Disclaimer:: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus or its characters. They are the property of Rick Riorden, and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

Nico spent all week trying to avoid Percy and the Jocks, but they were making it very difficult. They were just so nice. Nico had never been to a school like this one, even thou there were definite lines between the groups they seemed to overlap and interact without discrimination. Frank spent most of his time hanging out with Luke's group of punk rock rebels, but he was also on the football team. While Tyson spent all his time with the jocks he seemed to be dating Ella Harpay, a book lover and total nerd who spent all her time in the library. Piper Mclean was often seen in the halls flirting with football star Jason Grace, who returned her affections whole heartedly. And Percy was just friends with everyone. With his easy smile and sparkling eyes, and the way when you talked to him he looked at you like you were the most important person in the world; Nico could see why everyone wanted to be his friend.

The only person who had anything bad to say about the green-eyed boy was his new friend Luke Castellan. Every time Percy tried to start a conversation with Nico (which was often), or wave as he walked by Luke would scowl and tell Nico to watch himself around him. He wouldn't give him any reason, just said that Percy wasn't what he seemed.

Friday rolled along slowly, like Fridays always do. It seemed like he had been sitting in his seat listening to the teacher drone for a lifetime on when finally the bell rang signaling lunch. Nico dragged his feat as he followed Luke and Thalia towards the cafeteria, their friendly banter slipping in one ear and out the other. He stopped in the doorway and blinked, he must have got turned around. No, this was defiantly the cafeteria, but all the tables had been pushed around and a small stage was set up in front of the windows. Blue and yellow streamers and balloons floated along.

"Oh goody, another pep rally for our fearless footballers." Luke rolled his eyes as he slung his arm around Nico's shoulder. "Because we all know football is so very important." Nico faked a chuckle, Thalia glared.

"My brother plays football. He's the captain."

"And I'm sure he's a great captain. I just don't see why we have to interrupt our lunch to help a bunch of muscle bound meatball heads get amped up, I mean isn't that what the steroids are for?" He gave Nico another big smile as he laughed at his own jokes. Thalia turned on her heals and stormed off.

"Luke, that wasn't cool."

"Oh come on Nico, don't tell me you're actually going to stand up for those guys. Their jocks, jocks are ass holes."

"Actually, those guys have been pretty cool to me. Besides, you're supposed to be Thalia's friend. You can't just go talking about her brother like that."

"She didn't need to get so upset. It's not her fault her brother is a meatball head. All jocks are the same, you get it, don't you Nico?"

"I've met my share of ass hole foot ballers, but that doesn't mean they are all like that."

"No, Nico, they are all like that."

Nico glanced up to where the team were gathering on the stage, the cheerleaders bouncing around in front of them, he remembered this seen from the other side. "I used to play football."

"What?! No way!"

"Yea, I was a wide receiver freshman year."

Luke stared at Nico wide eyed for a moment; he turned to look at the stage and replied "Why did you stop?"

"I got kicked out of the school. But the point is you were a dick to Thalia and you should apologise." Luke nodded and after a moment wondered away after Thalia Leaving Nico standing alone in the doorway.

Percy watched Luke walk away from Nico; he looked a little lost standing there all by himself as people streamed by him. Percy pushed off the wall and started towards him. I'm just being nice, friendly, as a senior it's my job to help the juniors navigate the world. Especially new kids. I'm not going to him because I'm drawn to those deep dark orbs he calls eyes, or because I haven't been able to stop thinking about the way the younger boy looked changing out of his gym uniform. His olive skin slicked with a thin sheen of sweat. Percy stopped and shook his head. Trying to clear the images before he reached him. Nico wasn't interested in Percy that way, and he didn't want to freak the kid out. With a deep breath he steadied his pace and approached him.

"Not really into school spirit are you?" Nico jumped and turned to Percy with wide eyes. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay. I just wasn't expecting you, there, like that." If Nico was honest he was too busy thinking about Percy to notice he had walked up beside him. He felt his cheeks grow warm. "But no, not usually. When you change schools as often as I do you sort of skip this kind of thing."

Nico followed Percy over to a table near the back wall and sat next to him on the top.

"Why do you change schools so often?"

Nico winced, "I'm a trouble maker, can't you tell?"

"You don't seem so bad to me." Percy flicked his eyes sideways to look at Nico, he had his eyes glued towards the stage. He took a second to admire his profile. But damn, that boy was fine. Percy shook those thought away "Anyways, are you coming to the game tonight?"

"I wasn't really planning on it."

"You should come; we're all going to Drew's place afterwards."

"What, like a party?"

"Yes, exactly like a party." Percy laughed and bumped him with his shoulder, "You should come."

"I don't know, I'm not really a party person."

Percy pouted, his green eyes wide, "Come on Nico, please? For me."

Nico swallowed, he was having very bad thoughts about those pouting lips. And he knew that sentence would be playing over and over in his head for a very long time.

Percy continued, taking Nico's silence as refusal, "It will be fun, I promise. Frank and Hazel usually show up and I'm pretty sure Jason convinced Piper to come so it's not like you won't know anyone."

Nico blinked and tried to focus on what Percy was saying. "Oh...um... yea, right, fun. That's good."

Percy laughed, and Nico was sure it was the most amazing sound he ever heard. "Good, then I'll see you there. And I won't be offended if you skip the game itself." He smacked Nico's knee, "Later man." With a 100 watt smile Percy headed back towards to stage where his friends waited for him.

Nico nodded, not sure if he trusted himself to speak. What had he gotten himself into?

Luke sat down beside him with a huff, "What did he want?" Nico didn't look at him; he couldn't take his eyes off the retreating form of Percy Jackson. He said please, for him. Like Percy personally, really wanted Nico to be there.

"He invited me to a party."

Hazel sat on the bench at Nico's feet, with Thalia and Piper. "At Drew's right? We're going too. We could all go together."

"Nico doesn't want to go to their party." Luke said with venom, Nico finally looked at him.

"I don't?"

"Oh Come on Nico; don't tell me you're falling for that act." Nico tried not to blush.

"I just don't know why you're being such an ass." Nico mumbled staring at his shoes.

"Yea Luke; don't make the kid feel bad for wanting to go to a party." Thalia jumped up and put her arm around his shoulders. "I'll pick you up at 9:00. Fuck Luke." She smirked at Luke and bounced away, the other girls followed behind her.

"You're actually going to go?" Luke sneered.

"I don't like being told what to do Luke, so don't think for one minute I'm going to let you get away with it." Nico stormed off. He was determined to go to this party now, just to piss off Luke. It had nothing to do with Percy pouting at him with those baby seal eyes. Nothing at all.