Valhalla High (A Magnus Chase Fanfic)

That Metal Bra, Bro

September 1

     Odin's slideshow started with a picture of some guy wearing what appeared to be a metal bra. "What is he wearing?" Magni asked, his eyes as round as coins.

     "Some armor," Odin replied. "Your father wore something similar whenever we did re-enactments."

        Magni shuddered. "I'll never do that."

       Odin raised an eyebrow. "Once you're my age—"

     "I'll have better stuff to do than wear metal bras," Magni finished.

   Odin pressed his lips together. "Do I need to send you to detention, my grandson?"

    Magni paled and shook his head. Honestly, I thought detention might be good for him. Odin flicked to the next slide. "Today, we will be learning about the first encounters between the indigenous people of North and South America and Europeans. Does anyone know who the first European to set foot in America was?"

    Samirah raised her hand and Odin called on her. "Lief Erikson; he was a Viking."

Odin smiled. "Good job, Sam, and what's the difference between the Vikings and the Norse?"

"Viking were a type of Norsemen who were known for raiding places," Sam answered. "Not all the Norse were pirates, though."

Odin nodded and turned to the next slide. He began telling us about Lief Erickson's voyage and how it ultimately failed. At one point, Magni started blasting his music at full-volume. Odin fixed his gaze on him, his one eye narrowed in displeasure. "Turn that off."

Magni raised his palms. "It was an honest mistake."

"Then I shall treat it as so," Odin said, "but only if you silence your phone."

Magni's expression was surly as he bade the teacher's instructions. The rest of the class was silent as Odin finished the lecture. We learned about more Viking expeditions and the backdrop of life in Europe as it began to look outwards: the Black Plague, Reformation, and a desire for the riches of the east. "Tomorrow," Odin said. "We will discuss Christopher Columbus."

      My AP Calculus class made my head feel like Magni's music was blasting full volume in my ears. Luckily, I sat right beside Sam and could lean over to ask her for help. Alex was also in this class, though he sat a few places behind me. It turned out that Jack was also in this class and he acknowledged my presence with a formal nod. Yup, I was the epitome of popular.

    The teacher, Saga Smith, was a shrewd-looking woman with dark brown braids that hung down her straight back. Like Loki, she offered bell ringers, but they were graded out of five and there was a potential for six points each. Plus, we could use our homework from the previous day to complete it. She also spent more time discussing math equations than criticizing students.

       Though AP Calculus was a vast improvement over Loki's class, I was still glad when we got out for lunch. I sat down with Sam and Alex. To my surprise, Jack asked to join us. Alex shrugged. "If you don't bite, then I won't either."

    Jack nodded and sat down. "Ooh, there he is!" Alex said, pointing to a guy at a table ten feet away from us.

    He looked familiar with his warm skin tone and shiny black hair. "Aren't you going to say hello to your fiancé, Sam?" Alex asked her.

    Sam frowned at her brother. "Amir looks busy. Let's not bother him."

    I blinked, recognizing Amir now. "He's the guy who works at Fadlan's Falafel!"

     "His father owns it," Sam said.

      "They make the best falafel in all of Boston," I said.

    Alex started laughing. "I cannot tell if you are crushing over falafels more than Sam is over Amir."

Still, something didn't sit right with me. I turned to Sam. "Did your parents make this choice for you? Are they forcing you into this marriage? Do you even even want to marry Amir?"

Sam was blushing like a bride and she didn't answer immediately, stoking my fears. "If your family lays one hand on you—"

Sam laughed. "I appreciate your concern, Magnus, but it isn't what you think. I've been in love with Amir since I was seven."

She explained how her mother had been a doctor and her father was one of her patients. "My mother had me out of wedlock," she said, "which is a great stain in my community. A lot of people would never want their sons to marry me."

"That's not right," I thought, thinking about how similar my parents' story was.

She shrugged. "It is how it is. My grandparents have raised me since my mother's death and they've done well. They told me they would find me a match that I liked and they weren't wrong. I love Amir."

"Okay, that is cute," I said.

Alex speared a tater tot with a spork and raised it at me. "One minute you're sounding like an NGO fighting arranged marriages and now you're shipping it. Welcome to the club."

All of us laughed — even Jack. He turned to Sam. "Do you think your grandparents could help me find someone?"

She shook her head. "They're not matchmakers."

Jack sighed. "There's this really awesome girl I like, but she goes to another school."

He went on to tell us about his crush on a girl named Riptide. She was on the dancing team at her school and Jack had met her through a tournament. "She's is agile and the way she cuts through the air. . ."

Jack's eyes lit up whenever he talked about her and by the end of lunch, I knew him better than I knew either of my uncles. He told how they texted each other often and shared dancing tips. He said he wanted to ask her out to the Homecoming Dance and was deciding between serenading her or forging her a sword (apparently, she was also into fencing). Luckily, the bell for Learning Lab rang before he could tell anyone his Social Security number or credit card number.