Boys Like Boys [Nico di Angelo]

chapter twenty-six

(A/N: The chapter you all have been waiting for!!! *drum roll*)

During lunch, I kept catching Alice's eye. She would look at me, we'd make eye contact, and then she'd look away. Connor said something and jokingly punched her shoulder, to which she frowned and pulled her arms closer to herself. His smile fell as well, and he pulled her into a side hug. I frowned and turned back to the others, where Percy was discussing politics with the other two, who could obviously care less.

  "I mean I'm eighteen now. I can vote! I've been following the election for months, and-"

  "Percy, I love you to death, bro," Jason started, clapping him on the shoulder. "But no one here knows what you're talking about."

  "Calum does...right?" Percy inquired, winking at me.

  "Uh...sure."

  "Thank you!" Percy exclaimed, continuing his conversation. I was pretty tuned out except for when I heard, "has expressed working towards LGBT rights and that's a big thing for me. I mean, not that I'm a part of that community, but I couldn't imagine..."

  "I didn't know you felt that way," Nico said, his eyebrows furrowed.

"LGBT?" I asked, looking to Nico.

"Looks like you're teaching him, Neeks," Percy joked. "After trying to explain all of that to Leo, I'm done with that business."

  "The generalized version? A community of people who aren't straight or don't identify with the gender they were born as," Nico explained.

"Leo's not accepting?" I asked, shocked especially after Leo had seemed okay with it when I told him I liked Nico.

"Just doesn't listen," Percy commented. "Granted he has ADHD, we all do...most of us, but holy Zeus that kid doesn't listen to anything I say. Anyway, I just don't want anyone to go through what some of us here have gone through, y'know?" Percy asked and I saw Nico's eyes darken, so I placed a reassuring hand over his under the table.

  "I'm glad you see it like that," Nico murmured and I nodded, watching as Jason agreed as well.

  "Still can't vote," Jason muttered, frowning.

  "Back in my day, I couldn't either."

  "It's only eight months, Percy."

---

  "Cal, can I-"

  "It's Calum," I interrupted, turning around to see Alice behind me, who wore a hurt expression. Connor and Travis were right beside her. "I'm sorry, that came out rude. It's just...only my super close friends call me that."

  "Like Nico," she murmured jealously. "I just wanted to talk to you. Alone," she emphasized, giving Nico a glance.

  "Um...can he stay?" I asked, feeling the need to reach for his hand, but knowing that'd be too clingy and it would just make her mad.

"It's really important," she stressed, wringing her hands together.

"Connor and Travis are here. Why can't Nico be?" I inquired and she threw a look to the brothers, who looked at each other.

"That's our cue. C'mon, Nico," Travis said, throwing an arm over Nico's shoulders. The son of Hades threw me a look, but I just gave him a small smile and watched as he walked away.

"Listen, Calum...I just feel our friendship has grown a little weary. And I like being around you and talking to you, but it just seems like you're always around Nico," Alice explained quietly, poking at a pebble with her shoe. She refused to make eye contact, instead staring at the ground and twiddling her thumbs.