AWEEEE YUS ANOTHER CHAPTER
YUUUUUUSSSSSSSS
QOTD: Has anyone seen The Babadook? It's a new horror film and holy shit it was over the top scary but I really liked it.
Also, we're gonna spice things up a bit in this chapter with....
POV CHANGE

I was tired. School seemed to suck the energy from me like a vampire.
At least now I have last period which is... art! The (unfortunately) only period I have with Nico.

I don't know why but the kid intrigues me. I love watching him draw too, he's fantastic. It's like he doesn't even know what he's doing, one second there's paper, the next there's some creepy ass drawing that's so amazing I would put it next to Picasso's work without a second thought.

But his art really is creepy. It's beautifully haunting, I guess you could say.

It gives me chills whenever I look at it. It makes you feel... how do I put this... oh! I know! It makes you feel like you're listening to that Pókemon song, Lavender Town.

It gets in your head. But that's kind of part of what makes it so amazing.

Today I peered over at his paper and noticed he was drawing what looked like a box. On the outside there were words written on it but I couldn't read them from where I was, and I have Dyslexia on top of that.

Behind the box there was an old, mangled, blackened hand, reaching for the box.

And that was it.

"Wow, Nico, that's really good." I said, staring harder at the words.

Immediately the smaller boy blushed and glared at me. "Percy, how many times have I told you not to compliment my artwork?" He hissed through clenched teeth.

I held my hands up in mock-surrender. "Whoops, guess I forgot." I said, smiling.

"But what I was going to say was, it's good and all, but it could never compare to my fish." I said proudly, whipping out my paper and shoving it in his face.

He quickly moved back on his stool. "Hey! Don't push your-" His expression immediately turned bored. "That's a fish?" He asked, glancing again at my beautiful masterpiece. "It looks more like a slug humping a spider. What even are those spindly things?"

I frowned. "They're fins..." I said, pretending to be hurt.

He just shoved my face away, rolled his eyes, and got back to drawing.

I watch him, but slowly my eyes migrate to his lips.

Sometimes, I couldn't explain it, I just, have the biggest urge to kiss him. And not a friendly kiss, like on the cheek or forehead (though that would be fine too if I got the chance...) but a full on kiss, on the mouth, possibly with tongue. It's really freaking me out.

I mean, I was so sure I was straight, I have never been into boys, so what the hell is going on now?

I try to ignore it, ignore the gorgeous way his dark brown hair falls lightly over his eyes when he's focused, or how cute his little nose is I just want to kiss it, or how nice his butt looks in that pair of black skinny jeans he wears sometimes, or the way the corner of his mouth will twitch up into a smile that's just, I could look at it forever. But it doesn't work.

I don't know what to think anymore. Does this mean I'm gay? Bisexual? Nicosexual? Or is it DiAngelosexual?

Suddenly I feel a light smack on my cheek and realize I've been staring at Nico this whole time.

I quickly shake my head and laugh it off. Nico just raises an eyebrow at my nervous laughing but says nothing.

When the period ends he pushes his paper in front of me and leans over, whispering in my ear, "it's not English, but the box says 'this is me'."

I look at him, and he looks back, and our faces are so close all I would need to do to connect our lips would be to lean in just an inch-

"Bye Percy." Nico says quickly, turning and swiftly walking out.

I sigh resting my head on my hand, looking at the place he exited.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and I think I might've jumped five fee in the air. I whipped around to see the art teacher, Ms. Epis, smiling at me.

Her short dark brown hair framed her face just so she looked a bit younger, though she didn't need it. I'd say she's one of the youngest teachers in the school, no doubt.

"Class is over, if you hadn't noticed. Also, use your class time to draw instead of stare at Mr. DiAngelo, okay?" She said, winking as she walked away.

I shook my head.

I hate being Nicosexual.

************************
[Major timeskip 0.0]

It's been a month since I've met Nico and personally, I think we've grown pretty close. Nico, on the other hand, is still a bit distanced.

I have made pretty good friends with Charlotte though. She's actually pretty cool, even if she is five years older than me. If I weren't Nicosexual, I might actually fall for her, I mean she's pretty alright, she has really nice loosely curled dark brown (or is it black?) hair and light tan skin that practically screams "healthy and young".

Usually when I'm hanging out with Charlotte, it's while I'm waiting for Nico to finish something or get home from somewhere. He usually likes to walk around alone after school so I stay with Charlotte until he gets home.

It's become kind of like a routine.

Though, of course, I'm not always at Nico's, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays I have swim meets and practices, and on other days I might want to just go home.

But generally, I spend my time at a certain small, brunette, Italian's house.

Like today, for example. Nico was out doing his lonely trek (I think he goes to the library) and I was sitting on his soft sofa with Charlotte playing an intense game of Mario Kart which I was failing horribly at.

That's when the door flung open and a very angry looking Nico swooped in, eyes glowing with rage.

"You okay, bud?" I asked carefully, knowing he doesn't like to be put under pressure.

He just glared at me and stomped into his room. Might I add that that stomping was pretty disturbingly loud considering he was wearing combat boots.

I hastily made my way to his room, which was a pretty short walk because Charlotte's apartment was basically the size of my kitchen and living room mushed together. It was cozy though.

When I reached the dark wooden door, I knocked softly, opening the door slightly to peer in.

Nico was staring out his window, and he looked oddly angelic standing in that light. No pun intended. His slightly curly brown hair was swept out of his eyes and his aviator's jacket was illuminated by the sunlight turning the faded brown into a gold color.

I quickly shook myself out of my daze and walked up behind him. "Hey Nico, want to tell me what happened?" I asked.

He turned to look at me, and his eyes were a bit softer now. "Well, someone was making fun of Piper because she wanted to hang out with me, and I got angry and punched the guy in the face, and he got angry and punched me back in the arm... which is sensitive for me... so I flipped him, don't know how please don't ask me to repeat the action, and he fell and some man came over and started yelling at me and I said I was defending my friend and he said friends aren't worth fighting for and that kind of ticked me off because for a while I had thought that exact thing and I was kind of just left there to simmer in my own anger." Nico explained.

My eyes bulged. "You flipped someone?!" I exclaimed.

For some reason that makes Nico seem even sexier... Nope! Shut up! No no no he's just a friend. Even if you are Nicosexual... just think about Frozen, conceal don't feel.

Nico sighed and knocked on my forehead as if wanting a little door to open up there. "That's not the point, dumbass." He said.

I smiled slightly. "You know what, you need to loosen up. You're so straight and stiff all the time-" I was cut off by Nico bursting out in completely unexpected laughter.

I was caught so off guard, I oddly began laughing too.

"N-no Per- Percy you don't... haha, you don't get- I- I- you called me, haha, you called me s-straight!" He said between laughs.

I stared at him.

He stared back.

"It's funny because I'm anything but straight, goddamnit Percy, why are you such a seaweed brain." Nico muttered, though a smile still graced his lips.

My eyes widened. "You're gay?" I asked in a rush.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Percy, we've been over this. You don't remember?"

Oh wait...

I began to recall the events from two Saturday's ago.

Nico looked at me with large brown eyes. "My deepest secret?" He asked slowly.

"Yeah." I replied, adjusting in the bed so I was facing him fully now. I was interested in this.

"Well..." He began, blushing. I was eager for him to continue.

His hands tightened around the blankets. He closed his eyes and took a breath. "I haven't really told anyone this but... I- I like guys." He mumbled.

I think I smiled but I quickly stopped because that would be weird. "Oh. Okay." I said, for lack of anything better to say.

His eyes opened. "That's it?" He asked.

I nodded, unsure of how to react to the information, deciding it would be better to just forget it.

So I did.

"Oh! I remember now!" I said, grinning.

Nico just face palmed then looked at me. "how do you do it?" He asked.

I shrugged. "Do what?" I replied.

"You always manage to shake me of a bad mood and it's seriously annoying me that I can't hold grudges around you." He said dramatically.

I giggled. "It's a gift, Drama Queen."

He slapped me lightly in the face before exiting the room, me closely following.