Yo! What's up with you guys?
Here's the next chapter!
Disclaimer: I own nothing! Not the characters (besides Zach, Cassia, and Ariella) , not the song used (Do You Want Me (Dead) by the band All Time Low) , not the amazingness of PJO or HOO... I think you get the point...
Lol. Hope you enjoy!
Thirty Four (Zach):
"Cassia, don't you understand?" I demand as I follow her into our suite. "We have to do a duet for Mrs. Carson's class. It's actually required this time!"
"What makes you think I'd want to do it with you?" she snaps as she turns around to look at me.
"Because we're a band?" I offer.
"Not anymore."
"WHAT? When did that happen?" I gasp.
"Right after that bet was made," she smiles fakely at me.
"But how am I supposed to find another person to sing a duet with in twenty four hours?" I ask her.
"You have twenty four hours. You've got time." Cassia says before walking away.
"But who will you sing with?" I call after her.
"Anyone but you!" she shouts back before slamming the door of her room.
Girls are so complicated. Yeah, I know I made a mistake. But did I really have a choice? It was either fake-date her or have all of my friends think I'm a sissy… which I'm not. Or they'd bully me. And after ten years of getting harassed, I do anything to escape complications. But for me, avoiding problems always just causes more. It's a curse.
People just don't understand anything unless they actually experience it. Maybe that's why I'm not really so good with people. They always say I'm too much of a perfectionist and really clueless. Oh, and they say I'm a jerk… For something that happened one time. If people actually took the time to listen to me, they'd know what I mean. But no one cares that much, not even my sister.
I shudder and realize I'm still standing in the doorway. I always seem to get lost in my thoughts. Walking towards the kitchen, I open the door that separates the living room and the kitchen. I step inside to hear someone singing really loudly.
"I've got my hands up. I'm staring down the barrel of a loaded night. I've got my hands up…. ZACH? What the hell are you doing here?" Nico screams.
"Getting some water…?" I reply. "What the hell are you doing yelling in the kitchen?"
"I was writing a song before you pranced in here like you own the place," Nico responds.
"Pranced? It was more of a walk."
"I beg to differ." Nico crosses his arms. "Now get your water and leave."
"Well you're a bit pushy today," I roll my eyes as I walk over to the refrigerator. "What are you even doing, singing in the kitchen?"
I grab a water bottle from the shelf and close the fridge. "They say that the kitchen is the best place to practice vocals," he informs me. "After the shower, of course. But I figured it would be awkward to sing in there with all you people able to hear me."
"It's awkward to sing in the kitchen," I reply.
"Less awkward than the shower," he reasons.
"I guess so," I shrug. "So, is that song for the duet assignment Mrs. Carson gave?"
"Well, it's not really a duet song," Nico replies. "Plus, it's more of a guy song. And I promised Ariella I'd make mine with her."
"Crap," I mutter. "Now I've got no one to sing one with!"
"What about Cassia?" Nico raises an eyebrow with her. I give him a look. "Come on, dude! You never made things better with her?"
"I tried, but I'm getting sick of her attitude. She walks around like she shines brighter than everyone else. Like she's superior or something. It's so annoying. It's actually killing me." I sigh.
"Wait a second…" Nico says before banging on the kitchen counter as if he's making some sort of a beat of music. Knowing Nico, he is. He then starts to sing. "Oh, give it up for at least a second. I'm getting sick of your bullshit attitude. And how you walk around like you shine brighter. It's killing me."
"Hey! That's pretty good!" I grin.
"I basically took what you said and made it into a song," Nico explains like it was nothing. "It isn't hard."
"Well, that's coming from a professional."
"Eh, true." Nico smirks. "I am pretty great." I give him a look of annoyance but he just laughs. "What? I was kidding."
"Sure you were," I roll my eyes at him.
"But about that song," he says as he walks over to me. "It could be the solution to your little problem."
"What problem?" I cock my head at him.
"The duet problem! Sing this song with me."
"What? You hate me and I hate you…" I remind him.
"You hate Cassia but you used to sing with her all the time. Same difference."
"That isn't a phrase," I correct him.
"Do you really think I care?" Nico snaps. "Now are you going to sing it with me or not?"
"Sure, I guess." I shrug. "Now let's get writing!"
We take out a piece of paper, and Nico begins writing. "I'm going to make this song in your point of view, alright Zach?"
"Sure," I reply.
"But I'm singing most of it. You're just my back – up."
"How is that fair?" I question him.
"It isn't." he says bluntly. "I just don't like you."
"Yo," Nico calls for everyone's attention in our suite. But the only people there are Cassia, Percy, Annabeth, Luke and Piper. "Zach and I wrote this song for the duet thing. Tell us what you think."
"But if it's mean, keep it to yourself," I warn them. "Alright?"
They grumble in agreement before I start to play my guitar and Nico plays his drums. Then, we sing.
A/N: Anything in parenthesis is Zach. The rest is Nico!
I let it ride on a bad bet
(Bad bet)
I doubled down on a sinking ship
I need a second to catch my breath
Do you want me
Or do you want me dead?
Oh, give it up for at least a second
I'm getting sick of your bullshit attitude
And how you walk around like you shine brighter
It's killing me
(Killing me)
So what do you say?
Do you want me
Or do you want me dead?
I've got my hands up
(Yeah, yeah)
I'm staring down the barrel of a loaded night
(Loaded night)
I've got my hands up
(Yeah, yeah)
So do you want me
Or do you want me dead?
Trigger-happy at harbor side
(Harbor side)
You're taking shots at the strangers passing
There's no such thing as a perfect crime
Don't play that
(Play that)
You've said it enough
Cause you want me
Or you want me dead
I've got my hands up
(Yeah, yeah)
I'm staring down the barrel of a loaded night
(Loaded night)
I've got my hands up
(Yeah, yeah)
So do you want me
Do you want me
Dead set on a getaway
I'm dead set on a getaway
I'm dead set on a getaway
I'm dead set on a getaway
I let it ride on a bad bet
(Bad bet)
I doubled down on a sinking ship
I've got my hands up
(Yeah, yeah)
I'm staring down the barrel of a loaded night
(Loaded night)
I've got my hands up
(Yeah, yeah)
So do you want me
What you say?
I've got my hands all up
(Yeah, yeah)
I'm staring down the barrel of a loaded night
(Loaded night)
I've got my hands all up
(Yeah, yeah)
So do you want me
Oh, oh
Do you want me
Do you want me dead?
"Ugh," Cassia says as she walks away.
"How feminine," Luke cackles. "What two guys sing duets with each other?"
"Two guys that have to pass a song writing class," I snap back. "And don't even try and act cool because we all know you're just jealous of our talent."
Luke rolls his eyes, clearly dumb-founded and walks away, like Cassia.
I smirk. At least I did something productive today.
Just saying, this chapter was NOT MEANT to make you forgive Zach or like him or something like that. Quite frankly, I still hate him.
Review?