Demeter's Children

Wait… are you reading this? Please tell me that you're not reading this! Why are you reading this? Do you see YOURSELF in these pages? NO! I implore you to stop reading now…

Unless you absolutely must. I mean, my sister and I DID go on that totally badass adventure. We DESERVE to be recognized!

Ugh! Forgive my brother. He's an idiot. Anyway, we did go on an adventure. But it was really deadly and scary. You shouldn't have to go through with it like we did.

Come on, sis! Don't be such a buzzkill! Our adventure was so badass! You were all like 'WHOOSH' and I was all like 'KABOOM' and Will was all like 'ARROWS' and...

Bro. We get the idea. Just start the story already.

…Fine. But not because you told me to! Only because I want to. You can't boss me around.

Right. I so see that.

COMMENCING STORY!

Announcing everything you do?

Just shut up and let me tell the damn story!

It was like any other boring day. My sister, Macey, and I were at the same boring school that we were every day. I was failing the same boring classes that I failed every day. I was hitting on all the same pretty girls as before. I wish that something would make this day, I don't know, a little less boring.

During lunch, while Macey was away with her friends, I sat with my best friend Will Solace. Will was a cool kid, and we were really tight, even though he'd only come to this school a few months ago. "Hey, Will," I said, sitting down.

He nodded. "Sup, Aaron?"

I rolled my eyes. "Nothing, dude. That's the problem! This is another boring day at a boring school in a boring city. I wish that something exciting would happen! Like one of those monsters from Mythology Class would be real, and it would come here. That would be cool."

Will fixed me with a stern gaze, like I'd just said something stupid. "Never wish that, dude, ever. Those monsters would probably kill all of us."

I laughed. "Calm down, dude! Sheesh, when did you become such an expert on monsters?"

He blushed a little. "Never mind that, dude. Just eat the same boring crap that you eat every day, okay?"

I was spared from having to eat that crap when this girl, Jenny Melody, came over to our table. Macey was right behind her. She put her hands on the table and said, "Mister Rodriguez wants to see you!"

Jenny had that same smirk on her face that she always did. She was one of those kids that were a goody-two shoes and a snitch at the same time. She'd do anything to get extra points with the teachers or to get another student in trouble.

I stood up. "Well, Mace, looks like we're in trouble!"

Macey rolled her eyes. "You know that I hate it when you call me that!"

I grinned. "I know, Mace."

Will rose too, but Jenny stared him down. "Mister Rodriguez only wants these two."

A flicker of annoyance came over Will. "So? I can come to, if I want."

Jenny rolled her eyes. "Ugh, you stupid boy! No, you can't come if you want! That's against the rules!"

Will got all up in her face and snapped his fingers. I felt a small breeze flow through, which was weird, because it was May and all of the doors were closed. "Mister Rodriguez wants to see me as well."

Jenny put on her best fake smile. "Listen, Will, no he doesn't."

Will tensed immediately. Even though he said nothing, I could tell that something was wrong. He looked at Macey and me and said, "Be safe, guys."

I wasn't sure what he meant by 'be safe'. Like we were going to do something that could possibly get us killed? Whatever. I nodded at him one last time before following Jenny and Macey out of the cafeteria.

Jenny was walking in front of us, so Mace and I could whisper. "Did you see that weird thing Will did when he snapped?" Macey asked me.

I nodded. "Maybe it was just like a coincidence or something with the breeze."

"Then why'd he snap at her and say that Mister Rodriguez wanted him too?"

I shrugged. "Illusion?"

Macey rolled her eyes. "Leave it to you to say something stupid like that."

"Yeah," I began, "There are sooooooo many more explanations. Maybe he was brainwashing her too!"

Macey blushed. "You know what I mean! Something just doesn't feel right, you know?"

Before we could finish our conversation, we arrived at Mister Rodriguez's door. Jenny smirked at us. "Good luck in there, kids!"

I felt like punching her just to wipe the smirk off of her face, but I decided that it probably wasn't the best thing to do with a teacher in the room right in front of us.

As Macey walked in, I gave her my own fake smile and said, "See you later, Jenny."

She smiled evilly at me and replied, "I wouldn't plan on it."

She skipped down the hallway, so I just went in the room.

Macey was already sitting down in one of the two chairs in front of Rodriguez's desk.

Rodriguez stared at me with his golden eyes and a triumphant smile. He was wearing this brown overcoat like he did every day, which I had always found a little weird. He said, "Sssssit down, missssster Pagessssss."

Mister Rodriguez had a huge lisp, so whenever he said words with 's' in them, like my last name Pages, he over annunciated the sound. I sat in the chair next to my sister.

Speaking of Macey, miss model student raised her hand. "Yesssss, missssss Pagessssss?"

"Um, mister Rodriguez," began Macey, "Why exactly are we here? Are we in trouble?"

Rodriguez still had that triumphant smirk on his face. "Oh, you are in trouble. It issss becausssse of who you are, darling."

Macey was confused. "Because of who we… are?"

"Yesssss, darling," Rodriguez cooed, "You are naughty children. Sssssso it is my job to get rid of naughty children."

I didn't follow. "Um, how are we 'naughty children', exactly?"

He looked at me, and it felt like his eyes were drilling into my skull. "All demigodssss are naughty. We can't afford to take the rissssk. You musssst be punissssshed."

I thought I'd misheard. "Demigods?"

"Do you know who your mother issss?"

I was thrown off by the question. "Our mom left when we were little. Dad doesn't like to talk about her much."

His smile grew and it turned into a wicked one. "Then congratulationsssss. You are the next victimssss."

And then to the horror of my sister and me, Mister Rodriguez threw off his overcoat…

…To reveal green, scaly skin. My sister gasped as he began to convulse, and his hands, his head, and every other place that looked slightly normal was transformed into green, scaly skin.

"What… what ARE you?" I asked, panicking. When I'd asked for a monster before, I hadn't wanted this!

He grinned maliciously, which was creepy because of his new facial structure. "I am a dracaenae, you inssssssufferable boy!"

The name sounded familiar. "Those snake women from mythology?"

Rodriguez hissed and Macey yelped. "They were not ALL women! There were some men, asssss well!"

I couldn't process this. "You… you expect me to believe that you're some monster from mythology?"

He grinned. "Do you have a choice?"

Quickly, he let loose a breath of fire that would've burned me and Macey had we not dove out of the way in time. Instead, the fire charred our chairs and disintegrated them into ash.

"MACEY! WE NEED A FREAKING PLAN!" I screeched.

Macey was so scared she couldn't speak. I was understandably freaked out as well. It wasn't everyday that your teacher turned into a freaking monster from mythology. My ADHD kicked in, and suddenly I became aware of every move the monster was making.

I saw it begin to tense up and cried, "Macey! Watch out!"

I tackled her to the ground as another blast of fire came firing, and the spot where her head had been was now enveloped in flames. Hurray.

As we rose to our feet, the dracaenae chortled. "Foolisssh demigodssss! You ssssshall perissssh sssssslowly and painfully!"

I gathered up all my courage and said, "And you should invest in a speech therapist."

Rodriguez growled and was about to shoot out another breath of fire. I grabbed on to Macey, and she was panicking so much I thought she'd pass out.

But before the monster could fire, three arrows came flying out at him. He hissed and moved out of the way, and the three arrows instead lodged themselves in a wall.

Macey and I turned to look for our savior and discovered a familiar face.

Will grinned at me, a bow and a quiver in his hand. "Who's ready to kick some monster ass?"

All right, I hope that you all liked this! Please review!

And, note: I'm co-writing this with my friend greenangel77. Aaron's POV will be written by me, and she will write Macey's POV. The next update will come whenever she decides to write the next chapter.

But please review! PRETTY, PRETTY, PRETTY, PRETTY, PRETTY PLEASE!