I stared at the paper. My mom had told come home a few minutes after my hallucination of the man. I didn't tell her about him just in case he never exsisted. The paper was an assignment I had to do for Math. I'm considerably good at Math but get me on Algebra and we will have problems. Addition, subtraction, mutiplication and division I can do. If you try to get me to do Algebra I will fail. The paper. Algebra. Why was I bothering even doing it if I knew I was going to fail? Because I'm an idiot and I needed something to do. All the other bits and pieces of homework I finished. This stupid paper was left.

A sudden slam against my window woke me up from my haze of equations. I got up slowly and looked out of the glass. It was still raining but the tree in front of my window blocked the some of the rain from getting through so vision through the window was somewhat clear. Nothing was there. Just rain and a tree. I couldn't see anything else so I pushed it off as a part of my imagination and strolled back to my bed.

Five minutes later another rap from the window broke my intense concentration. This time I opened the window and looked everywhere. I almost fell out of the window, searching for the thing that rapped my window. The branches couldn't have done it because the wind was blowing hard enough to move them.

I sighed and closed the windows, shaking the water droplets out of my mess of hair. The water falling from my hair sprayed my cat, Cleo, who had peacefully curled herself in a random spot on my floor. She hissed at me then walked over to the window to sleep on the ledge. She likes the sound of rain. I'll never know why. I throught cats didn't like like thunder of strom or water but she loves all of it. She ate a lot of catnip when she was young. Maybe that's why.

Ten minutes later there was another rap. I ignored it then realized something really odd. Each rap had come everytime I had moved my face away from the window's view. I waited and watched the window. Nothing. No raps or signs of movement. I turned my head, positioning my ears on high alert and turned up the volume level for my aids, waiting for the next rap. It happened a few seconds after I moved my head around towards my dumb Math assignment. I quickly turned my head just in time to see a rock fall from where it was hovering in mid air.

I stared and then slowly got up. My cat was hissing and baring her thin, small fangs at some unknown... object or... person. I noticed the shift in one the branches. I opened the window and reached out, trying to grab something. Anything. Then I felt cloth. A smooth shirt. I gripped it tightly and moved my hand up. The person struggled in my grip but I held on. Skin touched by the cold aftermath of the winter day. I shivered and pulled back. The only thing I saw after the person materialized for a second in front of me, jumped off the branch and ran away was the way the ground seemed to soften as his feet touched it and the boy, dark haired and pale skinned, throw a rock towards me.

I noticed one thing and realized two other other things. I noticed the rock he threw at me was hovering until I placed my hand underneath it and I realized that I never saw his face and that he was spying on me and/or trying to get my attention both of which I figured I was hallucinating again. What boy besides Daniel would ever want to get my attention? I wasn't all that pretty or popular or great at anything besides art. I just wasn't.


I kept the rock in my pocket the next day during school. Every now and then I'd check to make it was in there, just to make sure the moment was real. I'd feel somewhat relieved everytime I felt its soft smooth texture. It was a pretty rock with a mixture of colours set into. Forest green and ocean blue washed around on one side while the bloodiest of reds made war upon the other side. It was a round stone that gave of qualities of relief and pleasure. I breezed through the day feeling peaceful. My imagination stretched to the far limits of it being a magic rock and the boy being my knight in shining armor. I doubted that it was true but it still sounded nice when I thought about it.

I found that one class I shared with Nico was Art. First of all, art is a beautiful subject that I refuse to share with idiots who argue and throw off the happy mood that I find within it. Nico and the boy - his name was Charles - were the only ones of their group that actually seemed to want to learn, even if they weren't all that serious about at it.

Mrs. Tucker was the art teacher and seemed very strict and very serious with a joking odd humor. You know, the type of teacher that look you in the eye and say something that sounds so serious but makes you sort of laugh inside. In total honesty she scared me with her strict ways but that's what made her enjoyable.

She went around telling everyone what needed to be painted darker and what needed to be made lighter; what sketches needed to be redone and what sketches could start being painted. My picture was of a child, a little boy. He was curled up into a corner of a dark room, his bloodstained fingers reaching out. Above him was a picture of the lady who was lying at the floor with blood pumping from her chest and head. The top of the lady's head was missing, a few bits of her brain being seen at the side of her skull. I still don't know what caused me to draw a zombie little boy but I did.

When Mrs. Tucker got to my artwork I was in the back room trying to find a new canvas. I didn't like the other one. It was just too depressing and scary. I liked horror but usually I need to be in mood for horror. I don't really like it to be spontaneous. Otherwise it's freaks me out and I only liked to be freaked out by horror on Halloween and when I watch Supernatural.

I blinked as I began thinking of my beloved horror show. It was probably the reason why I snuck my kittens into my room to protect me every night during the summer, why I'm still doing it and why I'm somewhat paranoid. When I was eight I used to carry a small plastic bag of salt everywhere and when some one seemed scary, I'd scream and throw some of the salt on them then run away. I was taken to a therapist a few days after I started doing that. I don't do it anymore.

When I turned around with my new canvas, I shuffled my way to my seat. Mrs. Tucker was admiring my zombie. She frowned as she ran her fingers over the sketch. I stopped behind her and waited so I could get to my seat. She must've realized I was behind her because she picked the drawing up and walked over to her desk with it. I placed the new canvas onto the easle and began a new sketch. There was about thirty minutes left of class. I could finish a new one by then.

At the end of class Mrs. Tucker assigned us a project for homework to do with a partner. It was a one week assignment where we had to write a two paged niography on any successful artist that is or was alive. After one kid asked if they do comic book artists she included that in as well.

"So the partners are Charles and Sydney, Alexandra and Lucy, Jessica and Jacob, Emily and Nico," she started.

I tuned out after she said our names. Nico turned and gave me a slight wave and a sort of smile/grimace. I forced a smile and raised my hand in greeting. I turned away to be with my thoughts. If I get an F because of you, I'll slit your throat in your sleep, I thought.


I staggered to my locker as the waves of people in tightly packed crowds bombarded me, shoving me into doors and walls and the occasional floor. As my feet finally managed to stumble their way to my locker I noticed Daniel standing there, grinning. In one hand he held my lunch box; in the other a single piece of paper that had my combination on it.

"You should watch where this lands, oh young warrior," he chuckled, handing it to me.

"Warrior, I am not," I snapped as I snatched both of my items from his slender fingers. "Murderer though, oh how true."

He shrugged and walked with me to the lunch room. I pocketed my combination paper as we approached the open doors of the cafeteria. As we entered the chatty area, we were awaited by Alice who smirked as Daniel's prideful walk drooped. Apparently they decided on who gets me on which day. Eh. Daniel waved goodbye as he strolled to his friends. I felt my arm being tugged in a certain left direction towards a group of kids. Charles was in the group. So was Nico. And his wonderful girlfriend. I hoped they wouldn't make out in front of me again.

Alice was yammering on about something which I could not understand due to the fact that it was an incoherent babble coming out of her mouth. It was just like when I taught her how to do sign language. Back then, I still didn't understand a word she said and I was the one that was deaf and I was the one who taught her sign language. I didn't get it at all. Mom told me that in the soccansional situtation the student learns faster than the teacher. Of course that depends on the type of mental range the student has. Alice's must be pretty big then. Eh.

Quietly I perched myself softly at the edge of the picnic table and pulled out a folded piece of paper I had in my pocket. I smoothed it out over the wooden table and added length to the tail of my male cat person. It remined me of my mom - even though she is female - who is a mega cat person. I think if she had a choice between enternal happiness and a bag full of cats/kitten she'd go with the felines (cats/kittens).

The group of friends of whom I wasn't aquainted with talked on and on about some television (TV) show that had aired last night. All but Charles ignored me. He slid over opposite me and looked at the drawing. Clearing his throat inaudibly, he gave me his insight in a hushed tone of voice.

"To make it ironic you could have the cat person hugging, kissing or mating with a dog person." He smiled a small smile and pulled back from his leaning structure.

I looked at my picture. It had enough space for another person and all I'd have to do would be to change the position of the arms. I nodded my thanks and began to erase the arms, sketching out a person at first before I added the tail and ears. I left t for a few moments to drink some water when a boy came over. At first I thought he was in the wrong place because he looked so short like an eleven year old. He sat down next to Charles and ruffled his own hair.

"What's up with you, Benji?" Charles questioned.

"Three words: Too. Much. Homework," the boy replied.

Charles just chuckled, squeezing the boy's side. The boy looked at me. He held out one winter tanned hand and gave a slight smile with a grimace of annoyance hidden underneath. He either had a lot of homework or automatically hated me. I hoped it wasn't the latter.

"The name's Benjamin Whitlock. You?" he inquired.

I shook his hand. "Emily. Porter."

He nodded. Charles snuck a sweet peck on Benjamin's lips. I blinked. What? Charles must've noticed my confused look because he grinned. Benjamin was a bright red tomatoe and he covered his face with his hands as he was pulled into Charles's lap. Everyone had gone immediantely quiet, choosing to watch Benjamin get humilated rather than save him from it.

"Yay. Now I get to sing the song." Benjamin just looked at his lover through the peaks of his fingers and moaned. Clearing his throat Charles began.

"I once met a lad in Parie
Oh a beauty was he.
We frolicked and played
Did a bunch of Charades
And had a great time, did we."

I was giggling and laughing with everyone else, while poor Benjamin was ramming his head against the table. I think he was mortified. Charles had a smooth voice but it wasn't the grestest and broke in certain parts where it would've been nice if it hadn't. Nico joined in for the next verse. He wasn't exactly the greatest singer either. Maybe a little worse than Charles but it was cute because Benjamin just struggled to get away and Charles refused to let him. Yeah, he was was humilated.

"Benjamin was his name
Oh how it was framed
Within the small cockles
Of my heart.
I loved him forever
And would never ever
Let him leave my arms."

Everyone cheered and clapped. That must've been the end. I snickered at the way Benjamin was now whacking Charles with his hands, threatening to murder him in his sleep.

"Then I'll be my room with the door and windows locked, having fun," Charles said, in between the whacks and punches going down on his body.

"Then I'll be in your room before I murder you." Benjamin stopped hitting and Charles raised his eyes.

"So we'll be together, having that type of fun then." He smirked at Benjamin, who sat there with his mouth open.

"EW! EW! EW! EW! EW! EW! EW! EW! EW! EW! EW! EW! EW! EW! You digusting pervert!"

Charles grabbed Banjmin's hands and a girl sitting beside them grabbed Benjamin around the waist and pulled him back before he could start attacking Charles all over again.

"Really, sweetheart. I thought I was allowed to input our sexual activities to our friends. I didn't know it wasn't allowed," Charles murmured loud enough for us all to hear.

"I still hate you."

Benjamin went to go sit besides me and crossed his arms in a huffy way, his blonde hair flopped over his eyes. He blew them out the way and glowered at Charles. Charles looked genuinely sad. I kind of felt sorry for him but there are certain things you say and don't say about your relationship with someone. It's kind of a rule. I've never dated and I still know that. Charles, of course, was simply trying to embarass his love. I patted Benjamin's back sympathically.

Poor gay relationships.


When the bus finally came I was soaking wet. I was wet for three reasons: a) because the wind caught my extra jacket that I was pulling out and four cars ran over it, b) because my umbrella refused to stay down and over my head once again becuase of the wind and c) because everyone else had cowered underneath the protection of umbrellas and the roof. We weren't allowed to go inside.

All the bus driver did was look at me before say I was not allowed on the bus because of how wet I was. Nico hung back even after Jessica, his girlifriend, got on. He looked at me.

"My bike's out of the shop if you'd like to catch a ride home," he told me.

I sighed. It wasn't like anything better was coming along so I nodded.

"How come Jessica isn't coming with you?" I asked.

He handed me a black helmet before answering.

"She says the helmet messes up her hair and she doesn't like motorcycles." He shook his head, the rain splashing into my clothing, and laughed lightly. "I always thought girls were strange." He sent me an apologetic look. "No offense."

I didn't reply but cocked my head at him. Boys were strange to girls and girls were strange to boys. It was somewhat funny when you thought about it. Girls had fixed thoughts about boys and boys had fixed thoughts about girls that were both different stereotypical types. So when girls did something that went over the stereotypical range boys got confused and vice versa. Maybe I should become a shrink instead. I think too much about the minds of human beings. Art can be a hobby because really what is an adult life like without a hobby of some sort.

Nico opened up the basket at the back of the bike and pulled on another helmet. It was black as well. What is up with him and black. Was in love with the colour or something. Yeesh. As I was deep in thought the roar of the motorcycle caught me off guard. It caused me to jump back and nearly fall into one of the metal fences that were posted around the school. It was loud. I licked my lips, my nerves getting a bit frazzled. Maybe I shouldn't get on it. I mean there are millions of people who get in accidents on motorcycles every single day. I can't afford a lawyer to sue Nico for damaging me in any way.

"You nervous?" I nodded at the question. Nico sighed and helped me tie up the helmet. "It's not that scary and I'll go really slow and obey the law and crap if you want." I nodded again, unable to say anything.

He slid on and backed up, gesturing to the back seat for me. I hopped on and clutched Nico's waist as we began to move. 'And now I can't get off because we're moving,' I thought to myself. 'I'm going to die. I'm going to die.' We started to go faster and had moved into traffic as I picked up my 'I'm going to die' mantra. I clutched Nico's stomach hader and I heard him yell, "Ease up. You're going to cut off my concentration." If anything I was put into even more fear but I forced myself to relax.

Apparently he had memorized where I lived from yesterday because as I was in complete fear he had turned the corners and went up the streets that led to my house. As we got closer I relaxed and manged to even pull myself from being permanantly pressed into his back. I closed my eyes and the wind and rain whipped around us. It felt nice despite it being cold. My senses had gone partly numb though and I guess my nerves of touch had gone haywire because I felt really warm.

"My house is right there," I yelled to him.

He nodded and we pulled into my driveway just as you could see my mom's car come down the street.

Remembering something, I cleared my throat as he made to get back on the motorcycle. "Considering that you're here already we should probably start on the project," I said.

He blinked and then slapped his forehead. "Oh right."

I nodded and opened the door. Angel stared at me from where she had placed herself in front of the door. I always felt that every cat or kitten that I've owned is more human than cat. She peered around our feet to see outside and got up to walk back to the couch when she noticed that it was raining. I closed the door and shook out my hair. Michael, my other kitten, had walked around the corner and jumped back as pellets of water hit him. He meowed in a sad way.

"My poor baby," I murmured, picking him up and rocking him gently back and forth like a baby.

The newscaster on the televison was heard suddenly. Nico suddenly became tense. I giggled and gestured for him to come over. Angel was now pressing the buttons of the television remote with her paws, the guide appearing out of nowhere on the screen. She turned her small white head and looked at me expectantly. I scrolled through the channels, trying to find a movie that they both would enjoy. Eventually I landed on a repeat of 'The Million Dollar Duck' and pressed play. Michael hopped out of my arms and sprawled down onto of his sister, pushing her down flat. She just whacked him on the nose and resumed watching the movie. I ran my fingers of her tail and began walking away.

"Smart cat there," Nico chuckled, turning his head back.

"Kitten," I corrected, feeling home. "She's a kitten."

He nodded and followed me to the kitchen. I plopped a can of Diet Coke I found in the fridge down on the table and pulled out a bottle of Ribena. Good ol' grape juice. Nico took the Diet Coke gratefully and slurped it down as I spoke. We ticked off the several ideas of artists going through my head and sorted through the ones we preferred. So far we had chosen Comic Book Artists, Renaissance Painters and Graphic Design Artists.

The Renaissance one was because we doubted anyone else would do it as most had probably not even thought of historic artists as an option. Everyone would, more or less, just stick with well known artists or the ones that are alive. Not many of the kids in our class would dare touch Graphic Design or Renaissance Painters and because the girls in the class were paired up with all of the boys we also doubted that Comic Book Artists would not even be a thought. I had a bunch of comic books, mangas and graphics so it was allowed.

We pondered over our choices and ended up doing the universal choice maker: Eeny Meeny Miny Moe. Smart desicion, right? We ended up on Comic Book so Nico followed me to my room, waiting patiently outside as I got my laptop. My mother had entered the house while we were discussing our choices and made it very clear that the only way a boy was going in my room with me was if she was dead or trusted him, like she did with Daniel. She always liked him.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Nico looking around my room. He focused on some paintings I had hung up. He pointed to one.

"Who did that?" I glanced up and looked at where he was pointing.

My cheeks turned red, a deep dark red. "Um. Me?"

"Cool," he replied back. "That's really cool."

I unplugged my laptop and started it up. Nico moved to the side and asked me a really strange question.

"I'm not allowed to go in your room with you, right?"

I exited the room and nodded, not understanding what the point was. He nodded back at me and then walked straight into my room, right towards my painting. That's when I got it. If I wasn't in the my bedroom he could go in but if I was he couldn't. Thank you, God, for loopholes. I shook my head and laughed, leaning against the frame of the door as he had. Occasionally he tell me something he liked about it and inspected every little detail of all the pictures I've done since the day I started to draw. This truly and completely was an odd, amusing boy.


It took three days for the project to be done but a lot of things about my life had changed past that. On days where it was Alice's turn to have me and it was raining Nico would take me home on his bike. I had learned the names of all Daniel's new friends. The girl's name was Lucy. The black boy was called Matthew and the blonde haired one went by John. Alice and Daniel demanded my attention equally during spring break and it was complicated to please them both when they no longer had time for each other in their lives. I managed though by having a Supernatural marathon for the first six days where we watched each season. I can't remember how I managed for the rest of the break but all I know was that I did.

Louise, Angel and Matthew's mother, had a new litter of kittens, three boys and five girls, right on the first day of March. I gave two each to Alice and Daniel, the last boy to Charles, two girls to Lucy and the last kitten, a small black one who I thought died, to Nico. He actually came up to me and specifically asked for her. I don't know why but I thought it was cute that he had a specific one in mind.

So my school year was coming to an end and it had been completely normal. That is why what happened next really and truly surprised me.

I woke up with the sun in my eyes. My curtains were open but that was normal. Cleo, being the type of cat that got up ten minutes before the sun rose, would knock them out of place because that's where she slept and for some strange reason she like to watch the sun rise. Moaning I threw a pillow at her. She got up, all huffy like, and began to lick my face. I pushed her away so she went a different route to getting me up. She walked over to the door and made sure it was closed then she got back to me and screeched that stupid cat yowl in my ear.

"I'm up. I'm up." I picked her up and dragged her into the bathroom with me.

I pulled off my clothes and pulled the over as I stepped into the tub. Humming to myself i slowly slid down to a sitting position and let the hot water pour over me. I was about to go back to sleep when I heard a loud screech in my ear. My head didn't stop throbbing from the great big wham it got when I jumped up until I finally got out. Cleo purred constantly as though she did nothing wrong and in a way she didn't. She was just making sure I got to school on time even though it was like five in morning and I didn't need to be there until half past eight but it gave me time to make sure everything I needed done was done. I tugged on the articles of clothing that she had pulled in.

My feet sleepily drifted to the kitchen where Michael was pouring some milk into a bowl of cheerios. He did this by having a pushing a small book in front of it and tipping the milk over it. In truth he came up with it on his own after I left a book, an empty cup and a carton of milk on the table to go help my mom with Christmas decorations. It's cute how they're so smart.

I grabbed a spoon from the utensil holder and began eating. Michael stretched his tiny little body and plodded over to his sister. Michael was like a little dalmation. He was completely white but had black spots all over his skinny body: black dots covering one ear; a large dot on his left side; a small smudged diamond-shaped dot on his right and a few dragging down his back to the sides as well. Funny thing is, he drinks out of the toilet. I don't know what happened when he was born but I hope there wasn't a dog in the process of making him. There wasn't with his sister who's only a year older.

Angel actually looks nothing like a cat with her name should. She's completely black with miniscule white dots on her back. The dots are so small I once mistook them for cat litter. She didn't play with me for eight days which sucked. Angel has a habit, which I failed at breaking, of biting people she doesn't like, know or otherwise pisses her off in some way. She will scratch any part of the body that it visible to her little cat eyes and is some what nocturnal. She barely ever wakes up during the day except to eat and use the bathroom or when I come home from wherever I was previously.

Cleo sat on Michael and fell asleep. I could hear Michael meowing his protest out from under her. They are as equally silly as they are smart which makes them overally amusing. I brushed back my hair with my hand, the fringes/bangs gettting in my eyes and snuck Michael out. Cleo ignored me and my hand.

"We really have to get you some boys to play with," I muttered.

In my entire life Michael has been the only male cat I've ever had. I've had eighteen cats in my entire life from the day I was born until now and Micheal was the only boy. Ever. But I don't think he minds much. He doesn't go out and play with the strays that wander around. He's like me. A follower, not a leader. I rubbed his nose. He sneezed. I laughed. The daily routine of my life.

I quickly peeked outside the window. Rain dripped down and smacked the grass. Remember a thought I had when I was little, I laughed and shook my head, Michael nudging my fingers for some more pettings. 'Rain drops are the tears of God when He looks back on the day He lost His most favourite angel,' I thought. Running over that thought, I tried to remember what caused me to think that. Angels hadn't been in Supernatural yet so it couldn't have been that. Despite my being half Christian and half atheist, my mother was a full atheist so we never when to church. I never read the Bible. I sighed and placed Michael on top of a yellow stool. His green-yellow eyes stared at me, asking so many questions yet getting no answer in reply.

I got all my things ready and sat down on a chair, waiting for seven thirty to come. It was quiet. You couldn't hear anything expect the sound of breathing and the light patter of rain against the windows. I pressed my nose to my legs and closed my eyes. Even before the day I got sick and became deaf I was used to silence. My mother would flit in and out of our house and my grandmother, when she visited, never really spoke to me, choosing to either sleep or watch some drama show on television. It was never that my family was ignoring me. It was more that because my dad was dead I had millions of questions about him and this was their way to avoid answering, by being busier than they should've been. After a while I grew up and realized that no matter how hard I tried they weren't going to answer me so I stopped asking questions. The silence now reminded me of the times that I was left alone; the times when I watched kids play at the park with their parents and wondered why mine wouldn't play with me; the times I felt different; the times I felt pain because I believed no one wanted me around.

Then Alice came to my day care. My being deaf never stopped her from talking to me. The day she met me she took our sitter's sign language book and asked me a million questions. I was overwhelmed by this sudden strike of attention that I didn't know how to answer the questions. She thought it funny. Then Daniel came and my world was filled with pleasured feelings. Eventually it all shattered and my world merely degraded into nothing. I found remorse in my pets and drawing. Those days were the days of depression. The days I wrote sad poems, the days I wondered if my friends would ever come to visit me but they never did, just like they never told me where they had gone to.

Music filled the dead room and I jumped. Louise had twisted our radio's knob and turned it on. Smooth sounds, soft voices and loving lyrics filled the air. I picked up Angel who blinked her eyes and meowed in sleepy protest. We danced around the room, twirling everywhere. I felt alive, my imagination soaring beyond comprehesion. I imagined myself in a white dress, stepping into a ball room. A boy, whose face was blurred, emerged from the darkness of the shadows that held and we slipped into the smooth beats of the song.

Heart beats fast
Colors and promises
How to be brave
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall
Watching you stand alone
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow

One step closer

[Chorus:]
I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

Time stands still
Beauty in all she is
I will be brave
I will not let anything take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath
Every hour has come to this

One step closer

[Chorus:]
I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

And all along I believed I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

One step closer
One step closer

[Chorus:]
I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

And all along I believed I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

As the song ended I could feel my imagination turning everything to darkness, shadows wrapping everyone in it's thick blanket. I inhaled a long breath and sat down. If a person sung that to me personally I'd feel pretty special. The clocked automatically switched from seven twenty-nine to seven thirty and I grabbed my things. Michael looked at me with his head cocked to one side. He seemed to smile and plodded over to the doorway to the kitchen to turn on the coffeee machine as he did everyday. I smiled and waved.

The bus was coming down the road when a motorcyclist pulled sharply in front of it. The owner pulled the glass casing of his helmet up and gestured for me to hop on. I laughed at Nico who just grinned. When I had made it to the motorcycle he handed me the extra helmet he always had in his basket. We soared through the road. I didn't like going fast but right now everything seemed to fit perfectly into place. I laid my head aginst his back and watched as the rain and the speed made everything seem smudged.

Pulling back from him I settled peacefully against the basket when we pulled into the school grounds. I slid off and handed him back the helmet. His fingers were cold but I was used to this. His excuse for it was that his mother had been admiring the vast forests of Northern Canada when he suddenly decided he wanted to see it too. The frigid air sort of chilled his blood a little and that's why he was always cold skinned. I didn't believe his story but everyone else went with it.

He grinned this happy smile at me, it was happy and so unlike him. It was... nice. Usually you just saw him with a fake smile or a stony look plastered on his face but this... this was genuine. I caught it and trapped within the deep containers of my mind to be taken out whenever I start to wonder if he'll ever be happy about stuff. He frowned.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, raising a single eyebrow.

I reached out and took one of his hands. "I can read your story." I looked at the hand clasped in mine. "It's sad." His frown deepened into confusion as I looked back up to his eyes. "Finally I see a genuine smile that of a young child. Of a happy person. I don't know. It's makes me feel that you aren't a robot."

"I think that is the most rudest insult anyone has ever told me." His body shook with laughter. "A robot."

I dropped his hand and laughed along with him. It was the first time we'd spoken alone together as whenever we got the chance someone else barged in. He asked about the reading a person's story thing. I told him. He asked me a lot of questions that he never got the chance to ask before. After a while there weren't anymore questions so we just sat on the steps as the bus rolled in. Kids filed off. Some automatically went to a certain spot; others flocked towards their friends. I could see the attention of Nico direct itself to Jessica, who smiled and waved to us... well, him in retrospect. I muttered a quick good-bye and shuffled off. Alice bounded over with Daniel following behind her. She started talking before I even managed to get my hello out. Daniel just rolled his eyes.

"He-" I started.

"You know how I recorded Supernatural in case I'm busy or something. Yeah well I was watching it last night and you know how it's season seven now right? Well I though it was really creepy. I mean Lucifer's come back to haunt Sam and Castiel's going crazy with being God and then there's this new monster and stuff. Well I was watching it last night like I said and I was on episode two and you know Lucifer comes out of nowhere again and starts talking to Sam and I can't help but think 'Please, Luci. Stop turning up the sex appeal. You're making it sound like you were raping Sam in Hell. I mean 'Bunkmate Buddy?' but I thought it was so funny when it happened even though it's really sad because Sam's already suffering with his flashbacks and now he gets to see the guy that he got away from. I mean it's just sad," she said.

"-llo," I finished.

She blinked. "Oh. Hey."

"Hey, Em. How was your morning so far?" Daniel shoved her out of the way.

I shrugged. A breeze brushed my hair back. I would've told them that Nico picked me up but Daniel and Nico aren't exactly on the greatest of terms. They want to destroy each other. No one even knows why, except maybe Charles but he doesn't talk about, saying that he keeps secrets. We talked for a while about random things like Supernatural, pets, people and summer. Normal stuff.

As Daniel and Alice began to argue about the rule they agreed on for the summer, I panned my sight to something of more interest. There was a boy standing across from me. He had one head cocked to the side. It looked like he was trying to listen to something. A breeze blew a bit harsher across us and as Alice started to get louder in their arguement Daniel went silent. His head twitched and he turned to look at boy across from us. His eyes grew wider.

"I have to go," he murmured.

He rushed away, his body moving quickly across the crosswalk. Alice glowered at him or maybe it was the boy. I didn't know. Something was very wrong in this situation. Daniel never walked away from a time he could prove his point against Alice. Anyone else depending on the importance but never Alice. Matthew, Lucy and John had started over to us but when breeze blew again they followed Daniel, brushing past us without a word or wave. I felt shunned and singled out. They'd ignore Alice when they could but in respect for Daniel because I was his friend they didn't ignore me. Why was everyone shoving me away? Did I say or do something? What did this boy have to do with it? So many questions swirling around in my head. I was about to grab Matthew's arm and ask what was going on but the bell rang loud and clear.

Casting a single longing glance and Daniel who was listening to the boy intently I let myself fall into the crowd of the eager school kids. Start school quickly, get out early was the motto apparently. Daniel'd tell me what was going on in homeroom. I was shoved through the entrance of the school. I hoped he would at least.


We sat in a wide circle. It was the last class of the day. There was no sense in having everyone go to actual classes as we couldn't learn anything new because it was the last day. It was homeroom and we were playing a game called Truth. The rules of the game were simple. A person would ask you a question and you had to tell the truth. Ms. Hangshaw was watching us and making sure we were telling the truth. She had a really good sense of when someone lied. No one could truely lie to her. It seemed like it was impossible.

Daniel had gone home sick after the ten minutes we were in school. So had Matthew and Lucy. John stuck around for two hours but eventually went home as well, Alice had told me during lunch. They shared the same homeroom. I wondered constantly why he would go home for no reason. At first I thought they were getting high and the boy was their supplier. It would explain the way they could get sick so quickly then I remembered that Daniel had beat up a junkie one lunch hour because he would not leave me alone.

I answered the question given to me and zoned out again. I was so out of it that I hadn't even noticed that the bell was ringing which usually jolted me out of whatever day dream I was going through at the time. Hearing was still somewhat new even though it had been around for months now. Nico shook my arm and helped me up.

"Your but is going to be numb if you sit there any longer," he chuckled.

"It's already numb." I rubbed it to get feeling back.

Nico rolled his eyes and started to help with my things but Jessica grabbed him and pulled him out the door, saying how he had to call someone to pick her up to take her somewhere. I pulled my things into my bag.

"Emily, a word if you please," Ms Hangshaw said, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

I stood there and nodded. "Yeah?"

Her lips twisted up into a snarl and her voice was rough and violent sounding. The monster I had seen months ago came back.

"You're special, child. Unfortunately, special demigods are the ones we kill first."

A cold shriveled hand wrapped thickly around my neck. I couldn't breathe. Gasps. Everything was blurring. My head hurt. Blurriness turned to dimming light. Spots. An image of Michael came and went. I wanted air. I needed air. More gasps. My head hurt even more now. Suddenly a yell of something and pain coursing throughout my body. My vision came back and Nico was standing in front of me in a protective crouch. A black glistening sword in his hands. The air seemed colder. There was whistling sound echoing in my head so I turned off the hearing aids. Sometimes silence is better.

I tried to grasp the concept of what was going on. 'Maybe I'm hallucinating like Sam,' I thought. 'If I start seeing Lucifer I'm dreaming. If I'm not God why do you detest me?' I closed my eyes and inhaled. Lucifer wasn't there and everything was still the same except Nico was fighting the monster that once was my teacher. Did I do something wrong? First my friends were ignoring me and now this. Really. I will give up anything if I can at least have my sanity back. Please. I closed my eyes again and tried to grip my sanity. It refused to be held on to unfortunately for me and I could do nothing but face the facts that I was officially going nuts. I watched as Nico stabbed the monster with his black sword.

"I'm going leave Supernatural for a few weeks," I muttered as I turned my aids back on. There wasn't any more whistling.

Nico sheathed his sword and helped me up. Where the monster had been was a large collection of yellow, slimy-looking dust. He looked me in the eye, his hands gripping my shoulders to stop me from shaking.

"You okay?"

I stared at him with a bewildered, wide-eyed look. "Am I okay? NO I am not okay! I need to go to the nearest physchiatrist and have my brain examined because I am not okay! I'm going crazy!" Then a weird terrible thought washed over me. "Omigod! I'm in coma, aren't I? This has all been a dream because the illness has caused me to go into a coma. And, and, and now it's making me think weird things. So I'm not crazy, right? I'm in a coma." I looked at him with a pleading look on my face. I gripped his shoulders now, tears threatening to walk outside of the barrier I had trapped them with. "Please tell me I'm coma. Please."

"You aren't in a coma, Emily. Far from it." He pulled my hands away from his shoulders gently and wiped the tears away with his thumb. "But you're not crazy. Far from that too." He put my bag on me.

I stared at him. "Did you get me high somehow?"

"No."

"Did someone else get me high?"

"No."

"Is this a dream?"

"No."

"Am I dead?"

"No."

"Is this a prank?"

"No."

I was about to ask him something else when he grabbed my hand and pulled me forcefully down the hall way. I looked back. There were a lot of people running towards us. I frowned. What the hell was going on? Maybe I sold my soul without actually realizing it and I'm being tortured in Hell right now. Nico ran into the door. The glass shattered and as he pulled me through it I saw mounds of dirt rising up, molding into the space, becoming rock out of no where. I shoved my other hand into the left pocket of my whitewash jeans and felt the rock. Was Nico my mystery guy? Was he spying on me that night? Interally my head shook. He had girlfriend. He wouldn't want me. I'd be a last resort if he lost Jessica anyway.

I felt Nico lift me on to the back of his motorcycle and hurriedly start it up. He didn't bother with helmets. Once agin we soar down the roads. I couldn't make out anything from the speed we were going at.

"Hang on!"

"To what?" was my retort.

Next thing I knew we veered suddenly over a bridge. Cars stopped, people yelled, I screamed, Nico cheered. We landed with a thump on saltly H2O. We were zooming across the ocean, foam and sea water sparaying up behind this. Did I ever mention that I have this intense fear of drowning because of a crazy nutjob zooming me across the Atlantic Ocean on a motorcycle? Because I do. Well I did when Nico became the crazy nutjob.

"If this hallucination is because you got me high, Nico, you are totally regretting it!" I screamed.

He just laughed, his voice carried away by the wind. In front of waters rose and Nico swore under his breath. A sacly beast emerged from the waves anf foam, attacking us with a forked tongue. A sea serpent. Could this day get any better? Nico obviously had experience with this animal before because he swerved away and around it as it rose. It went back underneath the waves when it realized we were not there. I saw a faint outline of it skim beneath us. I screamed. Nico swore again and moved away from it. Like a puupy it followed, twisting and curving under the water. It tried to attack again but Nico moved out of the way before it could.

"Can you drive?" he yelled at me.

I stared at him. He asked again. "Emily, you need to focus. Can you drive?"

I nodded, not really focusing that well. Daniel and me had been washing his mom's motorcycle one weekend. He went nuts explaining to me every detail. Thankfully it all stuck.

"Okay. You drive and I'll kill this bastard."

He shifted to side and I grabed ahold of the handles. He shifted around me and ripped his sword its sheath. I tried my best to use leverage and weight as a way to keep us straight. I think it worked. You couldn't ask me becuase I was to busy focusing on the sad fact that Nico was battling against a mythical creature. After maybe a few minutes Nico finished the enemy off and returned to his rightful place at the head of the motorcycle.

"You are really good at taking this in. Most people would've jumped off by now." His fingers brushed lightly against the water. We slowed to a stop. A girl's head popped up. Her hair was a dark torqouise and her skin had a sick green tinge to it. When she looked at me I saw dark blue eyes bore deep into mine. I leaned in closer to see them better. They were really pretty. She held out a webbed hand. I almost took it but Nico hissed at the girl and swatted her hand away. She turned to glare at him.

"Just tell them that we're coming," he snarled.

The girl hissed and I saw sharp pearly white teeth inside her mouth. Nico turned to me.

"The deeper they live, the more dark they become," he told me. "Unfortunately mermaids, no matter how dark they are, can be relied on passing information in a certain amount of time. They're really, really fast."

A mermaid. Could this day be any stranger? First my teacher decides to kill me, then a sea serpent appears out of nowhere and tries to kill us and now a dark mermaid. What did I go wrong? Maybe it was befriending Nico in the first place. Maybe I am going crazy. Maybe this is a dream. Maybe I'm still in class but I'm just daydreaming. I buried my head in Nico's back as we sped up. Nico didn't do anything besides pull my hands, which were in a choke hold around his waist, away. I muttered a quick sorry and closed my eyes.

'Please,' I thought. 'Please let this all be a dream. I'm begging you.'


When I saw land I nearly dove off the motorcycle and swam towards it. The sky was beginning to dim and the sun was slipping down the horizon. Nico had tried his best to explain what was going on as we ventured towards land. He could tell my grasp on the concept wasn't all there when I asked him if he was taking medication. I think he's delusional. He needs to go to a doctor or therapsit or be locked up in a mental institution for a while. Though he being the son of Hades would explain why his skin was so cold and why he rarely ever had a real genuine smile. But me, a daughter of some god. Hah. So in my head I've officially declared Nico insane and will call a mental hospital as soon as we get on land. Then I will secure myself in that mental hospital to make sure I don't inflict my craziness on someone else like Nico has clearly done with me.

Nico had said that he normally would've shadow-travelled to camp but he thought I would end up killing him as we were going through the shadows. He really isn't all there. I can't believe no one has noticed this before. Maybe it's because they're crazy too. Maybe the plan had been to pull me in and take away my sanity. I think I kissed the sand of the beach when we got to the place Nico called Camp Half-Blood. I wasn't going to let him steal my sanity. I actually like being sane.

Nico hopped off of the bike. "Well. Here we are."

"That's nice." I scanned the area. Kids were running around. Some were coming over to greet us. I turned back to Nico. "Where is the nearest phone? I need to call a mental hospital."

Nico sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I get it. You are used to normality but-"

"Normality. Hah. Turning deaf took that away but this is insane. This is beyond normality. Far beyond!" I snapped.

He tried to explain something to me but off went the hearing aids. He blinked in realization and slapped his forehead. He reached out to grab my arm but I pulled back. The kids were coming closer now. They were saying things. Nico and the kids tried to get closer to me but I ran. Sprinting up the beach, I tried to find the exit. Kids were walking down from somewhere, a place where entering and exiting was allowed. I ran towards there, kids filing into the area. As I approached I noticed that no more kids were coming. 'Great,' I thought. 'Now they can't grab me.' A large pine tree sat there with a gold... sweater? Why would a gold sweater be on the branches of a pine tree? Why would a sweater by gold anyway?

I stopped for single moment, about twenty-five feet away, just to admire it. The way it shimmered in the breeze like flashes of gold pennies. Then out of the far corner of my eye I saw kids running towards me, yelling at me and yelling at the people closer to me. I guess they were yelling for me to stop and for the closer ones to grab me I didn't stop, choosing to move on forward rather than let my sanity be taken away. Track and Field had never been a chosen area of expetise for me but I could run. Sometimes I felt that when I run I could outrun the world and it's many problems, speed being one of my best friends.

I sped over to the pine tree, my feet barely even hitting the ground. I reached the border between this crazy place and real life. My fringers gripped the branch of the tree. So close. I took a single step forward, ready to step forth back into reality when my neck started to stick. I reached behind me and pulled out a little dart. Everything seemed to start fading, a numbing sensation coursing throughout my body. Is this what death feels like? I pondered over it. No. Death is nothing. No pain included. Unless of course you've been shot and you're just bleeding to death. Then I guess the intense feeling of pain is there.

I felt my body hit the ground. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. Nico appeared out of nowhere almost as though he walked out of the shadows. I tried to blink but my eyelids fell closed. The last thing I remember before I slipped out of consicouisness was Nico's cold freezing skin pick me up and the scent of death hanging from his t-shirt. Maybe he wasn't crazy. Maybe he was right. After all, I'm pretty sure he didn't work in the morgue.


Me: *stares at crowd* Did anybody like this chapter?
Beta: *points to a couple in the back* Yes, you two?
*Couple stands*
Me: Omigodit'sSamandDeanfromSupernatural. *squeals and faints for ten seconds*
Beta: They. Are. Hot. Maybe I should start watching.
Sam: I liked it because it was long and enjoyable. It didn't push everything into place too fast and explained quite throughly about things and-
Dean: I hated it. There was no mention of ghosts or naked women in distress.
Sam: *whacks brother upside his head* Dean, this isn't one of our fics.
Me: *stares at Dean in confusion* Yeah, it isn't. This is Percy Jackson and the Olympians. *guesters to banner hanging on wall*
Beta: Can I marry you?
Dean: Sorry about that and no. I don't believe in long term relationships.
Me & Sam: Explain Lisa then.
Dean: *glowers at us* Don't you dare bring her into this.
Sam: Jerk.
Dean: Bitch.
*Silence*
Me: Did you know that Castiel's coming back in episode seventeen? Misha said that he wasn't wearing undergarments though. I have no clue wh-
Dean: Castiel's coming back? Yes! *starts randomly dancing*
Sam: *slaps forehead* This is why I don't bring him to these things. *walks out of room* We are not related!
Beta: Can I marry them?
Me: NO!

One of the longest chapters I have written for this website. Ever. Go me and my desire to write. Whoo. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed your Christmas present. Merry Christmas! And for anyone who wants to ask no I didn't get the song from Breaking Dawn. I like Christina Perri and found this song, listened to it and thought it was cool.

I brought Sam and Dean in for a little amusement. And for lovers of Supernatural, Castiel is coming back! Whoo! Castiel is coming back! Whoo! Sing it with me. Castiel is coming back! Whoo! Castiel is coming back! Whoo! Castiel is coming back! Whoo! Castiel is coming back! Whoo! Castiel is coming back! Whoo! Castiel is coming back! Whoo!

But really he is coming back. It was confirmed! So yay for Misha Collins and his awesome Castiel-i-ness!

Have A Great Christmas Everyone! Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad!

-Happykid44