------------------------------------------------------------NICO-----------------------------------------------------

        I had done it. I had told Percy of my love for him.

I wasn't a dummy. I could see that Percy was with Luke. I guess I mostly only came out about my feelings for him to piss of Luke. Sally and Paul looked at me. "Oh Nico." Sally finally said.

I just shook my head. "I'm fine Ms. Jackson." I said.

I could tell she didn't believe me. "Nico. I'm so sorry." She said. I shrugged. "Oh I'm fine. I should probably return to camp tomorrow." I said. Sally looked at me with pure sympathy. "If you need to talk I will always be here." She said.

I nodded. "You don't have to." I said.

Sally shook her head. "Nonsense! I my home will always be open to you." She said. I nodded. "Thank you Ms. Jackson. And you have my word. No one will know Percy contacted us." I said.

Sally nodded. "Okay. And please sweetie, call me Sally!" She laughed.

I nodded. "Thank you Sally. You don't mind if I spend the night?"

Sally laughed. "Of course I don't! Heck, you can stay until your 39." She said. I smiled. But I didn't really see myself coming back. "Thank you Sally." I said. She nodded. "Should I let camp know you're going back?" She asked.

I shook my head. "Oh no that's okay. I always scare everyone when I pop up unexpectedly." I said.

Sally smiled. "Nico you don't have to lie to me. I know you're not going back to camp." She said. I gaped. Sally Jackson was a genius. Percy must get his obliviousness from Poseidon because he didn't get it from her.

"I-."

But Sally wasn't done. "And I get why. Camp is a reminder of Percy. But he's gone. And you were always secretly in love with him." She said.

I stayed completely silent. "I should probably go." I finally said. Sally looked at me. "Maybe you shouldn't. Maybe you should finally let go of somethings. Maybe you should finally talk about your feelings instead of running."

I didn't reply.

After a while Sally finally sighed. "But it's to hard for you to do that isn't it? Well if you must go I understand." She said. I nodded. "It's probably for the best." She nodded.

And with that I Shadowed to a patch in the woods.

Almost as soon as I got there I cried.

I cried with everything I had. "Come back Percy." I said.

But something inside me ached. Because no matter how hard I cried or prayed this pain would never go away. Percy would never come back. He was with Luke. I knew that much.

I might not have seen him. But I noticed the looks Percy snuck him when I mentioned Luke's name.

Luke is probably laughing at me. I know Percy wouldn't laugh. He'd be scratching his neck. I knew he had a thing for someone for the longest time. I'd always thought it was Annabeth. Perhaps it was Luke this whole time.

"ANNIE!"

I bolted up. Thalia stumbled out of the woods. "Nico? Where's Annabeth?" I shrugged.

Thalia finally looked at me. Her face immediately changed. In pure horror I remembered I had never wiped my tears. "What happened?" She asked. I wiped the tears. "I'm fine. What were you saying about Annabeth?" I asked.

Thalia frowned. "Nico you can talk to me." She said.

I shook my head. "Let's just find Annabeth." I muttered. Thalia reluctantly nodded. "Silena went left." She said. I nodded. We hiked left into the trees.

"ANNABETH!" A voice boomed. Thalia smirked. "Silena!" She yelled. Silena turned to look at us. "Thalia I didn't think I would f-." She trailed off. Silena stared at me. "Oh Nico, I'm so sorry!" She said.

I binked in confusion. "Who?" She asked.

My eyes widened. She was a daughter of Aphrodite. She could see I was in a one-sided love.

I shook my head. "What do you mean?" I asked. Silena just stared at me in pity. "Nico you can always talk to me." She said. I had to stop myself from yelling at her. "Let's just find Annabeth."

Silena nodded. "I won't force you to talk." She said.

Just when we were about to start Annabeth ran right into us. "Draw your weapons. Luke's scorpion!" She yelled. On cue everyone had their weapons out.

And the four of us stood there. The oddest group I could think of. A scorned by love son of Hades, lovesick daughter of Aphrodite, punk daughter of Zeus and huntress of Artemis, and a determined bookloving daughter of Athena. We all had one desire.

We all desired to find the fiery, inclined, headstrong son of Poseidon.

We all had different paths and problems. We all had secrets to be discovered along the way. None of us knew it yet but our secrets and problems would soon bring us together.

And as we were attacked by a giant scorpion, I looked at the girls I would soon need.

It would be us to fail or succeed. Kronos knew Luke had Percy. The love  of my life. The source of pain. It would be us who saved him. It would be us to fail in saving him.

And as we slayed the scorpion, I had a feeling that I was apart of this quest now. Whether I wanted to or not.