I Ride a Flying Horse

I shut the car door behind me and started heading towards my new school, Johnney Dames Middle School. I didn't like the sound of my 8th school in 6 years. I've been thrown out of every single one I've ever set foot in for simple things like that weren't even my fault like exploding classrooms and overflowing water fountains. I probably should introduce myself. I'm Alexandria De Cruz, for now if my stepdad doesn't die and my stepmom doesn't marry someone else. I'm 12-years-old and I have ADHD and dyslexia. My 'actual' dad disappeared before I was born leaving me and my mom to the mercy of my stepdad. Then my mom had to go and get herself killed leaving me with my drunk stepdad and my stepmom who thinks I commit crimes by breathing. Oh, and to add to that, the few times I decide to trust someone they have to go and betray me.

Anyway, back to the real world. So, I was walking up the steps of my new school praying to some kind of god, if I believed in them, that I wouldn't blow up another school. I walked in to come face to face with a gangly looking teenager with a wispy goatee and a terrible case of acne. He looked at me like I had dropped down from space and shot him with a gun. Then, finally, he put on a weird kind of smile and said, "Hi".
"Hi?" I said, not sure how to react.
"Uh…..what's your name?" he asked.
"Alexandria," I said through gritted teeth. I hated my name.
"Why do you sound like you want to kill me?" he asked.
"Um…..no it's my name. I hate it."
"Um….ok," he said and then ran off down a corridor. Wonderful I thought. Another school with more weirdoes.

I figured out where the library was. Funny I could figure that out but I couldn't figure out how to solve a math problem. I pulled out a book from a shelf and started reading. Somehow, my ADHD or dyslexia never acted up when I was reading something interesting. I was really into the book when I heard a growl behind me. I thought it was just my imagination…until I heard it again. I turned and saw two killer sharp fangs, I swear, an inch from my face. I backed up until I was against a bookshelf. What I did next was so stupidly ingenious; I should be in the Guinness Book of World Records. Instead of running or at least calling for help like a sensible person would, I smacked it square on the snout with a Chemistry textbook. It fell unconscious at my feet. Footsteps came from behind me. I turned, book in hand. There was a girl who looked around 16 or 17 with blond hair and stormy gray eyes accompanied by the weirdo who ran down the corridor. The girl's mouth hung open as she looked at the beast lying on the floor. She walked up and stabbed it with what looked like a bronze dagger. I watched as it melted into shadows which disappeared quickly. The girl studied me with her grey eyes making me feel like a suspect in a lineup. "You hit the hellhound?" she asked.
"I hit the what?"
"The hellhound. You know that huge dog."
"Oh," I said, "Well, unless bookshelves have arms I'm pretty sure I was the only one in here capable of hitting anything."
"Ok...your name's Alexandria right?"
I glared at her.
"Oh right sorry," she said quickly, "Alex right?"
I heard footsteps coming towards us. The blond girl looked in that direction and grabbed my wrist. She started pulling me towards the window.
"Grover, we need to get out of here. NOW!" she said.
The weirdo ran after us. He opened the window and climbed out looking suspiciously like a mountain goat. The blond followed.
"Come on!" she said.
I heard the library door opening and saw a crowd of adults, headed by the principal coming towards me.
"Alex, come on," the blond persisted.
I took a deep breath and climbed out.

I hit the sidewalk running. I followed the blond and the weirdo as they turned a corner into a dark alley. The weirdo, who the blond called 'Grover', whistled. I heard the beating of wings and looked up. Seriously, it was one of those, 'It's a plane, it's a bird, it's Superman!' moments. Only it wasn't Superman. It was, or they were since there were three of them, what looked like horses with wings. They landed with a whoosh.
"Hey boss's sis! Sup!"
 "Oh…k. Is that horse talking to me?" I said. The blond turned to me looking worried.
"Ok, this is getting weirder by the minute,"
"You're saying that?"
"Hey Porkpie," Grover said, "Stop freaking her out."
The blond sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Just get on the horse," she said.
"Hold your horses. I don't know who you are where you're taking me or why you're taking me there," I said, counting them off my fingers, "You answer those questions, I get on the horse," I pointed to the horse with wings.
"I'm Annabeth and that's Grover," said the blond, pointing to the weirdo.
"Fine," I said, "One down, two to go."
I heard sirens wailing. Annabeth looked in their direction and seemed to get more worried.
"Look," she said, "We don't have time now. I'll answer all your questions once we get to camp."
"Wait, what camp?"
The sirens got closer.
"Look," said Grover, "If you get on the horse, we'll all stay out of jail."
I sighed, "Ok fine"
I got on the horse. I had absolutely no clue as to where these people were taking me but something told me to trust them. Annabeth and Grover got on the remaining horses. The sirens' wailing seemed to be coming from just around the bend. The edge of a police car became visible.
"GO!" Annabeth yelled.
The horses, pegasi I think they were called, burst into the air.

I gripped the pegasus's mane in an attempt to stay on. For riding a flying horse that was flying at maybe 100 mph with no saddle and zero experience, it was oddly comfortable. I looked down and nearly fainted. The trees below looked more like broccoli.
"Oh God!" I groaned.
The wind seemed to pick up, almost toppling us to the ground way down below.
"She doesn't know!" screamed Annabeth and the wind died down.
I clung to the pegasus's neck and it neighed. Grover and Annabeth looked at me.
"You ok?" Grover asked.
I must have looked pretty bad because he turned to Annabeth without waiting for my answer and said, "There's something wrong with her." Annabeth shook her head.
"I think she's scared of heights, right?" she asked looking at me.
I could only nod.
"Close your eyes," she advised, "I'll tell you when we get there."
"Thanks," I murmured and leaned against the pegasus's slender neck, shutting my eyes.