Right, so this was actually a project for school that I did a year ago, but I found it again and remembered how much fun it was to write it. At the moment, it's just a one-shot, but I may decide to add more modernized myths to it. We'll see. Enjoy!
p.s. You'll probably need to at least have a grasp of Greek/Roman mythology and the different gods, goddesses, and varied nymphs and humans to understand this fully. Sorry!
Echo and Narcissus Modernized!
Dramatis Personae:
Echo: Eleanor Pine
Narcissus: Nick Miras
Juno: Julia Regina
Jupiter: Jake Chronoson
Tiresias: Tobias (Toby) Augur
Eleanor
I was a freshman in high school when it all began. I had joined the cheerleading team in order to make friends, and was immediately favored by Julia, the head cheerleader. Things were going well, when Jake, the football captain and Julia's boyfriend, approached me after a practice one day.
"Hey, uh-" he paused.
"Eleanor," I prompted.
"Yeah. So, Elizabeth, I need a favor." He continued hastily when my eyes widened and I turned toward Julia. "Not like that! I just need you to keep Julia occupied for a few days."
"Why?" I asked cautiously.
"Well, you see, there's this new cheerleader, Io, and I feel that it's my responsibility as football captain to make her feel welcome at our school. But Julia's really possessive, so if you just," here he waved his hand a little as emphasis, "distract her for a few days, then everything will be fine. Thanks for helping me!" And with that, Jake walked off, leaving me no choice but to do as he asked. He was helping a new student, exactly as a role model should. Right? Nothing else would happen…I hoped.
Boy was I wrong. Jake was caught in very bad circumstances with Io by Julia, who was furious. And she took it out on Io and me. I would have felt pity for Io, except I was pretty miserable myself. I was sent to the bottom of the social ladder, and found that my voice didn't count for anything. I got ignored when I spoke, and eventually gave up speaking, except to repeat others' words. It was safer.
Toby
This was a bad year from the first day in. Julia still hadn't forgiven me for siding with Jake in some stupid argument during middle school, so yet again I was ignored by the entire grade. You'd think she'd forgive me, since this is our senior year, but that's Julia for you. Fortunately Jake was still trying to make it up to me by letting me predict people's futures and be in charge of the gambling ring.
I could have seen Eleanor's misfortune coming from a mile away, metaphorically, since without my coke-bottle glasses I'm pretty blind. I felt bad for the freshman, since Jake did take advantage of her. And he didn't even protect her from Julia's wrath. The poor kid didn't stand a chance, especially since she's goodhearted to begin with, and only wanted to fit in.
Eleanor and I made an interesting pair, since I was blind and she stopped talking. But we got on well, and I helped her survive the rest of her first semester of freshman year. I tried to make sure she steered clear of trouble, but there wasn't much I could do when the new kid came to our school. Nick Miras stole the hearts of girls and boys alike when he first walked into Olympus High School, and Eleanor was not immune. Thankfully, she was too shy after the cheerleading fiasco to actually gush about him, so I didn't have to listen to it. She was concerned about him when I told her what I thought of him.
"Eleanor, you shouldn't bother with him."
"Shouldn't bother with him?" She looked at me curiously, her eyes large in her pale, wary face.
"Nah. He won't last much longer. He'll only survive here if he doesn't get to know himself."
"Get to know himself?" Great, now Eleanor was concerned and confused.
"Never mind. Just don't get too obsessed." She smiled at me, and went back to studying. This does not bode well.
Eleanor
I really should have listened to Toby. I just didn't see what the harm was in trying to get to know Nick. He seemed like a nice kid, if a little arrogant. Toby was friends with Jake, so he couldn't protest too much, especially when I pointed this out in a note. So I let myself fall deeper into love with Nick, and soon progressed to watching him whenever I got the chance, which was as often as I could.
If only Nick hadn't come to the library during my lunch. If only I hadn't responded when he asked if anyone was there.
"Hey, is anyone here?" I responded before I could think about it and stop myself.
"Here!" Only then did I realize who was asking, and began screaming inside my head. He couldn't talk to me! Not when I still couldn't talk to people! But of course he didn't know that…
"Where are you? Come here!"
"Here!" Oh gods, I did it again! What am I going to do?
It continued on like this, until I wondered if Nick was being stupid on purpose or if he really couldn't find me in a library as small as ours. It's not like I was hiding…much. So I stepped out from behind the bookshelves and responded again. "Here!"
He turned; his eyes dark with annoyance. "Geez? Why were you hiding? Are you stalking me or something?"
I answered, scared silly and without thinking, "Or something." At that my eyes widened as Nick turned and stomped away, muttering something about psychos and stalkers. I fled back into the shelves and vowed never to speak again, not even to Toby.
Toby
I knew it. That kid was trouble from when he first got here. Now Eleanor's even more messed up. She's completely faded, and can't even look me in the eye. I've got to get her to therapy for this. And that kid is no better. A few days after Eleanor went mute, he caught sight of himself in the school locker room mirror, and went completely ballistic. He's started starving himself, and obsessing over his perfection. He's even more annoying than before. He carries a hand mirror around, and gazes at himself incessantly. Now, he's been institutionalized for anorexia and narcissism. It's this school, I swear. Everyone's wacko.
If you don't know the myth, I'm sorry! Hopefully you managed to enjoy yourself anyway.
Please R&R, but if you have a flame, don't bother. Thanks!
Tam