CHAPTER ONE

A Chapter by Coffee123321

MANIA LAMIA

Annagilic high, huh?

That’s a fun name for a school filled with Gods and Goddesses. Then again, why not let mortals in too? What, is the district afraid that the Gods or Goddesses will just…blast them into orbit or something like that? Would the gods or goddesses even care, let alone look at morals? Based on the old and ancient gods and goddesses, I’d bet they wouldn’t even finch if mortals DID come to Annagilic High. Honestly, I shouldn’t be asking or wondering about these kinds of things. But to be fair, I only learned that today when I asked Mr. Harold in Civic’s class.

“Don't ask those kind's of questions, girl…” He yelled at me, all of the students focus and heads turned to me, “One shouldn’t question Zeus and his rules, Miss…” He trailed off, forgetting my name. Again. You’d think he’d know it by now, judging by how many times I got sent to the office because of Mr. Harold.

“Mania.” I had cut him off, already bored, packing my things, knowing class was going to send in seconds. At this point, I wouldn’t flinch if he called my mom right now just to humiliate me in front of my peers.

You could practically smell the smoke coming from that old hag. Before Mr. Harold could give me any sort of punishment�"

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING

�"the bell had already rung, students sprinting out of the classroom. I had easily escaped the ‘detention slip of doom’ by sliding outta the classroom in the crowd of rushing students, each one practically begging to see their little immortal parents. Me? Not so much. I’m not exactly begging to go home and start gathering grapes all day long just for my hands to bleed and my father have all the wine he wants. Someone's gotta make sure he’s happy every once in a while. Don’t see why that someone can’t be my mom, but whatever.

Thankfully though, I couldn’t go home just yet. Still had to go study in the library for Mrs. Kinny’s test next week. I swear if I get one bad grade, my parents would kill me! They hated when I wasn’t studying or doing something ‘good for the mind’, whatever that means.

“It doesn’t matter what or who you are!” My fathers voice echoed in my ear

“Stay on top of your grades, or you go to mortal school,” My mother’s voice followed.

I was thinking of my parents when suddenly�"I stopped. There was a boy. Just…sitting on the side of the hallway. Writing? No, no…drawing.

That’s where I am now. Just standing across the hall from the boy, watching him draw

whatever he was drawing. I don’t expect him to know I’m staring. Not really. After all, he seems lost in his own words at the moment. It didn’t take long for the hallways to clear out. For it to be well past school hours. Still, I watch him.

“You're still here?...You’d thought everyone would have left by now.”

I freeze. Did he just speak? To me? Why? I haven’t even bothered him and now he’s asking what I’m doing after school hours? That’s pretty rude if you ask me. Then again, I was just caught staring at him like a stalker.

“If I had any sort of free time, I’d paint this one. Oil, maybe. Red undertones, pale light behind it, shadows just soft enough to make you wonder if it’s real or just a few lines…”

What in Hades name does that mean? Undertones? What even is that? I don’t imagine a young boy like him to know what that means. No sixteen year old should not! Especially me. Then again, I wrote that Alexander Hamilton was the founder of Amazon on my Civic’s test last week.

“What does that mean?” I asked back before I could stop myself. I step closer, standing about halfway in the hallway. I didn’t say it to be mean, just to have him say something with someone for once. Anything to stop me from studying.

The boy just shrugs, not looking from his drawing, still sketching. “If you know you know…” he says dryly, as if not caring what I think of it. It’s…refreshing in some sorts. Most boys at Annaglitic only talk to girls if they wanna hook up with them�"not brush them off as an equal.

“You need something besides a drawing, or you just gonna keep stalking me like a confused satellite?” He asks, finally looking up at me. He doesn’t smile�"of course he doesn’t�"just looks at me as if I’m a ugly, stray, lost dog. His black hair brushes into his purple

eye slightly, but he doesn’t fix it. Just leave it at that. His other eye is different. A whole different color�"a light amber.

I blurt out, “...a confused what?...confused satellite?...you're joking, right?...” I sigh and side eye him, cause what else would I do? “...why do you wanna know why I'm here?...I'm not bothering you now am I?”

I look away from him as my eyes glide down to his sketch book. Honestly, I was expecting a dragon or something I would just roll my eyes at and say, ‘boy’s will be tasteless’ to. But to my surprise, it was just…a dog.

Not just any dog either, of course. He was drawing Hades' dog, the great, fearless Cerberus. Three headed dogs, one body, and a hundred pounds of drool just waiting to happen. To my surprise, he was drawing the kind of Cerberus I wanted one day for my birthday.

“nice drawing though...I want a Cerberus that looks almost exactly like that one day,” I say, clearly trying to get him to talk.

Suddenly, a flash of memory came in and out of my mind. It was him. The boy. But where on earth have I seen him before?

I step closer to the boy, squirting my own eyes at him. He lifts his head up a bit more, like he doesn’t care, but he’s clearly wondering what I'm doing.

I freeze as I get close enough to him. A photo project in my mind. A newspaper. Caption in big letter’s, SCIENTISTS FAIL ONCE AGAIN TO KNOW BOY’S IMMORTAL PARENTS. The picture in the newspaper? The same boy I’m standing in front of. Same black hair. Same purple eye. Same amber eye. Same dead pan expression.

“I know you…aren't you the god who has no immortal parents? Not surprised�"” I can’t even finish my next word because the boy right away stands up, smashes his sketch book to the ground and glares at me as if he wants me dead.

“Watch it there, sunshine…You think you’re funny? You know nothing about me, so butt outta my business.” He growls at me, the expressionless face long gone from his face, now dark and unforgiving, “You said you want a Cerberus like that one day? Maybe control your mouth before you go and take care of a monster first.”

I’m about to turn away to walk to the library to resume trying to study, thinking how weird and sensitive the boy is.

That’s when he says, “I didn’t ask to be their mistake, you know…I’m done talking about them, idiot.” Doesn’t even look up from his sketch book. Doesn’t even stop drawing. Doesn’t have to. Just slides back down to the floor.

And I swear, it breaks me inside a little. I may not know that guy all that well, but hearing him say that? It reminds me of my relationship with my immortals. Of course, I don’t show him how that makes me feel. My parents didn’t raise a p***y after all. But they did raise an idiot who can’t even walk away from a sad, depressed boy.

I freeze and turn back at him, staring at the ground. I whisper, “That's funny...because I'm not done talking...I have my dad's annoying skills�"”

I quickly realize that no one really knows my parents and immediately look up to see the boy’s reaction, hoping he might know. But by the looks of it, he has NO clue what I’m talking about.

I sigh and roll my eyes, pretending not to care as I take one more small step to him, “..you really...you really don't know who my father is, huh? Surprising how you're not the first one not to know...I mean, it's kind of clear...trickery and all that...and for the record...I don't know why you call yourself a mistake...cause you're not...clearly…”

That’s what takes him to shut up and look at me. He looks at me, surprised, eyes practically bugging outta his head, mouth slightly open, as if he’s trying to say something, but is totally speechless.

I’m surprised by my own words too. Even more surprised that I meant it all.

To shrug off the awkwardness a little, I clear my throat, and smirk “...as for who told me about your parents,it doesn't really matter.” My smirk grows a little, rethinking of my words. Who am I not to see someone's rep burn down and enjoy it?

“But it's kinda nice to stir drama...since Akouos told me that you have no parents...only mortals..” I pause, trying to choose my words a bit wiser, “It's weird...how they let you into a gods and goddess school like this when we don't even know for sure if you're really one of us or just another stupid mortal,“

I instantly regret my words and my expression shows how plainly I wanna take the words I spoke and shove them back in me as if nothing happened. He slowly looks back up at me, more confused than ever. Finally, though, he shrugs and goes back to drawing, but his expression and voice are much colder, “Guess it’s in Akouo's blood, right? Pheme taught him her ways well. Not really surprised to be honest.”

“Trickery, huh?” He says, clearly trying to stay clear of the subject, “Guess that makes sense. You’ve got that look�"like you’re always a few steps ahead of the room. But you also look like you have secrets. Everyone’s got secrets. Even the ones who think they don’t.”

I stare back at him, my mouth half way dropped already. How on Olympus did trying to

stir up drama turn into this overly deep talking mess?

“And what, you telling me that you think I got secrets? Let me get this straight, you don't know who your little Greek Gods are, but you can tell what I'm hiding now? Someone doesn't know when to have fun.”

He chuckles, but it’s clear there's no humor in it, “You think I can’t tell when someone’s got secrets? It’s kind of my thing.” He say’s, as if being a damn mind reader is normal for someone like him, “And if I’m no fun, what do you call this, hmm?”

I dip my head slightly, letting a low chuckle escape me. I take back what I said about how he was no fun. He is PLENTY, “I guess I'd call this either an ally in the making…”

I quickly take out my pocket knife�"because in this world? You’d be stupid not to have a knife at all costs�"and put it to his neck, growling, my face dark, my smirk now bitter as if trying to scare him. And it does.

Right away, his hand reaches up and grips my wrist that has the knife, knuckles white, paining me a little. His eyes are wide, breathing uneven and his free hand is already in his pocket, pepper spray half way out.

“...or a rival…” He finishes for me, breathing a little more normal.

Bitterly, I whisper low, holding his gaze “Why'd you flinch? Gods can't die, remember?” I smirk, "If your parents are really Greek Gods, you'd have nothing to worry about...nice reflexes though, I’ll give you that, you rascal.”

I can already tell that he’s pissed beyond words, probably already regretting his instincts. It gives me satisfaction for some reason. It’s like I want people to flinch when they see me, but the gods and goddesses are crazy�"their children even crazier!

“You almost stab someone in the throat and ask ‘ally or rival’?” He says looking me dead in the eye as if he weren’t gonna pepper spray me five seconds ago. “That’s… pretty dramatic. And honestly, kind of theatrical if you ask me.” He continues. To be fair, he’s not totally wrong, I guess.

“So. You're gonna be the weirdness ‘ally’ I might ever make if you choose not to murder me next time. Ally, rival, or something messier? Pick. Before I do,” He says as he lowers my wrist, disarming me with his other hand. He hooks the blade with his thumb and gives one fast, controlled twist. My pocket knife drops from my hand because of his disarming, clattering across the red tiled floor.

“Also�"calling me a rascal when you nearly chop off my throat? Not the kind of welcome I was expecting, but at least you're not boring.” He finishes with a smirk as he notices my mouth parts slightly. In my defence…that was some really good moves. The kind I want to have someday when I finally stop temping people with a small blade.

Gently, he lets go of my wrist, picks up my pocket knife from the ground and puts it back in my hand, just as before.

I raise an eyebrow and put the tip of my pocket knife to my bottom lip, grinning at him. Maybe this can really be something. Everyone else backs away from the knife in fear. This guy? He stumbled, true, but he was about to bring out damn pepper spray. That’s how you know you’ve met your match, “Alright...not bad, Rascal...not bad at all.”

I slowly start circling him, boots clicking on to the floor with every step, looking him up and down as if seeing if he’s worthy enough to be even looking at me, “You don't exactly look like a god…” I say, still circling him. At one point, I lift up his arm and tickle him, just to see if he’ll do anything. Maybe giggle, snort, laugh his a*s off, whatever. But to my shock, he doesn’t even flitch. Just stares at me like I’m some alien inviting him to dinner. Noted.

“But you're serious like a god, that’s for sure.” I keep circling him, the tip of my pocket knife still on the bottom of my lip as I keep looking him up and down. Honestly, I can’t tell if he’s dangerous, or just heartless. I’m guessing both at this point.

“I have to pick Ally or Rival?...right now?” I ask

“Can't exactly have either without knowing your name, Rascal.” I add. Never have I once used my knife trick on someone without knowing their name. Well…theres a first for everything I guess.

“You keep playing your sick little game and you’ll lose the knife before you get my name." He says, glaring at me. Finally though, he exhails and looks up to the ceiling as if he was asking Zeus to help him out for once.

“Call me Cyprian.” He whispers to me, looking back at my face again, but his mixed color eyes are still closed. His purple eye opens half liddedly as he follows with a small, playful smirk, “And if you even think of trying to stab me again �" metaphorically or otherwise �" I’ll remember your face.”

“Fair enough,” I say

“I’ve told you my name,” He says, opening both his eyes now, “so what’s yours?”

I stop dead. My mind blue screens immediately and my thoughts have taken a VK without me. Since when do people want to know my name? There really is a first for literally everything.

I stop circling him and whisper, holding his gaze, still dazed by the fact someone cares to know me “I'm Mania...Mania Lamia if you want the full name and get fancy with it�"”

I hold out my hand in the middle between me and Cyprian and I smile at me as I speak a little louder now, “It’s nice to meet you Cyprian...I'm trusting your mortal parents named you orrrrrr did you end up like the Hercules movie and have a gold necklace around your chest with your name? Which I’m hoping isn’t the case cause that dudes a complete suck up when it comes to his legacy.”

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