Chapter Eleven - The Eleventh
I rose early the next morning to get a head start on making lunch. It didn't help that I couldn't sleep. It wasn't nightmares - at least, I didn't remember having any. Just a steady buzz of danger signals in the back of my brain keeping me awake. It could have had something to do with having a cyclops sleeping a few yards away from my bedroom door, but if the sounds of sleep coming from Percy and mom's rooms was any indication, it was probably just me. As I moved through the kitchen pulling out ingredients and cookware, working quietly so not to wake said sleeping cyclops in the dining room, my thoughts drifted to the coming school day.
Cleo was going to be an issue - there was no way around that. She had already intimated that she'd be hanging around - if only for protection in case of monster attack. How would she react to seeing me hanging out with a cyclops? And then there was Andromeda. Whatever issues she had with cyclopes, Andromeda had made her disapproval of Tyson very clear. Would that disapproval extend to me as well?
Nearly an hour later, I finished cooking lunch - creamy mushroom risotto and chicken cacciatore - and packed it away in my backpack along with the last of the ciabatta rolls. I made a note to make more after school.
"That smells really good."
I almost jumped out of my skin at the unexpected voice. Looking over, I saw the large form of Tyson looming in the shadows just outside of the kitchen - his large eye reflecting in the light. "Is that what you eat for breakfast?"
"No," I said, once I managed to compose myself. "I was making it for lunch later today. Mom will probably make eggs or waffles in a little bit. If you like, in the meantime, you can pour a bowl of cereal. Percy keeps his boxes in the cupboard, and there's milk in the fridge or plenty of water on tap."
"Water?" Tyson blinked, confused. "On cereal?"
"It's a thing," I said, a little defensively. "Really, because of my higher than normal body temperature, I find it best if I don't have a lot of dairy too early in the day. Plus the milk alternatives are all weirdly sweet. Not that that's a bad thing on cereal, but sometimes it throws off the flavor, you know?"
"No," Tyson answered, shaking his head. "But, I will just have the milk."
"Cool. The cereal's in this cupboard, and the bowls are in that one." I said, pointing him to the right spots. "I'll just get out of your way now and finish getting myself ready for the day."
Leaving Tyson to figure out the ins and outs of the kitchen by himself, I made my way to my room to get dressed - choosing a light blue tank top and low rise jeans - before moving to the mirror to work on my hair. The sight that greeted me was unflattering to say the least. Between my disheveled hair and the heavy rings under my eyes, I looked more like a sleep deprived raccoon than a teen-aged girl. A flash of pink had me reflexively looking away. When I dared to look again, I saw that my hair had been styled in a fashionable pixie bob while the dark shadows under my eyes more closely resembled deliberately applied make up - clearly the work of Aphrodite.
"Thanks," I mumbled, feeling a little awkward.
My father, her ex-husband, had slept with her daughter - my mother - which made things more than a little complicated. And despite publicly laying claim to me in front of the camp and presumably the other gods themselves at the same time as my father, we'd never actually spoken face-to-face despite my regular trips up to Olympus. A moment later, a feeling of soft warmth enveloped me like a gentle hug - as if she'd understood my thoughts and sought to reassure me.
Pushing that entire train of thought aside, I studied my appearance in the mirror a moment longer. Finding nothing amiss - naturally, as expected from the goddess of beauty - I headed back out to the living room to find mom and Percy also up and about.
"Hey," I greeted.
"I see you've already been in the kitchen," mom said, gesturing to the pans soaking in the sink.
"Whatever you made smells incredible," Percy chimed in.
"Thanks," I grinned. "And I was planning on cleaning up after I got dressed. Just give me a moment to pull on the dish gloves."
"It's fine," mom said. "We're actually going to be leaving early this morning. I have a feeling the commute's going to be rough today."
"Really?" I frowned. "Why?"
"It's the eleventh," Percy said. "People are going to be crazy. Well, crazier than normal for New York."
The eleventh. September eleventh. I felt a chill go down my spine as my mind started racing back to that day. I slammed that line of thought out of my mind as quickly as it had entered. I was safe. My family was safe. That was all that mattered now.
"Right," I said, trying to keep my voice even. "Yeah, okay."
At least they didn't allow things like radios or television at school, so I would be free from any more visceral reminders for at least a few hours. Right?
...
The first thing I noticed when we got to school was that neither Andromeda or her brother were waiting in their usual spot for us. Usually they arrived before we did since they lived outside of the city. Maybe we just got here before them because we left so early? The traffic out wasn't half as bad as mom had made it seem like it would be - though, that's not to say it was good. Traffic in Manhattan should be considered a crime any day of the year.
"We're gonna grab some breakfast from the cafeteria," Percy said, gesturing between himself and Tyson. "You coming?"
"You guys go ahead," I said. "I think I'll wait out here for Andromeda. Let it be my turn to greet her first, you know?"
"If you're sure," Percy said, sounding unsure himself.
"Just save me some fruit," I said. "And some toast. Oh! And..."
"I get it," Percy laughed. "I'll grab some of everything."
"You're the best," I grinned.
"Yeah, I know," Percy said, leading Tyson off to the school's cafeteria.
I watched them go for a moment before sitting down against the wall. Willingly being left alone with my thoughts - especially today - was maybe not the best idea I'd ever had, but I wasn't going to let myself dwell. So, to take my mind off current-slash-past events, I decided to work on my magic while I waited. I was so engrossed in my calculations that I almost didn't notice a shadow block out the sun until I heard a familiar voice speak up.
"Hey, new bestie."
I looked up to see the darker skinned girl smirking down at me. I was momentarily struck dumb again by the feeling of incredulity that I had seriously not noticed her before Andromeda had pointed her out to me. It wasn't as if she went to the trouble of trying to blend in, either! Her hair looked like a cockatoo that had flown head first through a rainbow and, as usual, she was dressed as if she had nothing but contempt for the school's dress code. Though, I suppose if she hadn't gotten in trouble for it by now, maybe it wasn't as strictly enforced as the student handbook made it sound.
"Oh. Hey, Cleo," I greeted, flipping open my notebook.
"So, what're you doing out here all alone?" She asked, dropping her bag to sit down beside me. "Your girlfriend break up with you or something?"
"My who? What?" I blinked, confused. "Andromeda isn't... I mean, we aren't... No, I... I got here early and decided to wait for my friend to show up since she's usually waiting out here for me. Kind of a chance to turn the tables, you know?"
"Right," she said, slowly. "So, what in the hell kind of math is that?"
"It's calculus," I said, flipping away from the complex formula to a fresh page. I doubted she'd be able to glean any relevant information from a quick glance, but I didn't want to risk it. She wasn't fully mortal, no matter what Andromeda said. "Well, sort of pre-calculus. I needed something to take my mind off things."
"This was your first pick?" Cleo asked, incredulously. "If by 'taking your mind off things' you meant off this planet, then good job."
"I like it," I said with a shrug.
"You actually like math? Yeah, you're definitely not a witch," the other girl said, shaking her head, and I felt my stomach drop. Apparently misreading my expression, she clarified; "Definitely an alien. Though I guess it could be just like in those Harry Potter books? Nothing in your head but magic where your common sense should be. Seriously though, if you're doing this kind of stuff, I'm surprised you're not excelling in Mr. Bailey's class."
"The stuff Bailey's teaching is so mind-numbingly boring that it takes most of my brainpower just to stay awake," I said. "It doesn't help that it's all taught from a book. And when he does lecture, it's done in a tone drier than that old guy from Ferris Wheeler's Day Off or whatever."
"It's 'Bueller', Miss Jackson," replied a dry voice, startling me into looking up to see Mr. Bailey himself frowning down at me.
"Oh," I felt my face warm up.
"Yes," Bailey said. "See me after class today, Miss Jackson."
Then, before I could say anything else, he walked off. Cleo let out a low whistle.
"Well, you're screwed."
"Thanks," I said, my tone dripping with sarcasm. "Not like he's my last class of the day. What's he gonna do if I just don't show up?"
"Either you'll get a longer detention when he does catch you," Cleo said. "Or you'd be suspended. Almost definitely not expelled though."
"Hmm," I pretended to consider. "Stay at school longer than necessary or get sent home and not have to come back to school for a few days? Tough choice."
"You're something else," Cleo laughed.
Before I could retort, I was interrupted by the sound of the first bell ringing. I blinked, confused, then looked around. Sure enough, almost everyone that had been hanging around out front had already moved inside, and the stragglers were now starting to head in as well.
"Weird," I said. "Did she already come by and just not notice me sitting here?"
"No clue," Cleo said. "If it helps, I didn't see her or her brother walk by either. Maybe they got dropped off at the other side."
"Maybe..." I was doubtful. Andromeda had been pretty upset with my spontaneous adoption of Tyson - but really, what was I supposed to do? He had been literally sent by a god. I'm pretty sure that's not the sort of thing you ignore.
Was she still mad at me? Did she not want to be my friend anymore? Did she ever? My thoughts drifted back over our past interactions, and I felt my stomach drop. It seemed that if she wasn't outright upset with me over something, she was generally exasperated with me over something else.
Dumb. Stupid. Idiot.i
Just a handful of the things she'd previously called me in the heat of the moment. Why did she put up with me? Was it only because we went to camp together? Even during the quest, it seemed she was there more for Annabeth than anything else.
"All students, please report to the auditorium for a mandatory school assembly," a crackling female voice echoed from the loud speaker system. "Thank you."
"Wonder what that's about?" I said, getting to my feet and packing away my things.
"I think I can guess..." Cleo mumbled, darkly.
Activating my aura Sight as I walked into the auditorium with Cleo, I glanced around looking for my group of friends. I saw Percy and Tyson standing near the middle of the room - but no sign of Andromeda or even her brother. So that meant that I hadn't missed them arriving. I blinked, deactivating the Sight and letting the colors of the world return to normal. Had they decided to transfer schools just to get away from Tyson? I didn't think they were that concerned about him as a threat. Besides, I had a feeling that if that was the case, they'd probably have just turned him to dust without a second thought if only to keep the mortal kids safe.
I frowned, thinking. Andros and Percy were definitely friends, so I couldn't see him opting to stay away on his own. Of course, despite his prickly exterior, I had noticed him deferring to Andromeda in most matters - seldom making a firm decision one way or the other until she'd weighed in on the subject. So, was Andromeda the one that decided to stay away? And if not from Tyson, then... Me?
I had been the one to push for Tyson to stay, after all. Andromeda had made her position on the subject clear enough as well. She didn't like cyclopes and didn't want anything to do with them. Had that been enough to push her away?
I felt my stomach sink as the overhead lights were dimmed, and turned my attention to the massive projector screen that had been rolled down. The screen was suddenly filled with shaking amateur camera footage showing scenes of terror as smoke and debris fell from the sky and screams filled the room - echoing from the sound system all around the student body - and I felt myself begin to grow impossibly warm. I was at school... I was safe... I was...
Completely freaking out!
Wisps of smoke began to waft from my body as I wrenched my attention away from the footage, forcing my way through the crowd of student bodies heedless of anyone I may have elbowed or singed on my way - not stopping until I felt fresh air on my face. Only then did I pause, taking several deep breaths trying to calm myself. It wasn't working. I could still hear the screams of panic ringing in my head even though I couldn't hear any sound from the auditorium.
"Are you okay, runt?" Cleo asked, behind me. I opened my eyes to see the color had drained away from the world once more, but I couldn't be bothered to turn off my Sight again. Cleo glowed gold against the black and white backdrop of the world, a look of deep concern etched on her face. "Oh, wow. That's..."
I turned away, reaching into my backpack and pulling out the shrunken motorcycle that I'd received for my birthday. I knew I shouldn't have it, but I needed to get away from here now.
"mεγέθυνση."
The motorcycle, once the size of a toy, instantly grew back to full size in seconds. I could hear Cleo's startled gasp as I threw my legs over the seat and kicked the engine to life. Without sparing a second glance back, I twisted the throttle and took off - the world seeming to literally melt away around me.