I sat in my bunk, burying my face in a book. I refused to think about Nico at all. He would not upset me like this.

A knock at the newly repaired door snapped me out of my fantasy world. "Erica?" It was Nico's voice. I didn't reply. Maybe he would think I was asleep.

"Erica, I know you're awake." Nico's muffled voice shouted. I sighed, got out of bed, checked my hair in spite of myself, and opened the door.

Nico stood there staring at me, his eyes the usual broken shade of brown, his black hair rumpled and adorable, and his face unreadable.

"Can I come in?" He asked quietly. I nodded wordlessly. It was kind of hard to stay angry at Nico. He was like a sad, homeless puppy.

Nico slipped past me and sat on my bunk. "Are you okay, Erica?" He asked me quietly. I nodded a little too quickly. "What makes you think I'm upset?"
"I don't know, I just...I kind of expected our reunion to be a little more...happy."
"You imagined out reunion?"

Nico's cheeks turned bright red. "Maybe." He mumbled. I laughed a little. "How sweet."

Nico looked down at his feet. I sat beside him. I happened to like the shyer side of him. It was kind of cute.

Nico suddenly looked up at me. "Erica...I just want to let you know..." He started uncertainly. "You like Reyna, don't you?" I interrupted. Nico looked stunned. "Well...I-I-"

"I understand, Nico." I murmured quietly. "We're just friends, I get it."
"Erica-"
"I mean, it's not like I hoped-"
"Erica-"
"That you were free or anything I ju-"
"ERICA!"
"What?"

Nico tilted my chin up so I was looking him in the eye. "I don't like Reyna." He told me softly. I stared at him, frozen, feeling my cheeks heat up and my ears turn red. "I like you."

My breath hitched in my throat as I stared into Nico's eyes. "You-you-" I stuttered stupidly.

"Yes, Erica." Nico's face suddenly became cold and stony. "See you around." He whispered, and with that he got up and walked out he door.

I stared after him, stunned, speechless, and totally dumbfounded. What guys says "see you around" and walks out the door after telling you he likes you? I mean seriously? Not the best way to impress a girl.

I sighed and walked after him out the door, not intending to find him, but to talk to Piper again. She understood rocky relationships.

~*~

"He just walked away?" Piper asked me. I nodded.

Piper and I were sitting in the Aphrodite cabin together. Somehow (though I'm guessing it involved charmspeak) Piper had managed to get it completely empty.

"Well...Nico is a little different." Piper said softly. "A lot of bad things have happened to him." "Really?" I asked. "Well, haven't you ever noticed the empty brokenness behind his eyes?" Piper muttered.

"Yeah, but...I don't know I just never..." Piper patted me on the back. "You make him happy, Erica. I'm sure everything will sort itself out. The Fates can be cruel sometimes...not everyone has a happy ending. But let's keep our fingers crossed, shall we?"

~*~

That night we had dinner under the dining pavilion like we used to. Believe it or not, Percy had insisted upon sitting at the Poseidon table with me.

Hazel and Frank weren't sitting with us today. Hazel sat with Nico at the Hades table, and Frank sat with his siblings at the Ares table.

"So...are you okay Percy?" I asked him quietly. Percy chuckled into his blue soda. "If I was still hurting, don't you think I'd be in the infirmary?" He said. I rolled my eyes. "You make it sound like I just asked the stupidest question in all of history."
"Because you did."
"PERCY!"
"Kidding! I'm kidding!"
"You better be."

~*~

I couldn't sleep that night, so I tucked into a good book. (Notice how I read a lot and I'm not in the Athena cabin?)

It was probably midnight when I noticed that the fountain was glowing again. "Oh great." I muttered, getting up and walking over to the fountain.

"What do you want, Arc?" I snapped. "Arc?" A muffled voice asked. I sniffed. "Why would Arc be calling you?" The voice questioned. That voice sounded familiar...

"LEO!?" I yelled. An image of a sixteen-year-old Latino popped up. "Hey Princess." He said, grinning. "Is Percy there?" "Leo, how are you even getting connection? You don't have a water source in your cabin!"

Now it was Leo's turn to sniff. "Please, Princess," he sighed, "we're Hephaestus kids. We set things on fire all the time. What makes you think we'd be so stupid as to not have some sort of water supply? Now, is Percy there?" He asked yet again.

I sighed. "Yeah but he's asleep."
"Percy? Asleep?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Dude, he just got attacked by a weird magical poison thing. Did you think he'd be throwing a wild party?"
"Good point, Princess."
"WILL YOU STOP CALLING NE PRINCESS!?"

Leo grinned evilly at me. "No, I don't think I can." And then his image disappeared.

I grumbled to myself and slipped back into bed, suddenly not in the mood to read anymore.

~*~

I was woken up again that night when a loud bang echoed through our cabin. I shot up in bed and whacked my head on Percy's bunk. "OW! Shoot that hurt." I muttered. "WHAT IS IT!?" Percy yelled, flipping over and falling out of bed.

I laughed as he hit the ground with a loud thud.

"Sorry!" A voice shouted from the corner. "I meant to go a little farther, shoot." "Dang it, Nico!" Percy shouted as my heart jumped into my throat. "Did you really have to shadow travel into our cabin at four in the morning!?"

Nico grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I meant to visit Jason." He said. "Jason will kill you if you shadow travel into his cabin." Percy said matter-of-factly.

Nico smirked. "Then I guess I'm going to die tonight."

~*~

A/N: Sorry it was so boring, I'm trying to lead up to the big plot. Don't worry, I won't spoil anything. (Maybe...)