Children of Loss 17

Chapter 17

Nico let the warm water pour down on his head, letting out a long sigh. He had been standing in the shower, playing with his bangs, for the past five minutes. He had already finished up his shower routine, but his mind had just started to wander. He had figured that yesterday's events would have tempered his hormones, but that wish had died when he woke with an erection. Even when Percy was being mean, Nico still fantasized about the green-eyed manager. How was that fair?

It wasn't Nico's fault that, even when he was being mean, Percy was still hot. Although, that had probably been the contributing factor to Nico's dream about angry sex. He supposed it was a good thing that he probably wasn't going to be seeing Percy for the next few days, though. Perhaps it would help him get his thoughts straightened out.

He had had such a hard time going to sleep last night. Even after he had gotten back to his room, he had just ended up bored. He hadn't been able to go to sleep. Apparently, punching Apollo's face and then hitting a punching bag had woken him up. And then there were the Lost Kids altogether. What was their deal? They were doing nothing but confusing him, and it wasn't helping Nico's head.

Letting out a groan, Nico shut the water off. He stepped out of his glass shower and grabbed his towel, drying his hair before wrapping it around his waist. He needed to get ready to meet Clarisse and Ethan, and he had already wasted enough time.

He was really grateful for them right now. If Clarisse hadn't offered, Nico would have been stuck in his room all day with nothing to do. Nico walked back into his bedroom and picked up his phone, noticing he had one new message. Apparently, Clarisse wanted him to meet them down in the lobby, as they were helping Leo with something.

Throwing some clothes on, Nico grabbed his phone and key card, and headed out the door. He slipped his phone into his pocket as he headed down the hall. He felt a little uneasy when he was out in the halls, now. He wasn't sure if he wanted to run into any of the Lost Kids just yet. After all, last night's encounter hadn't gone so well. But that had mainly been because of Apollo.

As he was nearing the elevator, there was a whistle from Luke and Octavian's opened door. Nico frowned before turning back around and leaning into the room. Luke paused his game and leaned back on his couch, resting his hands behind his head.

“Well, looks like someone decided to show his face today,” Luke said, smirking at Nico.

“What do you want, Luke?” Nico grumbled.

Luke arched an eyebrow. He huffed and stood up, but didn't approach Nico. “I just wanted to say that you didn't do too bad of a job last night.”

Nico narrowed his eyes at Luke. What was he playing at? “What's that supposed to mean?”

Luke smirked and walked around his coffee table. “It seems you're not the only one being taken off the job for the time being,” Luke replied. “Percy's not letting Apollo go back to work until his cheek and neck have healed.”

“And you're happy about this?” Nico asked in disbelief.

Luke shrugged. “I thought it was amusing. But then again, I also thought your near disaster on stage was amusing.”

The look on Luke's face was making Nico shift uncomfortably. He reminded Nico somewhat of his two bullies at school, except better looking and probably more intelligent. He just seemed to enjoy watching other people suffer. Maybe that's why he apparently did so well in the kink rooms.

Luke slammed a hand onto the doorframe next to Nico's head. He smirked down at Nico, watching as the black haired boy's eyes widened. Percy and Luke had to be the two people at this hotel that could easily get under Nico's skin, though in different ways. Percy knew what buttons to push to make Nico blush and what would make him happy or upset. Luke knew how to frustrate and arouse him. Luke enjoyed tormenting him. It almost reminded Nico of how Bianca would pick at him from time to time.

Nico pushed on Luke's chest, only managing to make himself stumble backwards. “What's your deal anyways?” Nico grumbled, looking away from Luke's eyes with a frown.

Luke shrugged. “Need to find some entertainment somehow.”

“Do I really bother you so much?” Nico whispered.

Luke rubbed the back of his head, staring blankly at Nico. “Like Thalia said, you're a weird mirror for us to look at. But then again, I did try and tell you this.”

“I know.” Nico sighed and looked back up at Luke.

Luke studied him intently for a moment, his lips tilting down into a frown. Nico wondered what horrible thought Luke was imagining while looking at him. Was that all they saw when they looked at him? He didn't understand them anymore, and it didn't feel fair.

“Thank you for being honest with me, though,” Nico said, offering Luke a smile. Would it hurt to try and be nice to them? If Nico did get to stay here, they would be a constant in Nico's life. Perhaps, with time, they wouldn't see him so horribly.

Luke only continued to frown at Nico, though. Nico let out a sigh, his smile faltering. He supposed it was too much to hope for. Honestly, he didn't even know if he was ready to forgive them at the moment. He just knew it would be better if they could all manage to get along. And for some reason, he couldn't really see any of the Lost Kids trying to apologize. But maybe their way of doing that was by acting like nothing ever happened. Nico groaned as his head began to hurt. All of this was doing nothing but give him a headache.

“Well, I don't try and bullshit people when there's an issue,” Luke finally mumbled. He turned around and walked back to the couch, sitting down with a sigh. He closed his eyes and ran a hand through his short blond locks.

“You couldn't have told me what the problem was?”

Luke smirked, his eyes still closed. “What fun would that have been? It was much better to watch you fall.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you're an ass?”

Luke chuckled. “On occasion.” He shrugged. “It's not my fault I get bored easily.”

Nico rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Whatever, I've got stuff to do,” Nico mumbled. He turned and began walking out the door.

“Hey!” Luke called after him. Nico turned back around with a frown. Luke had a frown on his face. “Don't try that stunt from last night again. And I'm not telling you that for Apollo's sake. We said keep your hands clean, and that meant with each other as well. If customers had been in the restaurant, Percy wouldn't have let you gotten away with your little revenge stunt.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “What's it matter to you? I'm sure you would all be happier if I got kicked out of here.”

Luke's eyes darkened and he snarled at Nico. “Fine, go get your ass thrown out! Do whatever the fuck you want, kid,” he growled, slumping back on the couch and going back to his game.

Nico stumbled back in surprise. He pursed his lips and walked out of the room, making haste to the elevator. What had that been about? “I swear, they're so fucking confusing,” Nico muttered under his breath as he watched the floor numbers descend.

Clarisse, Ethan, and Leo were already in the lobby when Nico arrived. They fell silent as Nico approached them, Leo smiling and waving at the pale boy. “Hey there, Nico,” Leo greeted him.

“Hey,” Nico mumbled. He sat down next to Leo, turning to the small Latino boy. “So, I heard about Apollo.”

Clarisse and Ethan snickered under their breath. Leo pursed his lips to hide a grin. “Yeah, Percy had him sit out for a few days,” Leo replied.

Nico nodded. “So, how is he going to manage business if he is short two stri-”

Leo clamped a hand over Nico's mouth. “Don't talk about the top floor down here,” he hissed at Nico. Clarisse and Ethan had covered their faces with their palms. Leo looked around, frowning at a woman holding her child. He smiled at her and waved until the woman walked off. He turned back to Nico with a frown. “Dude, there are actually people here that don't do business on the top two floors. We. Do. Not. Talk. About. It. Here. Understand?”

Nico nodded his head slowly. Leo sighed and removed his hand from Nico's mouth. “Sorry,” he whispered. He guessed he hadn't thought about it. It did make sense now that Leo mentioned it. He also felt stupid now. He really should have known this. It should have been common sense.

“Not everyone that goes to the bar does business at the top floor, just as some people at the top floor may not go to the bar. But there are people who are just here having a nice family vacation, and Percy would prefer it if they did not know about what went on upstairs.”

Nico nodded again, his face turning red. He had almost let that slip. What would have happened if he had? Would Percy go through with kicking him out?

He didn't have too long to think on it, as Clarisse stood up and placed her hands behind her head. “Come on, kid. We'll go take you to do something fun,” the girl said with a wicked grin.

“Where are you going to take him?” Leo asked.

“None of your business.”

Leo frowned. “Remember what's happening soon,” he mumbled.

Nico tilted his head to the side. “What's happening?” Nico asked.

“Oh, we have some new arrivals.”

Nico blinked. “As in new Lost Kids?”

Leo nodded. “Percy had some shipped from other branches. Well, they have different terms for different places, but they'll be Lost Kids now. You'll have to meet them. They'll already know the others, so you'll still be the odd man out,” Leo answered with a grin.

Nico frowned. “Great,” he mumbled. Just what he needed, more people to betray him.

“Yeah, Rachel went to the airport to wait for their flight.”

Ethan waved a hand dismissively. “We remember all of that. We were there when Percy told us,” the Asian mumbled. He smirked at Nico and yanked the smaller boy up. He slung an arm around Nico and led the pale boy away, Clarisse on his other side.

They stepped onto an elevator and Clarisse pulled out her card. Nico watched as she slid it into the slot and hit the button to the third basement level. Nico tilted his head to the side. He had been wondering what the two floors below the parking garage were.

“What's this floor?” Nico asked, pointing his finger at the button to the second basement level, only to have it slapped away by Clarisse.

“Something you don't need to worry about,” the girl hissed.

Ethan chuckled. “Aw, just tell him. It's not like there's any harm in it. He knows plenty already,” Ethan reasoned.

Clarisse eyed her co-worker for a moment before grumbling. “Fine.” She looked down at Nico. “That would be the kink floor that the others probably told you about. Like I said, you don't need to worry about it.”

Nico frowned at the button. He was a little curious to see what the floor looked like. He was just hesitant to actually set foot there. He had gotten a sneak peak of it in the monitor room, and perhaps that was the most he needed to see of it. He figured the entire floor was full of leather, chains, and sex toys, not some things he felt comfortable being around.

The elevator door opened, revealing a small hallway with a set of doors at the end. Nico followed the two security workers into the hall, where Ethan slid his card into a slot by the door. The doors swung open and Nico's eyes widened.

There was an entire shooting range beneath the hotel. A few targets lined the far wall, while a table sat closer to Nico and the others. In front of the table were a few small booths with some spare targets. On the ceiling, there was a conveyer belt, for what Nico assumed was for people to replace targets. Another table and shelf sat a few feet behind the table. Nico walked over and looked around at the contents. There were earplugs and headphones on some of the shelves. On the table were a few black briefcases, which had electronic combinations on them.

Nico walked down a few steps, noticing a sliding glass wall in front of some of the shelves. He peered inside to find a various assortment of guns. They had brought him to a shooting range? Why would they need to spend their time here? The better question was why was there a shooting range down here at all?

“You spend your days shooting?” Nico deadpanned.

The two smirked at him. “Gives us something fun to do,” Ethan replied.

Nico eyed the two of them carefully. Leo and Rachel's words were now starting to bother him. He supposed he shouldn't find it odd that someone would enjoy shooting at a target fun, but the way they spoke about it, plus the looks on their faces, made Nico concerned. Their job was to keep the peace upstairs, right? He had never even seen them carry a gun.

“So, customers come down here to test out their merchandise, or something?” Nico asked hesitantly.

Clarisse smirked, sending a shiver down Nico's spine. “Nope,” was her only reply.

A door behind Nico opened, startling the boy. He turned around to find a short Latina woman carrying a small black box. She had curly black hair and a pair of bright brown eyes. She had on an old Rolling Stones t-shirt and some tattered jeans with a few grease stains.

She blinked at them in mild surprise before smiling and continuing on into the room. She sat the box down on the table and wiped her hands together. “Well, what can I do for you today? She asked in a Hispanic accent.

Ethan smiled, so surprisingly genuinely that it didn't creep Nico out. “We were just showing Nico here the floor, Esperanza,” he told her.

Esperanza nodded and turned to look at Nico. She wiped her hands on the back of her jeans and held her hand out for him. “You must be the Lost Boy that Leo was telling me about.”

Nico turned his head to look at the other two in confusion. “Esperanza is Leo's mother,” Clarisse explained.

Nico's eyes widened at the woman. He had figured that all of the Lost Kids were cut off and abandoned from their families. But here was Leo's mother in front of him. “It's nice to meet you, ma'am,” Nico said with a smile.

“Oh, please, call me Esperanza. None of that formality mierda.”

Nico arched an eyebrow. “That means shit, dude,” Ethan chuckled. Nico's eyes widened as he nodded his head.

“Anyways, we wanted to do some shooting,” Clarisse said. “Thought we might let Nico try firing one.”

“I-I am?” Nico asked nervously. He had little to no gun experience. He shot guns in video games all the time, but the extent of his real life experience with them consisted of the pistol his father owned and some thugs he would sometimes run into on the street. He wasn't sure how comfortable he was with this idea.

Ethan shrugged. “You should be fine,” he said, waving a hand through the air.

Should be? Nico's eyes widened. He could end up shooting himself in the foot! He felt like this was going to be another bad experience for him. Were they going to set him up to make a fool of himself too?

Esperanza shrugged. “Should be fine. Just make sure all of the protocols are seen to,” the Latina woman instructed.

The two security workers nodded and led Nico over to one of the booths. Clarisse walked over to the table and shelves and began to look through the contents. Nico turned back to Ethan. “So, what does Leo's mom do around here?” Nico asked out of curiosity.

Ethan glanced over at the woman. “She's the handyman around here, or handywoman, in her case,” he chuckled. “She fixes our cars, oversees to some hotel maintenance, deals with this floor, and a few other things.”

Clarisse returned to the booth and tossed three headphones onto the small table in the booth. She had a plastic bin in her right arm, which she sat down on the table behind the booth. Ethan smirked and walked over and pulled out a pistol. Clarisse pulled out her own pistol and returned to the booth. She grunted and handed Nico a pair of headphones, which he immediately put on. One of the few things he did know about guns were that they were loud.

He took a step back and glanced over at Esperanza, who smiled warmly at him. Nico turned back to the booths. Ethan and Clarisse had set up in their own separate booths, having put their own headphones on. They checked the clip of their guns before cocking it. Nico pressed his hands to the side of his headphones as they both raised their guns.

Even behind the headphones, the noise was a little too loud for Nico's taste. He found himself frowning at nothing in particular. Nico released a sound of awe as he looked at their targets, both perfect bullseyes. His eyes widened and he clamped his hands back over his headphones as the two fired again. Couldn't they give him some kind of warning?

The two continued firing a few rounds with enthusiasm. Nico had to admit, they were pretty good shots. He supposed he should be more impressed with Ethan; though he only had one good eye, the young man was a very good shot. Nico yelped and nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a pair of hands rest on his shoulders.

The room quieted when Ethan and Clarisse heard Nico, both turning around with frowns. Nico turned his head to find Percy standing behind him. “What are you doing?” Percy mumbled.

“I-they brought me down here for something to do,” Nico stuttered, his cheeks darkening. Damn Percy for scaring him like that, in a shooting range of all places.

Percy raised an eyebrow at his two security workers. “Is that so? Funny, I don't remember hearing anything about this.”

Ethan and Clarisse smirked at Percy, who grinned back at them. “We thought he could use something fun to do,” Clarisse said.

“Perhaps let him try shooting one,” Ethan added.

Percy frowned. He eyed Nico briefly before finally shrugging his shoulders. “I suppose it wouldn't hurt anything,” Percy finally consented. “Just make sure he knows what he's doing.” Nico stared up at Percy, who was now fiddling with the cuffs of his black button-up shirt. Percy grinned, without looking at Nico, and ruffled his hair.

Percy nodded his head over towards the booth, and Nico hesitantly walked over. He wasn't sure he liked this idea, but Percy was there supervising. So how bad could it be? Ethan walked over and went through the bin that Clarisse had picked out. He picked out a beretta and held it out for Percy to look at. Percy scrunched his lips up and nodded.

Ethan grinned at Nico as he placed the gun in Nico's smaller hands. Nico frowned as Ethan let go, the gun immediately weighing his hand down. He already disliked the feel of it. It felt cold and made Nico's skin feel clammy.

He turned a frown on Percy, who smiled back at him. “If you don't want to shoot it, you don't have to,” he told Nico.

Nico pouted at him. Maybe just one shot. He let Ethan run through a few gun safety and shooting tips, making sure to pay attention to every word. The last thing he wanted to do was mess up with this thing.

After Ethan was done, the Asian stepped back, leaving Nico alone in the booth. Nico pursed his lips as he raised the gun towards the target. He scrunched up his face in preparation for the oncoming gunshot. He felt a hand rest on his hip and looked up to find Percy behind him.

Percy's eyes were blank as he helped Nico aim, making sure to fix the way Nico was holding the gun. “Make sure to look down the barrel, and don't shut your eyes,” Percy whispered.

The tall manager took a few steps back and took a pair of headphones from Clarisse. After that, Percy slipped his hands into his pockets and turned his attention back on Nico. Nico exhaled slowly and took aim again. He frowned to himself as he moved his finger to the trigger, hesitantly pulling the trigger.

A searing pain coursed through Nico's hand as he winced and fell back onto his ass, his body shaking. He heard the others laughing. He frowned and looked up to see Percy laughing down at him. His frown turned into a pout as his eyes turned sad. Percy's laughter died down to a chuckle as he kneeled down in front of Nico.

“Not so bad now wa-” Percy cut himself off as he looked Nico over. Nico winced as Percy pried the gun out of his hand. His eyes turned to panic as he noticed the cut on the webbing of his hand, blood already running down his palm. Percy lifted Nico's hand up for inspection with a sigh.

“Shit. I'm sorry, Nico, I forgot to mention that part,” Ethan apologized.

“I-It's fine,” Nico replied, his ears still ringing.

Esperanza appeared at Percy's side, offering him some rubbing alcohol and a bandaid. Percy thanked her and opened the bottle of alcohol. Nico whined as Percy went about cleaning his wound. “Don't whine, or I'll take you up to Will and let him do this,” Percy mumbled, silencing Nico with a harsh stare. Nico narrowed his eyes at the young man, but chose to not make any more noises.

“You'll be fine, kid. It's just a little nick. A few more practice shots and you'll be fine,” Clarisse said, patting Nico's shoulder.

Nico frowned up at Percy. Percy flicked his eyes up to Nico's before returning to the brown-eyed boy's hand, a frown on his face. “I think that's enough for him.”

Clarisse grumbled, but didn't say anything further. Percy finally put the bandaid on and helped Nico stand up. Percy sighed and rested his hand on Nico's head. Nico's face contorted back into pain as he looked down at his hand. He tried moving his fingers, finding that it hurt when he pressed his thumb and index finger.

Percy rolled his eyes and pushed on the back of Nico's head, guiding him towards the door. “Let's wrap it up here. I need all of you up in the lobby,” Percy instructed. “Can you clean this up for us, Esperanza?”

“Of course, sir,” Leo's mother replied, already placing the guns back into the bin.

“Great. The two new arrivals should be here by now, so let's get upstairs.”

Nico trailed behind Percy as they walked back to the elevator. Clarisse and Ethan were mumbling something behind Nico, but he wasn't paying them much attention. Nico clutched his hand, wishing that the pain would go away. He wanted to ask how long it was going to hurt, but after what Percy had said, he felt like he was being a child. He would probably just make his situation worse if he complained further.

Percy didn't even look at him as they rode up in the elevator. It was starting to make Nico's head spin at the mixed signals he was getting from the green-eyed young man. Perhaps he should just be blunt and ask Percy. Did Percy like him? Did Percy hate him? Was Percy even capable of an emotion like love? Sure he was sometimes affectionate with Nico and the other Lost Kids, but he had his boundaries that the others knew not to press.

If Percy would just act one way, it would make Nico's life so much easier. But instead, Percy constantly changed his moods. Perhaps Percy's eyes were fitting for him, because he reminded Nico of the sea. What was Percy's true nature? He was raised in this environment, so for all Nico knew, he could just be wearing a really good mask and be putting on one hell of an act. Leo had said Percy knew about Nico's crush. What if Percy was just manipulating his actions through flirtation? He said everything was Nico's choice, but that didn't mean Percy couldn't give Nico a shove in the direction he wanted Nico to go.

Nico was abruptly pulled from his train of thought as Clarisse shoved him out of the elevator. Nico frowned at the tall girl, who paid him no attention. Rachel was standing in the middle of the lobby with two girls.

One of them was a tall Asian girl. Her black hair was long and done in ringlets. She had warm brown eyes that reminded Nico of a deer. She was beautiful, and her perfume reminded Nico of Christmas. One feature Nico didn't really like about her was that she had a lot of jewelry on. The majority of her fingers had various rings on them, she had several bracelets and bangles, she had several earrings, and a golden necklace. He also felt she was wearing too much makeup. Nico felt she was trying too hard to be pretty when she already was. Still, she seemed friendly enough.

The other girl was fairly short, probably coming up to Nico's eyes. She was very petite, and Nico feared for her safety in this job. She looked so fragile. She had wispy amber colored hair that fell just below her shoulders. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of green, like leaves in the middle of summer. Unlike the other girl, this one didn't try wearing a lot of makeup or jewelry. The girl did wear a lot of green, though, and Nico guessed it was probably her favorite color.

Percy was the first to greet them, raising each of their hands up to his lips. “Drew, Juniper,” he addressed them respectively, bringing a blush to each of their cheeks. Nico scowled at all three of them. They had only been here a few seconds, and Percy had already enchanted them.

Well, Leo had said that the other Lost Kids already knew these two, so Percy probably did as well. The Asian girl snapped her fingers at Clarisse and Ethan. “I'd like my things carried up to my room now,” she commanded, her Japanese accent coming in fairly strong. Perhaps Nico had been wrong about that warm thing.

Clarisse and Ethan scowled and grumbled at her as they carted off the girls' things. Percy cleared his throat and beckoned Nico closer. The two girls raised their eyebrows at him. “I don't believe you've met Nico yet. He's a relatively new addition here. Nico, this is Drew and Juniper,” he introduced each of them respectively.

“Aw. He's adorable,” Juniper sighed, raising her hands to her face. She also spoke with an accent, hers being British. Nico just blinked at her. He wasn't going to get drawn in by their sweetness, he had learned where that got him with these people.

Drew looked him up and down and shrugged. Yep, appearances were definitely deceiving, Nico thought. “I've seen better,” Drew said distastefully. Nico scowled at her, but she had already pulled out a compact and was busy applying makeup.

Percy slid his hands into his pockets with a smirk. “Drew here is from one of our Beijing branch.”

Drew flipped her hair. “But I'm a native of Japan.” She closed her compact and smiled at Percy. “Frank sends his regards, and wished me to ask you about that request.” Nico tilted his head to the side. Was Frank the Percy of that area of the world?

Percy chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, the whole reason I asked for new girls was because I needed to balance things out since Nico arrived. So, I don't think I can really release Hazel into his care.”

Drew shrugged. “That's fine by me. I'm sure he'll bring it up at the next branch meeting, though.”

Percy nodded. “I figured he would.”

“Wait,” Nico interjected. “If you're trying to balance the numbers, why did you get two girls?”

Percy blinked at him with a blank expression, his lips falling into a straight line. He then cleared his throat and turned to Juniper. “Juniper here is from our European branch. As you might have guessed, she's from England. Though, business gets tricky in Europe and Asia,” he continued, avoiding Nico's question. “But she answers to Gaea's branch in Germany, which is run by Athena.”

Nico nodded his head, wishing Percy would lose that blank expression on his face. Nico needed to learn what not to say so he wouldn't get him in a mood like this. Why couldn't Percy just look at him like he did the other night? Why couldn't Percy touch him like he did the other night? Why was Nico still being restricted? Was that part of his punishment? It felt cruel, like, dangling something in front of his face and then snatching it away.

“Anyways,” Percy continued, drawing Nico away from his thoughts, “would you mind showing the girls up to their room, Nico?”

Nico frowned at him. Didn't Percy say he wasn't supposed to be working until further notice? Was this the notice? He doubted it. Not enough days had passed to really torture him. Nico finally nodded. “Um, sure, I guess,” he mumbled.

Percy smiled, making Nico's heart beat faster. At least he was back into his normal mood. “Great. Well, I have to go take care of some business. So, I will see you two girls tonight.”

Nico frowned again as Percy walked away, patting Nico on the head. He wanted to find the nearest object and toss it at the back of Percy's head. He was afraid he was regressing, and that Percy was beginning to treat him like a child. Why did the two new girls get to see Percy later and he didn't? No, he was still being punished.

“Well? Let's go,” Drew griped. Nico huffed and headed towards the elevators, the girls stepping in behind him. He slid his card into the slot and pushed the button to their floor. Nico crossed his arms over his chest and stood in the corner of the elevator, sulking to himself.

“So, Nico, where are you working tonight?” Juniper asked.

“I'm not,” mumbled Nico.

Juniper tilted her head to the side. “Why not?”

“I messed up and Percy's punishment for me was to take me off work until further notice.”

Drew snorted. She inspected her nails with a devilish grin. “I'm loving my time here already,” she cackled.

Juniper smiled. “Don't mind her,” the girl said, smiling at Nico.

Nico studied the amber haired girl for a moment. She seemed nice, and Nico wanted to befriend her, but he was just too hesitant right now. The events of Friday night were still fresh in his mind. Drew on the other-hand reminded Nico of a more sadistic Luke. Nico wasn't too sure how Drew was going to fit in with the other girls, none of them caked on their makeup like this girl. But Percy had picked her, so she probably did get along with the others.

That didn't seem very fair to Nico. How was it fair that some girl like this could be liked by the Lost Kids and he couldn't? The Lost Kids usually came off as nice people, when they weren't plotting on stabbing someone in the back.

The elevator came to a stop, opening up to reveal Thalia and Piper. Nico tensed up, hesitant to leave the elevator now, but knowing he had to if he didn't want to be trapped inside with them. “Hey, Nico,” Thalia greeted him, patting him on the back on his way out.

“Hey,” Nico mumbled back.

Piper and Drew were staring at each other, both with frowns on their faces. Perhaps not all of them would get along with the girl after all. “I'm so glad you decided to transfer here, Drew,” Piper managed to get out, though she looked pained with the words.

Drew just sneered at Piper, flipped her hair, and walked off down the girls' hall. They definitely did not get along. At least Piper had made an attempt to be nice to Nico.

Piper sighed and rolled her eyes. She turned to Nico and smiled. “Watch out for that one, Nico,” she mumbled, entering the elevator with Thalia.

“Hope you're not getting too bored down here, Nico,” said Thalia as the door began to close.

“Don't be a stranger. Feel free to drop by one of our rooms.”

Nico stared at the closed elevator doors in confusion. He was going to get a migraine soon, he just knew it. What was their deal? Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Nico turned around to face Juniper.

Juniper smiled at him as they walked down the hall. Drew was wandering around, trying to slide her card into the doors. “It's the one on the right at the end of the hall,” Nico told her.

Drew huffed and stomped towards the door. She slid her card in and marched inside. Juniper shook her head and turned back to Nico. “Well, thank you for showing us to our room, Nico,” Juniper said.

Nico nodded. “I just feel bad for you, having to share a room with her.”

Juniper laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. “She's not always so bad.”

“I'll just have to see for myself. I mean, she can't be worse than what I already have to deal with.”

Juniper tilted her head to the side. “Is something wrong?”

Nico contemplated telling her, but shook his head. He just met her, and she was probably already friends with the others. It would just be better if he kept it to himself. “It's just this place is still taking some getting used to,” Nico replied, which was partly the truth.

Juniper nodded. “I suppose it does. Well, I need to get ready for tonight. I suppose I'll see you later.”

Nico nodded and smiled. “I'll see you around, Juniper.”

He slipped his hands into his pockets as he walked back towards his room. He slowed down as he passed Luke's room. The door was closed, and Nico couldn't tell if anyone was inside or not. Nico sighed and continued down the hall.

As he was slipping his card into his door, Apollo and Will's door opened. Will emerged from inside, cracking his neck as the door closed. He stopped walking when he noticed Nico, blinking at the pale boy. The blond's usual warm smile spread across his face as he began walking once again.

“Hey, Nico,” the blond greeted him.

Nico nodded back at him.

“So, if you end up getting too bored in there, you could always borrow something from one of us to entertain yourself with. I have my own game system, if you want to borrow that.”

Nico pursed his lips. If he said yes, he would have to face Apollo, and Nico wasn't ready for another encounter with the blond Adonis. “Um, maybe later. I need to catch up on some homework before school tomorrow. Besides, I can actually get a decent night's sleep now,” Nico chuckled.

Will nodded with a smile. “Alright. If you change your mind, let me know.”

 Nico opened his door and watched Will walk down the hall. He shook his head as he stepped into his suite. Was he ever going to understand them? It seemed very doubtful. Did they like him or not? Just like Percy, they were sending him mixed messages.