No Stars - A Nico Di Angelo Love Story

4- I try to be normal

I'm so sorry for the lack of updates! I'm done with my other fanfic, so I am now working on this one! I had terrible writers block while writing this chapter, so I'm sorry that it sucks! I wanted to post something, so you would all know this story is continuing! 

Thanks for the character auditions! I'll choose a few and put them into my story in the next couple of chapters! (Sorry if I didn't choose yours:( )

I can hear the laughter and chatter of the campers even before we walk inside the mess hall. However, as soon as we emerge inside, the talking dies out immediately and everyone's eyes bore into me. My face burns red and then I notice I'm still wearing Nico's athletic pants. 

Embarrassed, I shove Nico. "Where do I go?" 

"Hermes table," He responds and guides me towards a crowded table near the center of the room. The first thing I notice is almost everyone has the same mischievous look to them. Their eyes twirl in mischief as if they are thinking  what kind of prank they will pull next. 

"Hey guys," Nico starts, looking at the children of Hermes. "This is Mackenzie, she's new." 

A murmur of hello's float around and somebody asks, "Claimed or undetermined?" 

"Undetermined," Nico confirms. 

"That's weird," A girl says. "How old are you?" 

That's when the panic comes back to me. I can feel my whole face going hot and my forehead beginning to sweat. My hands shake and I start to stutter. 

How old am I?

I can't remember. 

My lips struggle to form words, thoughts swirling my mind. Hopelessly, I look at Nico who eyes me closely. His lips purse and finally he says, "She's sixteen," 

Sixteen. I am sixteen. The words echo in my brain, and before I can stop myself, I blurt, "What year is it?" 

Nico stiffens next to me, but it's too late to take back my mistake. 

Everyone stares at me weirdly.  Then two boys towards the end of the table erupt in laughter. I try to laugh it off too, like I was joking. Soon, the entire table wears an amused expression. 

While they are busy laughing Nico looks at me in sympathy. He whispers and confirms the year. That's when the reality hits my like a thousand bricks. I've been dead for over fourty years...

"She can sit by us," The boy who laughed first offers. He takes me by the wrist and tugs me into the seat between him and another boy who looks exactly like him. At first I'm confused, I look at them back and forth between the two.

But the boys laugh. "Brothers," They confirm.

"No, No, noooo," Nico protest, trying to tug me off the seat. "You are not going to sit with them,"

"Awww come on. We aren't that bad," One of the twins complain. 

"Yeah, we wouldn't do anything to the new girl," The other adds. Then he looks at me, "So what's your biggest fear?" 

"Hey!" Nico says, making them start laughing yet again. 

"Joking. Chill," 

"You better be," Nico warns. "And I'm serious." 

"I'll be fine," I say, confidence suddenly washing over me. Though, I wish nothing more than Nico to stay. Honestly, these two boys are really making me feel uncomfortable. 

Nico huffs and looks back and fourth between them and me. He skeptically narrows his eyes at one of the boys, who is holding in a laugh, before walking away to his own table across the room. 

"Connor," The twin on my right says. 

"Travis." The other adds, grinning and holding out his hand. 

Pranksters. That's something that Hermes was, right? I stop myself midway of shaking his hand, and instead touching his palm, my fingers wrap around his wrist and turn his hand over, revealing one of those  electric shock contraption

These were around when I was alive. Classic. I raise an eyebrow. "I'm not stupid," 

Connor bangs his hand on the table in laughter. "Oh man, bro," He looks at me, "You're the first person to deny a handshake with Travis. Pretty smart." 

A smile flashes on my face. "Thanks," 

Travis brushes off his defeat. "So what's up with you hanging around the Hades kid? I mean, he's creepy!" 

I look at Nico across the room, he's playing with his food. The plate of eggs and bacon not even touched. "I don't see it." 

"He talks to the freaking dead! If that doesn't creep you out, your crazy! I've heard he actually brought somebody back before... That's just not normal."

Not normal. Right, and I'll never be normal...

If these campers were to ever find out about me, I'd be an outcast. And by the way these boys are talking about Nico, it seems his an outcast too. Nobody is talking to him. Nobody is smiling in his direction... If they find out about me, I'll be hated and feared. 

When my eyes begin to burn from holding back tears, I stand up abruptly. The pain of sadness not wanting to show, I replace it with anger. Anger for Nico. Anger for these two idiots judging him so hard. It boils off me and before I can stop myself, I say, "I'm not sitting with you guys. You're freaking judgmental shitheads," 

I move myself across the Mess Hall despite their sorry's and protest. My dad's face pops in my mind, screaming at me. If he had heard the word I just said, I'd been a goner. He'd choke me for discipline or scorch me with the matches, trying to get the beast out of me.

The crowding of people makes me lose track of Nico so I go back outside. The sun rays hit me instantly, the warmth already burning my pale skin. 

"Hey," 

I jump at Nico's voice. "Oh, hi," 

"Told ya you wouldn't like the Stolls." 

My eyebrows crease together. "That is really their last name?" 

He laughs without humor. "Yeah." 

I bite my lower lip in thought. "How did you know my age, Nico? I didn't even know it, gods, that was the worst thing ever." 

The son of Hades shrugs. "I could just tell. You haven't been alive for long, so you still have a bit of ghost with you. I just read that." 

"Oh... Well thank you." I smile. 

The boy I met last night, Percy, nears us. People at the Hermes table were talking about him and I learned that apparently he is very special being the son of Poseidon and all. 

"Hey guys!" He greets, playfully punching Nico in the shoulder. Nico yet again looks uncomfortable, though I smile. 

"You know," Percy starts. with a grin. "I heard some preeeettty loud noises coming from your cabin last night. I guess I now know why you wanted her to stay in your cabin so bad, Nico!" He wiggles his eyebrows. "Just you kids use protection, alright?" 

Nico looks mortified. 

I don't get it. 

Nico frantically waves his arms in the air. "That's not- No it's-!" 

"Calm down, I won't tell Chiron." Percy smiles at the two of us before patting Nico's shoulder and heading over to one of his friends in the Mess Hall. 

I look at Nico. "What was he talking about? And why are you blushing?" 

"Um... Uh, nothing. You know, it's time for uh Hermes archery, y-yeah. You should- you know, get over there." Then her dissolves into the shadows.