Hi peeps! What's up?
Sorry for the long update time... I've been OBSESSED with the game Plants Vs. Zombies and can't stop playing it... EVEN THOUGH I BEAT THE GAME ALREADY!
If you haven't played it yet, play it. It's amazing.
Disclaimer: I don't own the song used in this chapter, Heart Attack. It's by Demi Lovato. ALL RIGHTS GO TO HER.
I also don't own PJO or HOO! They go to my boy, Rick!
Uh... The rest I have to say will be at the bottom!
Twenty Eight (Nico):
I bang on the door of the suite as I try and cover my face from any fans walking by. Cassia left me to go to class and I forgot my key in my jacket, which I didn't bring with me.
"Oh hey Nico!" Percy smiles as he opens the door. "Uhm, this is a kind of strange request, but I need your pants."
"You need my pants?" I repeat back to him. "No. I've already had a strange experience with pants today, Percy. And with clowns…"
"But Nico, I really need them."
"Get your own pants!" I snap. "Now please just let me in! I really need to talk to Ariella."
"And I really need to have your pants," he tells me. "Please."
"Fine?" I sigh, giving up. It's not worth fighting. It's over a pair of pants… "Why do you need them though?"
"No time for questions!" he says as he pulls me by my arm into the room. "Pants off! Now!"
"We're in public," I motion to the people (Zach, Calypso, Luke, Piper, and Leo) in the room.
"Fine then go to our room and change!" he orders. This is so unlike him. Usually Percy's laid back and nice. Now he's bossy and irritating. "Oh, and wear something comfortable."
"Where the hell am I going that I have to wear something comfortable?" I raise an eyebrow at him.
"New York City," he says eagerly.
"Why?" I whine. "I have to talk to Ariella!"
"You have all the time in the world to do that!" he replies. "This has to be done tonight!"
"So you're making me drive and hour and a half with you for what?"
"Rachel," he says.
"Come on, man! I thought you were over her," I reply.
He shrugs. "I'll explain on the way over, alright? Just get changed, now!"
Ten minutes later, we're on the highway driving to Rachel's apartment in New York City.
"So," I turn to look at my cousin in the driver's seat of the car. "Why are we going to Rachel's house and why did you need my pants?"
"Well, I needed your pants because we're going to Rachel's house," he answers. "I decided I needed to dress nice, so I wore my shirt, but with an edge… So I wore you pants."
"And the first question?" I ask him.
He takes a folded sheet of paper out of his pocket. "Read this." I take the sheet of paper and begin to read.
Percy,
Hi. Remember me? You're best friend… Well, at least your old best friend. Yeah, I get your busy being famous but you haven't answered my text messages and you haven't answered any of my calls in months. What's up with that? You promised you wouldn't forget about me when this whole fame thing started, but you did. And don't get me wrong; I'm happy for you. I'm happy that your happy being the pop start that you are. But, just give me some clarification, alright? Did I do something wrong? Why are you ignoring me? Maybe it's on purpose, maybe it isn't. I don't know because I'm not inside your head. Actually, don't give me clarification. Want to know why? Because if you actually cared about me, you wouldn't have done this to me. What am I to you, Percy? You're best friend? Potential girlfriend? Or nothing? My bets are on the last one.
Well, that's all I have to say to you. So, I guess this is goodbye.
Rachel Dare.
I give him a look of sympathy. "Sorry, man."
"We're driving to her to make things right," he lets me know.
"Percy," I start. "This isn't a good idea. She seems pretty mad… I don't think she'll want to talk."
"That's why I'm not going to talk to her," he says. "I'm going to serenade her."
"Oh gods," I mutter under my breath.
"Trust me, it will work."
No it won't… "Whatever you say, Percy." I agree with him just to keep him calm.
An uncomfortable silence comes across us and I'm relieved when my phone starts to vibrate. "Hello?" I answer it.
"Hey Nico," a girl's voice greets me. "It's Cassia."
"What's up, sis?" I ask her.
"Ariella…" she says.
"I tried to talk to her before but Percy made me go all the way to the city with him!" I tell her. "What did she do? Is she alright?"
"Uh… I said she's more than alright," Cassia answers.
"Just spit it out already!" I hate waiting. "What did she do?"
"She wrote a song about you… And posted it online… And it's getting thousands and thousands of views per minute…"
"Oh god…" I sigh.
"That's not it," she says. "All of your fans got her name from that magazine that you two were in together… You know that time when the front cover of like, every magazine was you hugging her? And I guess they figured out it was about you… And they're writing hateful comments about you all over the internet."
"Sh**!" I curse. "Don't talk to Ariella about it. I will, alright? Now, call up my manager, David, and have him book Ariella and I an interview soon. That way, my name is cleared."
"How am I supposed to call this David guy?"
"Ask Thalia." I tell her. "She knows his number."
"Alright," she says. "Bye!"
"Thanks for telling me," I sigh as I hang up the phone.
"Who the hell was that?" Percy raises an eyebrow at me. "And why did you call her your sister?"
"Oh," I recall. "I never told you that Cassia is my long lost sister."
"What?" Percy gasps.
"Well, old step sister, kind of. My dad dated her mom for like, a year."
"Oh… And you decided to call her your sister?" he questions me.
"If you don't recall, Percy, my sister died in a car crash two months ago. I decided it's time I should move on and get a new sister."
"You can't just buy sisters…"
"She's the only thing I have left," I reason before putting on my headphones, cueing that I'm done with the conversation. I quickly look up Ariella Levi on my phone and find her video. The music and song starts to play as the words "ARIELLA LEVI, HEART ATTACK" flash on the screen.
Puttin' my defences up
'Cause I don't wanna fall in love
If I ever did that
I think I'd have a heart attack
The words fade as the scene changes and Ariella is shown walking through the park of our school. She then begins to sing.
Never put my love out on the line
Never said yes to the right guy
Never had trouble getting what I want
But when it comes to you, I'm never good enough
When I don't care
I can play 'em like a Ken doll
Won't wash my hair
Then make 'em bounce like a basketball
But you make me wanna act like a girl
Paint my nails and wear high heels
Yes, you make me so nervous
That I just can't hold your hand
Smoke erupts from the ground and people come running on the screen. Ariella grabs a microphone from the stand and starts to sing while the people dance in the background.
You make me glow, but I cover up
Won't let it show, so I'm
Puttin' my defences up
'Cause I don't wanna fall in love
If I ever did that
I think I'd have a heart attack [x3]
The scene changes yet again and this time she's sitting on a park bench and singing.
Never break a sweat for the other guys
When you come around, I get paralyzed
And every time I try to be myself
It comes out wrong like a cry for help
It's just not fair
Pain's more trouble than love is worth
I gasp for air
It feels so good, but you know it hurts
But you make me wanna act like a girl
Paint my nails and wear perfume
For you make me so nervous
That I just can't hold your hand
The scene flashes back to the one with everyone dancing.
You make me glow, but I cover up
Won't let it show, so I'm
Puttin' my defences up
'Cause I don't wanna fall in love
If I ever did that
I think I'd have a heart attack [x3]
Now she's standing alone in the night.
The feelings are lost in my lungs
They're burning, I'd rather be numb
And there's no one else to blame
So scared I'll take off in a run
I'm flying too close to the sun
And I burst into flames
She's now back in the park, but this time she's singing into a microphone with an acoustic guitar.
You make me glow, but I cover up
Won't let it show, so I'm
Puttin' my defences up
'Cause I don't wanna fall in love
If I ever did that
I think I'd have a heart attack [x5]
The song ends and the screen fades to black. Does she think I'm doing this on purpose or something? Does she not understand that I'm not trying to do this on purpose? It's her freaking brother causing this.
"Nico?" Percy turns to look at me after a while.
"Yeah?"
"You alright?"
"No," I admit.
"Maybe it's not meant to be," he tells me. "I mean, you and Ariella. Stuff keeps happening and it is making me think that it's happening for a reason."
"Yeah, and that reason is her idiotic brother, Zach." I cross my arms, wondering how he knew what I was thinking about.
"Well, maybe, but maybe not." Percy shrugs. "But are you ready? We're here."
Hey again! So, the next chapter will be the Percy / Rachel thing... Should I make them a couple? THEY WON'T LAST, THOUGH, IF THEY DATE BECAUSE I LOVE PERCY AND ANNABETH. OH, AND RACHEL ISN'T A JERK IN THIS STORY!
And then after that, it will be either Nico / Ariella or the Leo and Thalia thing with Piper / Jason... Probably the Leo and Thalia though! Tell me what you guys think!