Author's Note: Holy Hell! What bullshit had I typed out! Anyway, here's the modified version of the story. Enjoy. :D

Peace.

Prologue

"What?"

My voice climbed up to an unnaturally high pitch as I screeched out the question. Narrowing my eyes furiously at the teen in front of me, I tried to force my foggy brain into registering what I'd just been told.

Masquerade? What the heck!

The guy smirked, and swiftly moved up to me, seemingly unfazed by my sudden burst of anger. Upon reaching me, he laid an arm on my shoulder and squeezed it. Unsurprisingly though, his eyes showed that he wasn't doing so to try to comfort me.

"We're going to the party. Get ready within an hour."

He lazily swung his free arm towards my bed, and pointed at a black-bag which he'd previously tossed there. I blinked a couple of times at thing, before realization suddenly hit me. I snapped my head back at the guy, and caught the sly grin on his face.

My jaw slackened.

"T-That's my costume?"

I pointed a shaky finger at the pack.

"Yup!"

The mischievous grin on his face was too prominent to be missed. My eyes suddenly widened as I thought of all the embarrassing types of dresses he could've brought me.

I opened my mouth to reprimand him for pulling something like this without any prior warning, but he cut me off.

"Thalia wants you to wear that."

I gulped.

Thalia.

The temper of the spiky-haired girl was known all over town. In fact, it was her being my cousin that kept me off the hit-list of the bullies at school.

A shiver ran down my spine.

"So, you in?" the guy asked, already making his way towards the room's door.

I contemplated my options, searching desperately for a way to escape. Unfortunately though, none such way presented itself.

Nod.

"Wow."

A humongous number of people were gathered at the venue, shuffling about, exchanging soft talk, playing with confetti, and... doing stuff. There were gorillas, pirates, famous dancers, actors, prom-queens, fictional characters and a lot of other things which I took solace in not knowing.

A soft grin tugged at my lips.

"Percy! Nico!"

A girl clothed up as a goth ran up to us," Where were you guys?"

Thalia.

I narrowed my eyes at her.

"You're evil..."

I was ignored.

"Did you bring dates?" she asked mischievously.

I was about to rebuke her for not warning me about this gala from before, when I suddenly realized what she'd just said.

I stared at her.

Wait... What?

"Yup!"

I snapped my head towards the guy, and managed to catch a glimpse of him typing something out into his iPhone.

My eyes widened.

"Uh, am I missing something here?"

Nico winked at me, "Consider this payback."

My stare was blank.

"Payback? For what?"

His eyebrows raised. Opening his mouth a couple of times, he pressed his tongue against his teeth, indicating his lack of an answer. My jaw slackened as I realized that he hadn't been expecting this. Then, as I watched him turn his head towards Thalia, I saw Nico give her a pleading glance, squishing his eyes in desperation.

No way.

"You're planning something here aren't you?"

I pointed an accusing finger at the boy, making him yelp.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Thalia slap on a bored look and open her mouth in a silent sigh.

"Percy..."

"What shit!"

Huffing in anger, I snapped my head away from the duo, and began to stomp away. I heard Thalia call out my name again, but ignored her; irritation eating away at my insides.

I was uninformed about the party; made to wear the suit of a postman, subjected to the annoying antics of my male cousin, and now...

I was dateless at a couple's masquerade.

A groan escaped my lips.

The universe was conspiring against me.

About half an hour after coming to the gala, I felt my anger slowly begin to ebb away.

Not that I'd forgiven my devilish cousins for whatever it was that they'd schemed out for me, it was just that after meeting up with a couple of my friends, I finally began to feel like I was consolable, and had walked out to the secluded balcony of my sister's apartment to ponder on the whole thing.

Still, it was pretty awkward being at a couple's gala all alone.

I sighed and closed my eyes, pressing my mask annoyedly against my face.

Ring.

Groaning in irritation, I slowly opened my eyes, and stuck a hand into my pocket. A moment later, I was staring into my phone, my eyes continually narrowing at the caller-iD.

Thalia.

Goddamn.

Sighing, I started to walk back towards the party, and brought my thumb up, deciding to give her a chance to explain herself.

When suddenly...

Bump.

"The hel-"

"Ouch!"

Falling down onto the floor of the balcony, I muttered out a few curses, rubbing my now-aching forehead.

"Damn it."

Still profusely rubbing my temple, I willed my eyes open, thinking about the the ways in which I could yell at the person I'd collided with...

...and felt my brain freeze.

There, fallen opposite to me, was a blonde girl. Her hair was curled and fell lightly by her shoulders, with a few wayward curls softly grazing the sides of her cheeks. Her skin had a light-tan to it, adding to her overall appeal. A white dress covered her, giving her self an almost supernatural glow as the moonlight softly played on her.

She'd stopped her movements as well, and was currently staring at me, but my mind wasn't functioning clearly enough to register that.

She had gray eyes.

Fuck.

"High-five!"

The boy struck his hand against that of the girl in the gothic outfit. Both of them let out a soft laugh, before finally turning to look away from the two teens fallen down on the veranda.

"You really are a scheming bastard, aren't you Nico?"

He flashed the girl a grin.

"And you're the best person to seek help from, Thals."

The girl chuckled.

They kept walking on until they finally began to near the door which led to the hall where the masquerade was going on.

Thalia turned towards the guy again.

"You sure this is gonna amount to something?"

Nico didn't respond immediately. Instead, he merely slowed down his pace.

Then a grin broke out on his face.

"Who knows?" He effortlessly turned his grin into a smile, "When it comes to that guy, everything seems to be possible."

Another chuckled escaped Thalia as she shook her head again.

"Idiot..."

So that's the revised prologue. Yeah, I'm a bit off practice, haven't written something in the First-Person for a LONG time, so I don't really know how this turned out, but ah well, let me know in your reviews. :)

~THA musIc GuY

Peace.