I thought I was just a normal kid. No different than the stranger who sits next to you on the bus because there are no more seats to sit in. Even though sometimes I would see things. Things that I know couldn't be real, but were. They were just little flashes. That people weren't really people, but sometimes they were these monsters. One time there was a huge guy strolling through the middle of town. I was with my friends and everyone was gaping at how tall and big he was, but I was more focused on the fact that he only had one eye. When I tried to tell my friends what I had seen they only laughed like I was joking or they had tried to convince me that I was just seeing things.

Then after that, I kept seeing more and more. My mom took me to a doctor. They said I was schizophrenic and ADHD. They had me take pills for both, which didn't help anything. I kept seeing things, and as time went on I just stopped mentioning what I was seeing.

I wasn't a trouble maker in school, I usually kept to myself, even though my anger sometimes surged up and made me want to punch people in the face. There was never a moment when I wasn't liked by at least one person. I never got along with everyone, but I made my way with the friends who did care about me.

It all happened in one day. A normal, nonchalant day. There was a new girl at school. She was so small I could barely believe she was in my grade, a freshman. She looked more like a really timid sixth grader. I was sitting alone reading my book when she came and started talking to me. I suppose she just wanted to make a friend on her first day and fast.

"Hello" she smiled sweetly at me.

I look up at her and smile, "Hello, you new here?"

She sat down next to me, "Yeah, I suppose you could say that." she scrunched her eyebrows but then perked up again, "I was homeschooled, but my mom said that I am ready to go to an actual school instead of staying close to, um, home."

I smiled. Timid sixth grader. "That's awesome, I've never been homeschooled before. I don't think I would like it either, being all cooped up all the time. By the way my name is Haley."

She giggled, "Rosaline, but you can call me Rose."

Rose was very small and thin. Her skin was smooth and kind of olive colored. She had soft features even though her cheekbones were very prominent. She had long red-brown hair that reached down below her waste. Parts of it were curled, but most of it was straight and smooth. Her nose was turned up and she had freckles dotted all over.

I gestured to my book, "do you like to read?"

She looked perturbed by the question. As if she wasn't quite sure how to answer. Finally she said, "Not really. It, um seems like a waste of trees," she quickly corrected herself, "um, I mean paper."

"Oh," I looked down to continue reading. A waste of paper? Her opinion made me angry; I love books. I looked down at my book to continue reading, trying to give her the hint that I was done talking with her.

"Not that it matters anyway," Rose sighed, trying to change the subject, "so are you a freshman? I'm a freshman. Or are you older?"

I laughed, slightly with annoyance, only to be nice. "C'mon I don't look that old already, do I? Yeah, I'm a freshman."

We compared schedules and out of six classes we had four together. What a coincidence, right? Rose and I sat chatting with each other. School wouldn't start for another twenty minutes so we had time. I deducted that Rose was sweet, and really innocent. Since she had been homeschooled it's almost as if she didn't know any better.

"So why did you move here so late into the year? I mean we only have a month of school left," I questioned rose, but she didn't get the chance to respond.

Kelsey, the volleyball and basketball captain for three years straight walked into the school and stopped in front of us. "Haley!" she said high pitched as if she was happy to see me, "you found a new friend?"

I balled my fists, my angry rising. Kelsey is jerk, but not only that, she's also a monster. She looked normal if you didn't look at the bottom half of her. From her torso to where her legs and feet should be she was a snake. She slithered like a snake would to move. From her torso up, she was probably the most gorgeous woman you have ever seen.

Rose glanced over at me with wide eyes. At first I thought she was seeing what I was, but I disregarded the thought. No one could see what I did.

Kelsey turned on rose and grinned wider, "Hey pumpkin," she said it sweetly but it rang in my ears as if she intended it to be an insult, "how does the wind blow?"

I looked at Rose confused. Pumpkin? Wind? "Rose, do you know Kelsey?" but Rose had turned, well, a rosy-pink.

She gritted through her teeth, "I'm not a pumpkin," she let out an angry breath, "clearly." Kelsey smiled wider at Rose's response. Rose spit out, "and of late, the wind is very sharp."

Kelsey laughed at Rose's comment, "right, well, see you later," Kelsey turned back to me, "especially you Haley."

"You wish," I said as Kelsey walked away. I thought I would sound defiant when saying this but it came out really dumb, like I wish just fishing for something to say back. Which of course I was, but I still said it. I ground my teeth as I watched Kelsey strut away and as everyone waved at her. "I have to say that was probably the shortest, weirdest occurrence I've had with her. Rose do you know her?"

Rose was still a pink color and she was shaking. I heard her muttering under her breathe, something like, "Pumpkin? You're the pumpkin you half-witted lizard twit. Anyone knows that pumpkins are the rudest plant."

"Rose?"

She turned, quickly losing her anger, "No, I don't know her, but anyone with sense would stay away from her."

I smiled a bit worried, "glad that you catch on fast, people tend to be drawn to her or something."

Rose looked in the direction Kelsey went, gaining a bit of anger again, "People your age? Yeah, that tends to happen. It's so she can eat them."

I looked at rose with a very disturbed look. She must mean metaphorically. "Yeah," I said cautiously, "sure, you could say that."

The bell rang and we both headed to our first hour, which we had together, but second hour we had separate. Those two hours went pretty smoothly. Our third our, we met up again. I also introduced her to a couple of my friends, who were all glad to meet her. As me and my friends always say, "we have to catch them quickly before they get to them." By they we mean the snobby kids of the school.

Anyway, our third hour is horticulture. Rose sat down next to me in class.

"So how are you enjoying school?" I questioned Rose.

"It's so much more than I thought it would be. I mean I'm nervous around others and the teachers are intimidating. It's a lot different than sitting around my mom like I did with my sisters."

I looked at her, surprised, "you have siblings?"

She shied away from the question, like he just told a secret, "um, yeah but they are too young to be at a school."

I nodded my head understanding. I remember Rose saying that her mom decided that it was time to start her in an actual school. That time must be when they get old enough to be in high school.

Our teacher, Mrs. Kalotus, strolled in. She was a small woman with a big personality. She strolled in with a wide grin on her face and a bright pink shirt.

"Alright kiddos, were going to be out in the greenhouse so hurry up. Stand up! C'mon lets go, you suckers!"

Everyone scrambled to stand and shuffle out the door, outside, then eventually into the greenhouse. I breathed in the warm, humid air. The lighting was dimmer than the bright sun that shone outside. I looked at rose, she was beaming with such joy that I have never seen in another.

At that moment someone had come up behind me and forcefully grabbed my arm and dragged me across the greenhouse to the farthest corner from the teacher. When I looked at who had hauled me all that way, I about smashed their face into the ground. Kelsey had her perfect smile spread across her face.

"Hey darling, you're going to be partners with me today," she said so sweetly, I was almost convinced to stay with her, but I resisted.

"Yeah right. I'm being partners with Rose." Rose came up and stood behind me just at that moment. I saw her nod out of the corner of her eye. Rose and I continued to stad by each other. Occasionally I would try and take a step away from Kelsey but her hand would shoot out and pull me back in. Right in the middle of class Kelsey raised her hand really high, right in the middle of Mrs. Kalotus' speech about the anatomy of some plant or another.

Mrs. Kalotus frowned at Kelsey's raised hand, "Kelsey what do you need?"

Kelsey put her hand on her forehead, dramatically, "Miss, me and Haley are feeling faint from the heat in here. Can we step outside for a minute?"

Mrs. Kalotus nodded reluctantly, she gestured to the greenhouse door for us to hurry out. Kelsey gripped my arm and I winced in pain, I couldn't help but follow her out. As she was towing me out the door I looked to Rose for help. Rose had eyes of great worry but she raised her hand anyway, "Me too, miss, I'm feeling faint as well." Rose seemed really sad to leave the greenhouse. She hesitated closing the door after her, but did anyway. By then I was already being dragged halfway across the tennis court.

Kelsey threw me on the ground and said, "w\Well I've just had enough of you."

I gulped down a knot that was forming in my throat and stomach. I clenched my fists and stood up quickly, "yeah lizard lady? Well I've had the same with you!" I sounded a lot more confident than I felt.

"So you can see her!" Rose yelled as she ran to my side.

Kelsey had cocked her head at both of us, she was still smiling, "Yes, pumpkin. She's a demigod. Could smell her from miles away. She's a lot more pungent than most, I must say," her eyes locked on me, "You must have some real power behind you."

I looked from Kelsey to Rose, then back to Kelsey. I burst out laughing, "Right, right, demigod, sure," I wiped away a tear, "Very funny. Let's just get to the part where we fight and your butt gets whooped."