What If Three Days Meant Forever?

The Fall Of Montgomery

"Will," Kayla reaches out to comfort me but I know I'll only start to cry.

"I'm fine Kayla," I say sternly. "Get these things done!" I yell, walking out of the room. As soon as I close the door, I make a beeline toward Nico's P.R on the other side of the infirmary.

I hang my head down the whole time, not wanting him to see me like this. Finally at his door, I push it open and enter. Both of us are silent for a count of five.

"Are you alright?" He asks.

"Well um-" I mentally curse myself for the break in my voice but try to play it off with a laugh that sounds more like a sob than anything. Immediately, Nico rushes up to wrap me in his arms, and I feel myself crack.

This isn't one of the pretty movie star cries though. No, instead it's heavy, hyperventilation, ugly, crying.

Of course, in front of Nico.

I force myself to calm down and patch over the cracks so I can try to make sense of things.

"She's gone," I start, "I-I-I let her down. Now she's gone! I-I should've worked harder for her and maybe she would still be here and-and-and-" I start to sob more.

If anything, I'm frustrated. Frustrated that my attempts to help her weren't successful. Frustrated that I'm weak enough to break down in front of Nico and especially frustrated because gods of Olympus, she was just eleven years old!

Failing her didn't seem like an option when I first got to her and it doesn't seem like an option now that she's gone either.

"Shhhh," he offers, "There was nothing you could've done. Maybe she'll go for rebirth. Give it another go." I force out a chuckle as he says that. Not broken, I think to myself. Just cracked. Clean up the pieces, Will. Get it over with.

I look up at his face, realizing just how close we really are. I then take into account the little dots around his nose, making him even more adorable if possible. I poke one of the dots on his pale complexion.

"I never noticed you had freckles." I say, sounding as if I was delirious. He laughs and pulls my finger down from his cheek.

"I've always had them." he finally says.

"Maybe," I offer gently, "more people would notice if you weren't so pale." I smirk. I watch carefully as he rolls his beautiful brown eyes. He then pulls me into his chest, hugging my head.

"I don't ever want to see you upset, Solace," he begins, voice trembling, "You're too bright to be unhappy."

I smile into his chest and say, "Alright, angel. I won't be sad anymore. You have my word." I reply, surprising myself.

A few moments pass before he leans down and presses a chaste kiss to my head that lands more on my hair.

Maybe I really am delirious because as this happens, it makes me think of Rapunzel. I'd heard about the trailer a few times and my friend Cecil actually found a way to see it without having to go to a theatre. I have yet to take him up on the offer, but still, I know the story of the disney Princess no less.

Her hair is magic, it makes the mother youthful, blah blah blah. Critics of the movie had said something about the mother kissing Rapulzel's hair and not her forehead, while the love interest pushes her hair away from her face to really see her.

What if I'm Rapunzel? I think quizzically to myself. I almost laugh at the dumb thought but then shake my head. Nico is youthful, despite being, like, eighty.

Then, the weight of the kiss seems to vibrate down my back and I feel a grin spread across my face.

Nico di Angelo kissed my head.

And I know that I said I want to get over this little infatuation as quickly as possible, and I am! Part of the process is reveling in small moments like these, right?

I start to imagine a relationship with him when all of those dreams come crashing down.

Gods, what am I thinking? I don't even know if he's gay yet, not really. I mean, yes, Monique did sort of confirm it for me but what does she know? She could just be assuming. Then again, I've never seen him give a girl a second glance...

Either way, it doesn't matter. Nico's a secret keeper which wouldn't be the best foundation for a relationship anyway.

A dangerously bright lightbulb suddenly goes off in my head. It's definitely risky, but I mean, what's love without a few risks, right? Not that it's love! I'm just saying, the faster I get my heart broken the faster I can pick up the pieces and move on. I guess I've decided then.

I have to ask Nico about the black box.