Roman Demigod

Chapter 1

Who am I?

I felt the rumbling of what had to be a bus under my feet. I was slouched and my head was leaning back against the uncomfortable seat. I finally opened my eyes to see a bunch of kids sitting in seats around the bus and someone was also sitting next to me, the desert passing us by outside the window, the sky clear and the sun bright.

I looked on my right to see a boy around 14 or 15 sitting next to me, if I had to guess, he looked Latino. He had an elfish and babyish face. He had curly black hair and dark brown eyes that were filled with mischief and he had a wide smirk too. That smirk was pointed at me. "Sleep enough?"

I looked behind me, but he was still looking at me. Was this boy talking to me? Who was he? Who am I? That thought stopped me short. How many people think like that? I should at least know who I am, right? I don't remember anything, it's like a blank slate. I only remember that my name was Aurora and I didn't like being called by my first name, but as of now, that's all I remembered. I heard a groan and looked to where it came from, to my left.

I looked over and saw two more kids, around the same age as the Latino boy and me. Or I think what was my age? Do I even know my own age? It was a boy and a girl. The boy had short blond hair, but not too short. He had a strong jaw and facial structure that was tan and bright blue eyes, that were striking and sharp in some way. His eyes were bleary like he was just waking up like I was.

The girl was holding his hand, her skin tanner than both the boys and mine (which was the same type of tan as the blond boy's). The girl had choppy short brown hair which was cut unevenly with a couple of feathers braided down the side of her hair. She had eyes that seemed to change color, from blue, brown and green as they reflected in the light. She was beautiful in that effortless way many people can't achieve, even if it looked like she tried not to be. She was wearing jeans and a snowboarding jacket.

The strange thing was I felt like I knew or recognized the blond boy, but could not guess where or even what his name was, it was beyond frustrating. And frightening. Also, it was just him, the one I was sitting next to and who he was sitting next to, I didn't remember anything about them at all.

The blond boy looked lost as he sat up in his seat more. I could see him a little more now as he was on her other side. He was wearing a purple t-shirt with faded gold letters on the front along with a symbol I could barely see, but the shirt looked familiar, something that sparked familiarity in my blank head. I looked down and noticed I was wearing the same shirt, the word on the front just as faded. Did I know him from somewhere? Did we come from the same place?

I felt pain in my head and stopped thinking of it at this moment. I took in what I was wearing. Along with the purple shirt, I was wearing faded blue jeans and black combat boots, the laces tied tightly and the shoes felt worn too, like I wore them for a while.

I heard shifting and saw the blond boy looking around, looking just as confused as I felt. He then caught my eyes. His face and eyes flashed with recognition, but still looked as lost as I felt. His name though, I couldn't remember it and that was bothering me a lot. I felt like I really should know it. I stared at him harder, maybe I'd remember it then.

He stared at me and he started frowning in confusion. I realized it was probably from the intense stare I was giving him. I looked away, sitting back in the seat with the other boy my age. Or what I thought my age was. The boy laughed, his eyes flickering to the front. "What'd he do? Steal another one of your candy bars or something like that?"

I realized he was talking to me. I shook my head. "What? Uh…"

I don't understand this, why is he acting like he knows me and pretty well too from the familiarity in his tone at me and the blond boy's supposed antics.

The boy with black curly hair and the pretty girl filled me a wariness that Jason didn't. Like I shouldn't be near the two of them, I tried to look past that since I barely remembered anything anyway.

I heard the girl say. "Jason, you okay?"

I stiffened, feeling like I was struck by lightning (which strangely enough I think I was in the past, but I couldn't grasp that memory). But, something did flicker behind my eyelids. The surroundings were blurred out as were any people that were around, but I did recognize the blond boy, who I now knew was Jason. In this memory, we were talking and we seemed pretty familiar with each other and close too.

Staring at the front and not looking at Jason, I heard him stutter out to the pretty girl. "Um, I don't- "

A voice suddenly shouted. "All right! Listen up, cupcakes!"

I jumped a little and then a voice in my head told me I should be on guard at all times. I shook my head, I wasn't that insane, to be hearing voices, though it felt like another memory, not something current.

The Latino boy next to me whispered with a snicker. "Rory, I did something. Wait for it."

I just about recoiled away from him, scooting to the end of my seat. How does he know me? Or what I liked to be called as a nickname? He looked at me with a frown and I hoped I didn't hurt his feelings or something. I didn't want to do that. But he then grinned at me, so I thought I was seeing things.

Anyway, I looked ahead to where the loud voice was. It was a man and he was short, at about 5 feet tall, his baseball cap hanging low over his dark beady eyes. He was scowling and the look looked like a default setting. He looked very grumpy. His chest and arms looked buff, his orange polo shirt stressing against his chest. He was wearing clean Nike's and track pants, they almost looked spotless. He had a stereotypical coach whistle hung around his neck and a megaphone clipped to his side, which I had a feeling he enjoyed using frequently.

One student shouted. "Stand up, Coach Hedge!"

I let out a snicker. Freaked out or not, I must have still had my old sense of humor, whatever that was. The Latino boy nudged me, grinning. I flinched away from him, my good humor gone. He sent me a confused look. Did he really know me?

The coach shouted. "I heard that!" He looked over at me and his scowl deepened. He looked over to my side and if possible, his scowl deepened even further. Did he know I wasn't supposed to here or who I was? Or who I and Jason were? Why me and Jason felt connected other than the matching purple shirts?

But the coach looked away and cleared his throat. "We arrive in five minutes! Stay with your partner. Don't lose your worksheet. And if any of you precious little cupcakes cause any trouble on this trip, I will personally send you back to campus the hard way."

He picked up a baseball bat and swung it hard in front of him. I frowned to myself, I don't remember much, but shouldn't teachers get in trouble for talking to students that way?

Jason must have been thinking the same way I was. "Can he talk to us that way?"

I nodded in agreement, turning to the boy next to me. "Yeah, I mean, he's a teacher, right?"

He snorted, fiddling with the buttons of his Army jacket unconsciously or it looked like it anyway. "Like he cares, it's Coach."

I guess it explained that Coach Hedge was that type of person, I guess. Looking at his restlessness, I noticed I was barely keeping in one place. My foot was tapping on the floor of the bus along with my fingers on the opposite knee. It was almost like I also couldn't help it.

I looked over at the girl as she spoke. "That's true, but they always do. This is the Wilderness School. 'Where the kids are animals'."

She said it like it was an inside joke shared many times before. Jason looked lost and so did I. She acted like she knew Jason and me. I don't know her and it looks like he doesn't either. I don't know any of them here, except for that one glimpse of Jason and I barely know what that was. I moved back in my seat, shaking my head, focusing on the Coach. I needed to focus on what to do now, worry about my memories when I understood a little more.

Jason said. "This is some sort of mistake. I'm not supposed to be here."

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I don't…I mean, I really don't belong here." After all, how can I belong somewhere I don't remember being.

The boy next to me laughed, patting my shoulder and turning to look at both me and Jason. "Yeah right, Jason, Rory. We've all been framed! I didn't run away six times. You, Rory didn't bust a pipe line in your old school and Piper didn't steal a BMW."

The girl said. "I didn't steal that car, Leo."

At least I knew their names now. Leo was the boy next to me and Piper was the girl next to Jason. Leo snickered at her answer and reaction. "Oh, I forgot, Piper. What was your story? You 'talked' the dealer into lending it to you?"

His grin widened as his raised his eyebrows, like can you believe this? Leo then said. "Anyway, I hope you've got your worksheet, 'cause I used mine for spit ball wads days ago. Why are you two looking at me like that? Someone draw on my face?"

I said and realized Jason said it at the same time. "I don't know you."

I turned to Piper. "Sorry, but you either."

It made me realize, me and Jason were somehow in the same boat. Leo just kept his grin. "Sure, I'm not your best friend and Piper isn't yours, Rory. I'm his evil twin."

I turned to Piper who was staring at me in shock, pained shock. I didn't know her, but it made guilt lace in my chest. Did she think we were close friends? I looked away from her with a grimace, it was all I could do.

"Leo Valdez! Problem back there?" Coach Hedge's voice shouted from the front.

Leo winked and grinned at us. "Watch this." I remembered he told me earlier that he had something planned. Freaked out as I was, I couldn't help, but looked toward the front curiously. Leo called. "Sorry, Coach! I was having trouble hearing you. Could you use your megaphone, please?"

The coach looked pleased to do so. He unclipped his megaphone and spoke into it, issuing directions. His voice sounded deep like Darth Vader's. The kids laughed and he tried again, but this time it said instead of his words, 'the cow says moo'.

I couldn't help, but laugh in amusement at what Leo did. I slapped a hand over my mouth, my shoulders shaking and snickers falling from my mouth. Someone smacked my arm. I looked over to see Jason. "Your memories are gone, try to focus."

I felt like we had this conversation before or something like it and instead of being worried, I was almost used to it, just a feeling. I shrugged at him. "It's funny."

He seemed to shake his head at me. The coach shouted. "Valdez!"

I stopped laughing, getting more serious at Jason's advice. Piper stifled a laugh. "My god, Leo. How did you do that?"

I felt my brows furrow as a memory tried to surface, but it hurt too much so I stopped, figuring it wasn't important. Leo grabbed a small Philips screwdriver from his sleeve. "I'm a special boy."

I snorted. "You certainly are."

Leo snickered. Jason pleaded. "Guys, seriously. What are we doing here? Where are we going?"

I realized he included me in this sentence. I said, feeling just about exactly the same. "He's right, I have no idea what I'm doing here on this bus. I don't remember any of this."

Piper was sending us both worried looks. "Are you two joking?"

I shook my head, feeling more worried. "No!"

Jason finished. "I have no idea-"

Leo replied. "Aw, yeah, they're joking. He's trying to get me back for that shaving cream on the Jell-O thing. And she's mad at me for ratting her out to Jason on the joke she played on him, aren't you?"

I stared at him with a blank look, confused at what he's saying. I don't remember any joke, though I somehow knew Jason, but not the other two.

I noticed Piper try to take his hand. "No, I think they're serious."

He moved his hand away and I looked away feeling awkward looking at their awkwardness.

Jason stuttered out. "I'm sorry. I don't-I can't- "

I wanted to add something, but I believe Jason covered the confusion, so I didn't say anything, but kept on my face that I agreed with what he was saying.

The coach then shouted. "That's it! The back row has just volunteered to clean up after lunch."

I grit my teeth in annoyance and stopped myself from saying anything. Me and Jason were having trouble with ourselves, this coach was making it worse, I believe he had to know something.

The other kids cheered, obviously happy to not have to do it. Leo muttered. "That's a shocker."

I noticed Piper staring at Jason, looking pained. "Did you hit your head or something? Both of you really don't know who we are?"

I stared at the girl who Leo dubbed as my best friend. "Yeah…sorry, but that's not all…"

Still, the only thing I remembered was my name, preferred nickname and the strange familiarity with Jason. Jason said, finishing off from what I said. "I don't know who I am either."

I was still in shock, having someone who was feeling about exactly the same as I did, almost to the last detail. "He's right. I don't even know anything about myself."

It was silent as he drove past some more desert ended up parked in front of a building almost in the middle of nowhere. None of us spoke. Jason was staring down at the floor, Leo was fidgeting next to me, fiddling with some screws between his fingers, Piper was staring at me and Jason with shocked disbelief and my back was straight and my body stiff as I stared straight ahead, my right foot bouncing instead of tapping this time, feeling like I really needed to get off this bus.

I was stuck with my thoughts. I needed to find who I was. Whoever I was, Jason was involved somehow, that much was to be sure. He was one of the only things I remembered and it looked to be the same with him, we wore the same shirts and seemed to be feeling the same things. I had a feeling I didn't believe in coincidences and even if I did, these similarities are way too much.

A cold breeze whistled over my skin and I hunched my shoulders against the cold. We were now standing outside the museum. Leo turned to us with a wide grin, saying in a tone that he was going to be more joking then helpful. "So, a crash course for the amnesiacs. We go to the Wilderness School- " He made air quotes with his fingers. "-which means we're 'bad kids'. Your family, or the court, or whoever, decided you were too much trouble, so they shipped you off to this lovely prison-sorry, boarding school in Armpit, Nevada, where you learn valuable nature skills like running ten miles a day through the cacti and weaving daisies into hats! And for a special treat we go on 'educational' field trips with Coach Hedge, who keeps order with a baseball bat. Is it all coming back to you now?"

Jason shook his head. "No." I saw him looked around at the other kids standing outside with us.

I said. "Me neither. I never even heard of a Wilderness School before."

Leo rolled his eyes at us. ""You're really gonna play this out, huh? Okay, so the four of us started here together this semester. We're totally tight. You two do everything I say and give me your dessert and do my chores—"

Piper snapped, glaring at him. "Leo!"

She looked worried and I felt a little bad, she was obviously worried, but I didn't know who she was, I couldn't help her. Leo raised his hands, smiling. "Fine. Ignore that last part. But we are friends. Well, Piper's a little more than Jason's friend, the last few weeks."

I hid my snicker as Piper and Jason went red. Piper exclaimed. "Leo, stop it!"

I felt my lips twitch in a smile. Piper said. "Rory, stop laughing."

The smile slipped from my face. I gave her a wary look. Piper said, looking at Leo. "They got amnesia or something. We have to tell somebody."

I looked at her, who? Leo scoffed. "Who, Coach Hedge? He'd try to fix them by whacking them upside the head."

I grimaced at the thought. "Let's not do that."

As of now, he was blowing his whistle and yelling at students. Piper insisted. "Leo, Jason and Rory need help. They have concussions or something, they hang out- "

A boy came over. "Yo, Piper. Don't talk to these bottom-feeders. You're my partner, remember?"

This guy moved between Jason and Piper, knocking Leo down and forcing me to back up. He had dark hair in a Superman style, a deep tan and the whitest smile I ever seen. He wore a Dallas Cowboys jersey, jeans and boots. Jason was glaring and I scowled at the newcomer, he was a rude guy and seemed like a bully, I hated bullies.

Piper grumbled. "Go away, Dylan. I didn't ask to work with you."

Dylan hooked his arm with hers. "Ah, that's no way to be. This is your lucky day." He pulled her away and I frowned. I didn't know her, but he was dragging her against her will. She had a look that screamed help.

I grabbed Leo by the hand, pulling him up easily. I let go. He said. "Thanks."

I walked toward Piper and Dylan, feeling like I should help her out. Leo said. "Woah, woah. You should know better, Piper will be fine."

I gave him a dry look. "I don't you, but since you know Piper…" I stayed, letting it go. Plus, I needed to figure out who I was, not play hero or something. As long as Piper wasn't in any danger or anything. Even if I didn't remember her.

Jason sent Leo a confused look, most likely on how Piper obviously didn't want to go with Dylan, but didn't say anything on the subject. Leo smirked at us. "I hate that guy though." He offered his arm to Jason in a joking way. "I'm Dylan, I'm so cool! I want to date myself, but can't figure out how. You want to date me instead? You're so lucky!"

I couldn't help the small snort and smirk that came from me at that. Jason was sending Leo a strange stare. "Leo, you're weird."

Leo once again grinned at him. "Yeah, you tell me that a lot." Leo smirked at me. "Rory still thinks I'm funny, but if you two don't remember, I can still use my old jokes! Come on!"

I let out a sigh, frowning at him. My lost memories kept on coming back to my mind. I hated not knowing who I was. Sure, Leo said some things that were funny, but as the humor disappeared, my worry reappeared, even if Jason seemed to be like me somehow.

But, with nothing else to do, I followed Jason and Leo into the Museum.

As we stood close to the entrance, I heard Coach Hedge blaring out orders with his megaphone, which seemed pointless because it either sounded deep or still said things like 'the pig says oink'. I couldn't keep the smirk off my face.

Meanwhile as we walked more inside, Leo was messing with nuts, bolts and pipe cleaners from his jacket and putting them together, which reminded me of something, but it was on the edge of my mind and it left me.

I shook my head and looked around, noticing the exhibits talking about the Grand Canyon and Hualapai tribe (whatever that was), which was the Native American tribe that owned the museum.

My eyes saw Piper and she was standing with Dylan still, though it looked reluctant. Girls were dressed in pink and jeans with too much make-up. They looked popular, and I disliked them already.

One of the girl's said. "Hey, Piper, does your tribe own the place? Do you get in free if you do a rain dance?"

I scowled at them. Really? Did they really not have anything better to do? Piper seemed nice from what I know of her, but then again, that would be a good reason for popular girls to hate her. Also, Dylan seemed to be hiding a smile.

I noticed her ball her fists, which was hidden by her jacket sleeves, but I could see how tense she was. She said to them. "My dad's Cherokee. Not Hualapai. 'Course, you'd need a few brain cells to know the difference, Isobel."

I grinned at that. I really wished I could remember Piper if this was how she was, she was obviously thick skinned. Isobel said, her eyes widening so much, the heavy make-up she wore made it look worse around her eyes. "Oh, sorry! Was your mom in this tribe? Oh, that's right. You never knew your mom."

I grimaced and glared at the bully. By the look on Piper's face, I could tell that was a low blow. Like I remembered before, I really hated bullies. I really wanted to go over there…

That wasn't needed as Piper was charging to go over there. Coach Hedge barked before she could. "Enough back there! Set a good example or I'll break out my baseball bat."

I rolled my eyes, at this point, I didn't think that threat was real. It's not like he can hit a bunch of kids with a weapon. But in the end, Piper stopped and we moved on.

But, that didn't stop those stupid girls from picking on Piper. One of them said. "Good to be back on the rez?"

Another said in a false sympatric tone. "Dad's probably too drunk to work. That's why she turned klepto."

I scowled darkly at them, I really hated bullies. I balled my hands into tight fists, glaring at them. Knowing Piper or not, or the strange feeling I got from her, they had no right to bully her. But I was tense, remembering how Leo stopped me earlier.

I looked at Jason at the corner of my eye and saw Jason seemed to also be barely holding himself back, his hands were balled tightly into fists.

Leo stood in front of us, placing his hands on each of our shoulders. "Be cool. Remember why I stopped you earlier, Rory, Piper doesn't like us fighting her battles. Besides, if those girls found out the truth about her dad, they'd be all bowing down to her and screaming, 'We're not worthy!'"

I looked at him with curiosity. "Why?"

Jason also asked. "What about her dad?"

Leo laughed in disbelief after searching our eyes to see if we were messing with him. I really wish he realized it soon, then the easier this would be. "You're not kidding? You don't know this about your best friend? Or you really don't remember that your girlfriend's dad-"

Jason said, sounding frustrated. "Look, I wish I did, but I don't even remember her, much less her dad."

Leo sent me an inquiring look, but I gave him a shrug of confusion, like everything in the past hour, I agreed with Jason. "None of this is familiar."

Leo whistled. "Whatever. We have to talk when we get back to the dorms." Leo shook his head at me. "Really?" At my nod, he continued. "Piper told you first."

I scowled at him, was he trying to make me feel guilty for things I didn't remember?

We reached the end of the exhibit hall, going to glass doors which opened into a terrace.

The Coach was not in front of us and he said, his scowl still in place. "Okay, cupcakes, you are about to see the Grand Canyon. Try not to break it. The skywalk can hold the weight of seventy jumbo jets, so you featherweights should be safe out there. If possible, try to avoid pushing each other over the edge, as that would cause me extra paperwork."

I couldn't help the thought of pushing one of those bullies over. I shook my head with a smirk. Coach opened the doors and all of us stepped onto it. The Grand Canyon was real and spread out in front of us. It was an amazing sight to behold. Ahead of us with a horseshoed shaped walkway made of glass, so it was see through.

Leo breathed out. "Man, that's pretty wicked."

I sort of agreed, but I had a feeling I mostly liked to stay on the ground when the land supported me. The air made me a bit nervous, being so high. It had to be hundreds of feet high, even the birds circled our feet, below the glass.

Above us, there were angry storm clouds brewing that caused a nervousness to build in my chest, but I didn't know why. It was like someone put it there purposely or something like that. Like I knew someone who could do that…

I grimaced in pain, pressing my hands to my forehead, feeling a throbbing pain try to turn my brain to mush.

Leo asked. "You two all right? Your not going to throw up over the side, are you? 'Cause I should've brought my camera."

I was a little behind Jason and Leo, so I wasn't fully on the skywalk, which I saw him grab the rail of. I pitched forward, but felt small, but hard hands catch me by my biceps. "Woah, woah! Rory, you okay?"

I straightened on my feet, pulling away. I had a feeling I didn't like to be looked at as weak. My knees trembled, but I stayed on my feet. The pain was leaving and so was whatever I was thinking of before.

Jason muttered. "I'm fine, just a headache."

My mouth was dry, but I replied shorty. "Yeah, fine."

I felt a cold wind brush my face and clothes, but considering I was further away, I didn't get hit as much as Jason, who almost fell over.

Leo mused, squinted upward. "This can't be safe. Storm's right over us, but it's clear all the way around. Weird, huh?"

The same thoughts from earlier were coming to me, but I blocked it out, not wanting another monster headache. I noticed though the clouds from before moving to the skywalk, but everywhere was clear. That feeling from before was coming back, and it wasn't a good one and it was connected to the storm.

Coach Hedge called, also looked nervously up at the storm, like he also knew something was wrong. "All right, cupcakes. We may have to cut this short, so get to work! Remember, complete sentences!"

The thunder rumbled overhead and I tensed my shoulders on reflex, nervously darted my eyes up, like I was preparing for something. I backed up a little, looking down at the ground. I then noticed something on my hand that I didn't before, there on my right pointed finger was a ring, decently sized with a green stone, a faded picture I couldn't describe the shape of.

I stared at it, feeling familiarity and somehow knowing this piece of jewelry with important.

Leo said. "Dang, is that gold? You've been holding out on me?"

I looked over and saw Jason holding a gold looking coin. I was too far away to see anything else about it. But Jason put it away. "It's nothing. Just a coin."

Leo shrugged a moment later. "Come on, dare you to spit off the edge."

I let out a small laugh and Leo turned to look at me. "You coming out here, Rory?"

I shook my head, stepping a step back for good measure. "No, I'm alright."

Leo laughed, grinning at me. "I forgot, you're afraid of heights."

I glared. "Am not, just…wary."

Leo said slowly. "…Right."

I glared more and his winced, a muscle on the side of his mouth, twitching. My glare switched to Jason as I saw the grin he had, if anything, my glare made his grin widen.

For a moment, they talked about the worksheet. But decided nothing could be done. I wasn't worried. I barely remembered who I was. I wasn't going to stress about an assignment for a school I didn't remember going to. Plus, after Leo showed me the worksheet, I didn't understand half the things on it.

Leo started to make a helicopter out of his collection of pipe cleaners, which I thought was cool for such scarce materials. It also rung a slight memory, but it didn't seem that important to remember. Leo launched the copter with a happy smirk. "Watch this."

To my surprise, it didn't fall like I expected it to. It few a little bit and then fell down the Canyon's edge. Jason seemed as awed as I did. "How'd you do that?"

Leo shrugged, making a face like it was no big deal. "Would've been cooler if I had rubber bands."

He said it, like he expected us to know his skills in such things. Jason almost read my mind. "Seriously, are we friends?"

I frowned at Leo, feeling my eyes furrow deeply over my eyes in confusion. "He's right. I really don't remember you or Piper and if something, barely Jason."

Leo simply answered us. "Last I checked you two were."

My frown was deeper, it didn't seem that easy to me. Jason said. "You sure? When was the first day we met? What did we talk about?"

As Jason asked these question, I tried to remember what he was saying, trying to relate it to Leo and Piper, but it came up blank, I really didn't know.

Leo frowned. "It was…I don't recall exactly. I'm ADHD, man. You can't expect me to remember details."

Jason pushed. "But I don't remember you at all. I don't remember anyone here…except for Aurora in a way. What if- "

Leo scoffed, looking back at me too since I didn't move by them. "Your both right and everyone else is wrong? You two think you just appeared here this morning, and we've all got fake memories of you?"

I stiffened at his words, feeling how right they were. It seemed like the only plausible answer, that that had to be the only reason Leo and Piper and whoever else thought they knew me and Jason. I just didn't know where I knew Jason from.

Jason suddenly said. "Take the worksheet. We'll be right back."

I blinked. "We?"

Jason said. "Come on."

He grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the skywalk, toward wherever he was going. "Jason!"

He huffed. "Calm down." This almost felt normal.

On the skywalk, I saw the students scattered about in groups. Even Piper was stuck with Dylan and him giving that blinding white smile with her trying her best to push him away. She sent us a look like, save me, but Jason pulled us along with a determined step, motioning for her to hold on, I sent her the same look. I shrugged off his hand, sending him a look, but following him.

We were heading to Coach Hedge, which seemed like the best bet, he seemed to know something we don't with how he was glaring at us and I don't remember him at all to warrant that.

The Coach asked when we reached him. "Did you do this?"

I blinked in surprise, like a couple of kids could cause this insane storm above head. "Of course not!"

Jason sounded lost. "Do what?"

Hedge glared, somehow glaring at the both of us. "Don't play games with me, you two. What are you both doing here, and why are you messing up my job?"

I had a feeling he wasn't talking about his coaching. Jason asked. "You mean you don't know me? I'm not one of your students?"

I asked Hedge. "So, you never seen either of us ever before?"

Hedge snorted. "Never seen you before today." Though when Hedge was looking at me, he was sending a weird look, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

It was a relief though, it proved wherever me and Jason were from, we weren't crazy and major amnesiacs. Jason told him. "Listen, sir, I don't know how I got here. I just woke up on a school bus. All I know is I'm not supposed to be here."

I nodded in agreement, what he was saying sounded right. "Exactly, I don't remember what I was doing before this and I certainly don't know anyone or where we are."

Hedge said, dropped his voice. "You got a powerful way with the Mist, kids, if you can make all these people think they know you; but you can't fool me. I've been smelling monster for days now. I knew we had an infiltrator, but you don't smell like a monster. You smell like half-bloods. So—who are you, and where'd you come from?"

I was lost at what he was saying. Mist, Half-bloods, monster. It felt like I should remember what he was saying, but couldn't recover it. Jason replied after a moment. "I don't know who I am. I don't have any memories. You've got to help me."

I nodded. "Like I said before, I don't remember anything." Well, I don't count a small 10 second memory of Jason as getting my memory back anyway.

Hedge looked over both of us carefully. "Great, you're both being truthful."

I sent him an exasperated look, but didn't say anything. Jason exclaimed. "Of course I am! And what was all that about monsters and half-bloods? Are those code words or something?"

Hedge said. "Look you two, I don't know who you are. I just know what you are, and it means trouble. Now I got to protect four of you rather than two. Are you both the special package? Is that it?"

I frowned at him. "Special package? What?"

Jason asked him. "What are you talking about?"

Hedge looked over at the storm. I followed his look and couldn't but feel nervousness as I looked at it. I felt like I was in a bad place right now. I shifted my feet.

Hedge said. "This morning, I got a message from camp. They said an extraction team is on the way. They're coming to pick up a special package, but they wouldn't give me details. I thought to myself, fine. The two I'm watching are pretty powerful, older than most. I know they're being stalked. I can smell a monster in the group. I figure that's why the camp is suddenly frantic to pick them up. But then you both pop up out of nowhere. So, are you the special package?"

The same from before kept on pounding in my head, monster and camp. That word I felt was important, but I couldn't grab it, it was very frustrating. Jason stumbled, but I managed to straighten and stand firmly on my feet. Hedge caught Jason easily and I was surprised that he did for such a small guy. He was a couple of inches shorter than me. "Whoa, there, cupcake. You say you got no memories, huh? Fine. I'll just have to watch you, too, until the team gets here. We'll let the director figure things out."

I asked, confused. "Director? what director?"

Jason asked. "What camp?"

Hedge replied. "Just sit tight. Reinforcements should be here soon. Hopefully nothing happens before-"

I almost jumped as lightning flashed overhead. The wind was whipping my clothes around me and harshly slapped me in the face. I ducked my head a little. Worksheets and other things flew around. I felt the bridge shutter under my feet, which didn't make me feel any better. Kids were grabbing the rails for support.

I sent Hedge a glare of disbelief. Hedge grumbled. "I had to say something." He yelled into his megaphone. "Everyone inside! The cows says moo! Off the skywalk!"

I was so freaked out, I couldn't even laugh at his malfunctioning piece of equipment.

Jason shouted loudly, trying to be heard over the wind. "I thought you said this thing was stable."

I tried to balance myself so I didn't fall. "This is the opposite of stable!"

Hedge shouted too, agreeing with us. "Under normal circumstances, which these aren't. Come on!"

I know this was a little boring and I really shouldn't be starting a new story, but oh well. It should get better and different as the story goes on. This will most likely be the last thing I post for a little bit.