Will's seen a lot of mood-killers in the past forty-eight hours, but the mood killer to end all mood killers has got to be checking in on Percy's mom.

Nico was so kind to do that for Percy, especially since Will knows how annoyed he gets with Percy being overbearing. It was a nice thing to do. It was the right thing to do.

Nobody had ever told Will that Percy's mom is sick, though. If he had known, he'd have offered some help earlier. He feels like a jerk for not doing so.

"Do they have a diagnosis?" Will asks.

"I think so," says Nico. "Percy doesn't like to talk about it though. He just makes excuses like how she doesn't remember things and stuff."

Will has a few guesses as to what it could be, but he doesn't want to speculate. That's Percy and Sally's business, and it's not his place to pry.

"So that's why he's so uptight all the time," Will says. "I don't wanna judge, but maybe people would give him the benefit of the doubt more often if they knew."

"Oh, I know they would," Nico says.

Will sticks his hands in his sweatshirt pocket and sighs.

Nico presses the 'down' arrow on the elevator.

Will's not afraid of elevators or anything, but it does feel kind of weird using one in the hotel after years of opting to take the stairs with Annabeth. She doesn't do elevators anymore. Will decided a long time ago not to ask about that quirk.

Soft elevator music plays while they stand, both facing forward.

Nico's fingers hover over the buttons. "So, do you want to get drunk down in the basement bar or outside?"

Will shrugs. "I'm cool with either. Just don't make me play cornhole."

Nico smiles and takes the elevator to the ground level. Outside it is.

"Oh, and don't make me drink any more of that Bud Light," Will says.

"But I liked watching you try to choke it down. You kept gagging; it was really funny."

"Shut up."

Nico throws his hands up in defense. "Hey, I don't judge. I don't like that hard seltzer stuff you and Annabeth do. And you guys don't like beer."

"Oh, let's get one thing straight: Annabeth does like beer."

"I'd be concerned if she didn't. Whoever heard of a bartender that doesn't like beer?"

Will picks at a hangnail. He forgot he told that to Nico.

"I'm kinda jealous," Nico says as they step out of the elevator. "I'd love to live with a bartender. Best I got is Mrs. O'Leary and the puppies."

"How are they doing?" Will asks.

"Good. Remind me to show you some pictures later. I left my phone charging in my room," Nico says, holding the door open.

"Why thank you," says Will.

He can barely believe it's the same bar he played cornhole and got sickly drunk at. It's different in the nighttime. Bicycles and skateboards are parked all around, and instead of cornhole, they're playing bocce ball.

"Oh, I love bocce!" says Nico.

Of course, the hundred-year-old Italian guy loves bocce ball.

A girl wearing a backward turned baseball cap throws a bocce ball with incredible speed. It knocks about three other balls off course.

Nico winces. "Eh, maybe I'll sit this one out."

"Woo!" The girl takes a bow.

Piper McLean?

Will squints to make sure he saw right.

Piper McLean!

"Hey, losers!" she calls. "Come watch me kick some ass!"

"We're getting drinks and then we'll be over!" calls Nico. "What do ya like?" he asks Will. "I suppose I owe you after the cornhole incident."

"Oh, like the sex didn't make up for it." Will rolls his eyes but happily accepts the free drink anyway.

"What are we having tonight?" asks the bartender.

Nico raises an eyebrow, inviting Will to order first.

"Hmm..." Will looks at the chalkboard and notices a flashy drawing of one of his favorite fruity drinks. "One margarita please."

"Ooh, make that two," says Nico. He slides a couple of drachma across the bar.

When their drinks are up, they take a seat on a bench to watch Piper play bocce ball.

"Should you be wearing a helmet?" Nico asks. "Your head is like a magnet."

"Oh, you shut up!" Will teases.

"Ayyy," Leo sticks his head between the two of them, causing Will to drop the lime that was hanging off his glass.

"Wassup?" Frank calls from afar, wiggling his fingers in a 'hang loose' gesture.

Yikes. These guys are drunk with a capital D.

"Bachelor party part two?" Leo asks. "Except with Will instead of Percy, and we'll invite Piper."

"How did you guys even get here?" Will asks. "You're pretty drunk."

Frank points towards the bike rack. "Check out our sweet ride! Or should I say, 'suite' ride? Get it? Suite? Sweet?" Fastened to the bike rack with pink fuzzy handcuffs is the bell cart that Nico mentioned earlier.

"What are the odds of us getting a ride on that bell cart?" Nico asks.

"No way!" says Leo.

"Stop shouting!" Piper yells from the sandpit. "You're gonna mess up my bocce mojo!" She winds up to throw another ball.

"Yeah, man, don't mess up her bocce mojo!" Frank shouts. He takes a sip from his drink. Drunk Frank seems kind of fun!

"C'mon," Nico says. "You've been riding around on that thing for, what, like an hour? Let us have a turn."

"Bro, get your own wheels!" says Leo.

A red bocce ball knocks Leo's beer can into the bushes. "Shit!" he yells, shaking out his hand. "That hurt!"

Piper lowers her sunglasses and puts up the middle finger.

"Fine, fine," Leo says sarcastically. "I'll just buy another drink!"

Will laughs. He kind of misses hanging out with these people. Sure, back then they didn't usually get drunk or throw bocce balls at each other, but they're good fun people. He loves Annabeth, but sometimes he wishes they had a group of friends like this.

Leo returns with a tray of shot glasses. "Lemon drops! We're doing lemon drops! Piper, get over here!"

Piper runs over to the bench and helps disperse the shots. "These are my favorites!" she says.

Will shakes his glass around a little. He doesn't usually do shots. That's never ended well for him before.

Leo raises his glass. "To Frank's last night of freedom!"

"Eh, I wouldn't call it that," says Frank.

"Fine then," says Leo. "To the one who made this all happen!"

Frank throws his free arm around Leo. "Aw, man you didn't have to-"

"ME!"

"I'll drink to that!" Piper takes her shot.

Seeing that Nico also takes the shot, Will gives in to the peer pressure.

It's sour, and it burns his throat, but... in a good way?

"Woo!" yells Frank.

"Now give us the stupid bell cart!" yells Nico.

Leo slams his glass on the back of the bench. "No, it's ours!"

Feeling confident, Will interjects. "Give us the bell cart or I'll tell Annabeth you called me a slur!"

"Oh shit, man," says Frank. "Give them the keys to the handcuffs."

"Way ahead of you," says Leo. "Please don't stick your bodyguard on us."

Nico pockets the key and sets his shot glass next to Leo's. Will follows suit.

"Well, boys, it's been a pleasure doin' business with you," says Nico. "C'mon, Will."

Will takes Nico's hand and follows him to their new sweet ride- or is it a 'suite' ride?

"Okay," says Nico. "You push in the back since you're still taller, and I'll push in the front."

"Sounds good."

So they make their way around the resort, stopping every so often at a bar for one margarita, another margarita, or maybe even a shot. Somewhere along the way, Will loses his one-dollar sandals from the Old Navy, but he doesn't care. He's having the time of his life on this goddamned bell cart!

"I feel like there's somewhere I should be," he says to Nico as they're stopped on a hill. He's slightly surprised at the slur in his speech.

"Hmm..." says Nico. "Maybe..." Nico leans in for a kiss, and Will happily takes the bait. There's something he should be worrying about, but who cares? He's getting drunk and taking a joyride with Nico di Angelo!

Well, he's already drunk, but it's fine, right?

Will sighs and deepens the kiss. It's all teeth and tongue; drunk people make terrible kissers, but it doesn't matter.

They separate and take in the view of the resort together. The lights are so bright, and the people seem so small. It's strange to think that somewhere down there, their friends are getting wasted and playing backyard games for more beer.

"Guess who's back... back again..." Piper sings as she emerges, a drink in one hand, and the other holding onto the bar of a second bell cart.

Leo collapses at the top of the hill, causing Frank to almost run him over with the cart.

Piper hops off, beatboxing as she does so. "Thanks for the ride, boys!"

From the grass below, Leo grunts.

"Check it out!" says Frank. "New ride!"

"Wanna see whose ride is the sweetest?" Piper asks.

Frank interjects. "Don't you mean the 'suitest?'"

"Nobody gets your joke, Frank! We're all dyslexic!" Leo calls.

Will laughs at the sight. Leo is now wearing Frank's cheesy bachelor party sash, and one of his suspenders is undone. Although Will supposes he doesn't look much better himself. He's barefoot, for gods' sake!

"C'mon!" Piper grabs Will's wrists and pulls him to his feet. "Bell cart race!"

"Oh, I'm not so sure," says Will.

Then Nico, much to Will's surprise, says, "I'm in!" He climbs back onto the front of the bell cart and gestures for Will to join him.

"You're lucky I'm in the medical field!" Will calls as he follows.

Leo and Frank clumsily remount their ride, and Piper moves in between the two teams.

She waves her hat in the air. "Alright, racers! Start your engines!"

"Oh my gods, I should put an engine on this thing!" shouts Leo.

"On your mark! Get set! Go!"

The guys push off and down the hill, just as Will realizes they never decided upon a finish line.

No matter; they're riding down the hill now, shifting their weight every which way to avoid toppling over.

"Oh, fuck!" shouts Will. "The fountain!"

A massive fountain with a statue of Neptune is right in the pathway of the bell carts. Will looks across the way. They're neck in neck with Leo and Frank.

Frank puts his foot on the ground, trying to slow down the cart.

Nico takes this as an opportunity to pump his foot against the grass once more, sending their cart over a rock. Will and Nico fly head over heels through the air and into the fountain.

"Nico! Will!" Piper runs down the hill and towards the fountain. "That was totally awesome! You won!"

"We won?" Nico pushes his sopping wet hair out of his face.

"No fair!" Leo shouts from the ground. "They got a false start!"

"Uh-uh!" says Piper.

"Hey, where's Frank?" Will asks.

A pigeon lands on the side of the fountain, and what do you know? It changes form. Now Frank Zhang is sitting on the edge of the fountain, legs dangling in the water.

He hiccups. "That was fun! Let's do it again!"

***

Nico and Will stumble through the hallway, sopping wet, hoping they made it to the right floor this time. The third time's the charm, right?

Will trips over a carpet but doesn't hit the ground. Thankfully, they've had their arms around each other for support most of the night. What time even is it now?

"Hey, Nico! Hi, Will!" Hazel greets them. Her hair's in a bonnet and she's wearing bunny slippers and a purple bathrobe.

"Aww," says Will. "I love your slippers!"

"Thank you... Uh, have either of you seen Frank?"

"Listen, listen," Nico slurs. "Frank... his party's wrapping up-"

"That was supposed to end at eleven, right? Nico, what's going on? You don't seem right." Hazel says.

"I had- hic- a couple of margaritas, but I'm fine," he says.

"You guys are drunk! Oh, gods, the rehearsal dinner is tomorrow... do you have any idea where Frank is?" Hazel turns a little red.

Will laughs. "He's still with Leo and Piper!"

"Leo and Piper?"

"'Scuse me, Sis," says Nico. "I gotta go have my way with Will..."

Hazel starts to fan herself. "Oh, this isn't good! Go to bed! Separately! Please!"

"No can do," says Will. "Percy's in my room with Annabeth."

"Oh!" Hazel fastens the belt on her robe. "Well, I'm going to call Piper. Maybe she'll answer her phone. Um, thanks anyway?"