ATYCHIPHOBIA¹ | p.jackson

SIX.

"I HOPE HE LIKES ME." donni said to nicasia as they walked through camp. "donni of course he likes you. i mean look at you, you're like a barbie, except brunette. you've got a good personality too. i wouldn't worry about it." said nicasia. donni had tan skin and brown wavy hair. he had a very muscular but slim build, that somehow also managed to be elegant.

"yeah, you're right. i am too hot to be worrying about a boy like this. he's gotta be missing some brain cells if he doesn't like me back. i'm literally a whole snack." donni said. "i'm trying to figure out if that last part was funny or corny." nicasia said.

"don, i gotta go. chiron told me to go to the big house." nicasia said, looking at her best friend. "i'll just walk you there."

"it's literally fifteen feet away."

"that doesn't matter. anyway, what do i do? this is really important."

nicasia rolled her eyes before answering him."what time does he go to the art cabin, again?"

"11:00 a.m. everyday."

"of course you know that, you stalker." nicasia said, laughing. "when he goes to the art cabin you need show up a little later than him. like late enough that it doesn't look like you're following him and make sure there are other people in there." nicasia whispered as donni nodded along.

"when he gets up to restock materials, drop a note with a compliment on it in his seat. and print it out so he won't recognize your handwriting. when he reads the note, he should look up at the person in the room that he hopes it was from and if he looks at you... then you have your answer." nicasia finished, smiling. donni's face broke into a smile. "thank you nicki! oh my gods you genius! you are a godsend!" donni said, hugging nicasia before running off. "good luck with your meeting!"

nicasia watched him run off with a smile. she turned back around and walked up the stairs of the big house's deck. she held back an eye roll when she saw that percy was already there, grover stood next to him.

"what are you doing here?" she asked.

"i don't know. what are you doing here?" percy snapped back, surprised by her annoyance.

the three of them walked across the porch until they saw mr. d. he was wearing a tiger striped hawaiian shirt and drinking a diet coke. "well, well, our little celebrity." he said to percy, looking up from his pinochle game. he turned to nicasia. "and the real celebrity." nicasia slightly tensed for a second before relaxing.

"come closer." mr. d said. "and don't expect me to bow down to you just because old barnacle beard is your father." lightning shot across the sky and thunder rumbled the windows. mr. d looked up at the sky, unbothered "blah, blah, blah" chiron stared down at his pinochle cards with a new found interest.

"if i had it my way, i would like to blast you to bits and feed you to the fish, but chiron thinks that is against my sentence: keep you little brats safe from harm." mr. d said. i would be fine with that, nicasia thought to herself.

"feeding someone to fish and blasting them to bits are forms of harm, mr. d." chiron added.

mr. d opened his mouth to speak again but chiron cut him off. "percy, nicasia. follow me. we have an urgent matter to discuss. you too satyr."

the four of them entered the big house. as they walked through the house, nicasia noticed dusty footprints appear next to her. annabeth. she really needs to learn to clean her shoes before spying on people, nicasia thought to herself.

chiron spoke once they reached the living room of the big house. "the two of you have a long journey ahead of you. a quest." nicasia's breath hitched. "for what?" percy asked.