Chapter One: I Think My Best Friend is a Psycho... or Something

It's not that I didn't know about the greek gods, it's just that I never expected them to become a relevant part of my life. I mean I've read my Homer; okay, fine I was forced into in eighth grade but still that counts, so I know about Athena and stuff but actually coming face to face with a legit god was not on my bucket list. My name is Titania, yes like the queen of the fairies we get it; my parents were hippies- or at least my mom was. I never knew my dad which kind of ties into this whole greek mythology come to life thing I'm dealing with at the moment. Let me just catch you all up.

I'm pretty normal I'd say uh, I live in a house with my mom in San Antonio, Texas. I go to school I guess and I've got lots of friends, lots. I'm a freshman in highschool and already I've been asked out by like a dozen cute guys... which I will never get to know since I'm currently facing my own mortality. Anyway, like I said my dad died when I was really young according to my mom, she doesn't like to talk about him much. I don't know, what else do you guys want to know about me? I guess I should tell you about Portia since this is her own freaking fault.

I met Portia this year like I met a lot of other girls since it was high school and everyone's kind of meeting new people. She's pretty, I guess I mean all my friends are or else why would I be friends with them? No JK but seriously though, I've honestly just noticed pretty people are just much more genuine and sweet than ugly people. I think I read that online somewhere. Portia's taller then me which, okay fine I'm a little jealous of not because I'm short because I promise I'm not short- I'd just rather be a couple of inches taller so I could look more like those models you see on Project Runway.

Anyway yeah, Portia's pretty cool, I wouldn't say we're best friends but like she seems to think we are, and maybe that's what's keeping us from making it official because I don't want someone clingy or someone who puts labels on things like, ew. Okay here's the weird thing about Portia that I thought was totally strange until this morning; she wears a dagger on her waist. Like at first I thought it was decoration or something but like the teachers don't even notice it. It's always there I swear and nobody notices it but me. Like isn't there a rule about no weapons on campus or something IDK.

Uh I am so bad at telling this story. See even now I'm interrupting just to tell you all this. Let me just start from where things started getting weird; this morning I woke up not to my mom banging on my door or my cat peeing on my head but to freaking Portia in my room. She looked panicked and had her knife in her hand which I'd never seen her do before. Like that was the first time I could actually confirm that it was a knife. So like, slow down Portia! Just woke up here, I've got to get my coffee before you try to slice my head off. Thanks girl.

"What the-" I say but Portia silences me.

"There's one here," she whispers.

Like what? First of all how did Portia get into my house and when did she become so serious all of a sudden? I would have totally snapchatted my other friends a pic of her holding the knife like a nerd if my door hadn't suddenly burst down at that moment. I screamed, like obviously and the most terrifying of terrifying things came through the door. You guys arn't going to believe this but I'm not kidding you it was a giant scorpion. And yes I know you all are like really Titania? A bug? It's probably tiny. But no! This scorpion is HUGE like big as my desk huge. It's red and it's giant tail swings dangerously close to Portia's thighs.

"Titania get out of here," Portia screams and I see her thrust the knife towards the monster.

Literally what is going on, I wonder. The only exit is through my window so I throw it open and climb through into the garden and naturally I land in a rosebush. Just so you all know, I'm not the worst best friend ever. I didn't just leave Portia behind, I watched her from the window as she got a few good swings in and actually managed to stab the scorpion in the eye. Okay I've seen the Hunger Games I know what blood looks like but I'm not prepared when the scorpion's tail comes down and stings Portia in the back. It's pretty gruesome. Portia comes back with another swing and gone is the scorpion's stinger. Weirdly enough, after that the monster dissolves into dust, leaving the stinger behind.

Checking to see if the cost is clear I climb back into my bedroom, a look of amazement on my face.

"Did you just like, kill that thing?" I ask, running over to Portia's side.

Portia nods but I can tell she's having trouble speaking. I look at the gash on her back. It doesn't look to deep but then I remember some scorpions maybe all, are poisonous. OMG, my best friend just got poisoned. What am I supposed to do?

"Do you want me to call the ambulance?" I ask. "I"ll just call them," I decide and pull out my phone. Before I can so much as dial three digits, Portia takes the phone away from me and starts calling someone else.

"Hey," I complain. "So not cool."

The phone rings a few times and since Portia can't lift the phone up to her ear she puts it on speaker phone so I can listen in.

"Hello?" says the phone.

"Ambrosia," Portia groans, or something like that. "I need ambrosia now. Hurry. I'm at Titania's house."

I don't know who or what the heck ambrosia is suppose to be but I don't see why it's not more important than calling the police. BTW where is my mom in all this?

"Portia are you hurt?" the phone says in an urgent tone. "Hang in there, I'm on my way."

The phone hangs up and Portia leans back on my new pink carpet. I cringe and hold back the urge to ask her not to bleed on my new rug. Now they'll be bloodstains on it and I don't know how to get those out of an expensive carpet.

"Okay like bad time to ask," I say pacing back and forth. "But um what the hell just happened and who were you talking to? It better not be some random stranger because I don't want them knowing my address."

Portia groaned and rolled over on one side. Yep, definitely won't get those stains out of the carpet.

"Titania you're a demigod," Portia said and I can tell she's putting what little strength she can muster into talking to me. "I came to protect you."

"Ha ha JK, right," I say, rolling my eyes. "You can all come out with the hidden prank cameras now. It's not funny anymore." I reach down and touch my carpet. "Is this even real blood?"

"Yes," Portia says, her face strained.

Immediately I whip the stuff off my hands. I've never seen Portia like this before and I'm starting to wonder if she's really hurt as badly as she looks.

"Okay what's a demigod," I say but my question isn't answered. OMG Portia just died. Or maybe just blacked out. Either way this isn't good. Will someone please help me over here?