Chapter 1
She gazed out of the window, the snow leisurely falling against the window sill. It had snowed all week, and there was no sign of it stopping. The snow made everything mellow and sweet. Outside, she could hear no noise- it was like the snow had encompassed the world in its blanket. Everything outside seemed to have stopped, as if even the trees were standing just for the sight of snow.
Snow. It had always made her feel a little calm inside. The white cover of fluffy white snow made her think of some age old comfort- a comfort that seemed too ancient to be hers. Snow reminded her of good times, of times where she felt her very soul to be content. It was one of those deep hearted feelings that she couldn't describe. Her heart always seemed to be at peace when heavy snowfall struck the city. It was like a sudden end to a strange quivering she had in her heart. She saw companionship in the snow. A brittle companionship, but a strong one for the while it lasted. With the snow, her heart, mind, body and soul were completely and convivially content. She did not know where that feeling came from. She only knew that it was all inside of her. And it made her happy. So she accepted it, since she always seemed to enjoy the snow more that way.
It was ironic. She loved the snow falling. Its little snow balls falling gently on an unknowing world. They snowflakes came quietly, and just as they came, they left the world peacefully. But she had never really been a fan of rain. Rain, with its patter, and the fact that it drenched her so quickly always made her have a deep unsettling feeling. She would sit in the porch, sipping ice tea and watching the children play in the summer rains, trying to avoid the droplets that fell overwhelmingly to the ground.
Rain had a frightening feeling to it. The pace at which rain fell- especially when it poured heavily made her feel as if the world was crumbling at her. It was an odd feeling- an unrealistic one too. But she could never drive it away. Heavy rain brought to her a feeling of despair. A feeling that the skies were about to explode and shoot into a thousand millions shards. A feeling that unnerved her to the core. So she stayed out of the rain. As much as she could.
Those were only some of the emotions she felt that she could not explain. That she never tried to really. That she embraced openly because to her, it was who she was and there was no running from who she was.
A week later, she found herself sitting in a brightly lit classroom. School had just started for the second semester. And she was already bored. With the initial registration and enrolment done, she sat waiting for the teacher to bring order into a class full of 13 year olds. She sat next to the windows- her usual spot. She spotted Arianna, a blonde and blue eyed girl. Arianna was new this year, but was immensely popular, since her parents were super rich and all. Right next to her was Barbara, a dark skinned and dark haired girl- Arianna and her were best friends. Arianna and Barbara were the girls with the highest fashion sense. Literally. And they always quoted the wrong movies, shows and books. And they got decent grades. So basically, they were almost close to perfect.
And she loved them to death.
"Helene! Where were you all Christmas? You missed the skating rink! Did you know that James confessed his undying love to Tia there? Oh it was the sweetest!" Arianna squealed, waving her hands about her head.
Barbara nodded her head continuously.
"Guys. You know my mother. She gets a bit cuckoo sometimes. And she doesn't believe in Christmas so going anywhere in Christmas time is impossible," Helene replied, rolling her eyes.
"Well, whatever your mom says. You've just gotta stay over at my place. We'll have the perfect sleepover. And oh! Did you hear the party James was having over at the West side? We have to go there. And because we, "Barbara motioned to the three of them, "set James and Tia together in the first place, they're going to officially announce it. I mean, could this be any more amazing?"
Before any of them could answer, a tall bespectacled man walked into the room. Setting his bag on his chair, he called for everyone to be seated. Arianna winked at Helene, who smiling back, could not wait for this class to end to get all the gossip.
But most of all, she could not wait until the elective period after lunch. Music theory and instrument.
Music lessons were, he believed, the most feminine thing he could think of in all the classes he took in the history of Asgard. Well, not really. But it definitely was something he had little interest in. He was only eager for history class that took place in the palace's vast library, filled with a multitude of books that even he couldn't count.
By the time he would be 18, he would have read the entire collection in the palace that was open for the general public. There was still a restricted section- a sea of even older manuscripts, paintings and recordings that were twice as big as the section open for everyone. It was a majestic library. A library where a human could live his entire life and still not be able to conquer.
As his mind lingered on, thinking of the next epic fable to read, he felt a slight pinch on his hand. He retracted his hand, his reverie broken by a sandy haired and tall boy.
"Where were you lost again, brother? You don't seem to be paying any attention to the techniques of music. You know this is the third music teacher in a month," he said cautiously.
"You know the little interest I have in music, Thor. Why do I even need to learn this?" he said, standing up from his seat.
"Because, Loki, it is Asgardian culture. And we need to learn all this to be good kings and rulers," Thor said, matter-of-factly.
The black haired boy stared at Thor for a second. Then he lifted his satchel and hung it on his shoulder.
"Then I think only you need to be learning this."
He left the room through the beautifully arched door, leaving a gaping Thor and a puzzled music teacher.