The New Demigod at Goode

First Day Jitters

......Celeste POV......
I stare into Eliana's cold dead eyes. She is no longer the warm girl I love, in her place is a ashen copy Gaea brought forth. Her eyes are gold and she mocks me, getting farther and farther away.

I try to run after her, I scream her name, but I am rooted to the spot silent as darkness consumes her. I thrash against the bonds holding me and try to follow after her.

I can't loose Eliana again I can't.

I break free of my invisible bonds and as I take a step forward, the ground falls out from under me. I scream as I fall into the darkness.

I jerk up and pant. Throwing of my covers, I sit up and rub my feet on the carpet. Dreams haunt me more since I am no longer at camp, almost if the barrier that kept monsters away also kept dreams away. I can't imagine how Percy and Annabeth deal with them, surly they dream of their time down below. Surly, they have it worse. I need to get a grip and stop being a baby.

I run a hand through my hair and throw on my outfit for today. I walk down to the kitchen to find Aunt Elenore cooking up breakfast.

I've been here a week and I still can't get used to having food cooked for us, a clean house, and a loving homely atmosphere.

My bare feet make no noise as I walk to fridge and grab a bottle of lemon water.

Elenore startles, "Oh, Celeste!" She places a hand over her heart. "Good you're awake. I was just going to wake you. How did you sleep?"

"Well thank you. Do you know when the rest of our stuff will arrive?" I grab a orange form the bowl and start to peel it.

"I'd say it will be here Wednesday." Elenore turns the burner off and turns to me. "I was thinking that you guys could stay home. I know adjusting has been hard, I could give you guys another week before you had to worry about school."

I give her a small smile, "Thank you, but I think Eli would want to go today. For whatever reason she adores school." I bite my lip, "But you could ask, I would want her to make the decision."

Elenore nods, "I will. Grab a seat and I'll go wake her up." She kisses the side of my head before walking away.

I feel my shoulders slump. It's hard looking at Elenore without seeing my mother, and I think she knows that. She goes out of her way to make us comfortable. We never told her how bad it got, but I think she knows. She doesn't try to take control of our lives and impose many rules, and she makes no sudden movements around us.

I really appreciate my Aunt. She knows I am used to functioning as a adult and she does her best to make sure I still feel useful. The first day here was a disaster. I kept trying to do everything. She sat me down and told me that it was okay to share some of the work, that she was here to help.

"Cely!" Eliana comes skipping into the room, "Do you want to go to school today?"

I smile and put some toast on my plate. "The question is, do you want to?"

Eliana takes a second to consider, "I think I will. I want to meet all the new people! We'll just save the free days for later. Maybe during tests?" Elenore and I laugh. Eli snaps her fingers, "Kayden says hi! He and his dad are doing good."

I smile. Kayden has wormed his way into our hearts and we became a trio instead of a duo. The age gap between Eli and I meant we didn't like the same things, but Kayden is closer in age and they can spend hours playing pretend, something that is incredibly hard to do.

"Celeste have you head from Pollux lately?" Elenore grins at me and waggles her eyebrows.

I roll my eyes at her. Ever since she met him she has been telling me that we would be a good couple. I should've never let him help unpack the first few boxes.

"He said he would message me later today, to see how Eli and I were doing with school."

Elenore gives me a look before setting the dirty plates in the sink. "So, do you want me to drive you too school?"

I shake my head, "No thank you. I believe we remember the way."

Elenore nods and gives us both a hug before taking off her apron, "If you need anything, call me."

"Yes Auntie!" Eliana races to the door to get her shoes on.

I tug on some boots and we're off, Eliana singing the whole way.

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I stare at the school in front of me, the whole thing is overwhelming. A large fancy brick building that I would have never been able to step foot in.

Slowly I make my way to the office and to the receptionist. After a exchange, I find myself alone in the hallway ready for school to be over.

After minutes of searching, I finally find my locker. I smile when I find it's a full length one. I've always wanted one of those.

Afterwards I manage to find first period and a slip into a seat in the back. I stare out the window as I wait for school to begin.

It's a lot larger here then it was at my old school, I don't think I am going to like it. Hopefully I can keep my head down and have a nice peaceful year.

I brace myself when the bell rings and all the students begin to file in. I avoid eye contact and only look up once. That's when the teacher asks me a ridiculous question.

"Mrs. O'Brian, can you tell me the answer too this question here?"

I glance at the board, "67.3"

The teacher looks shocked, "And how exactly would you know that?" She waves some chalk at me and guesstures me up.

With a sigh I oblige, and jot down the equation. Mrs. Gilliam studies the board before shaking her head.

"That answer may be correct, but that's not how we do it."

I raise my eyebrow, "Oh? Well okay then." I put the chalk down and go to return to my seat.

Mrs. Gilliam clears her throat, "Celeste, you need to stay up here and correct it." I roll my eyes and rewrite the problem, this time taking a couple more steps to get the answer. The teacher erases the work once more. "No, your still doing it wrong. You have to do it a certain way or you'll get it wrong."

I watch as she rewrites the problem, making it immensely more complicated. She turns to me and I shrug. "If that's how you want it. I'm going to sit down now."

I slide into my seat just as the girl in front of me raises her hand. "Mrs. Gilliam, she did it two other ways that were easier, why can't we use those techniques?"

The teacher narrows her eyes, "Because this is how they want you all to learn it."

The girl stands up and I notice her purple hair has blue underneath. "But, I studied the curriculum before you started-" she holds up her text book, "-it shows many ways to do it and states, 'they are all correct ways of solving the equation. The standardized test will not count off for any variation as long as the answer is corrct'. Where exactly does it say do this?"

The teacher narrows her eyes, "Look, that's all fine and dandy, but this is my class you will do it this way."

The girl puts her hands on her hips. "You really shouldn't force the class to think like you. We all have different unique ways of thinking." She points at a boy in the back of the class, "Accept for Toby. He doesn't think, he just uses his muscles." Toby smiles and flexes, causing the girls to holler.

I am horrified at this girl's audacity, but at the same time I'm amazed. And the class, they are all eating this up.

Mrs. Gilliam looks red. She glares at the girl in front of me, "Ophelia Marrow, sit down and shut up or get out of my class!"

Ophelia throws her head back and laughs, "I thought you'd never ask!" She turns to me, "You." She gets in my face, "Never let these teachers tell you how to think." She puts her messenger bag on her shoulder and struts out of the classroom.

I sigh. I don't think that I am going to have a simple quiet year. Not with this girl in my math class.