I received a rather rude awakening...not that I'm going to pretend I didn't deserve it. This awakening came in the form of a fist slamming down on the desk I had made myself comfortable on, and the angry face of Mrs. Lithad glaring down at me.
My head jerked up almost involuntarily, and I regretted that decision as her sharp blue eyes pierced my green ones.
"Did you have a good nap, dear?" Her voice was low, and angry. I decided in this chair was the last place I could possibly ever want to be right now. Maybe if I wished hard enough someone else would appear in my place?
"I...I was awake?" I wasn't proud to admit I stammered, but who wouldn't in the face of a walking tomato? When Lithad was angry, she was angry. Like, maybe-kill-you-if-it-wouldn't-get-her-arrested angry. As I was more then aware, she hated nothing more then sleeping in her classes. So, I wasn't going to just admit I was. That would be stupid.
"Oh, yes, eyes closed and looking away from the source material is how I focus too." She sounded entirely too sympathetic, and then angrily grabbed the book in front of me and slammed it shut.
"We all have our ways?" I tried hopefully. This didn't help, and only seemed to provoke her more.
"Fine, then. If you were listening, Alexis," I swore I saw spittle fly out of her mouth, and tipped my chair back ever so slightly. Did I mention that made her mad too? Did I mention everything did?
"Tell me, how was Athens named?"
I stared blankly for a long while. A long, long while. Slowly, I let my gaze go around the classroom, clearly pleading for help. Not a single gaze of sympathy, except from my best friend Holly, who had a small smile and was shaking her head. She was used to me doing this, without a doubt.
"I think we both know you weren't-" Then, I had an idea.
"The olive tree!" The words burst out of my mouth like a wayward spark. "I mean, Athena, she- she planted a tree..right? The whole thing was about gifts, and Poseidon's water was salty and-"
"We've heard enough, Miss North. Since you seemed to be paying attention this time, I'll let it slide, but if I catch you focusing," She dropped the book back on my desk and meaningfully made air quotations with her fingers, "One more time, it's off to detention."
"For like the tenth time this month." I muttered under my breath as she stalked away back to the board. Still, I couldn't help but look around curiously. I wasn't sure that it had been whispered to me, but I definitely didn't recall knowing that before. Weird.
I decided to maybe stay awake this time, and entertained myself with mindless scribbles on a piece of spare paper. Anything was better then listening to Lithad drone on about myths. It was until a hand rapped on my desk three times did I finally look back up and realize everyone was beginning to leave.
"Earth to Alex, anyone home?" Teased Holly brightly. I blinked hard once, then twice, and then a third time just to bring myself back to reality.
"Rarely." I stood up, my chair screeching away from me violently, then leaned down to pick up my satchel, swinging it over my head and letting it bounce on my hip as I walked and joined Holly on the other side of my desk.
"Nice save back there." She teased, elbowing my side. I rolled my eyes and returned it with a light shove.
"Sure, save. Someone totally whispered to me, I absolutely did not know that." I told her firmly. We walked quickly, it was lunch time after all and you did not want to be the last people to the cafeteria.
"Someone totally did not. I didn't hear a peep. No one would risk it with Mrs. Tomato back there!" Holly hooked her arm around my shoulders. "Face it, Alex, you're a natural!" She gestured dramatically, and then burst into a fit of giggles at my side. Her laughter was infectious, and soon she had other people in the hallway smiling as she walked past her.
There's something you should know about Holly. Shes popular. Ridiculously so. For some reason, everyone likes her. Personally, I don't really get her sometimes. St. Dymphna's isn't for people like her. It's a school for troubled kids, emphasis on troubled. As far as I can tell, Holly is not that at all.
I'm not either, in my opinion. I just got kicked out of schools a lot. I don't think it's my fault, but things just seem to go wrong when I'm around, and I always take the blame. Poor old dad couldn't deal with it, I guess. ADHD and dyslexia is really not a fun combination to live with. I'm going off topic, though. Holly is the weird one here.
Maybe dying her hair sent her parents over the edge? Not that Holly would ever say she dyed it. The fact was, her hair was a firetruck red that she swore was natural. There was no way that was true. It was not a color that could be natural. It was too bright, and too saturated. Maybe she was a compulsive liar and her parents couldn't take it?
Either way, I was glad she was here, or else I'd be completely friendless.
"A natural, sure, Hols. Lithad was about to blow her top off at me." I clapped her shoulder sarcastically. Holly straightened up and rolled her dark green eyes, which reminded me of evergreens.
"Maybe you should stop sleeping her class then." She almost sang this.
"Not possible. It's super boring. Who wants to hear about some Greek tragedy?" I threw my hand up to my forehead, gasping dramatically.
"Oh, no, my water was salty and now a city doesn't like me! Oh, no, I'm too beautiful and I have too many suitors!" I pretended to swoon, soliciting even more giggles from Holly.
"Very real problems back then, you know." She elbowed me with a wink, a half-smile on her face.
"Oh, like you would know?" As I watched, her gaze suddenly became much more serious, and she seemed a lot older out of no where. It was almost scary.
"You'd be surprised." For a moment, we let this hang in silence. Then, happy Holly returned. She grabbed my hand and began tugging me down the hall. "I'm starving, lets get to lunch!"