I

Alyssa

I Set Fire To My School

I stood outside my school as I watched it burn to the ground.

I also stood outside knowing I wouldn't be allowed back.

Why, you ask?

Well, I was the one to burn it down.

If you would ask me why I lit the school on fire, I would say that I didn't; that the fire just appeared out of nowhere in front of me. I would also tell you that when I was trying to put the fire out, it just got worse and worse.

Of course, the principal never believed me.

I should probably introduce myself now that you know how much of a bad child I am.

My name is Alyssa Ember. I'm thirteen years old and I go to North Burn Middle School, or at least I used to. I have ADHD and dyslexia. Both of my parents died in a house fire just after I was born, so I live with my foster parents.

I'm biologically an only child, however I have an older foster sister who is a freshman in high school, although, since I 'lit' the fire, I probably will have to find another foster family.

I am what you would call an outcast in school. I only have one friend, Calvin Shaw. Calvin has curly brown hair and always wears this red rasta cap. He's sort of scrawny and probably the only person in the seventh grade to have acne and the start of a beard on his chin. He has a medical disorder in his legs so he walks with a slight limp, and he has this strange addiction to cheese enchiladas.

Not exactly a top-rate friend. But neither am I.

Anyways, let me explain how the school burnt down.

It was the second-to-last day of school.

I was just sitting at my desk in math, and I was really bored. My mind started to wander. The doctor said that this is due to the ADHD, although I wasn't so sure.

I was thinking of how I had almost made it through the entire school year this year (I had "burned down" all of my previous schools, never lasting in one school for more than a year). I thought about all of my previous schools, how I was able to make many friends before I sent the school up in flames.

Flames. Why does everything with me have to do with flames? First my parents, and now every school that I've ever attended. Why can't I just make-

My thoughts were interrupted by a scream.

"FIRE!"

It was on my desk. Great, now someone is going to accuse me of lighting it.

I attempted to extinguish it. However, like every other school, the fire just got much, much worse. I had to get out of my seat.

"Quick, someone pull the fire alarm!" The teacher yelled.

Someone sprinted out of the room.

Riiiing! The fire alarm went off.

We filed out of the room.

"Alyssa lit it!" I heard someone shout.

"Yeah! The fire appeared on her desk!" Someone else shouted.

Several other people in our class agreed.

The teacher turned to me, "You will go to the principal once this is over young lady."

I sighed. Oh well, I guess there is no point in arguing.

I turned to Calvin, who seemed to be the only person who understood me.

"I don't know what happened," I said. "It just all of a sudden was there."

"Don't worry Lys, I know that you didn't intentionally light it," Calvin said.

"What do you mean intentionally?" I asked. "I didn't light it at all! It was just there!"

"Ok, ok, I believe you," he said putting his hand into the air in a 'back-off' motion. "You got to admit though, a fire just appears out of nowhere on a student's desk and with no chemicals around anywhere, the school has a good reason to suspect the student."

Forty minutes later, I was outside talking to the principal.

"I'm sorry Alyssa, but all the evidence points to you, and when the entire school burns down, we need to have someone to blame."

"But sir-"

"I'm sorry, but you have to be expelled."

Great, so much for almost making it through the school year.

I walked back to Calvin dejected.

"How bad?" He asked.

"I got expelled."

"Good riddance," I heard someone say.

I turned around expecting one of the students. However, I was surprised when I saw my math teacher, Mrs. Scott.

Mrs. Scott had always hated me. I don't know why, because before today I hadn't done anything to make her hate me. It just seemed like she hated me because I was me. There was no other reason. I know, stupid right?

I decided to make sure I heard her right.

"Um, excuse me?" I asked.

"You heard me, half-blood," she replied in her normal, snarky tone.

Beside me, Calvin yelped.

Before I had a chance to ask what she meant, she began to change. And I don't mean change clothes, I mean change form.

Her eyes began to glow. Her fingers grew longer, turning into talons. She somehow grew a pair of leathery wings. By the time she was done changing, she definitely wasn't human.

Calvin swore in Ancient Greek. The funny thing is, I understood him completely.

"A Kindly One at our school. I should have known," he said louder.

"What?" I looked at him crazily.

He didn't answer.

He kicked off his shoes, took off his pants, and whipped out a long bronze-colored knife.

Surprised and on impulse, I looked at his legs. They weren't really legs, more like shaggy hindquarters, like the kind a sheep would have.

Then I looked down at his feet, or what I thought were his feet. All of a sudden I understood the medical disorder he had in his legs. Instead of feet, he had cloven hooves.

"Alyssa, stand back! I'll handle this," he shouted.

Calvin never used my full name unless something was wrong. I took a couple of steps back. All of a sudden, Mrs. Scott flew at Calvin.

I don't really know what happened next. Calvin ducked and attempted to slash at my math teacher. He missed and Mrs. Scott came around for another pass. This time Calvin didn't have a chance. Mrs. Scott flattened him into the ground and he was knocked unconscious. His knife bounced out of his hand and over to me. I picked it up, trembling with fear.

Mrs. Scott cackled, which I assume was her laughing. Then she charged at me. I was scared out of my mind. I didn't know what to do, so I did the natural thing: I swung the knife.

The blade hit her arm and sliced through like water. Mrs. Scott exploded into a golden powder. It was as if she was vaporized.

My last thought before walking over to check on Calvin was, Oh god, what have I gotten myself into?

A/N:

Ok, so I know it's a really short chapter guys, and it looks exactly like Percy's situation, but hang in with me here. The story follows this for the first five chapters, but it'll take a tangent at around chapter 6. So if you guys could hold out on me until then that would be absolutely great.

I'll try to update at least once every week, hopefully it'll be more than that, but I'm still currently in the middle of writing the story itself, and I'll get on that right away.

Remember to review!

Thanks!

-Percy Son of Neptune