Nico

We did get a small lecture from Paul. Not too bad. He was just surprised by the entire thing. Wanted to hear what we knew what happened and not just hear Bianca.

So we weren't grounded or anything. But Sally, Paul, and River had gone to bed a little earlier when there was a knock on the door. Percy and I were just playing war. The card game, of course. When we got a knock on the door.

I offered to answer. This game had been going on for so long, we needed to start over. So Percy went to get something to drink before shuffling the cards.

My heart dropped when I opened the door. Because she looked like she had been crying. Like she was here for something good. And not to bitch us out or anything like that.

"Bianca." I didn't know how to sound, so my voice was flat. I didn't know why she was here. Mom would kill her if she tried to talk to me. Mom would kill me if I tried to go home.

Which, I wouldn't either way. Me being gay wasn't her only problem. She didn't like how I dressed. How I acted. My piercings, which I was actually proud of. I've wanted them forever. And if I stop liking them, I can just take them out. It's not hard. Percy seemed to like them, too. His parents questioned it at first, but when I actually had them, they said it suited me. And I thought it did, too.

"Hey," I could tell by her voice that she was super nervous. "I uh... I'm sorry about Mom, Nico. I thought I could guilt her or get her to change her mind but she hasn't. So I uh... She went to bed and I snuck out of my room. She'd never let me come anywhere near here."

"Yeah, I figured." I remarked. I've heard the rumors about her lately. And it all screamed Mom to me. "Mom's making you a bitch?"

"It's that or the paddle."

I invited her inside. And she spent five minutes apologizing to Percy about blowing up on him and being a bitch lately and she explained the whole thing Mom's been doing. Controlling literally her entire life. She can't even choose her clothes.

"Woah, woah, relax." Percy insisted, making her take a breath. "Like I told you, Bianca. I know you're not a bitch. I figured something was going on with your mom or something like that. Shit happens. I get it. You're not actually a bitch. What are you here for, though? You had to of snuck out."

"Well, yeah." Bianca was honest about sneaking out. "But I mean, you're expelled and Nico is suspended."

"What are you suggesting?"

We went to bed and left for camp the next day. Day one of our suspension. Bianca called Dad to assure him that he didn't get worried if mom called saying she just was gone. Percy had to talk to Chiron about mentoring, anyways. And Bianca went seen anyone yet. Everyone knows she's back. But Maria has turned everyone away at the door. Everyone.

Percy

I made an appointment with Chiron for right after breakfast.

"My boy, I'm glad to see you again." The centaur told me. "You seem to be doing better. What's on your mind?"

"I am, yeah." I assured him as I sat down in the chair in front of his desk. "I'm not here for anything like that's a problem. I mean, it's a problem but not a problem with myself."

"Okay." Chiron remarked, trying to figure that would be. "what's going on?"

"So," I started back at square one. "With Bianca living with her mom, her mom was being very controlling. She wasn't turning her into a bitch, but she was forcing her to act like one towards kids at school. I was sitting next to her as she was chewing out this one kid for being genderfluid and I was tired of it and I chewed her out. She argued a little. Nico was mentioned a lot about a lot of it and he was in the same class and so we were taken down to the office. And Bianca punched the three of us and when she didn't stop, you gotta defend yourself a little. And long story short, they all got suspended and I got expelled."

Chiron followed along with the story, nodding his head.

"What do you want me to do?" Chiron asked me, not totally getting it. "Talk to Bianca? Nico?"

"No! No." I insisted, shaking my head. "Bianca showed up last night and there was a peaceful conversation. She's fine. So is Nico. But I was wondering if you had room in a lecture for me to maybe squeeze in? Because I highly doubt that after ten schools another school is going to accept me."

Nico

Nobody has really seen Percy yet. And uh, I will admit that I do date a metalhead. Percy loves heavy metal. And nobody really knew this about him, apparently. Because when he got back from Chiron, were all hanging out in the music studio and apparently Percy can play an instrument?

"Since when dude?" Thalia asked him, and Percy shrugged.

"A long time."

"What do you play?"

"Drums."

The room went silent and everyone store at him. Because even I didn't know that he played drums. He's never said anything about it.

"You're shutting me." Jason remarked, as shocked as the rest of us. "Prove it. Pull up a song you can play the drums to."

And in my mind, I knew this was going to be some heavy metal hardcore stuff going down.

"Dude, I don't want to listen to trashy pop, though." Frank remarked and the others agreed and Percy found a song and smiled.

"Good."

Motionless In White, America. Heavy Metal that basically just trashes America for everything it is.

At first, they were all like this sounds nice and whatever. But then the drums start and there's a scream. Not an actual scream, but that kind of voice. It was a demented voice.

He did the drums justice. Everyone looked a little worried about his music. Thalia was shocked. Because she listens to that sort of stuff, too.

"I'm sorry." Thalia remarked as she looked at the son of Poseidon. "Who are you? Percy Jackson has never listened to an ounce of rock in his life. Much less heavy metal."

"His better twin." Percy joked and Thalia rolled her eyes. "No, I've always listened to heavy metal. What are you talking about? My mom grew up on heavy metal, she was a kid when it was popular. Passed it on to me. The only person who doesn't listen in our house is Paul."

Jason looked genuinely scared by this. Nobody has shown him heavy metal before and I think he could've lived without it. But Leo was giving Percy a weird look.

"I... I just..." Leo informed Percy, seeming almost lost. "I'll never look at you the same, Percy. I just... I just can't."

Bianca looked at me.

"I'm sorry," she remarked. "What did we miss in the Lotus?"

"A lot." Percy promised, as he got up from the drums. "I mean, rock and roll, rap, reggae, disco, techno, and yeah. That's just music genres."

Bianca nods her head and asks what that was. Percy told her it was heavy metal. A really aggressive form of rock.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because it's fucking amazing."