Annabeth not used her tricks to bring us together. I don't think she ever understood though. You see, Rachel had organised a dinner for all the couples and, since I was the only single one - at least that's what I thought until that night -, I was left alone. Before Annabeth and Grover left our room to go meet their girlfriends, they let me know where Nico's room was "in case you need anything, since he'll be staying behind too". My surprise at that piece of information was indescribable. An hour later, I found myself knocking on his door with my blanket, pillow and a bag of popcorn in my hands
I clearly remember the stunned look on his sleepy face as he stood on the doorway in his black pajama pants and a T-Shirt. It took him a while, but he finally let me in. We spent some awkward moments standing in front of each other at a loss of words before his signature smirk made an appearance on his face.
"Would you like to watch a movie with me, Perce? I could order pizza too" he suggested and I found myself nodding with a small smile on my lips. Five minutes later, we were seated on his couch, huddled in our blankets as The Shining started playing. I was never a fan of thrillers but he had looked at me so hopefully and excitedly, I just couldn't say no.
Since then, Saturday movie night became a weekly habit. He seems to enjoy my company too, he has been talking a lot, as if he had no one to talk to all these years. He hasn't requested knowing something about me and it's fine by me. He first started the conversation two nights ago.
"I'm glad you are here, Perce. I feel I can trust you... Can I?" All he got from me was a nod again, but he seemed pleased since he continued."Sometimes, life sucks. It may happen when you are old, or you may be born with a shitty life ahead of you. I belong to the last category of people. Do you know how it feels like to grow up without a mother? No? Well, consider yourself lucky. My mother almost died giving birth to me and was kept in the hospital my first four years of life. But if only it was just that. I was born dead. My heart stopped beating as soon as the doctor got me out. I spent my first month hooked on a machine that was my heart for me and the first seven years of my life in and out of the hospital. That really caused me to miss out on the evolution of the world, science, technology and stuff. I was always considered an outcast at school since I knew and had nothing the other kids my age did. I found out about the Internet when I was 10, when my father returned. Yeah, he left on my ninth birthday, and then we found out about Hazel. She's only my half-sister, you see..."
He seemed to realise how much he had opened up, and that made him stop and put up his guard again. I'm pretty sure that's not all, but each time I've tried to pressure him, he shut me off and I valued his friendship too much to let my curiosity destroy it. Even all that was super hard for him. It was this moment that I realised how much he isn't used to telling people about life and letting them in. He did promise he'd try for me, though. He seriously is a great guy. But the best thing about him is that he isn't critical. Each time I've tried talking to Annie or Grover about my reputation at school and all the problem that it caused in my life, they'd glare disapprovingly and say I should give that life up before they even tried to listen. When I first confessed my hatred for it to Nico, he sat there and allowed me to let all my frustration out, with no intervening, no trying to judge me about it.
He's slowly becoming a close person to me and important in my life. It is nice but something doesn't feel right. It's always as if there is a tight grip on my heart, something that always warns me something bad will happen soon. But I don't want that. For once I slightly enjoy my life and I have started not to give a damn about what other people think of me. I have great friends and they don't try to change themselves for me.
I guess only time will tell. I must leave now, I'm late and Nico hates waiting. We're visiting an art gallery where Rachel's art club is making an exhibition. Bye!
