I ran and ran, as quick as my legs could carry me. Every breath I took felt heavy, weighted. I looked behind me, rolling my eyes. Was there anything I could do to get those girls off my back? Those damn bullies kept coming after me.
I turned the corner and hid in the locker room. My breath hitched as I heard the door open. I heard footsteps coming towards me.
A head popped out from around the corner. It was my best friend, Levi Kendell.
"Levi! Don't scare me like that!" I breathed a loud sigh as she held out a hand to help me up.
"Sorry, Rhea, but Chase told me to look for you."
"Yeah, okay. Well, I'm fine - in case you were wondering."
"Good, come on." Levi pulled me out of the locker room and checked for the girls. "All clear, oh and apparently we have a field trip next week to the museum." She chided, fixing her auburn hair.
"Great," I sighed as she pulled me to our next class.
I arrived home and immediately grabbed my bikini and my towel, leaving a note for Nani.
I headed to the private swimming pool that Chase's family owns -which he let's me use to my heart's content- and changed into the white bikini.
As I swam to the bottom of the ten foot pool, I took the rubber band out of my hair, letting it flow loose.
I sat at the bottom and began to contemplate today's events. Brook and her posse wouldn't leave me be. I just wanted a drink. They would never leave me alone. Sometimes I think of what it would be like if I lived underwater.
Water is something I'm strangely attracted to. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't swim. It's my only time to think and I absolutely love it.
I saw a shadow over the water and swam up.
"Hey, Rey,"
"Chase! What are you doing here?"
"I don't know, I figured you'd be here." He chuckled lightly, passing me a towel.
"Thanks, did Nani call you to check on me?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. He sighed and chuckled again.
"Yeah, don't blame me though, she's really overprotective." I giggled as I hopped out of the pool.
"You can say that again." There was a comfortable silence until Chase broke it with a question.
"So... how long were you underwater?" He asked. I paused for a moment.
"I think ten,"
"Seconds?"
"Minutes," I corrected.
"No way," he turned to me and scoffed, "prove it."
I shrugged and dipped back under.
I swam back to the deep end and sat on the bottom, my hair flowing freely and my knees tucked in my chest. I didn't really understand why I could stay underwater for so long, no normal person could unless they trained their lungs to do so.
I saw Chase freaking out a bit at the edge of the pool. I tried hard not to laugh, he looked ridiculous. After a few more minutes of him freaking out, mostly because he can't swim well enough to get me out, I resurfaced.
"I told you," I pushed my black hair away from my face. His blue eyes blinked rapidly and let out a large breath of air.
"Don't you ever do that again, you hear me?!" He ran his long fingers across his caramel colored hair. I grabbed the towel and lifted myself out of the pool.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna go home, bye mother~" I teased him as he huffed.
Arriving home, I immediately saw Nani cleaning the kitchen.
"Hey, Nani,"
"Hey, Rhea! How did school go?" She asked, wiping a counter.
"It was.. okay." I said quietly. She frowned and paused her cleaning, turning to me.
"What is it? Is it that Book girl again?"
"It's Brook, and yeah. She kept going after me today." I huffed and rolled my eyes as I said her name.
"I see," she said quietly, "next time just tell your teacher, it'll be fine."
"Yeah, like something good is going to come out of that." I muttered and went to my room.
The next week, we went to the field trip with a substitute. She seemed odd as she called everyone by their full name.
After Mr. Brunner told us a few things about Greek mythology, I dazed off. What was the point in learning the things I would never use. I felt a hand tap my shoulder.
"Rhea!" Levi muttered, her head jolting towards Mr. Brunner.
"Oh, I apologize, Mr. Brunner, what did you say?" I said, using my student voice.
"That's alright. Now, what is Kronos' wife's name? I'll give you a hint, you two have something in common."
I looked up at the statue's plaque. My dyslexia mixed up the symbols, making them look English. It said "Rhea, mother of six titans, including Zeus, Poseidon and Hades."
"R-rhea," I mumbled.
"Very good, Miss Sawyer, very good. Rhea was a titan, mother of six others including the big three..." I paid attention the rest of the time until Mr. Brunner called on Percy, a boy in my class, very much like me in many ways. We both have blue eyes. We also both have dyslexia. It's a bit odd, but we have some of the same hobbies too, I learned this from his friend, Grover.
"Percy Jackson," Mr. Brunner repeated. Percy wasn't paying attention either, he had his earbuds in. "Can you name another demigod? I'll give you the same hint as Miss Sawyer, you both have something in common." He whispered.
We both looked at the plaque above the carving of a man, the letters moved and formed the name Perseus.
"Perseus," he muttered.
"Good, moving on." Mr. Brunner moved his wheelchair to another carving as the substitute pulled us away.
"Percy Jackson, Rhea Sawyer, I need to speak with you two." She said and pulled us into another room.
I turned around for a second and she was gone.
"Mrs. Dodds? Mrs. Dodds, where'd you go?" Percy called out. He turned around and she was at the top of a large shelf thing, I forgot what it's called. I backed up a bit. How did she get up there?
"Give me the bolt, you two!" She screeched
"What? What are you talking about?" I asked, my voice laced with confusion.
"I know one of you have it! Give it here!" She transformed into a monster with bat-like features. She looked like a goblin!
"Woah, uh I have no idea what you mean!" Percy said, grabbing my hand and pulling me back along with him. "So, we're just -uh- we're gonna leave, and uh, see you tomorrow, yeah. Bye!" He said and pulled me towards the door.
"Oh no you don't!" She screeched, flying towards the door.
"And why the hell not?!" I whined, frustrated. What is she???
"Hey, I get that we're being attacked, but there's no need to be so vulgar."
"Oh, put a sock in it!"
The thing attacked us, causing me to react. I pulled Percy out of the way, dodging her.
There was a loud noise and the thing screeched.
Mr. Brunner, Grover and Levi burst through the door.
"Oh, thank God, you're both alright!" Levi sighed in relief as the thing screeched again.
"Shut up!" I bellowed, causing the thing to let out a whine.
"Children, get behind me!" Mr. Brunner said, urging us to get behind his chair. "Be gone, Fury! Or by Zeus, you'll get what's coming for you!"
The "Fury" growled and flew to the window, shattering it to bits as she flew out.
"What the hell?!" I fumed. "What was that?!?"
"That was a Fury. Grover, Levi, take them home." He gave Percy an I a pen. "I have a feeling you'll need these, use them only when necessary."
"Yeah, okay I'm gonna use a pen for what? Writing a letter?!" I sneered, however, I was rudely ignored.
"Yes, Mr. Brunner," they said in unison. Levi pulled us out of the room, the same with Percy, and took us home.
When we arrived, Nani was on her phone.
"Nani, they have to go. Now," Levi announced.
"Wait, what do you mean? I don't understand," I pleaded.
Nani rushed me out of the apartment.