A/N: What can I say? I love Nico. I just do. And so, I am writing this story. *winces* Okay, yes. I do not need any more chapter stories. I already have them in the double digits, but I want to try this. Also, I am trying it in first person. That's new for me, and I don't generally like it. My thinking has always been that, while we can play with the characters as much as we want, it should only be the authors who get to write their thoughts that way. But... I'm going to try it. And if it sucks, I can always delete it, right? Thanks for reading!

"No."

"Nico..."

I felt my eyes heat up, the way they do when I'm starting to get mad. My shoulders feel all tight, and my stomach squirms, and I can actually feel the temperature rising under my eyebrows. I don't know if I get that from my dad or what, but I can always tell when I'm getting mad.

"Percy," I said, trying to stay calm. "I know you and Annabeth and everyone else are trying school this year, but I barely manage to fit in here." I wouldn't look at him. It still felt weird talking about all of this stuff with someone, even if it was only Percy.

"Listen Nico," he said, sitting beside me on the cabin steps. I fixed him with a glare, hating him for trying to act like he was my brother or something. Even if he is my cousin and (secretly) one of my favorite demigods, it still was a little too much for me. "Next year, Annabeth and I are going to be in college. Hopefully, anyway," he said, laughing uncomfortably. For a second his eyes flashed away, probably looking for Annabeth, but then he focused again. "And I know Grover's going to be here and everything, but I still think... well, shouldn't you try to find..." He sat there, trying to come up with the right word, but I didn't let him finish.

"Who put you in charge?" I snapped at him, I know I did, but I still think he deserved it.

"No one, no one," Percy said, backtracking. They all think I hate it when people remind me that I'm younger than them, but it isn't true. I only hate it when people tell me what to do. "I'm not in charge of you Nico, you know that. I only want to help." He squirmed, and I felt a little guilty. The responsibility thing is new for him, even if he did manage to win a battle and all. He was probably just trying to be considerate. "But Nico... It's not just the fact that we're leaving. Don't you think you might want to go to school so that, well, you could get a job when you're older?"

I raised my eyebrow, more confused than anything else. Percy was lecturing me about jobs? This was probably Annabeth's idea. "You're actually talking to me about this? What, did Annabeth threaten you?"

I watched his cheeks darken a little bit and felt satisfied. "Well, she's made me think about my future, and it's been helpful."

"Did she tell you to say that?"

"Nico - "

"No."

"I think you're - "

"No." I knew I was being stubborn, but I'm a son of Hades. It's my Gods given right to act that way sometimes.

"Will you just listen?" His green eyes flashed, the way they did when he was impatient. I could tell he was bored, probably wanting to go kiss his girlfriend some more. "Unless you want to stay around here for your whole life, which I doubt you do since you'll barely talk to your cousins, you have to think of something to do with your time. It doesn't have to be a huge thing, and you don't even have to go to college if you don't want, but don't you think you'll miss out if you don't go to high school?"

"Middle school," I muttered, hoping he wouldn't hear. "Did you miss it?" I challenged. "You might be going now, but you missed a lot of time before. And you hate school."

"That doesn't mean it's not important."

"You're only going because Annabeth told you to. You'll do anything she says." Even if I was being mean right there, he shouldn't have talked to me that way. Just because he was a hero and had a girlfriend and was almost eighteen, he couldn't boss me around like some little kid.

"Well," he said, sighing, "we're not talking about me. Nico, I actually think this might be good for you. I know you say you like camp," he paused, "and that's great, but you should see more of the world now. There aren't too many monsters around anymore, so you won't have to worry, and think of all the good things..."

"Like what?" I was honestly curious to hear his answer.

He struggled with this, and I stared at the sky while I waited. The gods had been pretty calm lately. No storms, no unnecessary deaths. It couldn't last, though. This placid happiness. I wouldn't let myself think that I could feel this way for long. If I did, it would only end up disappointing me.

"Girls!" he burst, a bit too loudly, clearly proud of the thought.

"It took you that long to come up with girls as a reason I should go?" I scowled at him, for once proud that scowls were my speciality.

"What, you aren't interested in dating?"

Unbidden images of Rachel came to mind, a few with... rather exaggerated areas, that were, um, uncovered. She'd never go for me though, for a million reasons though, and nobody else really caught my eye. "No," I said, really not wanting to discuss this with him.

He sighed. "Nico, come on. If you don't even go to high school, what do you expect to do with your life?"

"First of all, Annabeth didn't go to school, and everyone thinks she's going to be an architect."

"Well yeah, but she's different - "

"And SECOND," I shouted, ignoring the fact that he'd half-attacked my intelligence, "did it ever occur to you that I don't really have plans for my future?"

This made him go all quiet again. I waited, wondering why I felt cold all of a sudden. Camp Half Blood doesn't have weather, and I'd never really felt cold before anyway. Wasn't in my nature.

"... What do you mean?" he asked, frowning. Frowns look out of place on Percy. I'm not saying he's a smiley, happy guy, but he doesn't usually look grim either.

I shrugged. "I was on the run with my sister, for my entire life. Before then I was too young, and I don't remember much about it anyway. And after Bianca..." I inhaled, forcing it the word as impassively as I could, "died, there wasn't much time for "future" stuff."

"Oh," he said, sounding surprised. He looked sad too, as if I'd greatly disappointed him. Well, sorry Percy. Unfortunately having Hades as a father doesn't really inspire one to be a ballerina. ... Not that I would have chosen that, but you get my point.

"Why?" I asked, suddenly curious. "Did you have dreams?"

He shrugged. "Mostly stupid ones. But yeah, I had them." He grinned, gesturing around. "Some of them even came through.

"Oh boy..." I muttered, rolling my eyes. Of course he would pick this moment to get all sappy.

"Think about it, okay?" he said, standing up. "You have a few months anyway."

"Whatever," I said, knowing I would never go. Never go to school, never make normal friends. Like I said, I'm a son of Hades. 'Normal' isn't in my blood.

A/N: Okay, reviews are more important than ever, because I REALLY do need your thoughts on this. I might delete it still, I'm not sure how I feel about it, so you'll have to give me your opinion. Thanks for reading!