Ok. This is my story. My story, of my life and how my life changed forever. And no before you ask I'm a descendent of Narciccess, talking about my life and my story. Nope, I'm just bog standard Josie King. Bog standard Josie King, descendent of Atalanta and Achilles, daughter of the Hunter and Warrior! Yeah, so this is kinda the story of how I found out my life is a history teacher's idea of a comic book.
Ok let's recap. I was born in Canada. My parents are Archie and Atlanta King. We live in a totally cool lakeside house, only 10 minutes bike ride from my parent's awesome, X-treme Water Sports and Activities Centre, business. It totally fits them to a T. They love being active and out and about, and now they get to share it with everyone. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to tell you about them! Ok, my Dad is the coolest Dad ever. Full stop. I mean come on! How can you not find him awesome when you see him? Purple hair, six-pack and always smiling. He's 38. No-one looks that good in their late 30s. Well, except my Mom. Spiky red hair, two piercings on the top of each ear and the body of a 20 year old swimsuit model. It is a bit funny when a hot guy comes up to you and asks if your sister's free tonight. Even more hilarious when my Dad hears about it. He is so protective of her! Something about how accident prone she was when they first met. It's sweet really. They married their high school sweethearts, started their dream business together and had 'a beautiful child' (their words not mine) all before they were 24. Apparently my Mum's never been very patient, according to my Dad. But then again, she says he was petrified of water as a teen and now he's in charge of the water sports part of the centre. Irony at its best.
But anyway back to me. Once upon a time in a galaxy far far away...
'Josie! Can you check this please!' Lucy the receptionist requested. Being the Boss' daughter has its pros and cons. Pros in this case would be that everyone has to be nice to you or they get fired. Another is that in the case of the Boss' having to go to a meeting or something (which they do a LOT and I don't think is always about introducing a new energy drink to the gym if you catch my drift), and so leave you in charge they have to do whatever you say! Which is especially fun if there happens to be someone you rather dislike on the staff (Hint hint look above). But then again it isn't so much fun when that person realizes that they can give you loads of extra work that usually two people (i.e. Mom and Dad) would normally do. Yeah so this is one of those times.
'Yes Lucy?' I sweetly reply, secretly planning her exit from the company.
'Oh Darling you must look at this! It says that there a new person starting!...'Good someone to replace you...'...He'll be here at 11!' chirped the blonde 20 something year old. She may look think Barbie but behind all that lip gloss and fake tan lies the mind of an evil genius, bent on ruining my Saturdays with paperwork. She chucked me the clipboard and returned to her HUMUNGOUS handbag to empty her third bottle of lip gloss on her plastic face. If you haven't already figured out, I'm not really into all that make up and girly stuff. Mom says I get it from her. Which is true. I'm like a younger version of my Mom personality wise according to Dad. I'm outgoing, witty and we're totally into the same things, like animal rights, sports, finding new things to beat my Dad at... That kinda thing. I'm also really like him. I don't really show my feelings (he took forever to tell my Mom how he felt about her), I'm into mythological poetry (I am totally deep) and, as my Mom calls them, my mood swings. She says I act just like him if I'm angry or something when he was younger. The weird thing is that I don't look like either of them. I mean red and purple hair! You'd expect mine to be like a combination of the two on a paint palette! But no, I am bog standard brown. Not even a dark blondy colour or a reddy, brown shade. Just brown. Boring, dreary, dull, brown. But my eyes are like my Moms. Hazel. Golden brown with a twist of green. My Dad really does have a way with words. You should see the valentine's cards he sends my Mom.
I don't see how they do it! Manage a stressful business, stay fit and healthy, raise a teenager and keep the romance alive! They are my idols. It's corny but I want to grow up to be just like them. They've got it sorted. Anyway I'm going to inherit the centre so should probably get some experience in now. So this'll be fun. Find a new guy, not yet in our extremely attractive baggy blue polo shirt uniform, but also according to my timetable set up a party of ten 8 year olds at the Go-Kart track. Both booked for the same time 11. Which was 5 minutes ago. Great!
'Hey Lucy? Why am I just finding out about this guy when he's already late?' I asked leaning over the counter. She looked up and shrugged, before returning to her ego. I sighed. Suddenly there was a tap on my shoulder. I spun round only to be met with the deepest brown eyes I have ever seen. And because I'm so cool under pressure, when I spun round my clipboard decided to follow and scatter numerous pieces of paper across the reception floor.
'Let me help' he offered immediately, his seducing deep voice sent butterflies into my stomach. Smooth move Jos. Totally hot guy wants to talk to you and you throw paper at him! You do know how to win them over.
'There you go' he handed a couple of sheets to me and smiled. Keep it together Jos...'Yeah I was told to come and find you. I'm...'I cut him of there.
'The new guy? Oh great! I've been looking for you! Sorry I'm Josie...well you probably can read that there!' I pointed at the stitching in the polo. 'We'll get you're polo to you asap.' My stomach flipped at the fact I was gonna be seeing this dude a LOT in the future. 'So shall I show you to your first job?'
'Well Um...' Ahh he's shy! I drag him through a double door and entered the Go-Karts room. I love it in here. About 40 metres wide and 50 metres long it's one of our biggest rooms. It's even bigger in the summer months, when we open the big doors at the end of the room and we alter the track to snake around the outside of the centre. Me and my Dad spend a weekend planning it all when I was 8 and my mum was away at a meeting. I even have my own g-kart! It's green and has J0S1E on the back. Sad I know, but I was 8! Since then it's been upgraded to an adult kart and is now J0S1E 2.0. That was another awesome week end with my Dad in the garage.
'Oh great their already here...'I mumble, referring to the wild children running around the track. I walked over to, whom I guessed to be the birthday boy's mother.
'Mrs Alsop?' she turned to me and nodded, while also trying to separate two bickering kids. 'Hi I'm Josie King. My parents are the owners. Shall I set the track up for you?' she sighed gratefully and nodded, turning back to the arguing ten year olds. Now was time for my secret weapon to be revealed. My bright, orange whistle. I don't use it that often but I could already see this was an emergency. One blow and all eyes were on me. Showtime!
'Hi guys! Can you all come over here please and sit on these chairs?' I called out calmly and sweetly. I pointed at the numerous tables and chairs we had set up around the small cafe in the corner. We would it a nice relief for parents to take some time out with a cup of tea, while their kids roamed loose on the track, burning their unlimited energy supplies. When they were all seated I began.
'Hi, I'm Josie and this is Johnny,' I pointed to a man in a booth at the side of the track. He waved then looked back at his controls. '...And we are going to be getting you on the track in a bit, just after I talk you through some stuff.' A hand shot up. At least they had some manners. 'Yes?'
'Can I go on with Jack?' he requested, pointing to his friends on another table.
'Well there are enough karts for half of you to go on at a time and so I'm sure you can.' I answered, the boy smiling to Jack. 'Ok first rule, when either I or Johnny say Stop, you stop straight away. This is so you stay safe, in case there's something on the track or someone is hurt.' A couple nodded. 'Rule number two no running on or around the track cause you might hurt yourself meaning we'd have to stop the race which is no fun for anyone.' Looking around I had them in the palm of my hand. Then i caught a glance a rather hot new guy I had totally forgotten about. Leaning against the door frame in his dark jeans, grey t-shirt, black All Stars and the subtle grin on his face, he seemed to be enjoying the safety announcement as well. I brought my attention back to the group. 'Um...Now Johnny will talk you through the flags and how to drive the karts so you can get started!' Cheering broke out as I hinted to Johnny to exit his booth and be mobbed by a swarm of kids asking him questions about the karts and asking to wave the flags he held.
'You sure have a way with kids' Mr Hottie grinned as I strided up to him.
'Thanks, but I've just realised I didn't get your name. I mean I just got your file about five seconds ago and I...' suddenly his finger was on my mouth.
'Yeah might just stop you there. It's Jason. Jason Reynolds. And I'm not here for a job.' He lowered his finger to reveal a rather confused look across my face. Very attractive.
'You're not?...Wait I recognise that name...'
'You should, as our parents used to fight evil together.'
Hot but a total psycho. Nice combo!
'Do you need to sit down or something?' I asked slowly, looking him in the eye.
'No and we don't have much time. I don't have time to explain. They've been kidnapped. All seven of them' He announced standing towering over me, with a sympathetic look in his eyes. Beautiful brown eyes...Stay on task Jos!
'What are you talking about? My parents are out of town at a meeting!' I proclaimed, on the defensive side.
'Well not anymore. We were taken by...well he's kind of hard to explain'
'I'm listening' I replied, I was willing to hear him out seeing how there must be a reason for him locating me.
'Ok the story in brief is that when our parents were about our age they were transported to a school with 3 other guys, to fight an evil god, bent on concurring the world again and enslaving mankind.' Don't you just love fairy tales? I nodded for him to continue. He must have taken a while to make this up. '...They were chosen because of their special abilities and the fact they were all descendents of ancient Greek heroes. Am I going too fast? How much do you know about Greek mythology?' he asked, leaning down to me. I seem to have inherited my mother's height which is tall for my age but not nearly as high as my Dad or Mr Reynolds here. I continued to gaze up at him, slightly stunned.
'More than the average teenager let's say.' I answered, trying to hide the fact I know a lot more than the average human. Remember the hobbies I share with my Dad? The poetry one.
'Oh then you know about Cronus?' he inquired, leaning back up straight. I nodded.
'God of Time. Ate his kids so they wouldn't overthrow him, then through them back up and got thrown in Tarterus prison in the Underworld for eternity.' He nodded.
'That's the one.' He sighed. Wait he doesn't think I'm a weirdo for knowing all this stuff? 'But he's not there anymore. Our parents were recruited just after he escaped. They thought they'd destroyed him years ago but...well they didn't. And now he's got them and we have to get them back and save the world.' I blinked at him. Is this honestly happening? I looked in his eyes and something clicked. I suddenly felt I would jump off a cliff if he'd told me to, no questions asked. And not because he's hot, because of something in his eyes.
'Wait, what do you mean we? You and me?' I asked, snapping out of that trance.
'Not just us...' Damn. '...There's seven of us just like the original team. You, me, my sister Louisa, and the children of the other three heroes. I'll explain it all in more detail when we get to my house,' I cut him off again.
'Um I'm kinda working at the moment.' I hinted to him, looking around. I only just realised we were still in the Go-Karts room, with ten screaming kids and I hadn't even noticed.
'Yeah I think you can skip work once. I mean this is your parents' lives we're talking about.' He indicated. He had a good point. That is if I believed him. Which I kinda did. I sighed.
'What the heck!' I marched over to the reception deck through the double doors, Jason trailing behind me, dragged my polo over my head to uncover the navy sleeveless top I had on underneath. I plonked it and my clipboard on the deck to gain Lucy's attention away from the phone, which she was currently using to talk to her friend. I'm guessing friend as you don't usually discuss whether your boyfriends is cheating on you with a perfect stranger. At least I don't think she would, but she is a bit weird sometimes.
'Lucy I'm taking the rest of the day off.' She looked up unimpressed.
'Then who's gonna be in charge when you're out?' she replied, smart-alecly. I leaned over the counter to her.
'You are' I smiled sweetly, handing her a pile of paperwork. 'And oh Lucy honey. Try not to burn the place down. My parents wouldn't be very happy!' I turned and walked straight out the door, followed by Jason. I couldn't she her but could totally sense the daggers shooting out her eyes.
'Oh and another thing, I don't suppose you've come across a black box your parents wouldn't let you go near, have you?' Jason inquired.
'Matt black with a padlock on the front? Yeah two, Why do you ask?' I replied walking towards my pride and joy, and another of me and my Dad's projects. My beautiful green and black motorbike (noticing a pattern here? Yes my favourite colour is green). And also before when I said work was only 10 minutes bike ride away...
'Two? Well we should go and pick them up first.' I nodded, lifting the seat cover up and pulling out two helmets. He looked at me worryingly.
'How old are you again?' He asked, indicating at the large motorbike.
'I was sixteen last month.' I answered tossing him a helmet. He looked nervous again.
'Don't worry I've been biking one way or another, my whole life. It's perfectly safe!' I reassured, smiling. I gave him a wink and put my helmet on and sat down in the seat. He followed suit, sitting behind me, still unsure of the situation.
'Hold on tight!' I shouted as my baby revved into action. He grabbed my wrist, as I tore off down the road.
The purring stopped as I halted to a stop outside my house. Jason's grip had increased during the ride, confirming to me he didn't usually experience the same speeds I do when out and about.
'We're here!' I announced, twisting my key out of my bike, jangling my key rings in the process. I like my keys. A simple house key, my bike key and a Sagittarius bow and arrow, my star sign. I look up at my house. Apart from the awesome lakeside view, my house looks cool too. It's like an enormous log cabin only with the walls being about 75% glass windows. Spacious and relaxing, surrounded by trees and only a couple minutes drive into town. Jason was obviously impressed.
'Shall I go get them then?' I asked, snapping him back to reality.
'Um yeah sure. I've got a call to make anyway.' He replied.