Valhalla High (A Magnus Chase Fanfic)

Firing Up Love

October 14

The next week was filled with exams and studying. AP classes were hard and there were many nights I went to sleep exhausted and knowing full well that I had more homework to complete when I got up in the morning. The only things keeping me sane were Sam's tutoring, going to History Club with TJ on Thursday, and texting Alex. We talked about anything and everything — usually stuff that didn't really matter, but the words weren't as important as the connection.

      Better than texting Alex, though was talking to her (or him depending on the moment). I got a chance to do so on Friday. We were glazing our pinch pots before they'd be fired in the kiln. Sif told us to take it slowly and make sure to let the paint dry between coats. That made ceramics the perfect class for chilling and catching up with others.

Halfborn and Mallory were arguing. They'd begun dating after the Homecoming dance, but they had rows nearly everyday. Sometimes I wasn't sure if it was their way of showing affection or not. "They're teenagers," TJ had explained to me one day when I asked about it. "They'll grow up and mature."

I really hoped so because they had a lot in common — maybe too much in common. Alex was glazing her pinch pot a mint green. It looked pastel now, but once it fired in the kiln, she told me it would be more vibrant. "You are so good at this," I said.

She made a face. "I've been making pots since I was a toddler, so I should hope so."

I looked down at my pot. I was coating it with a grey glaze that was supposed to turn silver in the kiln. Alex said I was being boring with my color choice, but it wasn't my fault 34% of the options were blue. "You have been getting along with Sif better," I whispered.

Luckily, Sif was across the room, helping someone who as splattered the wrong color over half of their pot. Alex shrugged. "At first she reminded me a lot of my step-mother: entitled, self-centered, vain. . ."

"Sounds like a real winner," I said.

Alex shot me a glare. "She's the worst, but Sif . . . She's not like that. It just took me time to tell. Sometimes people are like pots and you need time to appreciate them."

I dipped my painting brush in the glaze again and brushed it over the rim of my pot. Alex's words got me thinking. The first time I met her, I thought she was cool, but now . . . Now she was beyond cool. I was used to people being not like you expected, but not in this way. For all of Alex's rough exteriors, she really was genuine and kind. She wasn't sweet, but she wasn't mean either and when she did something for you, you knew she meant it. "Have you ever wanted to garrote someone?" Alex suddenly said.

"No, but I've wanted to steal chocolate bars from their homes," I said.

Alex laughed. "You are one weird guy, Magnus."

     I met her bi-colored gaze and then looked down at my pot. If I was a weird guy, then why did Alex spend time with me?

***

   I decided to ask Blitzen and Hearthstone about it later. We were all seated at the same table for Biology and while Mimir chatted on about cell organelles. I knew many of them because of the the very catchy and annoying song that my middle school biology teacher showed us. After refusing to perform my rap with this one guy, I lost my one sorta friend at the school.

 
    "Well?" I whispered. "Why do you think Alex said that?"

    Hearthstone rolled his eyes and signed something about me being an oblivious, love-struck idiot. Blitzen patted me on the back. "Pay attention and maybe you can try to ask Alex to study later," he whispered.

    I suddenly sat up straighter. What a great idea! I'm sure I could learn so much with Alex . . . Or at least have fun studying. So as Mimir continued to lecture us on ribosomes and the Golgi apparatus, I tried to stay focused.

***

The alternate block schedule meant my last class on Fridays was AP Calculus. The class was either super hyped about the weekend or exhausted by the week's ordeals. Today was one of the latter days. Magnus and Mothi were nodding off and even Sam was having trouble keeping awake.

   Saga seemed to notice it because she promised us no homework if we finished the lesson in time. That woke us up more than a cup of coffee ever could. We flew through the lesson in record time and during the last five minutes of class, Saga passed out Sodoku sheets for us to do for fun.

    When the bell rang, I made my way to my locker. My mother was picking me up at the library as usual, but my father had said something about seeing me again this weekend and I didn't know whether to be scared or excited. My father had promised me a lot at our last (and first) meeting and I wasn't sure if it was fair to expect him to suddenly become more attentive. I sighed; at least I had seen him once in my life. I knew that was more than some people got, but I wished I could feel closer with my dad like I felt with my mom.

    On the way to my locker, I spotted a poster. Student council has already been chosen (they were chosen previous school year —cexcept for freshmen), so it couldn't be a campaign poster. I got closer to it and made out the words: Haunted House. What? I did a double take and looked the poster over again. Apparently, the theater club was putting on a haunted house at the school. The price of admission was only $5 and I realized it was another way I could spend time with Alex.