The Rebirth

Two weeks later…
Elena and her parents went to the river again.
Elena still talked to the water about her problems. Learning English. More monsters. The talk of starting school.
Even if the nymphs hadn’t appeared for weeks now.

***

Nico watched Daniel from a distance. He could hear his laugh all the way from the other side of the room. Daniel did a little dance wiggle for everyone in his little circle, and they all cheered. Nico clenched his plate a little tighter.
People flocked to Daniel like moths flocked to light.
Because that’s what he was, essentially. Light. Daniel was light.
Something about that made Nico scowl, just slightly.
Then he relaxed himself. So what? Why does it matter so much? Really, it shouldn’t. And it doesn’t.
Nico finished his bites, nodded to whatever Jason had to say to him, and excused himself to go to the Pluto temple.
He didn’t really know where else he wanted to go.
***
Someone was waiting for him when he finally came down from the glittering roof.
“Hey,” Daniel said, finally. His eyes flickered down for a couple of seconds before holding Nico’s gaze. His hair brushed his forehead like gravelly feathers.
How is it that someone can be so different? Nico wondered. He gave up a smile back. “Hey.”
“I saw you at lunch. You should… you should come over and eat with us, sometimes.”
“Don’t really want to.”
Daniel got all quiet, abruptly. Like even his fingers froze. Nico sometimes did this- shocking him into silence. He waited for the question. “Why?”
“I don’t really hang out with lots of people much.”
“But…” Daniel seemed genuinely perplexed. His eyebrows knit together. His nose scrunched up. “Why not?”
“It’s not as easy for some of us,” Nico couldn’t help the acid in his tone. He raised his eyebrows. “Some of us don’t walk into a room and have everyone brighten their dull faces at my sight.”
Daniel’s cheeks tinted pink, just slightly. He struggled to find something to say to this. Finally, he blurted, “Brighten everybody’s dull faces?”
Nico felt a surge of something he couldn’t really explain. Daniel was just being so… cute. He couldn’t help the smile that broke out over his face. He had to laugh.
“You,” Daniel grabbed Nico’s hand and marched him towards the lake. It was ‘their spot’ now, somehow. “Are impossible.”
Nico kept laughing behind him. He couldn’t stop. His hands grew warm. His cheeks grew warmer.
Hazel watched all this from the side, a small smile of her own growing on her face. Her fingers were crossed as her eyes followed their figures down the hill out of sight.

Notes