Chapter 1 - Andromeda
When a child of Apollo is born, people expect that they are skilled with archery, music, or healing. I really only got the skills with archery, and by that I mean that I can throw or shoot anything with uncanny accuracy. My mother was a doctor that caught Apollo’s eye and they started going out a year before I was born. My mother said when Apollo started dating her, she knew that she had some baggage. According to the Greek myths, bad things happened to my father’s lovers, including being turned into a laurel tree, getting cursed so that no one would believe your prophecies, even getting murdered by the god himself. So yeah, Mom, my dad has ‘baggage’. Understatement of the millennium.
However, unlike the Greek myths, my parents are still dating, so there is that. But, I think the curse that strikes out at Dad’s lovers is hereditary. Something has always managed to happen to all of my friends, the ones I am really close to. I’m actually impressed that nothing has happened to my mother but, who knows? It might yet happen. I don’t think that any of Apollo’s lovers, male or female, got a happy fate.
When I was in second grade, I made friends with a girl named Addison, and that same year, her house caught fire and she nearly died. Her family moved away and I never saw her again. A few years later, when I was in fifth grade, a kid in my class named Aiden got close with me and told me that he was allergic to peanuts, someone slipped crushed peanuts into his lunch and he had a major reaction. He had to go to the ER and everything because he didn’t have his EpiPen.
The next day, there were rumors circulating that I slipped him the peanuts and even though Aiden knew I didn’t do it, it still hurt. He wound up moving over Christmas break (not because of the peanut incident, his family was military), and I still can’t shake the suspicion that whatever caused the peanuts to wind up in his food did so because he was my first crush.
It’s been years, but to this day I am a pariah because of those rumors. Most of the time, it doesn’t bother me because I prefer my solitude, but there are times where I crave human interaction for a few minutes and I wish that I had friends. Unfortunately, the closest thing I have is Eric.
Eric is fairly tall for his age, about 5 foot 10, with a face that was similar to the statues of the Roman gods that we saw on a field trip last year to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. In fact, he looked like the statue of the goddess Juno, but with a sharper jaw line and black hair. He did have good looks but, he had eyes were a shade of red that looked disturbingly similar to blood. Nevertheless, the girls in the school were crazy about him for reasons that I could never understand. In fact, I was sure that Eric could have any girl he wanted if he wasn’t so busy with me.
He is what I like to think of as my own personal pain in the ass, (though the school and my parents would likely consider it bullying). The reason for this is because whenever we are doing anything in the vicinity of each other, he somehow finds his way over to me and then proceeds to pester me, insult me and generally be an annoyance. I’ve grown deaf to his words at this point. I just keep telling myself that if I ignore him, he will eventually lose interest and go away.
Today was a perfect example, because during the math class that we have together, we were supposed to be working on an assignment. He just so happened to finish early and it was the only thing that we had to do that day. I have no idea what he was saying I was just annoyed by his presence. I made my voice so sweet and smooth, like honey, and said “Oh, baby boy, what were you saying? I wasn’t paying attention.”
The room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and even the teacher stopped what he was doing. The look on Eric’s face was priceless, a combination between shock and anger, but mostly shock. “What?” his voice was so high, it qualified as a squeak.
“Eric, baby boy, I know you heard me and you didn’t answer my question adequately. So, I assume that what you were saying is unimportant. If you don’t have a reason to be here, then go back to your seat. Unless, you would like me to punish you? Because, that can be arranged.” I said in that same honey tone. I ended that last sentence with a smirk on my face.
I had to resist the urge to laugh when I saw his face. I think that I actually scared him. Unfortunately for him, that look just gave me the urge to twist the knife further. “Since you are still here, then I must conclude that you want to be punished. We shall start with five spankings and the longer that you stand here, it will increase in increments of five.”
“No, I don’t want to be punished.” Eric said in a small voice.
“Then, baby boy, you will have to be good and go sit down.” Eric could not get away from me fast enough after I said that. It was hilarious. I sat down and went back to the assignment that I was working on.
After class, one of the girls, her name was Jess, said “When are you two going to get together? After all, you two fight like a married couple.”
“Jess, I want it on record that if Eric and I get together and he is still alive after a week, then you need to drug test me.” I told her. We went to lunch and I didn’t think anything of it. I sat at my usual table.
It was in a corner where I could see everything but no one noticed me. I could eat in peace and if anyone was going to bother me, I could see them before they got to my table. I was eating left over mac and cheese from last night’s dinner, when I saw Eric coming to my table. I rolled my eyes and thought, ‘What now?’
He sat down and said, “We need to talk.”
“What about?” I said, “Also, did your parents not teach you manners? I was sitting here and for all you know, someone else might be sitting with me.”
“Ha ha, Andromeda, there is no one else sitting here because, as sad as it is to admit, you and I both know that I am the closest thing you have to a friend. Anyway, I think the chemistry teacher is a harpy. A literal harpy, Andy.” he said.
“First off, don’t call me Andy. Second, have you hit your head? I know she’s a bitch and all but an actual harpy?” I said with disbelief. Even as I said it, I knew with that he was telling the truth. Call it intuition, or whatever you want but I knew that Eric was being legit. But, then I remembered something about my dad, something about people being unable to lie in his presence. So, I guess in addition to everything else, I am a magical lie detector.
“Come on, Andy.” Eric said and dragged me off to the science hallway.
When we got there, I knew it was bad. We were hidden behind a wall and I could see Ms. Ceritos’s harpy form. I reached into my bag and grabbed the knife I had carried in there since I was thirteen. It was made of a metal called celestial bronze. It would kill any monster. “All right” I whispered, “stay low and stay quiet.”
“Aah, Andromeda Athinas, I was wondering when you would come to see me, daughter of Apollo.” I walked into the room slowly, not knowing what to expect. “Oh, put that knife away. You don’t need it.” She said. A breeze whisked my knife away and it fell onto the floor on the other side of the room with a clatter.
“Eric Mavors, come out of there.” The harpy said and an even stronger breeze came and whisked Eric out of his hiding place and brought him up next to me. “When a lady goes into a dangerous situation, the least you can do is accompany her like a gentleman so that she might get through it safely.” The harpy proceeded to tie my hands behind my back. “Just so you know, those ropes are laced with nightshade oil, so you can’t try anything fancy.
“Andy, what is she talking about?” Eric whispered.
I almost didn’t hear his question because the nightshade was already affecting me. Deadly nightshade was toxic all around, but it was especially potent when used on a child of Apollo.
“Nightshade is especially toxic to demigod children of Apollo. I might throw up on you.” I said that last bit because I was already feeling nauseous. If only the world would stop spinning so much.
