Valhalla High (A Magnus Chase Fanfic)

We Haven't Written Fan Fiction

October 23

"I still cannot get over the fact you guys are shipping us," I said.

"Relax, bro," Halfborn said. "We haven't discussed it with Alex and we haven't written any fan fiction — yet."

"What do you mean yet?" I asked.

Halfborn pursed his lips. "Well, TJ and I might have a joint Wattpad account."

I sighed. We were standing near my locker before first block began and discussing the weekend. It had gone well, though my asthma meant I had taken it easy at the gym. Still, the zip line was fun and I did like jumping into a pit of balls. "What do you write on your account?" I asked.

   Halfborn looked a little sheepish. "Mostly Hamilton fanfics. TJ got me into it. We also have been working on a Maximus Chaos fanfic set in the old Viking days."

   I blinked. "That's cool, but will you promise me you won't write any Fierrochase fanfics?"

   Halfborn nodded. "Pinky promise?" I asked.

     "Pinky promise," he said, hooking one pinky around mine.

    "What's all of this about Pinky Pie?" Magni asked.

     "We were making a Pinky promise," I explained.

    "Oh," Magni said, his face turning red as he left.

   Halfborn and I exchanged grins. "Looks like someone has outed himself as a Brony," Halfborn said.

    "That should be the only kinda of outing that's necessary," I said.

     "You're right about that," Alex said, strolling past us.

    I looked up at him (recently, Sam had made him beaded bracelets that he could change whenever his gender switched). Today, he was wearing a green bracelet that matched his emerald-green leggings and pink sweater. "How was your weekend?" I asked, ignoring the way Halfborn's eyebrows wriggled like fish out of water.

     Alex shrugged. "The usual. My father ranted about how he shouldn't have to deal with a gender fluid kid and my step-mom complained about having to live with me."

    Alex paused. "I think she doesn't like how I'm a reminder that my father cheated on her. Plus, she's been trying to get pregnant for years with no success. She's tried IVF and essential oils and everything."

     Halfborn snorted. "I'd like to make some fan fiction about your parents a Jurassic Park setting."

    "Please don't," Alex said. "They don't deserve that recognition."

    A bell rang. Alex cursed. "Well, I'd better get to class."

"See you in Ceramics," I called as he walked away.

He looked over his shoulder and smiled at me. "See you too, Magnus."

I blinked and if it wasn't for Halfborn tapping me on the shoulder and reminding me we had to go to AP English, I would've been late for my class.

***

"Today," Odin said. "I am assigning you guys your persuasive essays. They will be due before Thanksgiving Break, but there will be deadlines on the way."

He passed out a sheet explaining the assignment and how it would be graded. "The first deadline is this Friday," Odin said. "You'll need to submit your topic and a potential thesis along with five potential sources. These may change, but come up with the best one that you can for now."

     Sam raised her hand and Odin called on her. "Does the essay have to do with the texts we've been reading?"

    Odin shook his head. "You guys will be assigned close-readings next semester. For this essay, you can choose a topic on one of the texts or come up with your own. It has to be approved, however."

   Sam nodded in satisfaction, but my mind was reeling. The possibilities for the essay were endless, which made it hard to think of any. "I'm giving you guys thirty minutes to brainstorm," Odin said, "before we move on to discussing our next book of the semester: Chronicle of a Death Foretold."

    I got out my Chromebook and decided to make a Google Docs of essay topic ideas. The only topic I could think of was why blue is the worst color. I tried to think of something else, but I was pretty stumped, so I looked up essay topics on Google. Unfortunately, the ideas were worse than mine, so I decided to ask my friends what they were doing.

     Sam wanted to write an essay on the importance of planes. "Just imagine," she said. "A world without them."

      "That would be very 19th century," I said.

     She nodded. "Exactly."

     "I think mine is going to be about changing the 13th amendment to made penal labor unconstitutional," TJ said. "Either that or something about the Civil War."

    "I'm doing mine about the interaction between Norsemen and Gaelic tribes," Halfborn said proudly.

      Mallory grinned at him. "And I'm doing mine about how Northern Ireland deserves its independence from Britain."

      I wished Alex was in my class, but he wasn't. He's probably have something brilliant to write. I still couldn't think of anything. "Write about something you're passionate about," Sam advised.

    Well, I didn't think my dislike of the color blue counted as a passion, so I scratched that off the list. My document was blank. I tried to think of something — anything, but Odin announced it was time to introduce our newest book, forcing me to reluctantly close my tab and stow my Chromebook away.

***

We were working on our second coil pot in Ceramics. Halfborn decided to make his in the style of a Viking longship and we chatted as we worked. Across the room, Alex was rapt in making his own bowl. Mine was a simple design, but this time I was planning on adding handles. "You know," Halfborn said. "These pots will be safe to eat on once they're glazed and fired. They'd make good Christmas presents."

I nodded. I didn't think my pots were good enough for Alex, but perhaps my mother and father would appreciate them. As I worked and enjoyed Halfborn's chatter, I realized something I was passionate about. My hands stopped moving as my mind flew with possibilities. "Magnus," Halfborn said. "Are you okay?"

I looked up at him and nodded. "I have an essay topic now."

"Cool," He said. "What is it?"

"Bullying," I answered.