Thunder & Bones

quinque

After fourth period, he found he had a lot of classes with Hazel and Leo, and some other friends of Jason. 

In his sixth period, Hazel waved from the other side of the room, she was having a deep conversation with some burly Asian guy, and in seventh, he found he had a class with Leo, whom he chatted with nonstop to the Charles whatsit guy about machines.

Nico wasn't really surprised that he wasn't going to be suspended, there was no way those guys were going to admit a scrawny emo kid beat them up. 

As Ms. Pyrope ranted about justice in court, the bell rang. Nico surveyed Ms. Pyrope. He'd already had her for a full semester, but he could never get over how weird she was. She had collarbone length blonde hair that spiked to the sides at the end, and big red glasses (quite literally red, the lenses and everything.)

Oh, and she was blind. She could somehow sense when a student wasn't paying attention, even if they were silent, she would smack her walker on the desk and would snap something in her scratchy voice. 

All her Expo markers were red, she claimed they had to be, even though she couldn't even see. She was probably the weirdest teacher they had.

As Nico nodded a modest farewell to Leo, he left the classroom.

His mind drifted as he walked towards the front entrance, people giving him strange looks as he did not do his normal route home, which he took the back gate. 

Nico noted that he began to notice more people by name, than noted Rachel, who was yelling something to the lady at the front desk by the door.

Red heads were something else.

There was Piper, who was glaring and snarling something at one of the preppy girls, those ones who got away with wearing booty shorts and winged eyeliner to her ears in school, Drew. 

Or the big Asian kid- Fred-no-Frank. He heard that he came from the same school that Jason and Hazel went to.

As soon as Nico was outside, the cold air hit him like a wave. 

As soon as he reached a bench that was free of people, he unzipped his backpack and yanked out his Aviator jacket, which he slung on. 

He didn't like wearing it that much, do to where he got it from, but it was the warmest jacket he had. The thought of the person who gave him the gift made him nauseous...

"Hey Nico!"

Before his thoughts could go any further, he looked up to find the caller of the voice.

Oh no.

Mother. Fucking. Jason. Grace.

Jason Grace sat on a large gray motorcycle, a giant black helmet on his head, his glasses tucked in his shirt, holding an extra helmet. He waved his arm, and Nico backed up a step as people gawked.

"Jason, there is no way I'm riding that," he uttered in horror. He couldn't see, but he knew Jason was smiling.

He tossed Nico a helmet, in which Nico fumbled in catching. Jason waved his hand to join him. Nico noted that he was wearing a thin jogger-like grey jacket. Did this guy get cold?

Jason suddenly kicked the stand, and hopped off the purring bike, walking toward Nico and sticking his hand out.

What?

"Gimme your bag," he said through the helmet. With a confused movement, he gave the guy his bookbag. Jason walked back over to the bike, and clicked the seat open, and shoved it in the compartment.

Whoa, did all bikes have secret compartments like that?

That was pretty cool.

Nico cursed himself for sounding like a ten-year old.