Miss Greenly stopped, her hand hovering over the light switch. We were all frozen. No one really knew how to react to this. Then I heard Sandra snigger.
I snapped.
"You think it's funny, huh?" I asked, my voice deceptively calm.
I felt Laura tense next to me. She knew that when I was shouting I was angry, but when I was calm I was seriously pissed.
Sandra blanched, but still found her voice.
"Well," she said, her voice cracking, showing the fear reflected in her eyes. "She's right."
I smiled slightly, my eyes hard as steel.
Before anyone could blink, I was in front of her, my face close to hers. Like Frances, I could travel at the speed of light. She jerked back in surprise. I resisted the urge to laugh.
"Find it funny now?" I asked, my voice low so only we could hear.
"Eden," Miss Greenly's voice said, quiet but stern. "Enough."
I turned and nodded to her, sent a warning look to Leona and sat back next to Laura. Mischievous glee was trying not to surface on Laura's face.
"I do not tolerate that sort of tone in my classroom, ladies," she said, sending pointed looks at Leona and Sandra. "I would appreciate it if that term was not used again in reference to my family, thank you."
"She's got a point, though," Becca said, her Southern bell voice floating through the room. At Miss Greenly's horrified look (Becca wouldn't hurt a fly), she elaborated. "About the video, I mean. Why do we need to watch it when you two are here? Can't we just do a Q and A, or something?"
"It would be more interesting than a video no one's going to pay attention to anyway," someone said.
"And it's on the school network, so we can watch it whenever," another added.
Soon enough everyone was quite happy to do a Q and A – accept me and Miss Greenly. How was I to know what to say and what not? A lot of the questions I probably couldn't answer as I wasn't kept in the loop enough with Olympian news, jus the odd letter from my Mum.
'Go on,' I heard a male voice say in my head. 'I shall guide you as to what and what not to answer'.
Miss Greenly stiffened at the front, so she must have heard the voice as well. I raised a questioning eyebrow. She shrugged in response, obviously none the wiser as to whom the voice belonged.
Well okay then.
"Sure," I said, turning to face the rest of the room. "Fire away."
"How long have you been a demigod?" was the first question.
My lips quirked upwards. "I've always been a demigod," I said. "It's not an occupation, I was born that way. If you mean how long have I known I was a demigod, that's about three years. I found out when I went to San Francisco, saw a guy wrestle an old man into the bay, that old man turn into a seal, a bunch of teens fight a lion/scorpion thing I later found out was a Mantiocre whilst protecting a sea cow and three days I got a visit from a demigod saying I was a demigod. It all gets a little confusing after that."
The demigod I had a visit from was Annabeth Chase, Athena's daughter. Seeing as she's the first demigod I learnt about, we are quite close. It was only later that I learnt about what these events meant in the grand scheme of the war.
"After that?" Laura whispered next to me.
Kyra, who asked the question, turned to Miss. "What about you?"
She sighed. "I have known all my life. When my mother had me, she didn't give me to my father like Eden's mother did her. I was taken straight to Camp, where I was raised. It was only when I reached university age did I leave Camp."
Everyone was quiet. Even I didn't know that much. I knew that she'd always been at Camp, but now that much.
"What's this Camp?" Zara asked.
"Camp Half-Blood," I answered. "It's the place where demigods go to be trained in fighting, stealth, tactics and such. We also learn about the types of things we'll end up facing and the history of demigods. There's stuff like protocol and the gods as well."
"Speaking of the gods," Naomi said. "Who have you met?"
"Not many," Miss Greenly stated before I opened my mouth. "Two, in fact. I met the god of wine at Campy and the god of war on a Quest in my late teens. Not many demigods meet gods, not even their parents. It's not often to see a god or goddess unless they need something from you."
I took a breath to begin speaking – I had met quite a few gods, actually, when my Mum took me to a ball on Olympus to celebrate the one year anniversary of winning the war – when thunder rumbled over head threateningly. Ah.
'Watch yourself,' the voice said once more.
'Yes, sir' I though back, figuring out who was speaking to me: Zeus, King of the Gods.
"I two have met two gods. Again, I met the god of wine, as most demigods do. However, I am one of the lucky ones who have met my godly parent. That's Eos, goddess of the dawn, in case you can't remember."
"What about the other demigods? Who are they the children of?"
"Almost every god has children," I said. "The Olympian Twelve have the most children, excluding the Big Three and Hera. A lot of other gods have come forward to claim their children, now, too. Camp's its busiest that the directors have ever known."
"Who teaches you there?" Laura asked.
"We have Chiron, the legendary trainer of heroes, as Activities Director and a bunch of older demigods, usually the head of the cabin, the take lessons too," Miss Greenly said.
"Chiron, for those who don't know," I said, "Is a centaur, the one who trained Heracles."
The rest of the class went on like that, basically. Zeus chirped in every now and again, telling me what and what not to say, but I was grateful for it. I'm sure I'd have stepped my foot in it somewhere. Not once did I have to mention fighting or any battles I'd been in.
The bell went about half an hour later, signalling the beginning of break. We all went out of the room. Laura grabbed my arm and dragged me off.
"When is it that you planned on telling me?" she demanded.
"I was going to, once I knew where you stood on the situation." I ran my fingers through my hair in exasperation. "I was up all night last night thinking about what I was going to do, going to say." I took her hands in mine. "Laura, you're my best friend. Of course I'm going to tell you. In fact, come round to mine tonight. We'll order pizza and watch stupid telly and I'll answer any questions you have."
Thunder rumbled over head once more, lightning flashing slightly. I flinched.
"Okay," I amended. "Maybe not every question, but most definitely."
At her confused look, I said: "The Lord of Sky has strict rules as to what I can and can't say."
She still seemed a little bemused, but nodded none the least.
We walked over the Austin, who was waiting by one of the picnic tables. When I asked where Leila and Henry were, she said Leila was kept behind after an incident in her form for defending my name. She gestured over my shoulder as to Henry's location.
I turned and saw her speaking in hushed tones with Sandra and the sheep (her followers), glancing in my direction every now and again. Oh, fantastic. Now she'd probably defected back to the dark side for good. Just what I needed at the minute.
That moment Leila chose to appear.
"God! I hate that woman!" she fumed, looking a little damper than when I last saw her.
I didn't bother to correct her in her use of the singular god when there were in fact many, because she looked annoyed enough as it was.
"Leila?" I asked. "Who did what to you and why are you wet?"
Her eyes grew in anger. "Ms Finer kept me behind because I showed that Diana Price who's boss! She started calling you a freak and an abomination to nature and then started on me because I'm one of your best friends. So, seeing as we're in an art room, I grabbed a cup of water and pored it over her head… which she proceeded to do to me."
"Oh," was all I said. Not only did I love Laura, I now officially loved Leila now too.
"High five!" Laura shouted, smiling like a maniac. Often did I think she was the daughter of Hermes, but no. She and the Stoll's would get along a storm. I was close to them, too, because I lived in the Hermes cabin before my Mum claimed me.
"Hey, guys," I said. "I've invited Laura over to mine this evening to talk all this out, answer questions and what not." I looked around my group of friends. "You two in?"
"I'd love to," Leila said, "but my brother is taking me to dinner. He said he had something important to talk to me about that he didn't want to say in front of mum or dad."
"I can't get, either," Austin said. "I'm babysitting the neighbour's nightmare twins while they go out. Again." As much as I loved her, I wasn't going to offer to go to hers, because it was me who came up the nickname 'nightmare twins'.
"Just me and you then, kid," Laura said, nudging me and winking. We all laughed.
"Hey," Austin said. "Henry's coming over."
Soon enough she stood there, glaring at the others.
"Want us to go?" Leila said harshly.
Henry just nodded.
Leila rolled her eyes and backed off. Austin nodded her farewell and Laura squeezed my arm before going. I turned to Henry.
"You wanted something?" I asked, cautious.
"Look, Eden," she began. "You know you're one of my best friends, but I can't cope with this." She looked me dead in the eye. "Eden, you're not even human. You know how hard that is for me to accept? I can't do this, not now, and I think not ever. I'm sorry." She turned sharply and went on her way.
Hard for her? She had no idea how hard it is being a demigod. How I felt finding out I wasn't entirely human. I expected some to react different to others, sure, but she hasn't even heard my side of the story. Hasn't even tried to accept me for who I really am. So much for a best friend.
I didn't realise I was crying until I felt three sets of arms rap around me.
"It's okay, love," I heard Leila whisper.
"She's a stuck up cow anyway," Austin said.
Laura pulled away and handed me a tissue. I wiped my eyes.
"You gonna be okay?" she asked, looking up at me with big sad eyes.
I nodded, smiling slightly. I sure was with friends like these.
"I'll be fine," she said. I hardened my face and straightened my back. "Don't we have places to be?"
A/N: Sorry it's a bit depressing at the end! It should got better in a few chapters, promise! Review make me happy, so if you wouldn't mind... Fronk x