“Hi, is Professor Onassis here?” I ask the secretary when I get to her office. The secretary seems friendly enough, but she rubs me the wrong way for some reason. It may be the weird quirk to her eye brow or her flaring nostrils, but I don’t like her. I feel like she’s sizing me up when she looks at me.
“In her office, dear,” the thirty-something year old woman tells me, making me feel twelve. Her age strikes me as odd since I haven’t seen a nephil who’s at that in-between stage. Either she looks older than she is or she’s just starting to age. Or maybe she’s just human. Maybe she’s some unknown creature that I haven’t learned about. I’m starting to think that anything is possible these days.
“Thanks.” I realize I’ve been staring at her for too long, so I rush back towards the office. I lightly knock on the door to signal my arrival and am greeted with her hearty voice.
“Come in,” she says in a fluttery voice like a bumblebee.
I walk in while Professor Onassis is on the phone and take a spot on the couch near the bookshelf. I try not to bother her while she talks, so I peer at the bookcase, looking at the titles filling it. She has some classics like Jane Austen and Emily Dickinson, but then there are some crazy titles like Spears, Swords, and Swing Sets—what the hell does that even mean?
“Sorry. That was my mentor talking my ear off. I swear some people just can’t take a hint.” She excuses herself, clearly frazzled as she gets up from her swiveling chair to sit next to me on the small sofa. “How are you today?” Her deep violet eyes meet mine with question.
“I’m good. I just played rugby and basically died.” I laugh it off, but Professor Onassis’ eyes widen in shock.
“What do you mean you died?” Her voice is high pitched and tense, and her eyes trail up and down my body, in search of injury, I’m guessing.
“Well, I got kicked in the face and blacked out. Next thing I know, I’m waking up in the nurse’s office.”
“Dear gods, you gave me a fright.” She clutches her chest, and I realize that this little old woman really could have had a heart attack. I feel pretty bad for scaring her. But I did kind of die.
“Sorry. I may have exaggerated that a tad.” I shrug, hoping she accepts the apology.
“Well, now I know you have a sense of humor.” She winks at me, and I like that; although I almost just inadvertently killed my mentor via heart attack, it still managed to deepen our connection.
“So, how was the rest of your day? How is your roommate treating you? Have you made any new friends?” She fires off questions at me. I’m a little taken aback, but I answer, wanting to tell her everything about me.
“Kara? She’s great. We get along really well. I guess I’ve made some friends, but I don’t feel accepted, really. There’s this one girl who definitely doesn’t like me. It’s weird, but it reminds me of my old school, where they were mean to me,” I confess, finding a connection between Lisa and Becca without even realizing it.
“You were bullied at your old high school?” Professor Onassis brings up her pad of paper and writes down some scribble that I can’t read or even track since her petite hand moves so swiftly.
“A little bit. I just found out a couple months ago that it was because she thought I stole her boyfriend, but she turned the whole school against me for years over it. It was rough. To be honest, I’m glad to be out of there.”
“I’m sorry that you had to go through that.” Her voice is honest and true, and it makes me believe her that much more. “I can guarantee that won’t happen again here.” She makes her own plea to protect me.
“It’s okay. It kind of made me stronger towards the end. I stood up for myself, and it felt really good.” Remembering when I hit Becca, I realize I was finally able to let go of whatever scared me about her. Bullies are nothing but cowards—they’re insecure, and they take it out on the weaker person.
“It seems like something else is bothering you.” She digs deeper, frowning at me as she tries to figure me out.
“Well, I’ve had this dream,” I tell her. “It’s been happening over and over again. I usually see the same thing, but last night it changed. I saw more, and it’s really freaking me out. I’ve never had a recurring dream, and this one seems farfetched.”
“What happens in the dream?” She starts writing down notes again as I speak.
“I wake up in the same dark black jail cell. Normally, I just hang out in there for a while, but last night, these two guys who I’ve met before came in. One is Hermes and the other Hades. They were draining the prisoner across the hall from me of blood and putting it into a vial. Then Hermes spoke to me.”
“You’ve met both Hades and Hermes?” She eyes me with shock and horror. “In real life?” She clarifies mostly for herself since I heard the first time perfectly.
“Yeah, I went into the Underworld with Ari, um… Professor Aristeus, to find out about my mom and this curse, and we talked with Hades. Hermes walked us towards the exit. I actually saw the cell from my dream in real life,” I explain, remembering that same room as I put the pieces together in my mind.
“Why don’t we start with you telling me about your trip down there, and then I can start to figure out the dream,” she says, and I delve into the past, telling her every last detail of my trip, not holding back. She stops me to ask questions throughout the story, but I get it all out for the first time ever.
I love having her undivided attention. It’s great having someone listen to me and really seem to care. To be honest, Professor Onassis acts more like a therapist than a guidance counselor, and oddly enough, it doesn’t bother me like I thought it would.
Our hour comes and goes, and it’s dinner time when we’re done. I say goodbye to her, and then run back to my dorm room to decompress before I have to rush to the student center for dinner.
After unlocking the door, I throw my bag on the ground and dive into the bed, relishing in the feel of safety. I let out a sigh and plan to take a nap when a rustle comes from the other side of the room.
“Someone tired?” Kara giggles as she emerges from the adjoining door. I jump back, startled, not realizing that she was even in the room. I’m not used to having a roommate, and I keep forgetting that she lives here, too.
“You scared the crap out of me!”
“Sorry. I’m just doing homework,” she says as she walks back to her bed and sits among a large pile of books strewn about. She has that stressed out look that I’m familiar with, and I feel her pain. “So, you have to tell me.” She turns her big blue eyes on me.
“Tell you what?” I ask her back, flustered.
“About Ari!” she exclaims, jumping up and coming onto my bed with me. She crosses her legs, sitting crisscross at the end of it and waits for me. “After seeing the way he went after you last night, I want to know more about your relationship. Have you two had sex yet?” Her question makes heat rise up my neck, leaving my face crimson, I’m sure.
I’ve never had anyone straight up ask me like that. In fact, I never even told anyone I lost my virginity when I was with Ollie. The only friend I had was Junior, and although we told each other everything, that would have been way too awkward, so I kept it to myself.
I groan, feeling out of my comfort zone. “No, we haven’t had sex yet. Can I be honest with you?” I have an urge to confide in yet another person. It’s crazy how fast my walls are coming down, but I don’t let the thoughts frighten me. Kara has proven to be a big mouth, but I know she would never do it on purpose.
“Of course. I want you to be!” She grabs onto my hands and clings to them, letting me know that I can trust her.
“I had sex with Ollie a while ago. He was my first, and I truly, truly love him. But then I took this trip with Ari, and my feelings took a complete one-eighty.” I drop my head in my hands, hating how slutty I sound. “I know it’s this curse that’s messing with my feelings, but I feel so guilty about it all. It’s not fair to the guys, but sometimes I feel like I’m in love with them
both—just differently.” A tear trickles down my face, and I catch it on my finger, hating how much I’ve been crying lately. I’m not even depressed—just frustrated with the entire situation.
“Ryder, you’re just confused.” She tries to make me feel better, but it only upsets me more.
“That’s the thing, though. I’m not confused. I really do love them both.” My voice turns steely with each word, because I hate that excuse. I believe I love them both, but in different ways.
“But you can’t. One is your soul mate. Deep down you have to know,” Kara says, stroking my hair the way Ari does after taking my helmet off when we’re riding his bike. I pull back, not realizing how rude I’m being.
“That’s the thing. I really, really don’t,” I confess, shaking my head back and forth. “You know what’s really bothering me? I want to have sex with Ari. The connection I have with him is unbelievable and electric, and I feel like now is the only time for us to be together, but my feelings for Ollie are holding me back.”
“Well, don’t let me hold you back,” Ollie spouts venom from the doorway. My eyes dilate in shock, wondering what he’s doing here.
“Ollie?” I ask to make sure it’s not a dream or me hallucinating. I look over at Kara who looks just as astonished as I do, and I know it has to be real.
“Don’t worry, I’ll go.” He retreats from the doorway and slams the door shut behind him.
“What the hell?” Kara turns to face me, her body rigid like she’s been stunned right alongside of me.
“Oh my god. I’ve got to go find him.” I jump off of the bed and look around the floor for some shoes. I throw on my sneakers and run out the door towards where he went. I rush down the stairs and out the door of my dorm, looking in every direction for him. I think I spot him by the entrance of the student center, so I sprint that way, hoping my senses are on target.
Giving up when I can’t find him, I grab my cell out of my pocket and dial Ollie. The phone rings but eventually goes to voicemail. “Shit,” I mutter, hanging up the phone. I dial the next person I think of, hoping he knows something.
“Hey, Eury.” Ari answers the phone, his voice light.
“Have you seen Ollie?” I ask him, still searching with my eyes around campus, walking in different directions, not really knowing what to do next.
“Why would I see Orpheus?” he asks back, confusion in his voice. He actually sounds kind of mad at just the mention of Ollie.
“He came and heard me talking to Kara about wanting to have sex with you and then stormed off,” I explain to him, running back towards the woods near the front of the school since he may have left.
“You want to have sex with me?” Ari asks back, hearing only what he wants to hear.
“Ari, please! He was upset. Where could he be?” I plead for him to help.
“Where are you, Eury? I’ll come find you.” Ari sounds out of breath as if he’s already started coming to my aid.
“I’m near the front woods. Just help me find him,” I whine into the speaker.
“Hold on, I’m—” The line cuts off, and I yell into the phone, wondering where Ari went. I hang up and redial his number, but it goes straight to voicemail. I get this sense of dread and a heaviness forms in my stomach, making me feel glued to the ground, so I make a split second decision and head towards Ari’s house.
I sprint across the front of school towards Ari’s house, ignoring the greetings people yell at me as I blur by. I just have this sinking feeling in my stomach that something is wrong. As I near his house, a group of people swarm the entrance where the walkway is, blocking off what I can see.
“What’s going on?” I ask a guy who’s standing on the outside of the herd.
“A fight with Professor A and some other guy,” he answers, sending awful wave of nervousness through me. I push past him, ducking between people as I try to get to where I can see Ari. When I break through the crowd, a show down between Ari and Ollie erupts—of course, it has to be them.
“Stop!” I shout, rushing over to the two of them standing off.
The scene is horrific, and it looks like the fight has already started. Ari’s eye is swollen and turning purple. It’s swelling to the point where he can barely see out of it. I look from Ari to Ollie, and it only gets worse.
Ollie has a deep cut on his lip, or maybe his mouth, that’s gushing blood in a thick mess. I look between the two as they prepare for round two and frown at them. I position myself in the middle, hoping that they’ll stop, but instead, they maneuver around me in a circular motion. “What’s your problem?” I shout towards them, hoping at least someone will answer me.
“Stay out of it!” Ari calls out to me, his good eye never straying from Ollie.
“No.” I rush towards him and put my hands on his chest to stop him from advancing. “Please, stop,” I beg him, wanting him to stop this fight already. This is childish and stupid.
“He started it.” Ari points over towards Ollie, who’s strafing back and forth, his arms in fists by his sides.
“You’ve created a crowd. Let’s all go inside and talk,” I tell him. I reach for Ari’s hand, but he pulls away from me. I stare up at him until his eyes lower and hook onto mine. I beg him to come with me. I reach out my hand, and after a second, he takes it. I lead him into his house. “I’ll be right back,” I tell Ari as I shut the door behind me on my way out to get Ollie.
“That fight was so sick,” some kid says in the distance.
“Leave!” I yell at the students who are loitering around, hoping to catch another fight. Most of them turn to walk away but some stay out and watch. “Go,” I say again, and the last few walk away slumped over themselves in disappointment.
I look around and spot Ollie eying me with disdain in his eyes. I walk to Ollie’s side and take his hand in mine, letting my love show him.
“Please come inside and talk,” I clench his hand tight.
“Why? So I can watch you two make out?” Bitterness fills his voice, and I know it’s my fault. I have to try to get through to him.
“No, Ollie! Please, just talk,” I beg him, holding onto his hand for dear life, refusing to let him drop me.
“Fine,” he relents. I don’t know whether he’s wounded or not, but he lets me lead him into the house. Once we get inside, I bring Ollie to the living room. Ari’s already in there and sitting on the sofa, visibly stewing.
After getting both boys situated on opposite sides of the room, I rush into the kitchen to grab the necessary supplies. “Don’t move or even talk,” I tell them as I retreat. I find a pack of hamburgers in Ari’s freezer and grab one, shoving it into a zip lock baggie.
I have to maneuver my way around the kitchen since I have no idea where anything is. Luckily, I come across a pantry, which has a first aid kit. I grab an ice pack, crack it, and then wrap it in a towel so it doesn’t freeze Ollie’s face off.
I make my way back into the room and hand Ari the hamburger and Ollie the icepack. They glance at each other quickly before putting them on their ailments and staring the other way. Ari looks so stupid with the hamburger over his eye, and Ollie looks like a beat up little boy with the ice pack on his lip, but they’re equally cute. I sit on the coffee table in the middle of the boys as an overseer and mediator to, hopefully, avoid another fight.
I don’t know how to even begin the conversation, so I sit quietly and wait for someone else to begin. The muteness is booming, and I squirm in my seat, not liking it. What would Professor Onassis say?
“What happened?” Last time I checked, they had some sort of peace treaty going on. They both start to talk vehemently and at the same time. Ari’s pointing over at Ollie while Ollie spits in his face. I hold my hand up and try to create some sort of civil conversation, but ultimately, the boys stop when they know that neither is getting the upper hand.
“I started it.” Ollie bows his head down, being the bigger man.
“Is it because of what you heard me say?” I ask h
im, meeting those icy blue eyes head on and loving the way they sparkle. I’m pulled in until he breaks the contact, looking down shyly.
“Maybe.” He crosses his arms defensively.
“I’m sorry you heard that, but I was just upset and venting,” I explain, not liking the constraint in his eyes. It kills me to torment him like this, but I’m stuck. This curse is screwing with me, and I don’t know how to deal with it. It’s not fair. I don’t want to hurt either of them, but lately, it seems like that’s all I’ve been doing.
“It’s fine,” he mutters to himself.
“Wait, so you don’t want to have sex?” Ari instantly upsets Ollie again. Ollie lunges up off the couch towards Ari’s neck. I jump up to block him from getting to Ari, but he gets a nice punch on the arm that I’m sure will leave a nice purple bruise.
“Why are you antagonizing him?” I scold Ari, holding Ollie back, but just barely. Ollie pushes on me like a bull getting ready for a match, wanting to get to Ari again. Using my strength, I shove him back just enough, so he knows I’m in charge here. I turn so I’m facing him and stare into his eyes, willing him to understand. I plead without using any words until I know I’ve gotten to him.
Reluctantly, he sits back in his seat, but his body language tells it all. He sits up straight, his hands clenched, his knees pressed against each other. I let out a heavy sigh and then sit back on the table.
“Ollie…” I pause. “What are you doing here?” I try to keep my voice unaccusatory so he knows it’s not a bad thing. To be completely honest, it’s nice to see Ollie. I’ve missed him in our months apart.
“I have some news for you,” he explains.
“What?”
“I’d like to speak with you alone.” His eyes narrow towards Ari with hatred.
“All right, let’s go,” I say. Ollie exits the room first, and I drag behind, hoping to have a word with Ari. “Try being nice, will you?” I smirk as I pass by him. He just smiles up at me from his seat on the couch and spanks me as I pass him. I squeal, but it only makes him laugh—deep and throaty.
The Curse of Betrayal Page 10
