Three old ladies knit the socks of death
- Ariel? Grover? - Annabeth asks worriedly. Ariel and Grover aren't looking at Annabeth, they're just looking at each other awkwardly. We have a lot of explaining to do after that. Ariel thought.
I was used to the occasional weird experience, but usually they were over quickly. Ths twenty four/seven hallucination was more than I could handle. For the rest of the school year, the entire campus seemed to be playing some kind of trick on me. The students acted as if they were completely and totally convinced that Mrs. Kerr- a perky blonde woman whom I'd never seen in my life until she got on our bus at the end of the field trip - had been our pre-algebra teacher since Christmas.
- I Really felt like I was going crazy! - Ariel says dramatically.
- Well, maybe you really are a little bit. - Annabeth says with a giggle.
- And your plans too. - Grover adds seriously.
- What day is? Attack Ariel day? - she says and wipes a fake tear from her eye.
- She learned this drama from us. - Travis says pointing at himself and his brothers.
- I'm sure she's the daughter of Hermes or Apollo. - Artemis says to Athena who nods.
Every so often, I would spring a Mrs. Dodds reference somebody just to see if I could trip them up, but they would stare at me like I was psycho.
It got so I almost believed them Mrs. Dodds had never existed.
Almost.
- This is the worst feeling. Ariel says well, it's really like we're going crazy. - Piper says sadly.
- Is being a half- blood really that bad? - Hestia asks worried about the children.
- That's not even half of how bad it is. - Thalia says mockingly. The gods look at their children in shock.
But Grover couldn't fool me. When I mentioned Mrs. Dodds name to er, he hesitated at first, then insisted that Mrs. Dodds didn't exist. I knew he was lying.
- You really need to learn to lie better. - Hermes says to Grover.
- No matter how good you lie, you can't lie to Ariel. Not even we know, not even you, Father. - says Chris.
Hermes looks curiously at Ariel, who looks at him with raised eyebrows. Finally, Ariel smiles a little and turns back to the screen. Hermes continues to look at her wirh interest.
Something was going on. Something had happened at the museum.
I didn't have much time to think about it during the days, but at the night, visions of Mrs. Dodds with a talons and leathery wings would wake up in a cold sweat.
Thee freak weather continued, which didn't help my mood. One night, a thunderstorm blew out the windows in my dorm room. A few days later, the biggest tornado ever spotted in the Hudson Valley thouched down only fiftly miles from Yancy Academy. One of the crrent events we studied in social studies class was the unusual number of small planes that gone down sudden squally in the Atlantic that year.
- Can you stop the childish arguments? - Demeter shouted angrily, looking at Zeus and Poseidon.
- He started! - Zeus and Poseidon stood up at the same time and pointed at each other.
- The answer seems to be no. - Hera sighs tiredly and pors herself a glass of wine.
I startes feeling cranky and irritablee most of the time. My grades started slipping. I got into more fights with Nancy Bobofit and her friends. I was sent out into hallway in almost every class.
Finally, when our English teacher, Mr. Nicoll, asked me for the millionth time why I was too lazy to studly for spellint test, I snapped. I called him and old sot. I wasn't even sure what it meant, but it sounded good.
- You can't talk to a teacherr like that! - Annabeth and Athena stood up.
- It's scary how similar they are. - Ariel whispers to Nico and Thalia who nods with a soft laugh.
The headmaster sent my mom a letter the following week, making it official: I would not be invited back to next year to Yancy Academy.
Fine, I told myself. Just fine.
I was homestick.
- Got fired again? - Katie asks in shock.
- Hahahha I love this girl more and more. - Hermes says with a lagh, which makes Ariel blush. Only the godness of love notices this and screams in joy
I wanted to be with my mom in our little apartment on the Upper East Side, even if I had to go to puplic school and put up with my obnoxious stepfather and his stupid poker parties And yet... there were things I'd miss at Yancy. The view of the woods out my form window, the Hudson River in the distance, the smell of pine trees. I'd miss Grover, who'd been good friend, even if he was a little strange. I worried how he'd survive next year without me.
- Aww, you worried about me. - says Grover.
- Of course I'm worried. You are my best friend Grover. - Ariel replies, smiling at Grover.
- She is such a sweet girl. - Apollo sighs dreamily.
I'd miss Latin class too Mr. Brunner crazy tournament days and his faith that I could do well. As exam week got closer, Latin was the only test I studied for. I hadn't forgetten being life and death for me. I wasn't sure why, but I started to belive him.
The evening before my final, I got so fustrated I threw the Greek mythology acroos my dorm room. Words had started swimming off the page, circling my head, the letters doing oneeighties as if they were riding skateboards. There was no way I was going to remember the difference between Chiron and Charon, or Polydeuces or Polydictes. And the conjugation? forget it!
I feel the same way when I had study at school... - says Will.
Apollo looks worriedly at his son, how difficult could it have been for him? And why didn't help help him?
I paced the room, feeling like ants were crawling around inside my shirt.
I remembered Mr. Brunner's serios expression. I will accept only the best from you, Ariel Jackson.
I took a deep breath. I picked up the Greek mythology book.
I'd never asked a teacher for help before. Maybe if I talked to Mr. Brunner, he could give me some pointers. At least I would explain why I always get a big pile in the exam. I didn't want to leave Yancy Academy with him thinking I hadn't tired.
I walked downstairs to faculty offices. Most them were dark and empty, but Mr. Brunner's door was ajar, light from his window streaching across the hallway floor.
I was three steps from the door handle when I heard voices inside the office. Mr. Brunner asked a question. A voices inside the office. Mr. Brunner asked a question. A voice that was definitely Grover's said .... Worried about Ariel, sir.
I froze.
Travis, Connor, and Chris excitedly turn to Ariel.
- Did you listen? - they ask excitedly.
