Nico's Flashback

TUESDAY

Nico was behind an angel with open wings, a stone statue taller than him. For respect, he had cleared all the tombs around him from dried leaves. The gardener and the gravedigger had gave up on asking him to leave, and would just nod and ignore him. He was drumming a song on the ground, when he heard someone approaching. He decided to ignore, still hidden behind the angel, and closed his eyes again. He opened them when he heard the steps a little too close. He knew it was not Hazel, she was not that heavy. Nico took a deep breath and glared at the guy when he appeared behind the stone angel. The guy with the red bandana ignored him and just sat next to Nico, not bothered.

Wait. Isn't he the guy that...

Kicked Skull, yeah. I think so.

Nico waited, but the guy didn't say nothing, just put two paper cups with lid on his side, took a notepad out of his backpack and started to draw, humming a melody under his breath. After two minutes, without taking his eyes from his drawning, the guy handed Nico one of the cups.

"What is this?"

"Cappuccino"

Why would he bring me cappuccino?

Why would he be here?

"What are you doing here?"

The guy shrugged, still drawning.

"Just chilling."

So, out of coincidence, he's 'chilling' right beside us and brought us cappuccino?

Nico raised an eyebrow and his tone was ironic.

"In a cemetery?"

The guy raised his head and asked Nico with a flat tone.

"What are you doing here?"

For a couple of seconds Nico didn't know what to answer, so he just shrugged and turned his head.

"Just chilling."

Half an hour passed. Nico didn't say anything else, and except for a few stolen glances, he didn't pay any attention to his partner at chilling. The guy continued to draw, and after some time pulled out his phone, and put some instrumental songs to play, still humming along. Nico didn't recognize any of those, but they were calming. Nico looked again at the guy before speaking.

"I'm Nanni"

"Pleasure to meet you, I'm Niel, in case you forgot"

Right, Niel. I was going crazy trying to remember his name.

Now I'm good at spending time with him. He's good company, he's quiet.

Almost like the deads around us.

Flashback over, back to present

FRIDAY

I don't see her.

Maybe we're lucky and she skipped classes today.

Could it be?

He felt someone pinch his sides from behind and jumped at the contact.

"Boo!"

He turned around and his hope vanished.

We should know we're not that lucky.

She was smiling and with a orange shirt so bright it hurt Nico's eyes to look at it.

"Did I scare you, Nanni?"

"What do you want, Lucy?"

She pouted and put her index fingers on his face, pulling the corner of his lips up.

"A smile, can you give it to me?"

After ten seconds of Nico glaring, she sighed and let go, pulling him to seat next to her.

***

Hazel blinked twice when Lucy and Nico sat next to her in the next class.

"Wow, that's a... bright shirt."

Lucy grinned before pointing to Nico.

"Thanks, I wore it for him."

That took Nico by surprise.

"What? Why?"

Lucy rolled her eyes.

"I told you you need more colors in your life. I'm doing my part, and I advise you to do the same and start wearing colors, or else..."

"Or else what?"

She turned to grin at him.

This grin looks a little... sinister.

A lot more sinister than I though a cheerleader could manage.

"My dear Nanni. Think about all our moments together. Do you REALLY want to find out the hard way?"

Remembering her breaking into his house made him think twice before trying to answer. Turns out, it wasn't needed. Lucy took his silence as a 'yes' and her smile was triumphant. She looked for something on her backpack, before taking something out of it.

"Let's start small. Catch, this one is yours"

Nico looked at the pale green silicone bracelet. He could read 'friendship' encraved on it. He raised his eyebrow at Lucy, who was wearing an identical one on her wrist.

"This is our friendship bracelet. Come on. Put it on."

Nico could see Hazel on the corner of his eye, trying to hold her laugh putting a hand over her mouth, but he knew her enough to know she was going to laugh at any moment.

"Nanni. Put. It. On."

Maybe we should put it on.

Are you serious?

I don't want to find out her 'or else'.

Fine.

Lucy was smiling almost as bright as her shirt when Nico put the bracelet grudgingly. She started talking again.

"I was trying to decide which color would better fit on you. Then I remembered you need both color where everything is black and light where everything is dark. So I got you a bracelet that glows in the dark. May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out."

That sobered Hazel up and she smiled.

"That was beautiful"

"What, that last sentence? I took it from Lord of the Rings, Galadriel said it, remember?"

Lucy looked from Hazel to Nico, both with blank faces. Her shock just grew.

"You NEVER watched Lord of the Rings? What planet are you from? That's even more classic than Sailor Moon! I'm making you watch it, mark my words"

I watched. Does it count if half of us watched?

I have no idea.

***

Nico left the class with Lucy on his left, against his will. Hazel bid goodbye and he could see her run to meet Frank, who was smiling at her. As soon as Hazel left, Nico felt someone start to walk on his right. The red bandana on a wrist let him know who was without looking.

So... he's just chilling here too?

He jumped when Lucy screeched at his left. She was glaring to the guy on his side.

"You! You were the Loki at the party!"

Wait, so he knows Leo? Is that why he's hanging around me?

"Ahn... his name is Niel"

Lucy narrowed her eyes, in an almost fighting stance.

"Niel, huh? You're that guy that hangs around the drama club, right?"

Niel did a courtesy and smiled. Nico could see the slight mockery on the smile, and Lucy could see it too, because she snorted and righted her posture.

"Just to be clear, I don't like you. Come, Nanni, we have better places to go with BETTER company than a fake pirate."

Lucy got a hold of Nico's hand and was pulling him without looking back. Niel got in front of her and started walking backwards. Lucy pretended not to see him, much to his amusement.

"Fake pirate? Now I'm deeply offended. Why would you step so low calling me a fake pirate, when I was nothing but pleasant?"

Snorting again, Lucy stopped.

"Come on!"

"What?"

She crossed her arms and did a once over, before rolling her eyes at his clothes.

"This big bad boy pirate look is soooo 1800! Have you thought about a look, I don't know, more 21st century?"

Nico scrunched his eyebrows at Lucy.

"What's wrong with pirates? I like pirates."

Lucy uncrossed her arms and landed a hand on Nico's shoulder before rolling her eyes.

"Sweetheart, you like to cut yourself. I think we can agree that what you like is NOT a good parameter."

Nico just stared.

That was... how did she know?

Niel patted him on his other shoulder.

"That was a low blow, but don't take it personally, Sticks. When a wench spends too much time with pirates, she learns to play dirty."

That made Lucy furious.

"What!? I'm not wench!"

Niel just gave her a smug smile.

"I beg to differ."

She took one step ahead and put a finger on his face.

"Listen here, mister, I'm not..."

"Captain."

Lucy's face was incredulous.

"What!?"

"My father is a mister. You may address me as Captain."

"Oh, no no no. I'm NOT calling you Captain."

Why do I feel we just got in the middle of another Cold War?