I actually gasped aloud, bringing my hands to my mouth, melodramatic I know but it hit me like a bolt from the blue. Those revelations just kept on coming; Greek gods are real, my mum is a goddess, my teacher is a Centaur, my bookmark can maim and kill and finally, you need to protect your classmates because their demigods too. Maybe it wasn't that unbelievable, after all I had had that strange feeling and now I knew why, because we were in the same boat.
"I am sorry I have to rush you but they don't know anything yet, you can't tell them until it's the right time. I have to go but take this" he passes me a satchel that mainly contained canteens and ziplock bags "that is ambrosia and nectar, the food and drink of the gods, it will help you heal after battle but too much will make you burn up"
I nodded taking all this in "kay, heals but not too much or I will explode, got it" I pulled out a small pouch filled with large golden coins that sparkled in the light.
"Ah yes, they are drachmas, currency in our world. You can use them to contact me with an Iris message" Chiron suggested, I was puzzled and it obviously showed as he explained that the goddess Iris would take a message for a drachma, simply throw the coin into a rainbow and ask politely for who you wanted to speak to.
"You can also contact camp by saying; camp half-blood, long island sound. I am sure anyone who's around can give you tips and hints" he said. I took this in but was still a bit overwhelmed "will that be all?"
"what if they find out and need to defend themselves? And when will it be right for them to know? How am I going to get them to trust me? because if you haven't noticed they hate me at the moment" once I started, all the questions seemed to tumble over themselves to get out.
My one off teacher smiled apologetically "things have a way of working themselves out plus your a daughter of Athena, I'm sure you can figure things out" and with that he wheeled himself out the room and left me in the empty classroom to think it all over.
After a while I grinned, I knew this would be a challenge for me but after all I was a demigod and things would be more exciting.
My hand slipped to my pocket and felt the cool wood in my grasp and I knew I would be fine.
The next day I renewed my efforts on befriending my fellow godlings. I had new vigour and was determined to get to know them. Top of my list was that Sam, she must be the daughter of a very angry god.
I spotted her in my science class. I purposefully waited until there were no other seats and walked in the room and sat in the spot next to her. I was rewarded with a glare that could have cut through steel. My cheesy smile faltered for a moment but then I remembered that she was my cousin or something so it didn't really matter that she didn't like me, the typical dysfunctional family.
"Hiya" I tried to sound as friendly and airy as possible, I needed to make the right impression. Well I might be able to rectify my previous one anyway.
"Can't you take a hint" she hissed at me as I pulled my books out of my satchel (there was one ziplock bag and one canteen along with the little pouch in case of emergency but there was so many books no one could see) "leave. Me. Alone. What's so hard about that?"
I kept my smile firmly in place, I wasn't going to give up that easily."I just wanted to apologise for yesterday" this definitely wasn't what she was expecting, she had obviously thought I would fight back like last time. She regained herself though.
"Fine but don't go thinking your my best buddy now" she warned, there wasn't really anything else she could say and I started to make notes, well I had started to tackle her but it wouldn't do to rush into it. I needed something that we had in common to use to get us talking.
I suddenly noticed a book propped in her lap, she was reading it whilst supposedly learning, her head moves from side to side scanning the type but very slowly and with much squinting and rereading. she had dyslexia too, more proof that she was a demigod.
I pulled my own battered paperback from my bag and placed it between the covers of my textbook, placing my magic bookmark on the desk. I explicitly made a point of turning the pages loudly to try to get her attention (not reading them at all). Her face was glued to her own though – eyebrows knitted in concentration – so it took me a while to make enough noise so that she would snap out of her trance.
"What do you want?" Sam demanded. I gave a shrug and went back to my book but she wasn't done yet "what's that you've got there?" she snatched at the cover however I was expecting it and smoothly pulled it out of her reach.Spoiled I thought as she flailed for the book that I held with ease at a comfortable distance. Know the method, know the person.
"It's my book" I said pointedly.
"What is it?" she asked petulantly. I revealed the cover and she actually looked shocked and flipped her own over and it was the same. Perfect."Oh right..."
I grinned and to my utter and complete astonishment she gave me a weak smile back. Get in there, this is easier than I thought.
I lean forward "it's my favourite" I whisper conspiratorially and am rewarded with a beam from the usually stormy face, it freaked me out a lot, like a fish with feathery wings gliding through the sky.
She launched into a great explanation of particular plots, perspectives and characters that she enjoyed. I nodded in agreement although I had only picked it up twice as I found most of words indecipherable, I marvelled at how she had got through a page let alone the whole book. When I queried her she gave me a vexed look as if asking how I knew she was dyslexic although she continued to explain that she had listened to it on an audiobook first, then tried to read it, knowing the story would help her work out the words.
"That is genius" I admitted, maybe she didn't hear me as she plunged into another in-depth analysis of some aspect.
I wasn't fully concentrating on the girl who seemed like a pig in muck, describing the amazingness of her story, I kept looking down at my bookmark/staff that I had been given to protect the babbling girl next to me and her friends. I just wondered how deep I had gotten myself into so that I actually was willingly given a weapon in the trust that I use it to protect the blissfully innocent idiots from monsters that might or might not attack. I was starting to wonder if I was going mad but then I glimpsed the pouch in my satchel and knew that I had to use my new found position for good and not to descend into masochistic tenancies although obviously I wouldn't kill anyone because celestial bronze didn't kill mortals. Duh.
As I was gazing at it, the bell rang and the whole class shovelled our books into our bags and ran for the exit. I bid Sam a due, she winked back as if we were in collusion, her complete personality switch was strange but I'd rather her be my friend than my enemy again, better for my health that way. With that i pushed my way through the crowds and fell out the door stumbling as I did. A pair of small hands with long fingers grasped me firmly as I fell.
"Cyson ar yno" a urgent voice came from the person who had caught me. It wasn't English but apart from that I had no clue "a ydych yn feddw neu'n rhywbeth nad, efallai, i am yn arbenigwr ar ôl yr holl. Oh sorry i'm going into welsh" a familiar voice apologised.
I straightened up and looked into the tinted lenses of my mystery helper "Jane err... Grish, nice catch"
"No probs" she replies humbly "just waiting for Sam, she didn't try and lob something at you again, did she?"
"Thankfully not, i think we're starting to get more... civil" i struggle for a word and civil is all that i can come up with, i wonder why no one twigged i was middleclass before.
"Good, well i'll see you later, got PE and got to walk over the fields" she explained as she turned and joined Sam. I gave a small nod as they both diappeared around the corner.
The students filtered ouf of the hallway through classroom doors and i was left in the corridor alone, turning slowly i saw a cleaner at the bottom of the hallway mopping the floor and whistling a cheery tune.
I rush down and past him to my next lesson and thats when things started to go downhill, bigtime.
He grasped my arm with an iron grip, i dont just mean he was strong, his grip was cold as steel and inmovable as a mountain.
"I know you, daughter of Athena. Your life will not be spared" the tall man rasped as I gave all my effort into wrenching my arm free so it took me a while to understand the gravity of the situation.
My face dropped and i ground my teeth together in determination. They had found me and i needed to do something quick or i would be good to no one dead. If I wasnt much mistaken I wasn't the only one who was in a bit of bother.
A/N: another chapter done. A bit of work for you with the welsh translation but im not going to be the only one doing work and its a nice thing to put in plus i promised i would put a bit of welsh in for my mate. Of course all reviews are welcome and appreciated, dont be afraid to criticise because thats the only way ill get any better.