CH 3: Destiny's Slave

She stopped in her place, and the room was silent. Everyone looked confused, and her especially. Not because she didn't recognize me, though. ...no, she defiantly recognized me.

"What are you doing here?" She says, almost disgusted.

I ignore her reaction for now, place my food on the table, and hop over the couch.

"Nina, you're still alive!" I state, after examining her. "Do you know how worried everyone was? Oh my god, the mark!"

Immediately, I pull up the sleeve of her wrist to see if the mark of Anubis was still there. Before I could, though, she swats my hand away and pulls back.

"Patricia, what are you doing?" She scolds, like she has no idea what I'm talking about.

"Oh yeah! Heads up on the new girl, she's a freak!" Destiny calls, and I realize I may have just made a scene.

"Des, I think Nina and her have already met." Marissa notes.

"Is it true? Do you know this kid, Nina?" The red head remarks.

She sighs. "...we, went to school together. A long time ago."

This is insane... first I get transferred to America, and now Nina's here too? What kind of black magic is this?

"I think I remember you telling me about that, actually." One of the twins remembers. "You went to a British boarding school before coming back to the states, right?"

No response. What's her problem.

I'll probably talk to her later, in private, and find out what's going on. No one's heard from her in over a year, and she's acting like we don't even exist! She has some explaining to do.

I return to my meal, and it's quiet at first.

"...so, my name's Kelly, by the way." The curly brunette says, and offers her hand.

I accept. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Ember!"

"I'm Starlight!"

The twins answer simultaneously. It's not like I can tell the two apart, anyway...

"And I'm Marissa." Marissa greets. "Sorry if I was rude earlier, I usually don't talk about others in third person.

Mindy sits right between me and Kelly, even though there's hardly any room.

"Mindy." She says, cramming more food into her mouth. For someone deathly skinny, she sure does like to eat.

"You already know me." Nina says, sitting on the opposite side on the floor.

Everyone looks to the Latina now, who won't so much as make eye contact with the group.

"...Destiny?" Marissa pries. "Do you have something against the new girl?"

"Yeah. She told me not to talk to her."

Ouch. That certainly wasn't winning me any popularity points with this group...

"Don't worry, she says that to everyone." Nina defends. ...sorta.

Destiny just shrugs, and the room returns to quiet. What a terrible first impression, but, how could I have known!

After dinner, I pull Nina aside. "We need to talk."

"No." Nina states. "Look, I know that 'nice' isn't really your policy Patricia, but if you're going to harass my friends,"

"I'm sorry about that!" I blurt.

"Too late!"

Nina turns around and walks to the stairs before I could so much as get another word in. I turn around in rage and head back into the living room. How dare she treat me this way!

I was just worried about her is all, with all this 'forfeit your life' stuff Sibuna was talking about before she left. She won't even give me the time of day, though, since I've been rude to her so called 'friend'. Yeah, right! I've been friends with Nina way longer than that Destiny girl!

Later that night, I was informed of curfew, and told it was lights out when the clock strikes midnight.

"Heeeey." I greet my roommate, upon entering our dorm.

She doesn't respond in any way.

"Um, so. About today..." I begin, but wonder if she even knows I'm here.

Destiny had her lamp shone on her magazine, which she was intently staring at and flipping through.

I sit next to her. "Des, I wanted to make up for my behavior this morning."

She sets down her magazine, but still doesn't look at me. "Oh, great master, am I allowed to speak once more? Oh, praise the lord!"

Her sarcastic remarks were making it much harder to do this.

"Um, right. The thing is, it was wrong of me to act that way-"

"You mean superior?"

Kill me. "Yeah... but, I realize I'd made a mistake, and I'm willing to make it up to you. However you like."

She pretends to consider it. "Hm, no chance!" Then returns her focus to her fashion magazine.

I put my hand over it, forcing it down. "Please, Des!"

"Don't call me 'Des'."

"Destiny!" I correct, still in the same desperate tone. "I was just nervous, alright? I was afraid to come to a new school, and I thought you were trying to make fun of me, and... really I'm really sorry!"

It certainly wasn't all true, but I was willing to say and do anything to get her to like me.

"...Let me make it up to you." I plead.

Just when I think she'll never believe me, she lets out a sigh. "...okay, Patricia. But I get to pick just how you're going to be repaying me."

"Yes!" I excite, "Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you!"

She smirks. "You have to be my personal assistant for the rest of the week."

The rest of the week? ...okay. Well it was Wednesday night. "Three days? I think I can manage that." I reply, slightly nervous of what's Destiny has in store for me.

School the next day, and Nina was still ignoring me. Talk about turning the tables... I feel like a complete outcast here.

Halfway through English class, one of the girls from our house taps me on the shoulder. I think her name is Mindy...

"So you're from that creepy Anubis house Nina's been telling me about."

We were in the middle of instructions for a project, but I wasn't really interested in it anyway. It's more important I get on her good side this moment.

"Yeah." I reply. "And 'creepy' is an understatement."

"Patricia, I realize you are new here, but we do not tolerate talking during class time. And Mindy... you should know better by now." The teacher informs us.

I shrug in her direction, and continue to listen to Mrs. Simmons explanation on verbs. A minute later, Mindy places a note on my desk.

'So is it true you guys almost lost your life searching for that cup thing?' It read.

Nina must really trust this Mindy girl if she's willing to disclose private Sibuna information. I guess if she already knows, though, there's no point in not explaining further.

'More than a couple times. Searching for the Ankh pieces was the hardest thing I've ever done.'

With that, I slide the piece of paper back to Mindy when the teacher's back is turned. She looks over it, and I pretend to listen to the lesson.

How much does she know? And how much has Nina told the others in the house? I probably won't know until I befriend everyone. That's gonna take some time.

'Why didn't you try to sell it?'

I wonder that too. Nina said she'd destroyed the cup, so no human would ever be granted eternal life. Later I found out she'd secretly kept it, and hid it in the attic. Maybe Nina hoped to get a pay off from the thing, and not share with the rest of us.

'don't know.' I reply, and hand the scrap of paper back.

On second thought, Nina would never do that. I'm still curious as to her reasoning for keeping it all this time. It could very well be because of the trouble we'd all been through to obtain it... maybe I'll ask her one day.

Immediately after school, Destiny bombarded me with her books.

I saw her and waved hi, but she didn't say anything and continued toward me. Next thing I know, she throws these ten pound books at me as well as her backpack, which must have been full of rocks because it was HEAVEY!

"It's my homework." She explains when I stare at her in confusion.

"What, for the rest of the semester?" I criticize.

"For tonight, and Friday's math. I take AP classes, Patricia. And as I'm sure you've probably never even heard of them, I'll explain it to you; they're advance placement for academically thriving students such as my self."

"How the hell are you going to get all this done?" I question, then freeze when I realize the devious smirk upon her face.

"You're gonna do it."

On top of my own homework, which I already didn't understand, I had to do her smart-people work as well. The stuff in the backpack didn't have to be done until Monday, but I assume she'll bring even more homework from tomorrow's classes for me to do over the weekend. I skip out on my own work and sit in my room, trying to decipher her advanced physics book.

"Hey, roomy!" Destiny greets, "I'm hungry, and Silvia says dinner won't be done for another half hour."

So wait, you fucking pig!

"Did you want me to sneak some food from the kitchen or something?" I guess, keeping my personal thoughts to myself.

"You're a very good servant, aren't you?" She comments. "Get to it."

I hate being ordered around by her. I hate doing her stupid homework, and I hate taking the blame for the trouble she causes. I can't wait for this to end.