Gays! Assemble!
~Three month ago~
"We're almost there!" Shel giggled excitedly.
Piper and her girlfriend, who was jumping up and down, were in line for the closed performance by some start up singer they had been given tickets to. Piper's dad, Tristen McLean, had been invited because he was a retired celebrity and had gotten a plus one ticket as well. He didn't like to go out into the city anymore, so he told Piper that she could go instead and bring Shel with her.
Shel had been ecstatic and didn't stop talking about it all day. Piper had been to many concerts and performances herself, but Shel didn't sense her parents didn't have a lot to just spend willy-nilly.
"Hand me the tickets," Piper whispered to her as they neared the ticket man. Shel handed the two silver tickets to the man.
He took the tickets and then looked at them both, up and down. His eyes paused a moment on their conjoined hands and he smirked.
"Are these yours?" he asked almost teasingly, bring his gaze back up to Piper's eyes.
"Yes," Piper told him a little exasperated. She had expected different treatment as an indigenous descendent, and Shel so was Shel, so it didn't surprise her that the man (ay least twenty years older than them) looked at them like a toy. It also was probably made worse by the fact that they were holding hand in a romantic way rather then a 'we-just-like-to-hold-our-friend's-hands' way. For some reason, homophobic men will find lesbians hot.
The man gave them a coy smile and a churning feeling mixed inside Piper's stomach.
"I do not believe you two are celebrities," he questioned in a sickly flirtatious tone.
Piper had to take a deep breath so she wouldn't barf, before explaining, "my father is Tristen McLean. It says on the ticket."
The man glanced down at the ticket and then back up to Piper, except his eyes lingered on her open collar bone, "I'm not sure if that information is valid, but since you two are so pretty, I'll let it slide."
Ignoring the comment and the urge to kick the full grown man in the groin, Piper took Shel inside.
"I'll slide a fist into your face," Piper muttered once they were out of ear shot.
"He'd deserve it," Shel murmured. "I don't remember him questioning anyone else."
Piper heaved a sigh, and pulled Shel through the crowd of people in the entry way, to the auditorium.
There were lots of seats on the one level room and some people had already came in and sat down, talking with each other. It shocked Piper how many people had gotten invited, and came, to watch the new, unknown singer. The person must be really good to have so many people eager to watch.
Shel and Piper found their seats at the back of the room, and kept themselves busy while they waited by trying to guess if anyone there was gay, and making up stories of what people's lives were like. After twenty minutes, the lights went dark and a spot light came on in the middle of the stage where a microphone and a mic stand stood.
A guitar sounded from behind the red curtain at the back of the stage, that sounded like rain sprinkling down on a summer day. It pitter-pattered for a few seconds before the curtain opened up and a short, gay, familiar, emo boy walked up to the mic, strumming a guitar, and began to sing.
Last night I heard my own heart beating
Sounded like footsteps on my stairs
Six months gone and I'm still reaching. . .
A shot of shock bolted up Piper's body, making her eyebrow's raise and eyes go wide, but after a second of consideration, she wasn't surprised.
"Is that, Nico?" Shel asked.
Piper nodded. After Nico and Will's trip to Tartarus, she and Nico had become pretty close and of coursed, she had introduced her girlfriend to him. Shel didn't know him super well yet and she was always a bit tentative when it came to Piper's demigod friends, but she had already planned to have Nico as their flower boy so Shel would have to get to know him.
"Yeah," Piper laughed breathily.
Maybe I've been going back too much lately
When time stood still and I had you
Come back, come back, come back to me like
You would, you would if this was a movie
Stand in the rain outside till I came out
Nico was swaying as he strummed and since the room wasn't super big, Piper could see his face as he sang. His eyes seemed distant, not in an absent sort of way, but in a way that made Piper to want to look behind her to see what he was seeing. A look like he was watching a scene in front of him or having a dream and he wanted to interfere but he couldn't.
He was thinking of Bianca. Piper had talked to him a lot about her grief for Jason, and whenever she asked about Bianca, asked if he'd ever just wished he had said or done something different back then, he would get that look.
Most people believed that Nico pain and anger about his sister came from her death, but the frustration and longing had been there way before that. Nico had confessed to her that when he had first found out, a part of him had been glad she had died as part of a prophecy. Because then, he wouldn't have to think about the fact that she had willingly joined the Hunters. That she picked strangers over her brother.
"It was easier," he had said, "to think that the Fates made her do it and she didn't just simply choose to leave me."
I know people change and theses things happen
But I remember how it was back then
Wrapped up in your arms and our friends are laughing . .
Nico closed his eyes. He seemed to be imagining those days at the military school or in the Lotus Casino where he and his sister had laughed and played together. Before they had to worry about gods and monsters and just staying alive. Before their lives became ones of demigods.
. . . Flashback to the night when you said to me
Nothing's gonna change, not for me and you
Back before I knew how much I had to lose
Come back, come back, come back to me like
You would, you would if this was a movie
Stand in the rain outside till I came out
Come back, come back, come back to me like
You could, you could if you just said you're sorry
I know that we could work it out somehow
But if this was a movie you'd be here by now
A feeling akin to getting hit by a truck, hit Piper's stomach. She remembered how Jason had lied to her about the prophecy. When she had been in her car, breaking down after she had ended things, just wished he would come back and apologize so she could ask if they could try again. They would hug and kiss and everything would be back to normal. Sometimes, she wondered what would have happened if she hadn't broken up with him. But, deep down, she knew they weren't meant to be together forever, and they were going to fall apart at some point.
If you're out there, if you're somewhere,
If you're moving on
I've been waiting for you
Everyday since you've been gone
I just want it back the way it was before
And I just want to see you back at my front door
With glassy eyes and an almost broken smile, Nico stared out to the back of the crowd. He seemed to be saying the words straight to his sister, as if she were right there in the crowd, watching.
And I say, "Come back, come back
Come back to me like
You would before you said it's not that easy
Before the fight
Before I locked you out
But I take it all back now
Piper's eye sight blurred and a tear fell from her full eyes. It trekked down her cheek and down to her jaw before a hand wiped it away. Piper turned her to see a blurry Shel looking at her with a small smile. She had always been so gracious about Jason and Piper's mixed up feelings about him, even going as far as to let her rant about how mush she had missed their relationship the first few months after they met. How did she get so luck as to find her?
Piper squeezed Shel's hand and let her head fall onto her girlfriend's comforting shoulder.
The song came to an end and everyone clapped politely, including Shel and Piper who gave a little more enthusiasm.
Nico had blinked his tears away and was now smiling at the crowd. "How are you all tonight?".
The crowd gave a small cheer.
"Good." The black haired singer started to strum a little bit before then returned to the mic to speak.
"You know, I was thinking about what kind of songs I wanted to sing for a bunch of celebrities and I was nervous, you know, because you guys are celebrities" -The crowd laughed- "but I thought that maybe you would like to hear a couple of songs that people have been getting what 'it's about' wrong. You guys probably know what it's like to have people pretend they know your life and make up things about it."
A whop came from the crowd and Nico chuckled a bit. "I mean, everybody can interpret songs however they want but for some reason some people believe I once had a girlfriend?"
He said the last part like a question and made a confused face like that was absurd. Piper and Shel laughed and so did the crowd, though some of them seemed a bit confused.
Nico fixed his face back to his origan expression of eyes scanning the crowd and a slight up turn of his lips. "So, I just thought I'd explain three songs for you. That song I just played is not about a female actor who left me a few years ago. It's about my sister who. . . well, she's not around anymore."
The crowd awed and Nico seemed a little uncomfortable by the sympathy but played it off with a small, bashful smile. Somethings never change.
"But this next song," The singer announced, starting to strum a different tune, "is about a friend who I lost about a year and a half ago. We had some good times, falling in love and then tea dumping all our romantic problems. Going out in the city and staying in hotels and falling over in cars when we tried to 'car surf'."
The crowd laughed and Nico smiled at the memory "I also wrote part of this from his point of view. He had told me about his relationship once and I had written some of it down for a song. I had wanted to make a whole song about it when we talked again, but we never got the chance."
He stopped strumming, "Me and my friend barley had time with each other and mostly talked over. . . phones so I wrote this song for him and about how I wish I could go back in time to the first night we bonded and not take any of those moments for granted."
The crowd, getting some of the energy Nico was giving off, cheered loudly and the strumming started once again and the song second song of the night began.
I wish I could fly
I'd pick you up and we'd go back in time
I'd write this in the sky
I miss you like it was the very first night
A drum started and the beat picked up, making a perfect dance song which made Piper start tapping her feet that were itching to get up and dance.
And so it goes, every weekend, the same party
I never go alone and I don't seem broken-hearted
My friends all say they know
Everything I'm going through
I drive down different roads
But they all lead back to you
Nico smiled as he sang the memories of him and his best friend. They had bonded on the Argo II and with Jason's persistence of protection and trust, Nico accepted him into his inner circle.
Cause they don't know about the night in the hotel
They weren't riding in the car when they both fell
Didn't read the note on the Polaroid picture
They don't know how much I miss you
The chorus came on and Piper quietly sang along to the beginning since Nico had already sang it. They came to the second verse and Piper braced herself for Nico's next words. This was the words Jason had told Nico about their love life before he died.
And so it was
We never saw it coming
Not trying to fall in love
But we did like children running
Back then we didn't know
We were built to fall apart
We broke the status quo
Then we broke each other's hearts
Piper felt like she had taken a sip of hot cocoa. The words came as a comfort, as if Jason were confessing that he felt the same way about them as she had, clarifying that their was no hard feelings. It was true that Piper had never truly felt right dating him but they had still been friends, still loved each other.
"Do you want to dance?" Shel suddenly asked, popping Piper out of her concentration and offering a hand.
"It's a closed performance," Piper told her.
"We're in the back," Shel insisted, eyes alight. "No one will care."
Piper's foot was tapping with anticipation, begging her to take the offer. Why did she care of some stuck up celebrities thought they were annoying. She wanted to stand up and act like she was at her friend's concert instead of a boring performance.
"Let's do it!" Piper agreed, taking Shel's hand.
The girls rose up from their chairs and stepped over their seats to the back of the room. Shel jumped to the beat a little stiffly with her tight skirt that had a slit high enough for her to move around a bit, and Piper joined her.
When the line "no one knows how much I miss you" came, they pointed at each other and sang the line with Nico, making them both laugh and loosen up. They started dancing with each other and Piper had to stop herself from laughing too loudly and drawing too much attention.
Take me away
Take me away
Take me away
Take me away
To you, to you
Piper looked back at the stage briefly and her and Nico locked eyes. He must have been watching them and she could tell by the smile that played on his lips and threatened to light up his face, that he found it as funny as she did. Piper gave him a big smile and went back to her dancing.
I remember the night at the hotel
I was riding in the car when we both fell
I'm the one on the phone as you whisper
Do you know how much I miss you?
The song paused with only a droning noise in the background and Nico guitar.
I wish that we could go back in time
And I'd say to you
I miss you like it was the very first night
As the song picked up, Piper and Shel kept dancing and Piper looked around and saw more people getting out of their seats and joining them on the outskirts of the room.
Take me away
Take me away
Take me away
To you, to you
Take me away
Take me away
Take me away
To you, to you
The song ended and the audience applauded, louder than before, as the next song queued up. Nico unwrapped the guitar from his neck and a crew member came out form behind the curtain and took the guitar off stage, but left the stand on stage so Nico could sing the line.
You are somebody that I don't know
But you're taking shots at me like it's Patron
And I'm just like "dam
Nico looked to someone in the audience and pretended to check a watch that he didn't have on his left wrist.
It's seven A.M"
He made a jokingly annoyed face, and grabbed the microphone off the stand before moving to the right part of the stage.
The light that had been shining on Nico in the middle, moved with him and made the center of the stage dark so that another crew member could retrieve the mic stand Nico had left.
Say it in the street, that's a knock-out
But you it in a tweet, that's a cop-out
And I'm just like "Hey
Are you okay?"
He moved back to the middle of the stage and Piper and Shel snapped to the beat.
And I ain't trying to mess with your self-expression
But I've learned a lesson that stressin'
And obsessin' 'bout somebody else is no fun
And snakes and stones never broke my bones so. . .
Backup vocals that came from a recording sand in the background as Nico moved across the stage and Piper twirled Shel around.
If she ever got a phone, Piper would defiantly add this song to her playlist. Some of the audience were whispering confusedly at each other, not knowing what Nico was singing about yet. These people were white men unsurprisingly. Piper didn't hate white men, but the ones that she met usually didn't seem to understand the fact that there were people in the world, who didn't get to just walk around like they owned the place. When she explained that she had to carry around a whistle and pepper spray when she walked around in public, they usually denied it or compared it to getting hit in the balls. The only exceptions to these observations were the white males that were also demigods.
You are somebody that we don't know
But you're coming at my friends like a missile
Why are you mad, when you could be GLAAD?
Nico looked back to Piper and she nodded her head along with the beat, quietly singing the backup vocals.
Sunshine on the street at the parade
But you would rather be in the dark age
Making that sign, must've taken all night
He gave her a wink and then turned his attention to the rest of the crowd to continue the performance.
You just need to take several seats and then try to restore the peace
And control your urges to scream at all the people you hate
'Cause shade never made anybody less gay so
Nico gave a little shrug and skipped to the right side of the stage.
You need to calm down
You're being too loud
A sudden emptiness came over Piper and she felt the urge to reach for Shel who was supposed to be right next to her. She looked over and started reaching her hand out but there was just empty space. Panicking, she turned and saw something that made her blood boil.
The man from the door was holding Shel's arm as she tried to break free and was pulling her too the door.
Piper's heart dropped all the way to her stomach. This man had made it clear before that he didn't respect them and that meant this could get dangerous. She'd like to think he wouldn't want to make a scene, but she wasn't taking that chance.
"Let go of my girlfriend," Piper told the man, storming over to him.
The man looked at her boredly, like she wasn't even worth his time or effort. "You two are disrupting the performance so I'll just take her out for a bit-"
"No you're not," Piper argued. She put a hand firmly on Shel's forearm that was still being held by the man. "And if we were really disrupting, why haven't you talk to that man?"
She gestured to a white man a little ways away who was jamming out just as much as they were with the other celebrities nearby.
The guy ignored her and tugged Shel towards him.
"Hey!" Nico's voice called into the crowd so harshly that even the rude man looked up at him too.
The music was still playing but Nico wasn't singing anymore, he was looking at the man with flames in his eyes.
"Let go of her arm," Nico commanded, anger blazing every word.
"But-" the guy started, sounding a little scared.
"Go back out into the hall, collect your stuff, and start looking for other jobs because you're about to lose this one."
The man looked horrified and immediately dropped his hold on Shel, who stumbled back into Piper's ready arms. He walked out the door, head bowed, and Nico focused his attention back on Shel and Piper, asked a question with his eyes, 'are you okay?'. Piper nodded and he nodded firmly back before continuing with the performance with a slightly stiff posture and glancing every few seconds back to the two girls.
And we see you over there on the internet
Comparing all the girls who are killing it
But we figured you out
We all know now, we all got crowns
You need to calm down
"Are you good?" Piper asked Shel, pulling her protectively close to her, and leading them back to their seats.
"Yeah, yeah," Shel replied shakily, sitting down in her spot. "I. . . I thought. . ."
Piper stroked her hair and grabbed her hand, "I've got you now."
Her girlfriend's maple bark eyes were glazed with scared tears, and they wouldn't looking at her. Piper squeezed her hand, letting her know she was still there.
"Hey," Nico's speaking voice came from the stage and Piper looked up and saw he was looking at the crowd very seriously. The humor and smile that had been placed on his face only minutes ago had gone.
"Before the next song starts I would just like to apologize for how one of my crew was acting."
He looked at Piper and then to Shel. "He will have consequences and be fired. No one will ever be touched or talked to like that at any place I am at."
The crowd applauded at Nico's brave words, but he didn't pay attention to them. He looked at Shel until she finally met his eyes and gave him a thumbs up. Nico saw the go ahead and signaled to someone on the side of the stage to play the next song. A mystical but robotic noise played through the speakers and Nico's face remained the serious exspression.
Once upon a time, the planets and the fates
And all the stars aligned
You and I ended up in the same room
At the same time
The song didn't sound like a dancing song so Piper lead Shel bac to their seats where they could just sit and watch the performance. Shel's hand still shook slightly and Piper wondered of maybe something like that had happened before, but no one was there to call him off. Piper had been subjected to slight violence because of her skin and, more recently, her sexuality. But her dad had been a famous actor for years and she had been at Camp Half-Blood for a while and was home 90% of the time, so the chance of her getting into trouble was rare.
She did know that it happened to many people though, especially girls. She felt it when she always looked down when passed men. How she always looked over her shoulder when walked home at night, or how her heartrate just speeds up when she is in the same room as a man.
I laid down the groundwork and then, just like clockwork
The dominoes cascaded in a line
What if I told you I'm a mastermind?
And now you're mine
It was all by design
Because I'm a mastermind
"Thank you," Shel whispered, turning her head to finally look at Piper.
Piper stared into her eyes and stared at the center of the rings of brown that surrounded Shel's pupil, "anytime."
No one wanted to play with me as a little kid
So I've been scheming like a criminal ever since
To make them love me and make it seem effortless
This was the first time I felt the need to confess
And I swear
I'm only cryptic and Machiavellian 'cause I care
Piper let her head fall onto Shel's shoulder again as they watched Nico sing and every so often, he would glace at them again, make sure they were okay.
When the song was finished, and the crowd cheered, an upbeat song started up and Nico's smile returned.
"This is an upbeat one, so you can dance along," Nico invited, throwing a smile at Piper and Shel.
"May I have this dance?" Piper asked formally.
Shel hesitated.
"Sure," she decided, smiling shyly.
They stepped back up to their makeshift dance floor and more people got up to join them just as they had before.
The moon is high
Like your friends were the night that we first met
Went home and tried to stalk you on the internet
Now I've read all of the books beside your bed
Nico was skipping and dancing on stage, matching the energy the crowd was now giving. Piper and Shel danced and forgot about the stupid man, twirling their worries away. There was just them, dancing, and good music.
The wine is cold
Like the shoulder that I gave you in the street
Cat and mouse for a month or two or three
Now I wake up in the night and watch you breathe
Kiss me once cause you know I had a long life
Kiss me twice cause it's gonna be alright
Three times cause I've waited my whole life
(One, two, one, two, three, four)
I like shiny things but I'd marry you with paper rings
Piper spun Shel around and she laughed which filled her with so much joy, Piper laughed too. It was crazy they had only been official for a year and Piper had already felt like this was her future wife. Annabeth said told her what it was like with Percy, how their souls just fit into each other. Piper had thought it was bullshit, or that maybe there were only a few people who were lucky enough to find that love, but now she got it. She and Shel fit together, hand in hand, arms in arms, heart in heart. Nothing in the world could come between them.
I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings
Uh, huh, that's right
Darling, you're the one I want, and
I hate accidents, except from when we went form friends to this
Uh, huh, that's right
You're the one that I want
In paper rings, in picture frames, and in all my dreams
Oh, you're the one I want
The song closed and two people came out from the sides of the stage. One handing Nico the guitar from earlier and the other set up a mic stand.
Piper and Shel made their way back to their seats to rest their legs and take a breath. She felt like she had just done a thirty minute workout.
"Thank you," Nico said into the mic to his two helpers. He strummed the guitar to make sure it was plugged into the speaker and then adjusted his mic before addressing the crowd. "So, this next song is going to be pretty cheery but the second one is not and I would prefer to just slide from one song to the next so I'll state now that the second song is, again, not about my ex-girlfriend."
The crowd chuckled and Nico played the guitar and an echo-y sound played through the room that made Piper feel like she was in an empty field, or maybe in a cottage or something.
You said, "I know"
When I said, "I need some time, need some space
To think about all of this"
You watched me go
And I knew my words were hard to hear
And harder to ever take back
And I said, "When can I come back?"
Piper was impressed by Nico's vocal rang and just over all control of his voice. He wasn't an Apollo kid and he hadn't sung in front of anyone at camp before, not even Will, so, how did he learn how to sing like that?
He was an Italian. It was the language of music so maybe that helped. Or maybe Nico was just naturally gifted. Whatever reason, he was really good.
She also found it funny in the songs that were about Will (it was obvious which ones those were), he would cut of the G's of the -ing words, making him sound a little country. Was is purposeful or just the mixture of guitar and Will that made Nico become a Taxinian?
That's when, it's sunny or stormin'
Laughin' when I'm cryin'
And that's when you were waitin' at the front gate
That's when, when I saw your face
I'll let you in, and baby that's when
"Do you sing?" Shel asked out of the blue.
Piper lifted her head from her girlfriend's shoulder. "Yeah, a little. Never really in front of people but my dad had me take lessons and sometimes Charmspeak works better when it's sung."
"Have you ever written a song?"
She paused at that. The thought about writing music had come a few times ,and she had a journal when she was younger that she would put potential song lyrics in, but it never solidified into something.
And you said, "Honestly
When you were gone did you ever think of me?"
And you said-
"Sort of," Piper answered hesitantly. "I had tried when I was younger, but it's not something I'm very good at."
Shel gave her a look she couldn't quite read, and then turned her eyes back to Nico.
You let me in, and baby, that's when
Yeah
(That's when it was sunny or stormin')
When I'm laughin' when I'm cryin'
(And that's when I'll be waiting at a front gate) that's when I miss you
(That's when, when I see your face)
That's when I want you
That's when I love you
That's when
The was a little ending duet between Nico and some background vocals before he strummed the last note. Before the crowd could applaud though, he started the next song. He really did want to slide from one song to the next.
Two Augusts ago
I told the truth, oh, but you didn't like it, you went home
You're in your Benz, I'm by the gate
Now you go alone, charm of the people you train for
You mean well, but aim low
And I'll make it known like I'm getting paid
That's just the way life goes
I like to slam doors closed
Trust me, I know it's always about me
I love you, I'm sorry
Piper remembered a friend she had had when she was younger, Kalie. She had been hot and cold with their friendship and dragged Piper on an emotional ride that took years to get over. The back and forth was hard because when they were close, they were very close and it felt like forever. Kalie had made it feel like Piper was special and looking back on it, she was probably Piper's first crush. But, when she suddenly cut Piper out, it felt like her whole world was falling apart. Like, her love was a burden.
They'd be best friends, then strangers, then suddenly best friends again before Piper could get up the nerve to move on. Over and over this would happen until one day, Piper just didn't let her become her friend again. She gave her short answers and didn't talk to her as much. She had thought she would take her back if she apologized for once, but she never did so tehy just grew apart.
Thankful you don't send someone to kill me
I love you, I'm sorry
You were the best but you were the worst
As sick as it sounds, I loved you first
I was a dick, it is what it is
A habit to kick, the age-old curse
I tend to laugh whenever I'm sad
I stare at the crash, it actually works
Making amends, this shit never ends
I'm wrong again, wrong again
The sudden, raw pain in Nico's voice caught Piper off guard. He had been so happy lately that Piper sometimes forgot his life was so tragic. Last year, he had made peace with his mom and sister's deaths and got closer to his dad but that didn't mean that the past didn't still haunt him.
Piper still lay awake at night thinking about Jason or when her dad was kidnapped by a giant. She still got flashes of the trips on the Argo II as well. It had been fun at times but their missions were dangerous and there were any times she didn't know if she would come back alive.
Nico had always been level headed about is trauma though. The Seven had talked about their PTSD a few times, and all of them had said they too got flashes and lashed out or broke down, but Nico never seemed to do that. Before, he had hid behind a mask of indifference and anger, now that he let himself be happy and sad, he made moving on seem so easy. Moving on from Bianca, his mom, Jason, Percy, his whole past.
Maybe, no one ever truly heals from their trauma. Maybe in the light of a song or just a moment of thought, the memories and feelings all came back and could take you all the way back to that one moment you always try to forget.
The way life goes (you were the best but you were the worst)
(As sick as it sounds, I loved you first)
I wanna speak in code (I was a dick, it is what it is)
(A habit to kick, the age-old curse)
Hope that I don't, won't make it about me (I tend to laugh whenever I'm sad)
( I stare at the crash, it actually works)
I love you, I'm sorry
A round of applause erupted from the crowd and people were standing up and they clapped. Piper and Shel stood too and whistled and whooped for Nico as he ducked his head in embarrassment.
Two people from the sides of the stage came out and took the guitar and the stand so Nico could take the mic and continue to the next song. People sat down and violins were heard backstage.
Nico made a face. The singer waved to the sides of the stage and said into the mic, "I want it to be, like, messy."
A rock beat played and Piper laughed a Nico's little performance disappeared into the beat of the next song.
I'm so insecure, I think
That I'll die before I drink
And I'm so caught up in the news
Of who likes me and who hates you
And I'm so tired that I might
Quit my job, start a new life
And they'd all be so disappointed
'Cause, who am I, if not exploited?
And I'm so sick, of sixteen
Where's my fucking teenage dream?
"Preach," Piper said quietly.
"Hey," Shel nudged her playfully.
"Not about you," Piper jokingly rolled her eyes, "about being sick of sixteen."
"You're seventeen," Shel pointed out.
"Yeah, last year was rough."
Shel laughed and Piper had to shush her so they wouldn't distract Nico.
-I wish I'd done this before
And I wish people liked me more
All I did was try me best
This the kind of thanks I get?
Relentlessly obsessed (ah, ah, ah)
They say these are the golden years
But I wish I could disappear
Ego crush is so sever
Gods, it's brutal out here
"Preach," Shel giggled, teasing.
Now it was Piper's turn to laugh. She rolled her eyes and playfully shoved her girlfriend.
I feel like no one wants me
And I hate the way I'm perceived
I only have two real friends
And lately I'm a nervous wreck
"Did he just say he only has two real friends?" Piper asked, offended.
"Yeah," Shel nodded. "And aren't we great!"
And I'm not cool and I'm not smart
And I can't even parallel park
All I did was try my best
This the kind of thanks I get
Unrelentlessly obsessed (ah, ah, ah)
They say these are the golden years
But I wish I could disappear
Ego crush is so severe
Gods, it's brutal; out here
The song played and finished with a rocking beat and Piper was just starting to get sleepy when Nico called out to the crowd.
"This is the last song of the evening. If your tired, get up and dance!"
She opened her heavy eyes to look at Nico and he gave her a wink. She scowled.
A drum tsked and Shel held out her hand. Sleepy but never one to turning down a dance, Piper took the hand and let her pull her tired body up.
"Tonight's been really fun," Shel told her as she pulled Piper to her feet.
Nico was singing but Piper didn't hear it because Shel leaned in and kissed her. This was what she had been missing before. The excitement and butterflies that came with every kiss, every hand brush, every deep look in the eyes.
Shel had put a hand on Piper's cheek and when she pulled away, Piper leaned into the touch. Shel pulled Piper close and suddenly they were dancing again, like they had never stopped.
This is why we can't have nice things, darlin'
Because you break them, I had take them away
This is why we can't have nice things (oh)
Did you think wouldn't hear all of the things you said about me?
This is why we can't have nice things
Shel twirled Piper in when something caught her attention.
"Look," Piper pointed to two girls on the other side of the room. They were standing close to each other, blushing like crazy, but not touching.
"How much you willing to bet they have a crush on each other and are both closeted," Shel asked.
"The gay intuition is never wrong," Piper answered.
Shel spun her out, "didn't Nico say he was pretty sure you were gay when he met you?"
"Oh, yeah," Piper agreed. "Although somehow he didn't know Will was bi."
"Men are just dumb like that."
The two laughed together and Piper's heart felt full for the first time in a while.
Here's a toast to my real friends
They don't care about the "he said, she said"
He gave a smile to Piper and Shel and they waved back.
And here's to my baby
He ain't read what they call me lately
And here's to my papa
Had to listen to all this drama
Nico eye rolled at that.
And here's to you
'Cause forgiveness is a nice thing is to do
Laughter erupted from Nico's mouth and he looked up towards the sky, as if laughing at the gods themselves. He looked so care-free and happy, it made Piper laugh too.
I can't even say it with a straight face
This is why we can't have nice things
"Wish I could laugh at the gods like that," Piper sighed dramatically.
Shel smiled. "Have you tried?"
"Have you tired crossing a road blindfolded?"
"Fair."
(Oh) nice things (oh, no) honey (they don't care about the "he said, she said")
Did you think I wouldn't hear all the things you said about me?
This is why we can't have nice things
The song ended and the whole room stood up to applaud, Which seemed to take Nico aback. He had never been one to be the center of positive attention but he probably get use to it, because Piper knew, he was going to get famous quickly.
"Thank you so much," Nico told them gratefully. He bowed and gesture to the backstage to honor his crew before walking backwards, behind the curtain, and disappearing.
***
"That was so cool!" Shel exclaimed for the tenth time since the end of the performance. Piper was sitting on the sink of an empty girls bathroom inside the building, because Shel needed to change her pad. Now her girlfriend was looking the mirror, fixing her already perfect hair.
"Thanks."
Piper and Shel jumped at Nico's voice and he appeared behind Shel, out of the shadows of the hand dryer.
"Hey, this is the girls bathroom," Piper teased accusatorily.
Nico smiled. "So you guys liked it?"
"Of course," Piper climbed down from the counter and hugged Nico tight.
Nico hugged her back just as forcefully and she could feel his lips turn up in a smile at the gesture. He had hated physical contact before but now he didn't mind it as much. Piper's theory was that he only hated it because he hadn't gotten it a lot, and now thanks to Will he did, but it hadn't been confirmed.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Piper asked as she took a step back
Nico shuffled his feet. "I. . . I'm just not sure if I want everyone to know yet."
Understandable. Some of the demigods *cough* Percy *cough* could be a little over whelming when it came to new information. "Have you told Will?"
Nico flinched at the mention of Will. "N-no. He's acted so. . . sad, lately. I think it's because I'm leaving him so often, and I don't know how he would feel if he found out what my job is. I mean, he's already comparing his powers to his siblings, I don't want him comparing himself to me too."
Piper nodded. She knew Will would probably be supportive but she wasn't going to force Nico to tell him. He would tell him eventually or Will would find out in the end.
"So, you going to go on tour?" Shel asked, stepping closer to Piper and Nico.
"Yeah," Nico smiled invitingly, letting her know she was welcome to come closer, which she did. "It's starting in September."
"You'll get us discounted tickets, right?" Piper asked, mostly joking (not joking at all).
"Actually," Nico looked at Piper a little sheepishly. "I was wondering if you would preform with me."
Shock and excitement and fear froze Piper's body with her eyes wide and mouth open.
"It would just be for one night!" Nico rushed. "You also don't have to say yes. I just thought you have a nice voice and you had mentioned once about how you use to write songs as a kid so if you wanted, we could put some songs on an album but you totally don't have to at all! It was only a suggestion-"
"I-I would love to," Piper agreed, cutting Nico's rambling off.
"Really?"
"Yes!" Piper promised. She almost wanted to start jumping up and down like a child.
"Great!" Nico smiled. "I'll come and talk to you more when everything is more. . . set up."
"Sounds great!" Piper nodded.
Nico grinned at her and Shel before turning back to the shadows of the air dryer. "Oh, don't tell anyone about this, please."
"Of course," Piper assured him.
"Your secret is safe with us," Shel added.
Nico smiled gratefully at them, sank into the shadows of the wall.