"I resigned from the infirmary this morning," Will said.
"What! Why would you do that," Nico said, looking at him across the table.
"Because I didn't kill Dakota and I'm not going to be attacked like that. Either way, I have nothing better than do all day." He looked at the plate in front of Nico. "It has bacon and grilled onions, two different kinds of cheese."
"I'm not hungry."
"I don't see how that's possible. You didn't eat yesterday at all."
"I wasn't hungry then either."
"You went to Tartarus twice to be defeated by a cheeseburger."
"You make it sound dumb when you say it like that."
"With cheddar and monterey jack." Will cut it into four pieces. "Try one of them, please."
Nico took a bite and sat it back down. "It's not bad."
"You let it get cold. It would have tasted amazing if you had eaten it right away. That's why I didn't make you french fries. But we have all day for you to finish it."
"I'm really not hungry, Will."
"They're going to take you to infirmary and I won't be there. You've got this. It's only a cheeseburger."
"But-"
"Okay, Nico. I already have the stereo system programmed to play nothing but Weird Al. Do not make me turn it on. Because you know I'll do it."
"I like Weird Al."
"Everybody likes Weird Al. He's a genius. I'd rather not anyway, so can you just try?"
Nico finished one piece. "Only three more. You've got this," Will reminded him.
"Chiron assigned me a paper on the Wright Brothers and Kitty Hawk." Nico took another piece.
"Aviation is kind of becoming your thing, right?"
"I'm not sure. I like collecting them. I never thought about actually flying until Chiron mentioned it the other day." While Nico was talking Will took a piece of cheeseburger.
"Are you going to do it?"
"I don't know. Percy told me that Zeus killed a demigod for trying once."
"Just one left," Will told him, "See? It's easier than you thought."
"Did you know that Apollo brought me here in his flying car the first time?"
"I didn't. What was that like?"
"It was great. Percy and Thalia were freaking out but I was having so much fun. We crashed into the lake."
"I remember that part. Look, you finished it already." Will got up and took two pints of ice cream from the freezer. "Cherry Garcia or Rocky Road?"
"Are we being literal now?"
Will grinned. "Rocky Road, it is." He set it in front of Nico before opening the other container.
"I'm not eating that," Nico told him.
"What? You're just going to let it melt? That's no fun."
"Chiron said I'm a minor god not a demigod. I can't eat this stuff. It has no flavor."
"No. He said life made you stronger than most and that you have what it takes even if someone else didn't. And we are fresh out of ambrosia."
Nico reluctantly took off the lid and picked a marshmallow bit out.
"So you're going to take the fight to them again? But your way this time?"
"Chiron's way. He has a plan. Maybe I'll be the one to carry it out." He took another bite of ice cream. "This is good," he relented.
"You won't be able to do any of it if you don't start eating. Every day, three times at least. I'm not doing this a second time." Will picked up the stereo remote. "Are you ready for this?"
"Oh my gods, Will. You made your point. I need to just eat it." Will hit the power button. They sat there not saying anything for a long moment.
"That's not Weird Al," Nico said.
"Nope. That's Shakira."
"Why is she singing Metallica?"
"It's a Shakira song, not a Metallica one."
"You're wrong. Metallica wrote this in the 1980s."
"I'm not wrong. Those other guys might have wrote the lyrics but this is her song. Are you ready for dinner?"
"Seriously, Solace? Look how much you made me eat already."
"Yeah that's rough. Come on," Will wrote Nico's name on the Rocky Road and put it back. "Let's go. There's plenty of Gatorade and I won't bother you about eating, if you drink enough of it."
"Fine but I'm picking the movie everyone watches tonight."
"No Encanto. No JoJo Rabbit."
"Definitely not JoJo Rabbit. I was thinking about the new Watership Down. I'm just kidding Will! We can watch something else."