My stomach knotted tightly as my name was read out.
"Katrin Simons," My English teacher called. I fumbled through my sheets to find my speech, then stood up feeling as though my knees were about to buckle.
Now don't get me wrong… I am smart. Very smart, actually. But reading out loud and writing by hand is hard for me, and my class somehow finds that hilarious.
I walked from my seat at the back all the way to the front of class passing faces caked in make-up and eyebrows drawn on by what I can only assume were sharpies. The boys weren't much better their trousers hanging down their backsides making the look like they needed a nappy change.
'9O Chav Central' I thought to myself.
"Retard," Jonah coughed as I past him I rolled my eyes and carried on. I'm way more intelligent than him. I got here on a scholarship.
I stood at the front with everybody staring at me. I looked over to my English teacher Mrs Harrington and she smiled. I had begged her to let me turn in a written speech but she couldn't do anything; the level had to be an oral report and if I didn't my grade would be lowered considerably.
I started to read my speech on Greek Mythology. We were studying Mythology and we had a choice between Greek, Roman, Norse, Celtic and Egyptian. My favourite was always Greek Mythology - I even had Greek Heritage. I guess it was a way of connecting with my Father. He died while my mother was pregnant with me. He was in Iraq
I stuttered through it and shook. I kept reading the wrong words and missing lines.
I was so glad when it was over.
I walked out of class as soon as the bell sounded. I clutched my books to my chest.
My body was slammed against the lockers, I felt all the air leave my body. I looked up to see Jonah smirking down at me with his group of minions laughing.
"Nice speech Katrin," he laughed. "Can't you read?"
"Yeah can you?" I snapped back. "Or is your only ability being a dick?"
His shark like face narrowed. He had always looked like a hammerhead shark to me. His dull eyes were too far apart, he had a wide forehead and a slightly narrower chin.
"Good thing you Daddy died before he saw how much of a spaz he had for a daughter."
That was it - I had snapped. I got up and punched him hard in the face. He stumbled backwards into some year seven girls who screamed and pushed him away.
"Don't just stand there! Grab her, you idiots!" He shouted, clearly bursting with anger.
Well so was I. I felt like I was burning on the inside.
"You have no right to talk about my Father! He was a soldier! He died protecting your sorry ass!" I screamed, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him into the wall.
"Calm down, retard," he hissed cruelly.
"Don't call me a retard!" I punched him again. Blood ran from him face as two of his minions pulled me off him and threw me onto the ground.
Pain seared through me as they kicked me in the stomach over and over. I tried to scramble away but there was too many of them, and none of my friends were here to help.
I began to cough up blood.
"Stop," I begged breathlessly.
"HEY! GET OFF OF HER!" a strangely familiar voice shouted.
I heard the sounds of knuckles and skin colliding. I curled into a ball, clutching my stomach.
I could barely breathe and the pain was horrible. I carried on coughing up blood which was worrying.
"Are you alright?" the same voice asked sounding genuinely concerned.
"No," I whimpered.
I coughed again and saw more blood staining my hand. "Oh shit"
Katrin! Oh my God Katrin!" someone exclaimed. It was Sarah, but she wasn't alone. I was trying to figure out that voice.
"Get a teacher, she needs an ambulance," The familiar boy told her. "Try not to move, Kat."
'Kat.' It couldn't be…
"Sean?" I whispered weakly.
"Yeah it's okay I'm here"
Everything started to fade until only darkness remained.
"Get out!" I heard Sarah snap making my head hurt.
"Sarah come on, I just want to make sure she's alright"
"If you hadn't left she'd be fine, Sean," she answered bitterly
"Sean..." I said weakly in disbelief.
"Yeah it's me." I could hear him smiling as he spoke.
"I told him to leave," Sarah said, clearly annoyed.
Sarah was my step-sister. She was two years older than me, but she was always looking after me; she was more of a mother to me than my own. In the summer she went to stay with her real Mum so I was left on my own. She had blonde hair and grey eyes, and beautiful golden skin. She was slim and pretty - you'd expect her to be in with the popular crowd, but no. She completely loathed them. She saw herself as an outcast. She had always told me it was better to have one real friend than thirty fake.
I had thick wavy brown hair and big sea-green eyes. I had olive skin. I wasn't pretty. I had no chance in school.
Sean. Sean was my first boyfriend, I loved him and he left last year. With no explanation. I was heart-broken. He just vanished, out of the blue. I thought he was dead. He had brown hair, bright blue eyes and tanned skin. The only things I was good at was swimming and getting in trouble.
I opened my eyes and he was standing there. He was taller now, he was wearing an orange t-shirt with Camp Half-Blood written in black. There was also this leather band around his neck with a strange looking clay bead on it.
"How you feeling?" he asked me, his hand brushing my hair.
"Go." I said, hitting his hand away which hurt my chest and stomach.
I looked away as he left again.
"I can't believe that you attacked Jonah," Sarah piped up, once he was out of earshot.
"He was talking about my Dad," I defended myself.
"His friends bruised your ribs. They are getting suspended...You're getting expelled."
"Oh God…oh God," I panicked.
I'm a scholarship kid, which means they don't get money for me being here, so if they expel me they save money. I was warned about this.
"Why is Sean back?"
"I don't know, but I can keep him away from you if that's what you want." She offered.
"What I want is not to have bruised ribs and an expulsion."
"I'm going to go get a doctor and get hold of Lisa," Sarah sighed. Lisa's my Mum and Sarah's step-mum. She works four jobs so I hardly ever see her. Sarah's Dad left us for a prostitute, literary. My Mum loved him and so did I, he was like a Father to me. He not only left, but all the debt he got himself into was left for us to pay.
I guess maybe I have a problem with people leaving.
….
They discharged me from hospital the day after. My mum wouldn't let me see the bill but I could tell it was big and I felt horrible, after she had worked so hard.
I went home with my meds. Sarah had to go to work and of course my mum was at work too.
I heard the door slide open.
"Sarah I told you to go to work I'm fine," I called, but nobody answered.
I stood up painfully to see a small women wearing a black leather jacket. She looked in her late fifties, and had stern looking features.
"Hi, um, can I help you?" I asked, confused.
"Yes, I'm sure you can honey." she said in a refined tone, pushing past me and making my ribs hurt.
"Look if you are trying to find Matthew he left a long time ago. We are paying the debt - it's not time for us pay this month." I tried to sound strong.
This women was thin and old. I'm sure if she attacked I can fight her off even with my ribs.
"I'm not interested in money, I'm interested in you."
My heart started to beat faster than I thought it could.
"Okay that's nice, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave"
I turned and opened the door. I looked back and she was gone.
What replaced her made my stomach catch alight.
"Oh fuck!"
A Fury, and actually a freaking Fury was standing before me, its teeth bared and its leathery body poised to attack.
This can't be happening, this is Mythology. Mythology. It's not real!
It jumped onto me, dragging one of its talons along my arm. I screamed and threw it off. The Fury hit the wall, making a very real and very loud screech.
"Please, please leave me alone," I begged the creature.
"Kat!" Sean shouted.
Oh great, two problems to face now.
He ran through the door, unsheathing a golden sword.
"Sean…"
He sliced the Fury's chest and she turned to a pile golden sand.
I stood rooted to the ground.
Surely I'm in a coma and this is some sort of coma-nightmare.
"Kat your arm…" Sean gasped.
I looked down, there was a deep gash and a lot of crimson blood.
"Oh yeah," I muttered as my knees gave way and I fell to the floor.
He lifted me up and laid me on the sofa.
"Kat we have to go I can take you someplace safe," Sean said quietly.
"I am safe."
"Kat you are a Demi-God." He whispered so quietly I could barely hear him.
I bit my lip to stop myself from screaming at him. "You will never be safe things like this will keep happening and…."
"Ha-ha hilarious! No get out of my house before I call the police," I interrupted. This wasn't the time to be making fun of my interests too.
"I'm not joking…"
"Go on, leave! Leave like you did before!" I shouted, ignoring the pain it caused.
"I had to I had no choice, I would have died if I had stayed" he tried to explain.
"I thought you were dead," I hissed. "You could have left a note, just to tell me that you were safe"
"Kat we can talk about this later, right now I need to get you to a safe place."
"No, you don't get to do this! You don't get to walk back into my life and take me with you!" I snapped, getting more and more angry.
"I didn't want to have to do this," he muttered, reaching into his pocket.
"Do what?" I questioned cautiously.
He pressed a syringe into my arm and instantly my vision blurred. "I'm sorry Kat."
"Damn…you…Sean," I slurred as my eyes closed and for the second time since he appeared.