Well, maybe you could ask him when I see him," replied Nico eventually, as she picked up her fork again and began slowly chewing the food that was contained within her stomach.
"And maybe you could tell me what the actual fuck you're doing at camp?" asked Annabeth as soon as her mouth was clear, as her eyes narrowed suspiciously in the direction of the small table where Nico's father and mother sat eating together as well.
As she stared at the two of them intently, it occurred to Nico that her sister might be right. Maybe she could ask the person who had taken her in when she had no one else after her mother died.
Suddenly, though, Nico decided against telling Annabeth what the hell her father had planned for her future. As far as Nico was concerned, it was none of her sister's business. Besides, she was beginning to feel uncomfortable as well, as she knew that the situation with her father and the others was something that she wanted to sort out by herself.
Still, it probably was better not to say anything about it just yet, so instead she tried to come up with something that would satisfy her girlfriend.
"Um, yeah… I was kind of hoping to spend the summer studying?" she replied, shrugging as she shrugged nonchalantly and avoiding looking directly at her sister.
Annabeth's gaze became even more suspicious at hearing what she apparently called Nico's plan. "You were supposed to study here, Neeks! In case you haven't noticed, the camp has a huge library! And I already told you, that's not something that you should focus on in your senior year." Annabeth scolded as she crossed her arms angrily. She looked ready to start a fight with Nico for real now. If only her temper hadn't gotten the best of her recently.
Nico sighed heavily. "Come on, Annabeth. It's not like they will notice my absence. This place is filled with students all year round, and it's not like my dad wants to pay attention to the activities of the kids during vacation. I bet he won't even notice until September, when classes resume. Besides, I have to work on my homework anyway. This isn't a big deal, so please, stop acting like it is."
Annabeth's frown deepened. She had obviously noticed that something was off with Nico and was trying hard to figure out exactly what it was. Finally, she stopped frowning and started laughing. The sound caused Nico to frown again and roll her eyes exasperatedly. Her sister's laugh was annoying, just like everything else about her, Nico thought to herself.
She stood up and started to walk away before she turned back around once more and said with a sigh: "Don't wait for me at home. I'll come to your house later, when it's time to meet mom and Percy at the parking lot. Okay?" Then she turned and left the cafeteria. She quickly caught up to Leo and took his hand, squeezing his fingers lightly, before pulling him along behind her.
"Hey! What did I tell you about walking off like that? You nearly gave me a heart attack!" exclaimed the redhead as they walked through the halls of Camp Half Blood.
Nico rolled her eyes, but still didn't reply. After all, she had been perfectly calm and composed throughout most of the conversation.
Once again, Nico and Leo entered the main building of the Big House. Once again, they found Percy sitting quietly on the sofa in the living room. As soon as Nico stepped foot inside the living room, she saw her boyfriend leaning forward on the sofa with his elbows resting on the table, his chin placed atop his hands, seemingly deep in thought. His golden curls were pushed back from his face and hung loose around his neck, brushing against his shoulders as they moved along with every slight movement he made. The sight of him always brought a smile to Nico's face.
Before she could greet her boyfriend, though, Annabeth suddenly appeared beside him and placed a gentle kiss on top of Percy's head.
After giving a quick, shy kiss in return, he smiled at his girlfriend and turned to look at Nico and Leo. "Hey guys," he said casually while turning slightly toward Nico to offer a warm, friendly smile.
Leo immediately returned the smile and waved excitedly at Percy as Nico nodded in response with a simple 'hi'. She knew that her boyfriend wouldn't be surprised if she had forgotten how to speak properly due to the fact that he usually did. They were in the same boat.
"Do you guys need any help finding a dormitory room to go to before you decide to sleepover in mine?" Percy asked casually while he reached behind himself to grab a book off of the shelf behind him.
Nico shook her head while smiling widely. "No need. We got one already. Right, Leo?