Chapter 1:

Nico Decides Shakespeare Hates Him

A Study in Shakespeare – that was the name of Nico's new English unit. You'd think they'd have more creative things to offer for Eleventh Grade, even in his school, but no, musty old Victorian play writers it was. But, Nico decided that wasn't even the worst part. He would have been alright studying Hamlet, even that Much Ado About Nothing one, but since he decided Shakespeare's ghost hated him to the ends of the earth, they weren't doing either of them.

No, no, they were doing something much crueller.

Romeo and Juliet.

Would you believe him if he said that wasn't the worst part? Because it wasn't. Nope. Nowhere near.

The worst part; the bane of his existence. The reason Nico wanted to sink into the ground and not come out –

Was a simple card in his hand with spidery handwriting on it that read Will Solace. His partner for their assessment piece was Will Solace. He had to perform a scene from Romeo and Juliet with Will – freakin' – Solace and no this mental freak out had nothing to do with the fact he was crushing so hard on the guy it was like titanium in his stomach nuh uh of course not.

In the long run, Nico blamed Percy Jackson.

Chiron's Academy for Gifted Boys not only had a super-lame name, but a prime spot in the good old hub known as Long Island Sound. It was a boarding school and housed up to one hundred boys – pitiful compared to other schools, but they were in the middle of the forest. And it was for gifted boys. Therefore, there were around ten or so kids per year level with different timetables and everyone knew everyone.

It wasn't your typical school, either. It was, as mentioned, in the middle of the woods. But it was also the activities there that made it unusual. You could study Archery as an elective, for example. Ancient Greek and Latin were mandatory subjects. Boys were divided into cabins based on personality tests when they arrived and they ate at their cabin's tables each meal time. Sword-fighting, Chariot Racing, Swimming, Canoeing, obstacle courses – they were all part of the curriculum along with the general Math and English, Geography and Science.

Then there was the Greek Mythology. The entire place seemed to be oriented around Mythology. The whole school was referred to as Camp Half-Blood. Each cabin was named after a god or goddess. Different cabins ran different activities. It made each student feel like they weren't even at school and lived the life of an adventurer.

Nico di Angelo was one who didn't feel like this. Put in the Hades cabin, he was alone at his table, with no 'siblings' around. No one else was in Hades with him. He was, by all standards, a loner.

Until Percy Jackson came along. Then, Nico got friends. Percy was the best thing that had happened to him. They were practically brothers.

Which was why Nico blamed Percy right now for getting him paired with Will Solace, who that little shit of a Poseidon kid knew Nico had a ginormous crush on.

"Percy, come up and pick the next pair for the English Project."

Nico watched Percy get out of his seat glumly and trudge up to the desk. The teacher, Ms Dare, smiled at him as he rifled through the hat full of names she had on the desk. Nico could see Percy peeking through his lashes at the names on the bits of paper. His smirked slightly and pulled one out.

"Nico di Angelo," he read, sending Nico a smug grin that just oozed 'Time to hook you up!'

"Nico, come on up," Ms Dare encouraged. Nico slumped up to the desk, glaring at his classmates, all of whom either grinned back and shot him the bird or ignored him. Leo Valdez was one who fell into the first category. Ethan Nakamura fell into the second.

"And, the lucky partner for this fine young bit of Italian is…" Percy rifled once again, staring at the names before picking one specific one out and reading it loudly.

"Will Solace!"

Percy then thrust the card at Nico, made a run for his seat, and dived into his chair. Nico was left at the front of the class, holding a card which Will Solace had touched, by the way, and watching as his project partner for one of the most romantic and tragic plays in history walked up to the front of the class and grinned down at him.

"Awesome," Will said enthusiastically. "Can't wait to get started, Nico."

Jackson you are one dead man, Nico thought as he took his new seat beside Will Solace, moving his pencil case, notebook full of doodles, and copy of Romeo and Juliet, onto his new desk. Which, if you didn't catch, was right next to Will.

Nico spent the rest of the class staring holes in the back of Percy's head while the Poseidon kid leaned over his copy of the play with his partner, Jason Grace, while simultaneously trying not to think about how close Will's hand was and if Nico could just reach out and touch it-

A ding dong clanged through the classroom, signalling the end of English. Nico gathered up his stuff, careful not to brush his hand against Will's, before he started to move off. Percy was already out the door with Jason, and Nico was ready to catch up and give them a piece of his mind when something warm came down on his shoulder. Nico looked around, and stumbled when he realised what- no, who, it was.

"Hey, Nico," Will greeted, an easy grin on his perfect face. "What do you have now?"

An overwhelming desire to shove you against a wall, Nico responded mentally. What he said was, "It's a new subject called How Many Times Can I Hit Percy Before He Runs Away."

Will laughed. Nico decided right there that was what the angels based their heavenly choir off, or whatever.

"What did he do this time?"

They started subconsciously walking away from the lone classroom that stood by itself in its little niche at the edge of the school. Grass bent under Nico's combat boots as he and Will walked side by side towards the Big House, which generally all academic classes were in, besides English.

Nico wasn't sure how to respond, so he told a half-truth.

"He and Jason pulled some shit," he replied vaguely. Will snorted.

"Those two and Leo are just the worst," he agreed, and Nico felt a small smile curve his lips. Maybe he wouldn't melt into a puddle of goo right away. Talking to Will was… nice.

"Oh my gods, di Angelo!"

Nico froze, staring ahead. What had he done? Did he do something wrong? Had Will figured it out? Was cyclone Katrina really his fault?

In retrospect, those last two were just stupid. Nico mentally hit himself, before turning to Will.

"What?" he asked, his voice a little quieter. Will's mouth was wide open, almost like a snake's.

"You just smiled," he said faintly. "You… you just smiled. At me. You just smiled at me."

Nico felt relief wash through him, but he just calmly raised an eyebrow.

"And that began the Apocalypse how?"

Will laughed again, and they resumed walking.

"It's just you never smile. I see you in class and it just doesn't happen."

"I do smile," Nico said defensively.

"Yeah?" Will demanded. "When."

"Some people make me smile," Nico replied, half lying, half not. Will made him smile.

"Percy?" Will guessed, and Nico could feel a subtle change in his tone. But it was a life-line, so he took it.

"Yeah," he said. "Percy, Jason and Leo. And my sister." And you, but you can't know that.

"You have a sister?" Will's eyebrows crept up.

"Mmhm," Nico hummed, his boots thumping against the wood as they ascended the Big House's steps. "She's over the road at Lupa's College."

Lupa's College was Chiron's Academy's sister school, where, ironically, Nico's sister attended. A couple of the boys at Camp Half-Blood had a sister over at Camp Jupiter, which was what they called themselves. It was another Mythology-obsessed school, but instead of Greek, it was Roman. They had socials and dances occasionally with the boy's school. Will nodded.

"What's her name?" he asked. Nico shifted his pencil case.

"Hazel," he replied. Will looked through the trees in the direction of girl's school. Nico felt a little trickle of unwarranted jealousy and tried not to let it show as he added, "and she's dating Frank Zhang so don't think about wooing her."

Will's head shot back to look at Nico, his cheeks red. He dropped his books and pencil case on the doorstep of the Big House and started fumbling to get them.

"No no no, that's not what I meant!" he rambled, picking up Romeo and Juliet by the corner of one of the pages. He restacked his things and started through the door, not looking at Nico. "I don't like your sister that way, dude." His cheeks seemed to go a little redder. "I like someone else."

Nico tried not to let his heart sink too far at the thought of Will head-over-heels for some pretty girl next door.

"Okay," he replied lamely, and Will sent him a small, cheerful smile.

"Hey, don't be glum di Angelo. The person I like is as equally unattainable as your sister so you can still be my little Juliet."

Will ruffled Nico's hair and walked towards the room that hosted Advanced Math. Nico stood there for a second, stunned. Then, being the sarcastic little shit he is, he yelled after Will, "Whatever, Romeo!"

Nico tried to convince himself that the laugh he got was not his favourite sound in the world.

Right. So, because I'm Satan and just love torturing myself with Solangelo, this happened. Just, ignore me. Apparently I like doing this to myself.

Jasmine Out!