Two years later...
"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride," Chiron said from his wheelchair, and Piper and Jason kissed.
Everyone went nuts, jumping out of their seats to shout and cry or cheer. Someone to Percy's right wolf-whistled. Probably Leo. Next to him Reyna smiled through her watery eyes, but she was probably clapping the hardest out of everyone.
Jason and Piper ran down the gazebo steps and then the aisle, laughing. They almost tumbled down the hill to where a limo was waiting to them.
Leo walked up the first few steps of the gazebo and held up his hands "Okay, everybody! The reception, as you probably know - unless you blind and deaf - will be just a short walk that way! So mush!" Calypso giggled from the other side of the aisle.
People started walking down the path toward the structure in the near distance. Clarisse and Chris helped Chiron down the gazebo steps.
He always thought that it would be Annabeth and him that got married first. But no, Jason the Golden Boy had taken that spot, and apparently Leo was up next. Not that Calypso knew that yet.
Percy let out a huge sigh.
Reyna patted his shoulder. "You'll get there, Percy. Maybe with Little Miss Red Dress over there."
Percy glanced at Sarah. "What, Sarah? Gods, no, we're just friends."
"Oh really?" Reyna asked.
"Yeah, really."
"Reyna!" Annabeth called.
"Coming Bee! I'll see you at the reception, Percy," Reyna said as she sauntered off in the direction of Annabeth's voice.
"Hey Percy!" Sarah said, stepping around the fold out chairs. "Thanks for taking me! I've never been to a wedding like this!"
"What? Outside?" Percy asked absentmindedly. Frank moved out of the way and Percy saw the son of Hades again.
He had gotten taller over the past years, not taller than Percy, but close enough that someone would have to take a measuring stick to see who's taller. He wore a sleek grey suit like the rest of the groomsmen with a pink tie, even though he was technically the ring bearer. His brown hair was messy but slicked back and had a distinctly wet look to it, like Nico had recently gone swimming. Of course it was probably just hair gel that Hazel or one of the girls forced on him, but it looked good. Some stray bangs hung in his face, too short to be tucked behind his ears.
"Percy?"
Percy jumped and looked down at Sarah.
"You haven't been listening have you?" She smiled.
"Um... No, sorry." Percy shrugged sheepishly.
"It's okay. Who were you looking at?" She almost turned to look but Percy quickly turned her shoulders back to face him.
"Hmmm. Was it that old girlfriend of yours then, Annabeth?" she guessed.
"No. Did you see that girl I was talking to? The one with the braid and the pink dress?" He pointed to Reyna walking over the Hazel and Frank and Nico.
"Uh huh," Sarah nodded.
"That's Reyna, her girlfriend."
"Oh! Feeling your masculinity challenged there?" she smirked.
"Gods no," Percy said. "If anything she's more manly than I am - That, didn't help my case did it?"
"Not in the least," Sarah laughed, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Nope." Percy sighed. "Well, she asked me if you were my girlfriend and I said-"
"Ugh, NO!" Sarah recoiled a bit. "Sorry."
"Trying to improve my masculine image there Sarah?" Percy asked sarcastically.
"Sorry, it's just that that... Ew. No offense."
"Right back at ya."
She shrugged. "I deserved that one."
"So do you want to go to the reception now? I'm starving," Percy said and started to walk away.
"You're always starving and..." Sarah grabbed his elbow and hauled him back. "Not until you tell me who you were looking at." She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned on her hip.
"Look, I..." Percy glanced around as fast as he could. "It was the guy with the brown hair, he's talking with Reyna and Annabeth."
Sarah turned her head slightly so she could look at Nico out of the corner of her eye. "Mmm, he's hot. Got a girlfriend?"
"There's my beautiful gay boyfriend!" someone shouted and Percy snapped his head to look at Nico. He didn't know Nico had a boyfr-
Rachel was looping her arm though Nico's like he was her official escort. "How about we get married next, sweetie? What do you say to a June wedding?" she yelled loudly.
Oh.
Percy could see Nico roll his eyes as he said something.
"Precisely dear! Let's run away together right now!" She swooned and Nico caught her around her waist. Her pulled her up.
"My savior!" Rachel pressed a hand to Nico's chest and Percy looked back at Sarah.
"You're not his type."
"I heard." Her shoulders slumped. "Figures, of course he's gay. Wait... Are you his type?"
Percy looked away from the gathering to the trees at the bottom of the hill. "No!" he scoffed.
Sarah stuck her tongue. "Don't deny it. I'm totally fine with it. Especially after that weird thing you had with Kenu-"
"No-! I'm not- It's not like that. We kind of used to be friends before- shit happened and I thought he hated me for a while, but it turned out he had this crush on me, and I don't know if he's over it or-"
"If you want him to be over it?" Sarah drawled with an eyebrow raised.
"What is it with people - especially girls - wanting to know about my love life?" Percy asked as he pushed past her to start walking toward the tent in the distance. "I swear, I got grilled by Piper, Hazel, Annabeth, Reyna, Calypso, and Rachel, all at different times this week! Even Jason and Frank asked! If I want to talk with people, I just get a ton of questions!"
"Maybe they just all know you're in denial."
"What?"
"Oh, nothing," Sarah said. She leaned down to scoop up her high heels and trudged down the hill alongside him.
"What could I possibly be in denial about?"
Sarah snorted. "Seriously? I don't even know you're full relationship with cheekbones over there-"
"His name is Nico."
"Really? That's hot -and I can tell you got something for him."
"Ugh, really, are we really having this conversation?" Percy asked, and started taking longer strides down the hill.
"What? It's not that complicated. Do you want to be the one swooning into him?" Sarah teased keeping up with Percy easily. "Or the one catching him? I don't judge."
"Sounds like you do. And yes it is complicated, and what does that even mean?"
"The swooning? Really? I thought it was obvious."
"Nope."
"Do you want me to explain it to you?"
"I would rather take a trip back to Tartarus."
"Where?"
"Um..."
When Percy found his name card, he checked to make sure he wasn't sitting next to Nico. Thankfully, Piper and Jason had gotten his numerous emails and put him next to Annabeth and Sarah. He sighed in relief as he sat down.
That relief lasted for the ten minutes it took for Rachel and Nico to get to their seats. Percy didn't believe for half a second that it was a coincidence that Nico was sitting directly across from him, so he would probably look up at him every five seconds, and it would only be awkward because Nico used to have a crush on him, and for no other reason whatsoever.
Percy tapped Annabeth's shoulder after Nico and Rachel sat down.
"Annabeth," he snapped.
Annabeth turned, smiling from something Reyna had just said. "Yeah Percy?"
Percy glanced behind him at Sarah and at Reyna, who both looked way too preoccupied by their silverware or the bread.
"Can I talk to you in private?" He stood, and Annabeth shrugged.
"I'll be right back Rey'."
"'Kay Bee," Reyna said.
Percy led Annabeth to the bar.
"One shot, of anything," Percy ordered, and the bartender grabbed a shot glass and a bottle of tequila.
"So what's on your mind?" Annabeth asked.
The bartender finished filling the glass and Percy immediately picked it up. He leaned his head back and gulped it down, grimacing as he set the shot glass down. "Why is Nico sitting right across from me?" The sharp alcohol settled heavily in his stomach.
"He is?" Annabeth looked back at their table. "He is. I don't know, Piper did the seating arrangements, you should ask her."
"Come on, cut the crap," Percy growled as he sat on one of the stools.
"I really don't know Percy."
"Annabeth, do you know how many times the past week people have asked me about my love life?" Percy waved the bartender back over.
Annabeth shrugged. "I have no idea."
Percy knocked back another shot. "Eighteen times. I mean, Clarisse asked me. When was the last time Clarisse was even a tiny bit interested in what I did?"
"Never," Annabeth admitted.
"Exactly, so what the hell are you doing?" Percy demanded.
Annabeth shook her head. "I'm not doing anything Percy. Maybe someone else is?"
Percy scoffed. "What, like Nico?"
Annabeth frowned, shaking her head again. "I was talking about the gods or, Aphrodite, maybe your dad."
"Oh." Percy waved the bartender over again.
"Are you really going to get drunk already?" Annabeth asked, grimacing as he knocked back the second shot.
Percy shook his head, blinking hard. "Yes. I need to be at least a little bit drunk for whatever you've got planned for tonight."
"I told you, I don't have anything planned," Annabeth insisted. "Now are you done?"
"Yup. Let's go," Percy said, pushing himself off the stool.
Everyone was in their seats around their table when they got back. Reyna was arguing about something sciencey with Leo and Calypso, and as soon as Annabeth heard the debate, she joined Reyna's team.
Percy fell heavily into his chair.
"Tonight is going to blow," Percy said to Sarah.
"Hey Percy! That's what he said!" Rachel yelled, holding up her glass. "Right Nico, because of gay...?"
Nico looked at her like she needed to be institutionalized.
"Someone here, please watch The Office!" Rachel begged.
Percy looked around. "I'm on the other side of the table, how did you even hear what I said?"
Rachel shrugged. "Just guessing."
Percy chose to let it go. She was obviously trying to get hammered, and maybe it was working better for her than it was for him.
Sarah joined the sciencey debate - something with turbines? Maybe they were talking about architecture or something. Sarah had sided with the Annabeth/Reyna team, probably because they were going to win.
Percy glanced up at Nico. If he looked at just the sleek aspects of Nico, he saw Hades' genetics, with the dark eyes and thunderous expression. But sometimes, like now, he smiled and Percy saw someone else entirely. His eyes didn't look so dark, and he had a lively energy to him. It was a strange, hypnotizing combination of cunning and carefree that tugged Percy in.
He is kind of hot, Percy decided. But he frowned and tried to shake the thought loose from his head.
"I am a MASTER DEBATER, for your information!" Sarah pronounced next to Percy who shot up, banging his wrist against the table.
"What?!" he shrilled. His voice sounded like it had come out of a terrified ant who had voice problems. His wrist throbbed.
Leo, Calypso, Annabeth, Reyna and Sarah all stopped arguing to stare at him.
"Um... We're having a debate about the best Green Technologies of the twenty first century, Percy..." Reyna explained like he was a bomb about to explode. "And Sarah joined our team...?"
"Right, yeah sorry." Percy shook his head again. He exhaled and ran his hand through his hair.
"Okay...?" Sarah twirled her finger next to her head and pointed her thumb to Percy. He wasn't about to argue with her. "Anyway, back to Germany..."
The salads were served, and everyone demolished them. The entire wedding party had missed lunch due to an incident involving Aphrodite, Hera and floral arrangements.
"Wow Nico!" Rachel declared so the entire table could here. "You just devoured that entire thing! You know Nico, bet you could fit that entire thing in your mouth!"
Percy gulped down what was left of his water, but it didn't make him feel any better. This was a new low for Annabeth.
"What thing-? What are you talking about?" Nico demanded, all he was eating were the pecans on the greens.
Rachel waved him off and took another swig of her drink. Next to Nico, Hazel was beat red and trying to concentrate on her empty plate.
The conversations at the table awkwardly resumed and Nico turned his back to Rachel so he could talk with his sister and Frank.
Eventually the tension relaxed and Percy struck up an actual conversation with Annabeth and Reyna after they won their argument against Leo and Calypso. As Sarah started asking how Annabeth and Reyna got together, Rachel leaned all the way across the table, in front of Annabeth and Reyna who both had to lean back, to start snapping her fingers in Percy's face.
"Hey Percy!"
As Percy looked up she sat back down in her seat and called across the table. "Did I tell you about the time that Nico had to beat off three guys to get us back to our apartment? They just kept comin' and comin' and comin'... It was like- Wow."
"That never happened!" Nico said, turning to everyone and opened his mouth too try and formulate an explanation, but all that came out was "I swear!"
"Oh don't be so modest Nico!" Rachel slung her arm around his neck so Nico was trapped in a partial headlock. "We should have seen this guy Percy, I mean he had those guys down on their knees and just begging for him to release them from that rock hard grip."
It might have just been Rachel's arm was holding his neck a little too tightly and cutting off his ability to breath, but Nico's face was bright pink. He struggled to wriggle out of Rachel's arm, but she wasn't relinquishing control anytime soon. After a couple of yanks and pulls that almost snapped his neck, Nico just gave up and waited for her to end the humiliation.
"I mean I was surprised Nico could keep going that long I mean WOW. But he probably could have gone all night with the his stamina. He could have given it out AND take those guy's beating forever. But I guess they couldn't handle the experience of this hot guy's moves, and eventually they just had to pass out."
Percy was sure he was going to die. He couldn't leave, for physical and anatomical reasons that were beyond his control, and he really, REALLY needed a drink. But if he asked a waiter for one, Annabeth would know this was having an affect on him, but if she thought it wasn't she might try even harder- MORE, she might make Rachel try even more.
Next to him, Sarah's laughter had gone silent and all she could manage were little gasps. She was leaning so far back in her seat and laughing so hard that Percy decided not to catch her when she keeled out of her chair. But she just kept laughing.
Leo had a giant grin on his face, shaking his head, like he had no idea what was happening but he was going to enjoy it. Frank and Calypso exchanged uncomfortable glances as Hazel tried to get Rachel to release the headlock on her brother. Annabeth and Reyna just observed with their arms casually wrapped around each other and amused expressions on their faces, like two evil geniuses.
"So anyway. WAITER!" Rachel released the son of Hades and Nico scrambled back. Rachel beckoned a tall, male waiter over. "I have two things to ask of you," she said. "First: If you were gay, would you have sex with him-" She pointed at Nico.
"RACHEL!" Nico shrieked before clapping a hand over his mouth.
At that Leo fell into the table howling with laughter, and then as he leaned back he missed his chair and tumbled to the floor. Calypso started giggling uncontrollably and next to Percy, Sarah was still cackling from the floor. Frank stared down at Leo, grinning and starting to chuckle, and with that, even Hazel cracked a smile. Annabeth and Reyna were still smiling like the evil masterminds they were, but Annabeth had a huge smile breaking her cool, controlled demeanor and Reyna had started to shake her head the ridiculousness.
The waiter looked at Nico and shrugged. "Yeah, totally."
Nico looked up to him with his eyes wide in partial terror and surprise. "What?" he squeaked.
Percy couldn't wait for the main course.
"That's what I thought!" Rachel nodded. "Two: Fill with this up." She grabbed his hand and put her glass in his palm. "Tequila. Percy you want somethin'?"
Screw it, he didn't care if Annabeth knew this was getting to him. "YES."
"You know, just bring a bottle," Rachel said, patting the waiter's arm.
The waiter grinned at Nico before walking to the bar.
"We need Rachel drunk more often!" Leo gasped between fits of laughter.
"No we do not," Nico snapped, his cheeks still flaming.
Percy looked down and clenched his jaw.
"Are you okay, Percy?" Annabeth asked him with faux concern. She squinted, looking closely to study his face, and Percy leaned back. "You look pale!"
"I'm fine Annabeth," Percy growled quietly. "Can't you just drop it? Call off Rachel."
Annabeth glanced around before she leaned in and hissed: "Percy, if you don't face who you are you'll never be happy."
"Maybe the reason I'm not happy or 'facing who you think I am' is 'cause my psycho ex-girlfriend's-"
"Trying to get you to admit that you're attr-"
"Shut up!" Percy snapped under his breath before she could voice what Percy wasn't ready to hear. "Why can't you just let me handle this by myself?!"
"Because I know you won't!" Annabeth said.
"Annabeth- Just- DROP IT. Stop making this more confusing that it already is," Percy ordered. They glared at each other until the waiter came back with the bottle of tequila.
Percy clenched his jaw and turned his back on her.
As soon as the waiter filled his glass, Percy scooped it up and downed the entire thing in gulp. He slammed the glass back on the table.
"Fill 'er up," he nodded to the waiter.
Percy drank half the bottle before Rachel came around the table and stole it, but Percy was already drunk enough not to care. He felt way better. And worse. Mostly worse, but he felt the worse less than the better.
Percy shook his head.
The entrees were brought out and Rachel nearly fainted as she saw the vegetarian course: tofu sauteed in peanut sauce with assorted veggies. Sounded gross to Percy, but she was in heaven.
Sarah nudged him as she cut her chicken. "What did you say to Annabeth? She looks pretty pissed at you."
"I told her to stop buggin' me." Percy took a huge bite of his potatoes.
"How're you likin' stuffin' that meat into your mouth Nico?" Rachel asked, too loudly.
By now everyone around the table was ignoring Rachel's ramblings, just grateful that none of the other tables could hear her over the noise of the whole reception. Percy and Nico heard her though.
Nico choked and thumped his chest to stop the coughing. Percy looked down at his drink. There wasn't any left, and Rachel had her hand wrapped around the neck of the bottle of tequila.
"Wow," Rachel said. "Havin' trouble swallowin' there? You never have that problem!"
Nico sighed as he started breathing normally again and narrowed his eyes to glare at the Oracle.
Sarah tapped Percy's shoulder and he turned back to her. "Stop bugging you about what?"
Percy let out a huge, sigh like the world was back on his shoulders and he set his head on the table in front of his plate. He groaned.
"Okay, fine," Sarah said, rolling her eyes. "You don't have to tell me."
"PENIS TENT," Rachel declared, leaning back to look at the ceiling.
Nico threw up his hands. "What does that even mean?!"
Rachel just giggled about her tofu.
After the toasts, and Leo's weird story about eating tacos in a sewer, which made Rachel fall over laughing, Piper and Jason cut the cake (and got into a mini food fight). Everyone got a slice and returned to the table, raving about the amazing cake.
"I heard they got one of the Aphrod- Piper's siblings kids to make it," Frank said, glancing at Sarah as he almost said Aphrodite.
No way one of them did it," Leo said with his mouth full. "My money's on the Demeter Cabin."
Sarah frowned. "What does he mean, Demeter?"
Annabeth explained quickly. "We all met at a summer camp and it was the name of the cabin with the campers who really liked farming and gardening."
"Oh!" Sarah smiled. "Like the Roman myths?"
"Greek," everyone corrected automatically.
"Oh...!" Sarah nodded and went back to her cake. Annabeth and Reyna sighed with relief.
Rachel slapped Nico's chest with the back of her hand. "Hey! Wow, speakin' of the hot as hell Aphrodite Cabin: Nico there's that guy from the Aphrodite Cabin. You went out with him that one time. He's still hot and he's still single!"
"I know, Rachel. You pointed him out before the wedding." Nico tightened his shoulders and hunched over his cake. "And you were the one who set us up to begin with."
"I know but you know what they say 'bout second chances, right Percy?" Rachel bent over the table cackling like a harpy.
Percy forced himself to look confused. "Why're you ropin' me into this?"
Nico just frowned at Rachel and shook his head. "No I don't, and you have had way too much alcohol."
"They only come once!"
The lights dimmed and slow, smooth dance music started.
"Ladies and gentlemen," some kid from the Apollo Cabin breathed in a weird, suave voice into the microphone. "If you'll please look to the dance floor! The happy couple will be having their first dance!"
Piper and Jason glided onto the dance floor like the perfect, annoying couple they were.
"So what's bugging you Percy?" Sarah whispered in his ear.
Percy had gotten another couple drinks in him since the meat incident so he didn't even try to lie. "I hate this."
"What?"
"This. Bein' the only one here who doesn't know what they want." Percy sighed leaned his cheek into his fist. "I'm single an' confused an' everyone keeps givin' me shit about it. And won't leave me alone!" Percy turned to glare at the back of Annabeth's head.
"Yeah, I'm cutting you off now," Sarah said, grabbing his glass and quickly drinking the rest of his drink before he could protest.
"Oh come on!" Percy whined and tried to reach for his empty glass. "It's the only thing keepin' me here."
"If you really hated it here you would have left halfway through dinner." Sarah took a drink of water.
Percy frowned. "No I gotta stay 'cause-"
"You really don't. We could leave right now. The toasts are done and we had cake. I have the keys and you're the one who's drunk. That was my first drink, and it wasn't even all the way full," she said, pointing to Percy's empty glass.
"But..." Percy looked at the drink like it had betrayed him.
"Nope. Decide right now because I'm not going to hear you bitch and moan all night," she snapped. "I would love to stay and dance, but since these are your friends I won't mind if you say you want to go."
Percy hesitated. He really didn't have a reason to stay. Annabeth was being intrusive and nosing her way into something that really wasn't anyone's business but his. Rachel just made this entire thing worse by constantly reminding him why he didn't want to be here in the first place and everyone was encouraging her. Percy looked across the table.
Nico was grinning and pointing a camera at Rachel. His smile was magnetic, Percy could feel the tug in his chest, coaxing him forward so he could-
Nico glanced up and Percy wrenched his head back to Sarah. Her eyes had softened.
"Oh."
"Oh, what?" Percy asked hastily, avoiding her gaze and frowning. He started to stand up. "I'm ready, Let's go-"
Sarah grabbed his arm and yanked him back down in his seat. "Nope."
"What?"
"I'm not taking you back to the hotel yet." Sarah smile was kind but it made Percy nervous. Sarah didn't give kind looks, she gave evil, conniving smirks that promised him hell for the next three days.
He had found the straight, mortal version of Annabeth. What was wrong with him that he was friends with sadistic females? His mom was nothing like this.
"But you just said you-"
"I know what I said Percy, and I changed my mind. I'm not taking you back until I'm done dancing. You can walk back, but it'd probably take an hour from here." She smirked. There it was, the evil twist that pissed him off because he couldn't understand why she was doing it in the least.
Percy let out a heavy exhale. "But what about the bitchin' and-"
Sarah shrugged. "I've put up with you for two years, I should be able the handle a couple hours without killing you. Come on Percy, you need to face your fears!" Then she muttered: "Or in this case, the people you're obviously terrified of."
"I am not afraid." Percy ignored the people comment and wagged a finger in her face. "If you knew what I'VE done, you'd be runnin' for the freakin' hills!"
Man he was drunk.
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Because you're stories of killing giants while playing dodgeball are SO believable. We're staying. At least try to have a good time."
Percy looked at the door, wondering if the walk would be worth it.
Someone banged the table and made all of the glasses shiver. Rachel was laughing and Nico shook his head and put down his camera.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen!" The slow music stopped and the beginning of 'I Gotta Feelin' started playing. Green disco lights and lazers swept across the reception. "Time to get yourselves onto the dance floor, 'cause tonight's going to be one hell of a ride."
A ton of the Aphrodite kids ran as fast as they could in their high heels onto the dance floor.
"See Percy! I gotta feelin'-!" Sarah sang with the music.
"Really?" Percy turned at Nico's shouting voice. "He's starting with this? Original!"
Leo and Calypso ran off holding each other's hands. Frank and Hazel got up and followed. As Annabeth and Reyna pushed out their chairs, Sarah grabbed Percy's wrist and he was jerked out of his seat after her.
After the song was over Percy managed to escape Sarah's reach and plop himself back in his chair. It wasn't because of the song, and it definitely was not about the fact that Nico had been hauled onto the dance floor, Percy was just exhausted. And there was no way in hell he was going to dance to The YMCA. Annabeth probably paid the kid to play it. And he was stumbling and everything was blurry and he needed to take his suit jacket off because when did it get so hot in here?
Percy ran his fingers through his hair.
Who was he kidding. Nico looked amazing. The gel or whatever had stopped working and his hair was swirling around his ears and his cheeks and his brown eyes that reminded Percy of the blue chocolate cake he had for his birthdays, the color of the bark on the trees where he sat and did homework in between classes, the color of his coffee in the mornings; things that Percy held onto.
Maybe it was just the alcohol talking. It probably was. He hoped it was. The base of his head was buzzing and he kept having to blink to make sure his vision didn't go double.
Percy sat there through the next five songs. He just watched Nico dancing. Nico was nothing like the confused kid who'd left him sitting on the side of a hill five years ago. He was smiling. Percy couldn't remember a time before the wedding when he was smiling. Just Bianca. He didn't have the dark presence of hatred and resentment clouding his words and his behavior. He was happy.
Percy also couldn't remember the last time he had actually talked to Nico. He was the one Percy should be talking to. Nico knew who he was, he had hated himself and been more confused than Percy was. If Nico was happy what was standing in Percy's way?
As Come Away with Me came on, a lot of the people left or paired up for the slow song. Sarah walked over to him, swaying to the music.
"Hey, stick in the mud. Come Away... to dance with me, come on!" She grabbed his hand and tried to pull him out his chair, but Percy didn't move. He was still staring at Nico, dancing with his hands on Rachel's waist. Sarah followed his gaze and sighed as she saw who he was staring at again.
"What's wrong, Percy? Why can't you just let yourself be happy? You obviously like him," she demanded, collapsing into her chair. "And you better not give me some bullshit answer or I WILL lock you out of our room."
"I've only ever liked girls, Sarah," Percy said.
"So?" Sarah leaned on her hand. "Annabeth was dating boys before you wasn't she?"
"That's... I mean- I was her first boyfriend but she liked other guys before me."
"Exactly. You never know where you'll end up. So what's the big problem then?"
"I- How- I don't think I can-" Percy groaned and leaned back, covering his face with his hands. "I can't say it."
"Is it really that hard- difficult? Is it really that difficult to say?" she corrected herself quickly.
"Yes."
Sarah sighed and tilted her head, biting her tongue. She reached for her black purse and started rifling through it. "Then write it, I don't care. Here." She set a ballpoint pen and a little notebook in front of him.
Percy looked at it for a second. He didn't want to write it down. It was probably worse than saying it outloud. There would be physical evidence that he was thinking this. What if Nico saw it and figured it out?
Percy turned to Sarah and opened his mouth to speak, to tell her, but nothing would come out. He closed his mouth and opened it again, trying to get out the words. But they refused to form on his tongue.
Sarah just stared at him with her arms folded over her chest and eyebrows cocked in impatience.
The song changed to Moves Like Jagger and all of the singles ran back to the dance floor, except for the two of them.
Eventually, Percy sighed and grabbed the pen. He scrawled the sentence out as fast as he could then capped the pen and put it down. He crossed his arms, hunched his shoulders and locked his eyes on the floor as Sarah grabbed the notebook.
She smacked her forehead. "Well how are you ever going to know if you're too scared to find out!?"
"Shh!" Percy glanced at the dance floor. But no one was looking.
Sarah exhaled before she continued, whispering this time. "Percy, you don't know you can't love a boy as much as a girl if you refuse to let yourself fall in love with one!"
Percy clenched his jaw.
"Want some advice Percy?"
"Why else're you here?"
She punched him in the shoulder.
"Ow! Fine!" He rubbed his shoulder.
"Stop taking this so seriously! If a dude turns you on, go with it. If a girl turns you on, go with it. Whatever. You're acting like love is necessary for dating! Newsflash! It isn't!" She rolled her eyes. "Good God, it's like I'm teaching being bi as a foreign language to deaf people. If you like Nico just talk to him. Have sex - use protection - go out a couple of times, if you don't end up liking him big deal!"
"No- No, I can't do that to him." Percy shook his head. "That's not fair to Nico. He had a crush on me for years. If I start something, and I don't- He'd never forgive me." I'd never forgive myself either, Percy thought.
"Then don't date NICO," she growled, racking her hands down her face in exasperation. Percy leaned back a bit. "You do realize there are millions of gay, bi, and pansexual men in the world?! And I know that somewhere in those millions of men there's a perfect gay guy who would love to date a smoking guy like you."
"Thanks," Percy said.
"Don't push it," Sarah snapped. "Now as penance for being completely annoying in the wake of my marvelous advice, you will dance with me for five songs - this song doesn't count - and one slow song - unless I can get that hot guy Travis to ask me."
Percy frowned. "Wait who-?"