there are like 69 plot points and I dont even remember what day it is in the story so like
pretend that there is chronological consistency just like...ignore that there may be some time skips idk lol (I just marathoned the xmen movies..i think their timeline inconsistency is rubbing off on me). Pretend it's Wednesday. :)
Also, I don't play football and know literally nothing about how the players work....so just pretend that I do guys; just pretend what happens can canonically happen in football...
Funnily enough, the way Odysseus dealt with stress is to overdo his homework to the point of receiving 110 per cent on his most recent test. Staring at the red number on the piece of paper in front of him, he didn't notice his friends approaching him at the table in the cafeteria.
"I swear Mr Hades hates me because how on earth did I get %7 on the test? It was true or false and it's statistically shown for people to get %50 if they guess the entire thing, which I did," Menelaos' voice became heard and Odysseus flinched.
"Good news and bad news," Agamemnon said as they all sat around Odysseus.
Odysseus blinked. "What's the bad news?"
"Good news is that the football team is open for new players," Clytemnestra began.
"Bad news is that Hector's being expelled," Penelope finished. "Don't worry, I've already written up an article for the newsletter this Friday,"
"Expelled?" Odysseus's finger curled around his pen. "Why?"
"It's ridiculous," Clytemnestra fumed. "Paris went and sneakily hinted at my parent's that he had blackmailed Helen into dating her so when they confronted him for more information he lied saying that it was Hector who drugged Helen,"
"That's ridiculous,"
"What do we do? Hector's one of our main players and with Achilles gone-" Menelaos glanced at the blond who was sitting with Patroculous and some playing cards.
"As much as the game on Friday is important, we can't let Hector take the fall for his brother," Clytemnestra frowned.
"Will he get expelled? I mean, his dad, the principal, has always been reluctant to suspend or expel the Priam sons for the reputation," Odysseus questioned.
"Nothing this bad has happened before. He's obligated to do something even if it's his son," Penelope sighed.
"Not a bad tactic from Paris to assure his claimed innocence," Odysseus shrugged. "If we can get Helen to go and expose him Hector should be alright,"
"We already spoke to Helen, she can't say anything because her parents think they've got everything under control. She's tried but they keep saying she's trying to 'protect' Hector and that they know best," Clytemnestra explained. "It's a whole thing,"
"What do we do about the game though, without Hector or Achilles' we're stuffed," Agememnon frowned.
The conversation dialled down as Hector approached their table. His eyes didn't look directly at any of them. "I suppose you heard what's happening,"
"Yeah, you've tried to say that Paris is lying?" Patrocles asked.
"Of course," Hector shook his head in annoyance. "No one is believing us, or Helen. Paris has the adults all wrapped up in his lies," He faced Patrocles and Diomedes. "But don't worry about the game. I guess my dad doesn't want our team to lose or our school reputation will be further tainted. I'll still be playing but I think I'm gone by the end of the week,"
Agamemnon seemed relieved, ignorant to Hector's situation.
"That's messed up," Clytemnestra sighed.
Odysseus stood up, "Hector, this situation is unfortunate, but the fight isn't over yet. I have spoken to Agamemnon and Menelaus, we have figured out that Paris has a weakness of boastfulness. He will not hesitate to taunt us, what we need to do is get him to do that in front of the teachers and parents. We will try our best to help you, and..." Helen. "-and Paris will get what he deserves,"
Hector nodded. "Ok. Thanks, I appreciate the effort, but he's still my brother and I'll be stuck with his shenanigans. Even if you lose or win; the school will still have one Priam twin to be pestered by," he gave them a quick smirk before leaving the table.
"Not to doubt you, Odysseus...but you did leave us for almost a week. How do we know you won't just disappear again when we need you most?" Agamemnon looked at Odysseus.
He saw the rest of the group's eyes fall on him. "I..do understand your query. What disturbed me earlier this week has either been resolved," he avoided Diomedes' look, "-or it has been left behind to never uncover again," he fiddled with the edges of the paper in his notebook. "I hope, at least,"
"Don't we at least get to know what happened?" Penelope asked, suddenly curious of this second reason; she had known about Diomedes but her naturally gossiping self urged for the knowledge of what was to be left 'uncovered'.
Odysseus looked at her and then at the rest of the group. "Uh, my father surfaced,"
There was a moment of shocked silence; the knowledge of Odysseus's father, Anticlea's ex-husband, was known and despised by the team for his antics of leaving, then returning only to divorce Anticlea upon the truth of homosexuality.
"Again?" Diomedes found himself saying; the ex-father had only once tried to reconnect with Odysseus when he was much younger.
Odysseus cringed involuntarily. "No, not him," he paused before saying; "Anyways, I'm adopted," he finally coughed out.
More silence bred in the air. "Adopted?" Achilles spoke, "By your moms?"
"No, by Anticlea and her ex-husband," Odysseus corrected. He grinned in amusement at everyone's surprise and realisation. "Yeah, I found it a bit odd as well,"
"A bit?!" Diomedes exclaimed. "That man married your mom for like a year before adopting you before promptly leaving? What a loser,"
"Wait, wait, wait, so you met with your biological father?" Penelope repeated, remembering the weekend that Odysseus had disappeared.
"Met and left. Not a very nice person," Odysseus claimed. He had been dreading the moment when he needed to tell someone about what had happened but now he was doing it, portraying each ground-shaking revelation with ease and ridicule, the problems didn't feel too bad now.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Clytemnestra sympathised. "Right?" she added, unsure.
"Well," Penelope looked at Agamemnon, "Unless Odysseus has more hidden family members to be made known, I doubt he'll be distracted from this disaster,"
Agamemnon just hummed in response.
---
The game on Friday came within a few stressful moments, with two things now on every student in the school's minds: who would win in the next twenty minutes and; who is who taking to the school dance after the game.
Now, since Odysseus had been absent for so long he had not even participated in the setting up of the school dance nor had he been invested in who was taking who. Penelope had given him a run-down but it was mainly the pre-established couples, as expected.
Many of the students, (much like Achilles and/or Patrocles) had been hesitant to say anything until it was too late; many were going 'as friends' and many still had twenty minutes to confess to their crushes.
So Odysseus scribbled down names as he watched collections of pairs on the bleachers of the game hug each other.
"This week must have gone quick for you," Penelope yelled over the loud game.
Odysseus didn't face her but replied; "To be honest, it lagged on for much too long. But returning to school reminded me how much an hour is worth,"
Penelope laughed. "Who do you think is going to win?"
"Hector is playing like his life depends on it,"
"It probably does,"
Odysseus watched the scoreboard- their team was around two goals from overtaking the opposing team. He glanced back down at the oval, seeing Patrocles catch the ball. "Patrocles is better than I thought,"
Penelope nodded. "He was alright, but I think Agamemnon scared the skill out of him the past few days,"
As their eyes followed Patrocles run through, the audience fell into a gasp as a multiple of series of bad events occurred.
Hector, who was in front of Patrocles and with his full attention on the game, got briefly distracted, turning his head to the side. Patrocles was about to pass the ball to him, not realising Hector has tuned out for that millisecond and threw the ball at him.
The ball hit Hector right in the face and ricocheted off at an alarming speed back into Patrocles. As Patrocles was running at goodness knows what speed, the combing forces caused him to fall back, unfortunately.
Hector stumbled back. "Patrocles- are you alright?" The other players stood back as Patrocles moved a little on the floor but to no avail. Hector ran up to him, as did Achilles who was standing on the side, watching the game in annoyance.
"Pat?" was all Achilles could say as the teachers took Patrocles off the side.
"Is he alright?" Hector asked one of the adults who said it might just be a mild concussion. He passed him a tissue for his apparent nose-bleed.
Achilles was clenching his fist, millions of thoughts running through him. "This is your fault-" He turned around to face Hector who stared him.
"Ok, yes it was," Hector sighed. "I'm sorry, it was an accident,"
Achilles didn't say anything.
"Look, Achilles, we need you now. Patrocles is out," Hector placed a hand on his shoulder. "Please. Don't let Patrocles have to have had to go through all of Agamemnon's training just for the game to finish because we don't have enough team members,"
Achilles looked at Hector directly into the eyes before groaned. "Alright, but you owe me, Hector,"
Hector closed his eyes in relief, wiped the last of the blood off him and ran back in. Achilles got geared up.
Despite the relief of Achilles rejoining the game, Odysseus's eyes scanned the crowd to see what distracted Hector. "Look,"
He pointed Penelope to look at the other side of the bleachers, where now only Clytemnestra seemed to be holding Paris back from walking off.
"Wasn't Helen supposed to be with them?" Penelope frowned.
"Maybe that's what Paris is trying to do, go find her," Odysseus pondered.
"We should go," Penelope grabbed her bag and Odysseus followed her through the bleachers.
Once they got to Clytemnestra, she was standing up in a panic. "Paris made Helen mad and she ran off, I couldn't stop him, I don't know what's happening,"
Odysseus shook his head. "They can't have gone far, let's go," The three of them exited the stadium.
---
The game ended. Cheers abrupted but in the dark park at the back of the Stadium, far from the entrance, it was hard to figure out who won.
Odysseus and the others quickly found Helen and Paris but Clytemnestra found no moment to hesitate, and run right up to Helen.
"What are you doing-" she yelled.
Odysseus blinked. Paris must've made Helen really mad- and was probably really mad himself, judging by Clytemnestra's reaction.
"Nothing, relax. You are always exaggerating," Paris rolled his eyes, stepping back.
"Maybe there's good reason," Penelope said back.
Another voice came yelling through the trees. "PARIS, I SWEAR TO GOD," It was Hector.
Still wearing his football gear, he walked up to Paris. "I saw you hit Helen," Hector punched Paris. "You unpleasant-"
---
The game had finished but Achilles beelined to where Patrocles was now sitting with an ice pack on his head.
"That was an exciting win," Patrocles grinned. "Good thing I got knocked out otherwise you could never have done that,"
Achilles frowned playfully. "Sure thing," he sighed. "I'm sorry for everything,"
Patrocles shrugged. "Thanks. I accept," he said amusingly.
"Is it fatal?" Achilles joked, touching the ice pack Patrocles was holding.
"No," Patrocles said. "It was mostly the shock I think,"
"So you can still go to the dance in a few hours?"
Patrocles froze. "I expect so," he looked up at Achilles. "Although I don't know if I want to pay the extra three dollars for the Single entrance fee," he teased, feeling his face heat up.
Achilles paused before saying, "How about we both pay the Couple Fee? Together?"
Patrocles smiled. "I'd like that,"
---
Patrocles and Achilles stumbled through the dark park, in search of Hector who had sprinted the moment the game ended. It certainly wasn't long until they heard the yells of argument.
They found a scene of Hector, Paris and Clytemnestra in different variations of a battle pose, each with blood blotching their faces and fists out.
"What the hell is going on," Achilles demanded.
"A fight," Odysseus plainly said. "Just started- um, Paris apparently hit Helen,"
Achilles looked back at Paris in anger. "What the hell dude,"
Patrocles watched the scene unravel as Achilles tried to peel Paris off Hector and Clytemnestra.
"You are going to pay for everything you've done," Achilles gritted through his clenched teeth.
Paris stumbled back. "What? Really?" he took out the notebook- the thing that caused the mess- and waved it around. "I don't know if you want your secrets out there,"
Everyone slowly froze, glancing at Odysseus.
But the voice came from Helen. "You are no scary you realise?" she shouted, getting up. "You had to steal someone else's things to even become a threat-" she walked to face him. "You have been a real pain in the ass- I should never have entertained your stupid blackmail threats. This has gone out of proportion Paris. Give it back,"
"No," Paris smiled.
Helen yelled absently and walked right up to him. Paris moved the notebook from her reach. "You won't get away with this!!"
"Yes, I will," he smirked. "You won't-" he was cut off as the notebook in his hand was snatched. He spun around to see Odysseus with it in his hands. "What? You little-"
Odysseus shrugged. "What?"
Helen grinned through her deep breaths. "Now what?"
"Now I reveal all of the secrets-" Paris struggled. "I've read them- I still know them. I'll tell everyone tonight at the dance and then it's the end of you all," he threatened before storming off.
"Wow, ok," Hector frowned, still wiping blood off of him.
---
and I oop---
i just disappeared for months sorry,.,.,..,
anyways,..,.,.,i think there's probably going to be one more chapter left???
having a ridiculous amount of a word count per chapter,.,you get through a lot in them than you realise. :))
anyways,....,.,rest in peace my un-finished homework...,.,