"Percy, stop looking at me like that."
"Like what?" he asked innocently.
"You're pouting."
"No I'm not."
"Are too."
"Are not."
"Are too."
"Are not."
"Enough! Fine you win. Come in."
"See was that so hard?" He came in and looked around my messy cabin. It was dark and gloomy and a total pigsty just the way I like it. "Now I'm just plain sad, I thought you said you were busy. It looks as if you were just listening to music and lying in bed. Am I really that boring? 'Cause I'll leave if you honestly don't want me here; next time though, just tell me you don't want to see me. Don't make up some lame excuse."
For a second I thought he was just messing with me until I looked up into his eyes and saw real hurt in them. What? He must know that I think he is the least boring person around! I mean come on, all I ever do is hang out with him. The only reason I had lied to him was because I was feeling especially…how should I put this?...horny…yeah I was feeling especially horny today and I'm almost positive that inviting Percy in my room while he flaunts around in his boxers would not help my problem.
"No. It's not that. I'm just not feeling very well. I didn't want you to worry." I said hoping he didn't see right through my lie.
He looked down at me, and a soft smile graced his features that left me breathless. I struggled to get my emotions together.
"How can I help, chicken noodle soup, extra pillows, entertainment?"
"No thank you. You go ahead and have fun with Annabeth. I know you don't want to be here to take care of me."
His face fell a little bit as he said, "She went to Olympus to make measurements for the new architecture plans."
"Oh, so that's why you're here." I said, my voice sounding angrier than I had intended. Why did I even believe in the first place that he was here because I was his first choice to hang out with? Of course I wasn't.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," I said while biting back angry words. "I didn't mean anything by it."
He must have known I was lying because he didn't let it go.
"I've known you long enough to know when you're lying Neeks. Spill it."
The next thing I did I was not very proud of but it needed to be done. Percy was on the ground and I was on top of him in a matter of seconds. Normally this compromising position would have made me very happy, but now was not a time to mess with me. I tackled Percy to the ground and he hit the ground so hard that I could have sworn I heard something crack.
"I thought I told you not to call me that!" I yelled with my hands forcing his arms to the ground right beside his head.
"You don't seem very sick to me."
That's what he said! Really? I tackle him to the ground with a look that death would be afraid of and he said that! Wow, he wasn't scared of me at all. If I had done that to any other kid in camp they probably would have peed their pants.
I decided to humor him so I coughed in his face. Then I stood up and opened the door for him to leave.
"Gross. Look I was just kidding. I'm sorry for calling you Neeks, it just fits you so well."
"Now get out" I said with a fierce glint in my eyes.
"But I want to take care of you." He whined.
Gods, why did that have to sound so hot coming from him? I felt the blood rushing to a place that was very, very inconvenient at the moment.
"Percy, you need to leave…now." I said through my clenched teeth. My situation was not getting any better and I would have to turn around in a soon if he didn't leave. Thankfully he turned slowly and walked out of my small cabin. His confused and sad face made me all the more depressed as he left, but I couldn't do anything about that for the moment. I closed the door quickly and immediately jumped into the shower and turned the water temperature way down to cool down certain annoying parts of my body.
Gosh, girls complain about having it bad with their periods, but at least they don't have to worry about body parts that indicate whenever they get turned on.
When I had finally cooled off I got out and wrapped the towel around my waist. I shook my hair out and stared at my reflection in the mirror. Ugh, I was skinny and pale. Also, haircuts for me are very rare so my hair was getting really long; it was almost down to my shoulders by now. I ate and I ate but I still couldn't get any bigger. I barely even have any chest hair which is somewhat embarrassing when it comes to football games that I sometimes get sucked into. We have to play shirts and skins all of the time and most of the time I get unluckily chosen to be on the skins team. I wished I could be more like Percy or Grover who had muscular builds and were over six feet. I was barely over five foot nine inches. Pretty much every guy in camp was towering over me.
I sighed loudly at my reflection and then walked over to my dresser. I pulled out my underwear and a black, V-neck, long-sleeve shirt. I pulled my towel off of my waist and sighed again as I saw yet again another disappointing feature of my body. Then I pulled out my black skinny jeans and set them down on my bed as I sat went to put on my underwear.
The front door swung open and in walked none other than Percy Jackson himself. I stood there paralyzed for a second before I gathered myself and ran for the bed and quickly pulled the blanket in front of me.
"What the hell Percy! Don't you ever knock?" I sat there awkwardly as he scrutinized me beneath that smirk of his.
"Sorry, I didn't even think about it." He said. "Relax Nicky. it’s nothing I haven't seen before."
"Maybe you see that sort of stuff all the time but I have a strict policy of trying not to see my friends naked." Although, if it had been Percy, I probably wouldn't have been complaining.
"Ha," Percy laughed, "Nico you're hilarious."
"I'm not seeing the humor in this situation." I said not hiding the dryness in my voice.
"Oh, come on. Lighten up." He said with an easiness that made me slightly envious of his inability to feel insecure.
"What do you want Percy? I thought I told you to leave like ten minutes ago. Miss me already?" I said with a smirk hoping that it game me back a little bit of the confidence that I was famous for.
"Seriously I'm starting to get really offended. I thought we were besties?"
"We are, but that doesn't mean you can just waltz in- wait, did you just say besties?" I asked as I started to shake uncontrollably with laughter.
He stared at me as if I had gone insane.
"Wh-what are- are you? Four?" I said between fits of laughter.
"Whatever." He said as a blush spread across his face.
"Oh my gods! Are you blushing? Since when did that start happening?"
"Shut up, I'm not blushing. Gosh whenever I'm around you I feel so stupid. Inferior, you know?"
"Your body makes up for your stupidity." I said with a quick laugh. "Besides I'd rather look like you than be smart and witty as I already am. Hell, I'm barely past a hundred and thirty pounds."
"You look fine Nico, you just need to eat more."
"I eat like a pig…and still I don't get any bigger. Anyways, as fun as this is, which it isn't, can you please go so I don't have to burn your eyes with my horrid body?"
"Gods, give yourself more credit. You beat me today when we were sparing and that take a lot of muscle."
"Wow dude, you are incredibly conceited."
"And you are incredibly insecure."
"Bye Percy. Stop procrastinating."
"Okay, okay I'm going." He turned and trudged to the door.
"Hold on a second." He turned back around with a hopeful look on his face. "You never told me why you barged in like that."
"I thought I left something in here. Have you seen my favorite boxers?" he looked around the room with a distressed look on his face.
"I'll be happy if you never find those stupid things," I said, "You feel the need to bless all of us with wearing them around like they're going out of style. I mean seriously can't you find some actual clothes to become attached to?"
"Boxers are more comfortable than clothes." He said simply and walked out after thoroughly searching my room for his boxers.

---

Two days later...
I headed out towards the woods right before our scheduled game of capture the flag. I looked around for one of my best friends and was surprised to find both of them talking among themselves near the edge of the crowd. I walked towards them and poked Rachel in the side which made her squeal and squirm.
"Nico!" She laughed and shoved me away. "Why do you always do that? I told you I'm really ticklish and who knows what I'll do one of these days? I'll probably punch you in the face…at least you'd learn your lesson." She said in a thoughtful voice.
"Don't even think about." I said in a warning tone.
"Make me." She said and stuck her tongue at me in a way that surprisingly she could pull off without looking like a three year old.
Throughout our little encounter Percy just stood there slightly awkward. He kept his eyes trained on the ground, which I thought was particularly odd considering Percy was just about the least socially awkward person I knew.
"Hey Perce." I said.
"Why do you get to call me Perce when I am forbidden to call you Neeks? How is that fair?" I laughed at his gloomy remark.
"A simple 'hi' would have sufficed."
"Gods you two are like a bickering married couple, I swear. Is there ever a time when you guys aren't arguing about some stupid thing or another?" Rachel said. She received two heated glares as she spoke her teasing words.
"Cool your pants, guys, I was just joking." She said with the shake of her head. "Gosh, nobody can take a joke these days!"
Just then Chiron started to talk, "You all know the rules, no killing or maiming, but other than that…win. The teams will be Athena, Poseidon, and Hermes on team blue, and Ares, Aphrodite, and Hades on team red. Split up into your groups and discuss your strategy for five minutes before we begin. When I blow the horn you may begin."
I looked at Percy longingly…I really wanted to be on his team. Usually I was on his team but lately Chiron had been getting complaints about two of the sons of the Big Three being on the same time. The logic to the complaint was flattering, but at the same time very disappointing simply because I would have less time to spend with Percy during my already very busy schedule.
"Ah man. I was hoping to spend a little time with my Nicky." Percy said after the teams were announced. "Also I wouldn't have to worry about being eaten alive by dead zombies if you were on my team."
His compliments made me blush and I even forgot to do/say anything about his irritating knick names that always made my stomach flutter. His comment left me speechless, especially the part where he said 'my Nicky'. It sounded possessive as if we were dating or something.
He looked as if he was about say something important but was silenced as he got pulled away by one of his teammates so that they could start on their game plans.
I wondered for a few seconds what he could have possibly have said but my thoughts were cut short as my own team members impatiently called for me to gather in the forming huddle.
As soon as I received my instructions to guard the flag (which was disappointing to see that I wasn't needed in the real action) the horn blew loudly from across the clearing…

Notes