The Hate Between Us (Percabeth&Solangelo)

Chapter Five: There Is A Light

Nico POV:

Every day after school I find an empty classroom with a computer in, I get out my camera, and I edit all the photos I had taken that day.

It was my favourite time of day – these silent moments sat in front of a computer screen – because I was alone. No distractions, no annoying students, no pestering classmates, no laughter and squawking and groaning and shouting and, worst of all, gossiping. I mean, most days of the week I was able to hide a pair of Airpods underneath my messy hair and listen to music as I pretended to pay attention to the teacher, but more often than not an annoying person – usually always Leo – would tap me on the shoulder and piss me off instead.

It wasn't that I don't like people – some people I actually love, like my sisters Hazel and Bianca, and sort of love, like my best friend Reyna, and mostly tolerate, like the school's PE teacher Coach Hedge – it's more that large crowds discomforted me. And, if I was being totally honest, the majority of the people in this school are idiots. They slouched, shoved, or ran down the hallways with no real awareness for each other, no real care, and certainly no understanding of the fact that the world doesn't revolve around them. Sure, there were the rare few – like Annabeth Chase and her group of friends who, bar Travis and Leo, I could enjoy a conversation with without feeling the need to whack them round the head – but mostly everyone else in this school sucked.

I couldn't wait to leave.

I can imagine myself travelling the world alone, seeing just about everything and anything there was to see and, when I truly had seen it all, I would discover something new and make the bucket list even longer. I don't know what I want to be – I don't even know if I want to go to college – but what I do know is that although the people in this world are pretty shitty, the planet itself has a lot to offer a kid like me.

I'm the school photographer. I figured that if I stood behind the lens, I would be able to stand apart from the crowds but still get to enjoy some of the school's celebrations. This meant I could watch all the school's football and soccer games, the prep rallies and homecomings and debate team meetings – without getting involved or even being seen. It was perfect for me.

So there I was, on a Friday afternoon by myself in another empty classroom, flicking through the photos I had taken that week – a day like any other. And yet, despite all it's normalities, everything was about to change for me.

As I searched through these photos – the ones I had taken at the boys' football training earlier that week – I realised with increasing panic that every single one of them was of the new kid, Percy Jackson. Shit, I thought, people can't see these.

Did I find the new guy attractive? I mean, yes, of course, I'd be blind if didn't. But every single girl and openly gay guy in this school had a crush on Percy, and I wasn't about to join the masses.

But what if he's gay too? I allowed myself to think. No... I couldn't even go there. Now is not the time for me to get hung up over some guy who doesn't even know I exist. Now is not the time to-

"-...driving in your car, I never, never want to go home because I haven't got one anymore..." A voice came from outside the classroom door. My head shot up when I heard it. Not only was this voice the most amazingly beautiful voice I'd ever heard, but it was also singing one of my favourite songs from my favourite band. I felt an almost overwhelming need to get up from my seat, open the door, and reveal the mystery singer. But no, I couldn't. That would mean talking to, or embarrassing myself in front of, whoever was standing behind the door and that was something I just could not bring myself to do.

It turns out I didn't have to.

For, moments later, the door swung open, and in walked... him.