High School Never Ends

Bowling for Soup

4 years you think for sure

That's all you've got to indoor

All the total dicks

All the stuck up chicks

So superficial so immature

Then when you graduate you take a look around and say

"Hey Wait!"

This is the same as where I just came from

I thought it was over aw that's just great

The whole damn world is just as obsessed

With who's the best dressed and who's having sex

Who's got the money who gets the honeys?

Who's kinds cute and who's just a mess

And you still don't have the right book

And you still don't have the right friends

Nothing changes but the faces the names and the trends

High School Never Ends

Artemis didn't say anything back to Tucker. She just grabbed her bag and walked briskly away once the bell rang cueing everyone to move onto lunch. Darb met up with her about half way there, his puppy dog ears still drooping in shame. They didn't talk, but pressed to each other sides, just to try and look bigger among the many large boys, or hordes of girls that roamed the halls. Artemis studied him as she walked though, Andrew's words flashing through her mind.

"You are so gay…"

Darb had seemed to become immediately quiet and sad after Andrew had said that. As if it was something he might have been ashamed of. Not that Darb didn't seem to fit the bill. Just the way he looked, how much time he spent on his hair in the morning… Artemis shook her head. No that's to stereotypical… She told her self mentally. Artemis narrowed her eyes and watched him carefully. Darb had his shoulders slumped in depressing and his eyes where looking straight at the floor as they hopped down the stairs trying to avoid the sweaty kids that had just come from gym that pounded up the stairs. Darb caught her gaze as he looked over at her, he still didn't say a word though as they entered the gym and they both chose a seat quickly. Artemis laughed softly as everyone looked at them weirdly and even the other people at the table kept a seat between them and Artemis and Darb.

"Are we really that out of place? I mean, how hard is it really just to fit in. My brother seems to do it fine. Why can't I?" Artemis asked half to herself half to Darb as Salvatore took a seat next him. Salvatore beamed, acting like Artemis and he had not just had a little mini fight over something as stupid as who was the strongest out of the two. Not that there was any competition, I mean come on… look at them. Artemis looks strong mentally and physically, Salvatore on the other hands. His limbs with thin and he was tall. A sting bean if you will.

"Well to fit in you've gotta have something cool about yourself. See you're not that cool. You tend to yell at people." Came a voice from behind her. Artemis swirled around to see a boy standing there with blond hair and smoky grey eyes.

"Evan?" She said tilting her head to the right at the boy. Evan nodded as he sat down beside her.

"I thought I might come sit with you guys today. I sort of wanna know more about you." Evan said with a charming smile. Darb looked down at his lunch poking a big apple with his finger. Evan held out his hand to Darb in a fist, attempting to get him to fist pound. "Sup Darb." Darb looked briefly up before waving quickly. Evan shrugged but didn't say anything.

"Sorry… he's sort of in an 'emo' mood right now." Artemis said hair quoting the word emo. "Usually he's much happier." Darb gave her a death glare. She shrugged. "What are you still depressed about the soccer game or the fact that Andrew made fun of you?"

"The latter." Darb said softly. Evan tilted his head to the right.

"Andrew's a bully; don't believe a word he says." Evan said stiffly. "I've grown up with Andrew. We both went to the say preschool, elementary school, middle school and now high school. We even knew each other has children. He doesn't have parents. His mother was killed three years ago by two high schoolers in a near by town and he never knew his father, but now he live with his mother's sister's husband's cousin, who has anger issues and tend to come home drunk a lot. Andrew often gets beat up by his guardian. I guess you could call it child abuse. Because his mother was killed he got a lot of attion for it, the news talked about it for months on end. But it made him popular in a bad way. Andrew loved the fame a lot; he got pretty badly hurt in the murder to. If you look at his neck you can see a long white scar that goes from just under his chin all the way down his back. Andrew started to get meaner after that and talked behind people's backs. Still he was popular because the only ones he picked on where the losers or outcasts or Goth kids, no one anyone cared about, they wouldn't go running away to tell someone if they got picked on. They got picked on all the time." Evan took a heavy sigh as all three sets of eyes watched him, widened. "So don't listen to what he says, Darb, Andrew's just someone who you should feel sorry for because of his past because seriously, get over it. The quicker the whole town and news get over it everything will be much easier on him." Evan finished with a smile.

"Holy – crap." Artemis said slowly. Salvatore whistled softly.

"I never knew this town had such a bad history." Salvatore said. Evan nodded while Darb shrugged.

"I've lived here my whole life. I know that Andrew's a bully and I know I should just ignore him. Andrew and I where friends for a few years way back when. Elizabeth and me where playing outside one day when we where in like second grade. He lives just across the street from us she he was out side bouncing a basketball on the ground. It was flat. You could tell by the way it didn't bounce back. I asked Elizabeth if we wanted to go ask him if he wanted to play with us. She had shaken her head sharply. No! He scares me! She told me. I didn't listen to her. Once we got Andrew over there and we started a game of hide and go seek everything got more comfortable. Andrew would sit with me and Elizabeth at lunch. He left his old friends to hang out with us. I didn't know what but it was good while it lasted." Darb said looking at Evan softly. Evan smiled brightly back.

"You guys are cool. You really talk about good things not like everyone else." Evan said pointing to the table where he usually sat which consisted of a bunch of cheer leader, Aphrodite among them, and most of the cooler part of the football team.

"Your social status with go down though sitting with us." Salvatore advised as him and Darb stood up to go throw there left over food out. "This is all a social game. Hell, life is a social game! You know what I say, based on the way my twenty five year old sister rants about how having your own house and having to get along with everyone at work, high school never ends." He said promptly.

"That really makes me feel good about the rest of my life." Darb muttered as he dragged Salvatore away. Artemis turned around and she felt someone's eyes on her. There in the corner, leaning calmly against the wall was Tucker. He stood a few feet apart from the other boys on his group Hades hanging out with them. Tucker watched her with his eyes narrowed, arms crossed and on foot placed against the wall. Artemis looked back at him and he looked sharply away. Something about that boy was giving Artemis the creeps. Artemis quickly brought her gaze back to Evan who looked at her carefully.

"So why did you move here?" He questioned as Salvatore and Darb returned. Artemis hesitated. Oh… what should I do? What should I do! I can't just tell them this is all a bet!

"I umm… ahh… our house got burnt down!" Artemis quickly covered with a convincing nod. Salvatore's jaw dropped.

"Oh. Well that's not very good…." Evan said scratching the back of his blond head nervously.

"Oh no! No it's not." Artemis said seeing how bad of a liar she really was. Evan looked nervous on the subject and got up quickly once the bell rang and everyone started stampeding back to their class rooms.

"I'll see you guys later…" Evan said as he ran off waving. Salvatore offered a piece of paper to Artemis, on it was written three phone numbers.

"Me, Darb and Elizabeth's numbers. Text me tonight." Salvatore said with a wink as he also disappeared into the crowd. Artemis shrugged much stuffed the piece of paper into he pocket of her jeans before walking away.

That Night

"I still can't believe you got me into detention!" Artemis snapped at Apollo as he flopped down beside her on her bed. He simply shrugged and admired his hand.

"It was partly you fault too." He muttered looking lazily back over at her, his blond hair scruffy and sticking up on end after his little grudge match with Aphrodite in the back yard over where or not he had dyed his hair to look so blond.

"You where the one who passed me the note." Artemis replied stubbornly.

"But you returned it." Apollo said in a monotone.

"But you still passed it to me!"

"But you still returned it." Apollo insisted as he put his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. Artemis crossed her arms and turned his back to him. "Why don't you just leave if you can't handle the bet for more then two weeks? I will enjoy seeing you in a French Maid costume waiting to my every need."

"Since when did a French Maid costume come into play here?" Artemis snapped at him. Apollo chuckled.

"Even gods have their moments."

"Pervert!" Artemis screamed slamming her heel into her brother's side, sending him toppling off of the bed. Apollo, laughed from his spot on the floor before standing up and smirking at Artemis. She narrowed her eyes at her brother as he sat back down on the bed, legs crossed.

"But hey, we have detention with each other so it really can't be that bad." Apollo said.

"When you're in detention you can't talk. You have to sit still and be quiet for a hour or so." Artemis paused. "Sit quiet and still. Aka don't be yourself!"

"But don't those mortals always want you to be yourself?" Apollo joked. Artemis shook her head.

"No, they want the good kids who do everything right to be there self's they want trouble makers like you to go to hell!" Artemis said crossing her arms and smiling like a rascal at her sun god of a brother who simply blinked at her and then put a hand in her face.

"Talk to the hand, Artemis." Apollo said stiffly, but still jokingly.

"Bu-"

"Ah! Nope! Don't speak."

"Apo-"

"No! A commoner like you will not speak my name. It is to powerful to be handled with just dirty yucky hands such at your self Artemis the commoner." Apollo insisted. Artemis giggled slightly but didn't say anything else as she looked back to her book. "No! You can't read either!" Apollo cried slamming his hand over her mouth. "All attention must be on me!" Artemis sighed, pulling his hand off of her eyes.

"You really are annoying." She said while smiling and shaking her head at him. Apollo smiled.

"I know!" He giggled standing up and waving to Artemis as he walked out the door. She shook her head as she turned back to the book that she was being forced to read for Language Arts. Her phone beeped sharply causieng her to jump. Flipping it open a new message flashed on the screen from Salvatore. Obiousally she had gotten past entering everyone into her contacts so when ever one of the them texted her she would know who it was by caller I.D. She opened the message and read over it.

Artemis! You wanna come with me, Darb, Elizabeth and Evan to a pool nearby? Evan got his driver's license. Reply soon!

Artemis blinked at the message before responding.

Sure… I'll come along.

Salvatore responded almost immediately.

Cool! We'll be at you guy's house in twenty minuets! If Apollo wants to come along he can too.

I'll ask him. Not that I would be happy with him coming but I'm not THAT rude.

Lol. See you soon.

Artemis smiled at the text and she began to search for her swimsuit.

Two days IN A ROW!

I'm having to much fun writing this story.

Okay, so here's a pole for you guys. Here is the question.

Should Darb be gay, or should he be straight but in love with Elizabeth.

I'm not trying to be against gays, I love them, I just don't know if he should be gay or not and I could use you guy's help. You can review you answer or you can message me. You chose.

I'm gonna work to get a The Sun Might Not Shine As Bright chapter up I'm just stumped on it. Even though I have developed an unhealthy obsession in playing Apollo in my stories.

Oh, I don't own Percy Jackson or Bowling For Soup's song up there, only Elizabeth, Salvatore, Darb, Evan, Andrew and Tucker.

Love you guy!

~Tonka Toy