Disclaimer: All characters and brand names belong to their owners. My characters and plot lines belong to me. The second story in this series is replacing "Blending In." Again, please note that I'm taking this series in a new direction. The second story in this series will switch points of view.

The Mortal Gods

Chapter One: A New Start

Lyra

"You'll like it here, Lyra." Her mother smirked as she checked her cranberry red lipstick in mirror hanging on the closet door.

Lyra rolled her sky blue eyes as she silently told her twin brother, 'yeah right.' It was bad enough going to a boarding school, but this place was supposed to teach her proper edict as well. Like her behavior was that bad.

Skylar leant against the door frame leading into the room. He casted his sister a sympathetic look, but he kept his mouth shut. They had both learned a long time ago that arguing with their mother was like arguing with the wall. Once she made up her mind it would never change.

Lyra plopped herself down on the mattress next to the window. It had been two weeks since their New York adventure, and her mother was still angry with them for leaving the city without permission. "Will you visit?"

"The parent visitor days tend to be around the holidays..." Aslaug Armstrong turned back toward Lyra and sat next to her. Often mistaken as being much younger, Aslaug and Lyra were normally mistaken as being sisters. Both had the same jaw line and blond hair; however Aslaug was a good five inches taller than her daughter. "You know that's when I normally have to work doubles." She gave her shoulder a squeeze, and then she opened her purse.

"Can't we just try doing an on-line school?" Lyra slumped her shoulders as her light white blond hair started to turn a light shade of grey.

"We've talked about this, Lyra, at least a thousand times already. I can't supervise you. Besides the both of you need to grow up, and stop acting like mischievous little children. One of these days your adventures will catch up with you and moving won't save you from having to pay for the full consequences of your actions." She casted a look at her daughter as if saying, you've only got yourself to blame.

"Right…" Lyra's hair turned a darker shade of grey as her heart sank. If only her mother believed them. It wasn't their fault that weird stuff always happened around them. They didn't want to be attacked by one eyed beastly men or that flock of large ugly flying rosters that turned their grandparent's BMW into a rock. And now Lyra felt that her mother was totally abandoning them without even giving them the comfort of being with each other.

Several giggles could be heard outside in the hallway. Skylar's cheeks turned slightly red from embarrassment. He took a couple of steps into the room to rest his back against the wall next to the door and to hide from the hoard of girls stalking him in the hallway.

"I promised myself I wouldn't be one of those types of parents, but oh well." Aslaug Armstrong shrugged as she stood, "but you've given me no choice." She took out of her Coach wallet two credit cards. "You each have a five hundred dollar limit. Your grandparents have agreed to pay the bills as long as you two make honor roll. If your grades drop, then you have to pay them back for all of your purchases. Understood?"

Skylar took his and looked it over before putting it into his wallet. "Yeah, understood. I have to buy a uniform anyway."

Lyra took hers and sighed, great now she was being bribed too. She twisted her lips as a new wave of disappointment rolled through her core. Why couldn't her grandparents understand how hard she tried and how difficult it was being dyslexic! "Whatever," under her breath, "it's not like you're giving us a choice."

"Good." Aslaug casted her hazel eyes down at her watch, "well this is it. Lyra make us proud. You're grandmother expects you to turn into a fine lady. Who knows maybe you'll catch the eye of a wealthy young man while you're at it."

Lyra glanced over at her brother. His face twisted as if saying, 'over my dead body.' "Sure mom, I'll marry into the royal family of Sweden."

"That's the spirit!" Aslaug ignored her daughter's sarcasm. She bent down and plucked a kiss on the top of her head. "Please, text me at least once a week to let me know how you're doing." With one last glance she moved out the door. Than rather rudely she hissed to one of the many girls pinning for her son. "No! You can't give him your phone number!"

Skylar gave Lyra one last eye roll, "I'll see you during Friday's football game?"

"Yeah, save me a seat." She gave him a wave before he disappeared.

Two salty tears ran down Lyra's cheeks as her family left. For the first time in her life she was utterly alone.

About thirty seconds past before a crowd of girls burst through the door. Simultaneously they assaulted Lyra with about a half dozen questions. "Who was that guy?" "Is that your boyfriend?" "Is he single?" "Does he like older girls?" "Can I have his number?" "Can you please tell him to Facebook friend me?"

"Enough!" A really tall girl with broad shoulders and a mouth full of braces shouted over the pack of girls from the door. "Don't you have unpacking to do?"

"Kill joy," a snotty looking honey blond with dark brown eye brows spoke under her breath. "Come on girls, let's go 'unpack'."

"Ewe, my maid's doing that for me," one of the girls replied, "let's go watch the boys move into their school."

"Ugh, their school is like three miles away," a shrimpy anorexic looking girl. She pouted as they walked out. "Do you think they'll let me ask my dad if he can buy me a gulf chart to use on campus?"

The tall girl waited until the crowd left before pulling her suit case into the tiny dorm room. "Ugh, I thought they would never leave." She pulled her suit case over to the empty bed next to the wall and plopped down on it. "Hi, I'm Valerie Torres." She looked down at the paper in her hand and then back at Lyra, "I guess we're roomies."

Later that day during freshmen and transfer student orientation, Lyra found herself sitting in a recently painted auditorium with about fifty other girls. She zoned out about ten minutes into the two hour presentation given by the school's administration. Yeah, there was a video made by the AV club, a musical number done by the drama club, and a hip hop number by the dance club to break things up, but still overall she just didn't want to be there.

"Well, ladies, I hope you take advantage of at least one of our many different clubs and activities." Ms. Douglas, the principal studied her students as if she was already deciding who would be this year's model students and who would be the thorns in her side. From what Lyra could tell, this woman must have been around for ages. Deep set wrinkles plagued her face due to too much fake baking, and her suit looked like she wanted to carry the illusion of elderly elegance. "Lastly, ladies make sure that you mark your agendas for this year's homecoming ball. You will be expected to put into practice your finishing classes and be on your best behavior." She clasped her hands together, "okay than, once again welcome to Clarion Academy. I will enjoy getting to know each and every single one of you." She moved off the stage.

One of the vice principals took her place. "Okay, ladies you are going to move to your assigned classrooms to get weighed in and measured for your uniforms."

As soon as everyone started to move, Valerie exclaimed, "Weighed in? Are you kidding me!" Valerie's eyes looked like they were going to pop out. "It's not like we're wrestlers or boxers or models or something like that!"

"Yeah, I know. They shouldn't be doing something like that." Lyra shrugged. "It doesn't really matter anyway. It's not like gaining or losing weight will affect our grades. Well, loosing too much weight will make your grades go down, that's pretty obvious." She stood and stretched her legs right before her row started to empty into the isle.

"Yeah, but still it's embarrassing." Valerie didn't seem totally impressed with the school either. She was almost a head taller than the rest of the girls and was already painfully aware that she stood out from everyone else.

Outside in the lobby there were girls with hot pink and black shirts on waving the girls towards different classrooms. "If your last name starts with A – F, go to room 105…" Each of the girls was holding up a sign as they periodically stopped the girls who looked confused.

"Don't worry about the weigh in," Lyra gave Valerie a supportive smile, "I'll see you back at the room!"

Valerie waved as she was shooed down the opposite hall way by one of the girls who looked a lot like her. Lyra guessed that they were either sisters or cousins.

When Lyra entered room 105 she found three other girls in there already. After another two minutes four more joined them. Lyra half expected this school to be filled with trendy snot rags, but most of them looked like they were just average looking girls. Well, average looking girls wearing Pandora bracelets, coach ballet flats, and designer jeans. Some even looked like they didn't care about their appearance and were dressed in ripped up jeans and graphic t-shirts.

The door slammed behind her, "Hi everyone! My name is Becky and I'm like your Senior Ambassador."

Lyra shifted her weight to look over her should at the girl that just entered.

Becky bobbed her chocolate brown pin straight pony tail back and forth as she spoke, "Okay first I'm like going to do a roll call. There should be like eight of you here!" She silently moved her lips as started to count them but then stopped and then started again as a couple of the girls moved over to the desks to sit down. "Okay, looks like we have eight. Now let's see if we have the right eight!" When she giggled her eyes squinted, "Danielle Anna Aperies?"

"Here!" One of the girls sitting down shouted.

"Lyra Halldora Armstrong? Did I say that right?" The girl looked like she was rereading her name again.

Lyra could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as one or two of the girls snorted. No one bothered to say her stupid middle name. "Close enough."

"Right… next, April May Bennett?"

"Over here!"

"Cassidy Lynn Cook?"

"E'llo!"

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare?" She waited about three seconds. "Rachel?"

Lyra took her eyes off of Becky and scanned the room as well. They quickly shifted and made contact with one of the girls in a graphic tee and tattered jeans. The girl was staring at her with such intensity that she felt really creeped out.