Chapter eleven!!!!!!

Oh my God!!!!!!! I am SSSSOOOOOOOOO SORRY!!!!!!! As you (probably) know because I'm pretty sure I mention it a lot, I have been homeschooled since the second grade. However, for my senior year in high school, my parents decided to put me in public school! Yay! It actually isn't all that bad, but I'm still not used to all the homework. So I have had absolutely NO time to write. It's been February vacation all week though, so I decided to actually do stuff!!! So I am so so so so so so so a million times sorry!!!!!!!! I hope you like my chapter!!!

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Nico held tightly to his covers, pulling them higher over his shoulders and head as the sunlight came into his cabin uninvited. The son of Hades, his eyes still shielded from the harsh rays of the morning sun, sighed contently. He snuggled deeper into his dark, fluffy sheets and fell asleep. Finally, everything was peaceful.

That didn't last long though. 

Nico woke up, startled by a loud and repetitive banging that came from the other side of his door. The sound was sharp and violent, as if the person - or thing - on the other side wanted nothing more than to kill him mercilessly, and although that was indeed a distinct possibility, Nico simply pulled the covers even higher over his head and turned away from the door. 

"Go away~" he moaned, pressing his pillow to his ears as the volume of the banging increased. He then sighed contently; he had succeeded in blocking that annoying sound from his ears. 

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On the other side of the door stood the Son of Poseidon, Percy Jackson. He tapped his foot impatiently on the ground as he continuously rapped his knuckles on the black door of the Hades cabin. 

"Come on Nico!" he yelled to his cousin. "We're going to be late!" Percy sighed, dropping his fist to his side. "Come on Nico! We have to meet Hazel and the others half way, remember?"

He recieved no answer. Now, the last time this happened, it was because he was bleeding out onto the floor of the Hades cabin and in a deep coma, however this time Percy knew it was just because his younger - older? - cousin was being a lazy bum. However, as minutes passed and he did not hear a reply, Percy began to worry. 

'What if he hit his head again?' he wondered. 'Is he alright? Is something wrong? Is he stuck in a nightmare??' Every possibility ran through the destrought demigod, making him pull his hair in agravation. 'Should I break the door down? Pick the lock?' He decided on the latter, only because on the off chance that there was nothing wrong, and he broke the door for no other reason than he was worried, then Nico would have his head. 

He took out a small flask of water he always kept on his belt for emergencies, and pulled the water out of the little container. He molded the water into the shape of a pick and pushed it into the key hole. After a few wiggles and clicks, the door unlocked, and Percy barged in.

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"What the Hades!?" Nico practically shadow traveled by accident as Percy flung his door open and ran inside. It was obvious that his older cousin was only worried about his well being, and he supposed that was partly his fault, being that he completely ignored all of Percy's calls to him through the door, but that did not stop the son of Hades from being angry. He was so angry in fact, that every shadow in the room grew and thrashed in outrage at their master's fury. 

It was a terrifying sight, and as the tentacles of darkness flung themselves violently around the glowering son of Hades, Percy began to inch his way to the exit. He stopped his movement as Nico's menacing voice reached his ears.

"What do you want, Jackson." It was not a question, but a demand. 

Percy rubbed the back of his neck, awkardly trying to avoid any eye contact with the child of Death. "Well, ah, y-you remember when, um... Jason said w-we were all, uh, going to get together and... do something?" 

"What about it?" Nico spat, obviously still over tired.

"Everyone decided that... we were going to go on a picnic today. And, uh, we're kind of late."

"Oh." The shadows instantly shrank back into the corners of the room. The intence glare replaced with an innocent and embarrassed look. A blush found its way onto Nico's pale cheeks. "Sorry,"

Percy couldn't help but chuckle. He sat down on Nico's bed and ruffled his cousin's hair in a brotherly manner. "No problem, kid. C'mon, let's get ready."

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"This is where we're having the picnic?" Nico looked around the familiar park. He remembered it well. It was the same neighborhood that he and Bianca grew up in... with Chad. A shiver ran down his spine, but he pushed it back. He would no longer be the one that needed protecting. He would stand up for himself and he would have a nice picnic with his friends. And on the off chance that he did in fact run into his foster father, then he would put the fat drunkard in his place.

"Yeah," Percy's eyebrow rose at Nico's breaf moment of panic. "Why? Is anything wrong?"

Nico shook his head, releasing himself from his thoughts. "No, it's fine." He grinned reasuringly at his cousin. Percy didn't beleive him at all, but shrugged in responce.

By the time the duo had spotted the rest of their friends, everyone was already in the middle of eating. They both recieved their fare share of food-stuffed mouths asking them questions like, "Where were you guys?" that sounded more like "Fhere Fereh hoo buuff?"

"It took a while to get this one-" Percy ruffled Nico's hair like he had that morning, "-out of bed. And when he finally woke up, I was sure I was going to get a one-way ticket to Hades." 

Everyone had a great time at the picnic. Nico was asked a lot of questions about how he was doing, if he was feeling better, if he ever got his favorite shirt back from Coach Hedge, and other random questions which Nico appreciated. Nico loved the attention that he was recieving, not that he loved attention at all, but it reminded him that this was his family. And his family cared about him. For that, he was greatful.

They were there for hours, simply talking long after their food was gone. It was only when the sun finally began to set that they decided that they should pack up soon. But not before Leo went to the nearest convenience store to pack up on chips, flashlights, and other seemingly random things. 

The son of Hephaestus dragged the whole group, including a reluctant and on-edge Nico, into the small store. He then disapeared into the isles, occasionally yelling "Cool!" or "I could definitely use this!"

The store clerk, an old, wrinckly man, stood bewildered behind the counter. His eyes were wide, as if he were astonished at the amount of people to come into his store at once. Nico attempted to make as little eye contact with the man as possible. He remembered being forced to steal from him on several occasions. 

Before long Leo had returned from his shopping spree, his arms full of baskets filled to the brim with useless items that Leo was determined to make into something great. He strutted up to the cash register and dumped one of his baskets on the counter. 

"I'm not sure that the registers can handle all of these products at once young man." The clerk chuckled happily. "Their very old."

Leo grinned in responce. "Then make a couple different transactions, Old-timer. I've got coupons."

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The store clerk couldn't beleive his luck. Customers! And a lot of them! True, only one of the teenagers was actually buying things, but he was buying enough for their whole group! 

Not even the "Old-timer" remark from the young spanish lad could waver his good mood. He did not mind the several transactions, nor did he mind the use of coupons. He was just happy to actually be selling something for once. That is, until the curly haired boy said something that made him drop the bag of chips in his hand.

"Hey, di Angelo, can you hold these two baskets for me?"

"di Angelo?" The clerk slowly recovered from his shock. He stared into the golden eyes that he should have recognized earlier. He didn't notice the other teens look at him and the young Italian boy in confusion. "As in, Nico di Angelo?"

The boy blushed slightly, suddenly finding his sneackers to be the most interesting things in the world. He looked at the man only for a moment, before quickly staring back down at his feet. "Hi Mr. Albert." 

The man, Mr. Albert, clenched his fists tightly, his face becoming more and more red as the seconds passed. "Boy, how dare you come back here! You've stolen from me countless times and then both you and your sister just take off!" Nico tries to interject but the man just continues to ramble on and on in frustration and rage. "What makes you think that you can just waltz back in here after you left? Huh? Poor Chad was worried sick!"

By then Percy had had enough. "Hold on!" He turned to his cousin. "Nico, this is where you lived with Chad?" Nico nodded, unable to speak. "Is that why you looked so scared earlier?" Another nod, acompanied by tears running down the demigod's face. Leo took the  baskets out of Nico's hands just in time for Percy to imbrace the son of Hades in a comforting and supportive hug. "Why didn't you say anything earlier? We could have gone somewhere else for the picnic." 

No one could beleive it. What were the chances that the one town they chose to have a picnic in is the same town where Nico's worst fear lived? It seemed like everyone, with the exeption of Nico, Percy, and the clerck, were frozen were they stood. However, Piper broke out of her frozen stuper before anyone else. 

The daughter of Aphrodite aproached the counter confidently, looking in the eyes of the old clerk and slowly putting him under her charmspeak. "Where does Chad live exactly?"

The clerk answered back in a zombie-like manner, "Where he's always lived. Down on River Street. He hasn't left the house since those two kids just dissapeared on him." 

That was all they needed to know.

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Again, REALLY SORRY!!!!!