Thanks so much for waiting!
MERRY CHRISTMAS! xD Thanks to everyone who reviews, follows, and favorites my story! xD You people are the reason why I write!
OKAY: I have a challenge for you all! LOOK If you can guess who the mysterious stalker is, I'll name a character after you! Just put the name of who you think it is, and the name of the character you want!
EXAMPLE:
*PERSON WHO IS STALKER*
Shelly *NAME OF A CHARACTER YOU WANT TO SEE*
And if I get eleven more reviews BEFORE New Year's, I'll let a little spoiler about the-ahem-epic battle to come ;)
ENJOY!
Nico:
"NICO WAKE UP FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE!"
Nico heard Ever's screams and bolted upright. Percy, whose bed was right next to his blow-up mattress, groaned and pulled the blue sheets to cover his face, muttering, "Five more minutes…"
"NICO NICO HELP HELP!"
Nico jumped up and started to run, but his legs got tangled in the sheets, so he tumbled to the floor and almost cracked his head on the doorframe. "EVER! What's wrong?!"
"NICO NICO NICO NICO NICO NICO NICO!"
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS WRONG?!
He pushed the sheets off and ran out of the room, a sleepy Percy right behind him. Nico was running so fast that he ran into a wall, but he shook off the pain in his pinky toe and went into the kitchen. He expected the walls to burning. He expected a burglar to have Ever at gunpoint. He expected her to be coughing blood into the sink.
He did not expect her to be calmly sitting at the table surfing the internet.
Percy opened his mouth to speak, but Ever pointed to the microwave and said, "I heated up some hash browns for you."
He nodded and shuffled towards the food. Nico stared at Ever with his mouth hanging open.
"Oh, Nico, c'mere." She used her pointer finger to call him over. He shuffled to her and stared at her. "Took you long enough."
"Took me long enough?!" Nico demanded. Honestly, did she think she would get away with scaring him like that? "I thought you were dying!"
"I am! Dying for you help!" Ever pointed at the laptop screen. He squinted his eyes and was surprised to find her at a website called "myheritage".
Why would she need a heritage website…oh.
What else would be she doing except look for her father? Now that she knows her mom is Demeter, that means her missing parent must be a man. Nico hadn't even considered that she might still be looking for her father.
Of course she's looking for him.
"I still don't understand why you need my help." Nico muttered as he pulled a chair towards the table and sat backwards on it. He leaned his head against the back of it and frowns at the internet page. In the search bar is the name EVERETT JEREMY ELWOOD. On the screen was a large tree with the name EVERETT J. ELWOOD at the base, and two branches spiraling upwards. Both said UNKNOWN.
"Even this stupid heritage website has no clue who my parents are." Ever scowled and pretended to punch the computer screen. "I had to sneak this into the house because of Mrs. Blofis' strict 'No-Monster-Magnet' rule, yet I didn't even get answers!"
Ever snapped the laptop's screen down and stuffed it in a messenger bag. She turns to Nico and stares him down with serious eyes. "What I am about to tell you is strictly confidential."
She beckons Percy over, and the boys listen carefully to Ever's next words. "Percy, your job is to distract my family. Today is their annual Beginning of School Year Yard Cleanup, so they'll all be outside raking, mowing, and all that stuff. I need you to distract them away from the house."
Percy and Nico gave each other confused looks.
"Nico, your job is to enter the house and search my parents' room for my adoption papers. Do NOT read them! Understand?"
"You want me to break in to your adopted parent's house?!" Nico burst angrily. Who does she think she is? Nico wouldn't break into anyone's house, even if the gods ordered it! Breaking and entering was one of the things he avoided at all costs. "No way in Hades am I doing that!"
"Fine. Then you can be the distraction." Ever said seriously. Nico blinked and scrunched his nose. He made a sputtering noise when he realized that no matter what, Ever would rope him into doing this. If he knew Ever—and he was pretty sure he did—she would bug him about this until the end of time.
Nico could deal with that.
~~~{[()]}~~~~~{[()]}~~~~~{[()]}~~~~~{[()]}~~~~~{[()]}~~~~~{[()]}~~~
Nico was right about one thing and wrong about another. Ever did bug him. Every waking second was spent explaining the house's floor plan and different distraction ideas to Nico. Eventually Percy joined in, and both jokesters had a blast nagging Nico. He was able to hold against them for a week before they cracked him. So here he was, in a tree, waiting for Percy's bird whistle.
"TWEET TWEEET TWEET!"
You can't be serious, Percy. What kind of bird whistle is that?
"WHOOO WHOOO WHOOO!"
Nico sighed and crawled down. He landed on the damp grass and stared at the fleeting figures of Ever's adopted family. Nico suddenly wondered what sort of distraction Percy had used.
"CACAAAW CACAAW CACAAAW!"
Nico stared up at the house that had once housed Ever. It was three stories with a Victorian styled turret at the top. Ever had said that whole third floor was her own. Her parents' room was on the second floor next to the bathroom.
"HOOT HOOOT HOOT!"
Nico didn't have the heart to tell Percy that he had heard the signal three times already. It was the idiot's punishment for helping Ever annoy him.
Nico walked to the front of the house and pulled on the handle. It swung open without resistance.
You would think a lawyer would know better than to leave the front door open.
He walked into the house and stared at all the antiquities. There were intricately painted vases, wooden carvings, and fancy paintings; Nico wasn't sure if he was in a museum or a house. He walked farther into the house and stared in awe at the chic couch that looked like it had never been used. The kitchen was white marble, and the appliances were shinier than a diamond. Everything looked like it was brand new.
Didn't Ever say they had lived in the same house for years? Maybe they renovated?
Nico had a feeling no one was ever home to use them.
"CAAW CAAAAW CAAW!"
Nico grinned when he heard Percy scream another 'bird call'. He walked up the pristine wooden stairs to the next floor. There were more antiquities. He searched for he bathroom. Nico found it and marveled at its shininess before finding the parent's room.
It was even cleaner than the bathroom. The only things in the room were literally a king sized bed, a dresser, and a nightstand. Nico checked the nightstand, and found a folder with the words 'ADOPTION PAPERS' written on it.
This is too easy…
Nico grabbed the folder and ran out of the museum-like house as fast as he could. It gave him the creeps to be in such a clean house; especially when he knew Ever had lived there with two boys. Boys. One a teenager, no less. One would have thought it would be a little messy.
The only thing that had been out of place was a kid's drawing of a girl with curly/wavy brown hair and green eyes planting a garden, the words R. I. P. scribbled on with care.
~~~{[()]}~~~~~{[()]}~~~~~{[()]}~~~~~{[()]}~~~~~{[()]}~~~~~{[()]}~~~
"You guys were great!" Ever told them when they got back to the apartment. They had been gone a whole weekend; Percy's mom thought they went to visit Annabeth. "I wish I could have been there, but Mrs. Blofis insisted I let her shop with me."
Ever shivered. "Anyway, did you get the papers?"
Nico nodded and handed them to her, feeling an ominous shadow settle on his heart. He felt like…Ever shouldn't see the papers.
That's just stupid. Why shouldn't she see it? It's her right to know.
"You two can get out now."
"HUH?" Percy and Nico hollered. She wanted them to get out? After all the hard work they did, she isn't going to let them know?
"C'mon, Ever!" Percy whined childishly. "I wanna know!"
"You can't just make us get the papers for you and not let us read it!" Nico complained. He had to admit, he was more than slightly curious. A small part of him wanted to find Ever's father and smack him for leaving her.
"That's exactly what I'm doing." Ever told them quietly, staring at the papers. She looked—Nico can't perfectly explain it—sad. No, more like apprehensive.
Oh. I see. She doesn't know what to expect. She wants to think.
"But Eveeeeer!" Percy cried.
"Come on, Percy." Nico told him quietly. "Let's leave Ever alone to think about everything."
Percy pouted and crossed his arms. Nico rolled his eyes and grabbed the back of the man's shirt, pulling him out of Ever's room. Before he closed the door, Nico looked back to see Ever open the folder. "Remember," He started to tell her. "If you need anything, Percy and I will be waiting in the dining room."
Ever nodded mutely and stared transfixed at the folder in front of her.
Nico closed the door.
~~~{[()]}~~~~~{[()]}~~~~~{[()]}~~~~~{[()]}~~~~~{[()]}~~~~~{[()]}~~~
Nico sat alone on the couch watching TV when Ever stumbled in. Percy had gone to sleep long ago, and both Mr. and Mrs. Jackson (Blofis) were in their bed. Nico glanced at her, but she was looking down, and he couldn't tell how she felt.
"Well?" He asked her. Ever didn't answer, instead she walked to the kitchen and grabbed a bag on Cheetoh Puffs.
Oh dear. Cheetos Puffs are Ever's comfort food.
Nico didn't speak as he watched Ever shuffle towards the couch and plop down next to him dejectedly. She sniffed and stuffed her mouth with Cheetohs, getting cheese all over herself in the process. Nico turned off the TV and immersed the room in silence. Well, not really silence, since Ever was chewing loudly enough to wake a deaf man.
"Do you want to tell me?" Nico asked her, somewhat shyly. He felt stupid trying to comfort her without knowing what was wrong. What if she didn't want to tell him, or she didn't trust him enough? What if he said anything that made her more sad? Nico was extremely relieved when Ever nodded and turned to him. He blinked when he noticed tears in her eyes.
How do I deal with situations like these? What do I tell her to make her feel better? What if I have no clue what to say, or I say the wrong thing?
Ever sniffed, and Nico did the only thing that came to his mind. He reached over and put an arm around her shoulders awkwardly.
Maybe I'm crossing the line…
Ever didn't think so. She sniffled louder and leaned onto him. Her head leaned against his shoulder, and she hugged her Cheetohs to her chest protectively.
"N-nico," She muttered jaggedly. "I-it's horrible…"
Nico turned his head to look at her, but his nose went into her hair. He breathed in and smelled the sweet smell of honey.
Why am I paying attention to her hair?! I need to focus—
"What's wrong?" He whispered calmly into her ear. Ever sniffed again and leaned back to look him in the face.
"M-my dad—he's a horrible person!"
"Horrible?"
Ever stuffed a hand full of Cheetohs into her mouth before speaking. "H-he's in jail for suspected m-murder!"
Nico's eyed widened.
"Not only that, but he has ch-charges against him for drunk driving and d-debts."
A cry came from Ever as she stuffed more puffs into her mouth. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Nico had no clue how to comfort her. He had no words that could calm her. So, he didn't rely on words. Nico wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her onto his lap. She squacked in surprise, but Nico didn't let her go. He cradled her against his chest. At first she was stiff and uneasy, but she broke into sobs and threw herself against Nico, crying. He rubbed her back soothingly, making wave noises to calm her.
They sat there for a while before Ever calmed down. She relaxed and leaned against him, sniffling. Nico kept rubbing her back until she stopped crying. Her back rose and fell in a rhythm, and it wasn't until ten minutes had passed that he realized she was sleeping. Nico chuckled slightly.
Gods….I can't believe that happened.
Nico gazed down at her and noticed her tear-streaked face sleeping soundly. She looked absolutely gorgeous.
Wait—WHAT?! Stupid teenage mind.
Nico shook his head and sighed. Now what was he supposed to do? He couldn't go to sleep with Ever on top of him like that. He didn't want to wake her, either. Nico sighed again and leaned back against the couch. He closed his eyes, and unwillingly fell asleep.
?:
The man creeped into the kitchen and held up his camera, grinning when he noticed the couple asleep on the couch. This time, he remembered to turn off both the flash and sound. After he took the picture, the man walked back to his room. He tripped over the inflatable mattress before snuggling into his blue covers and falling asleep.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING!
I'll be taking a little break for the holidays, so I might not post for a week or two ;) MERRY CHRISTMAS! REVIEW, FOLLOW, AND FAVORITE!
Hayden: How dare you take a break?! I HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT WHO THE STALKER IS YET!
Sonic: Clearly it's-
Me: A PERSON! Clearly it's a person!
Sonic: Oh yes, a person. *clears throat* Apologies, author. I almost, what do you say, spilled the beans.
Hayden: You sound like an old man.
Me: He was in the Lotus Casino for quite some time.
Sonic: I still haven't adapted to everything quite yet.
Hayden: Wow, I just realized that you're older than me 0-0
Sonic: Physically I am only fourteen, but mentally I'm about-
Me: SECRET!
Sonic: *nervous* Apologies, my mouth doesn't seem to want to obey me.
Me: S'okay.
THANKS FOR READING! xD MERRY CHRISTMAS!