Valhalla High (A Magnus Chase Fanfic)

Somewhere I Belong

November 28

"We're starting an aerobics unit today," Coach Thor announced.

"What?" some guy shouted. "Aerobics is for girls!"

Some other guys cheered in response. I rolled my eyes. "If you're so insecure," Alex retorted, "then go ahead and fail the class."

There were a few snickers at this. I raised my hand and Coach Thor called on me. "Are we bring grades on participation or ability?"

"Participation," Coach Thor answered, "and instead of a test, the unit will end with a group project. You'll be choreographing a short dance number."

Halfborn raised his hand. "Can we choose the music?"

Coach Thor smiled. "Yes, but no bad words or slurs. You kids can listen to whatever you want in private, but it needs to be clean here."

There were a few more grumbles, but we then moved onto our stretching. Then, Coach Thor said we could switch spots if we wanted to and that we'd begin the aerobics class in five minutes. I moved so that I was close to my friends.

The class today was ballet inspired and several people grumbled about it until Halfborn pointed out that ballet started out as court entertainment and that many kings themselves had partaken in it. The ballet lesson was hard because there were so many names to remember for different moves and positions.

    When we finished, I was glad to change out and go to my next class. The class had been interesting, but gym wasn't really my thing anyway. In AP World History, Odin was teaching us about the Triangular Trade and The Middle Passage. He lectured for the first twenty minutes or so of class and then showed us a documentary detailing the horrors of The Middle Passage. Odin assigned us a two-page response paper due by next class about the video.

    After the bell rang, I went to my Calculus class. By this time, derivatives were easy and I found myself nostalgic for the first unit (which is always a bad sign). Like usual, we were given homework and I was glad when the bell for lunch finally rung. I found a table in the cafeteria and plopped myself down into a chair. My friends soon joined.

Halfborn was eating a school lunch (it was Taco Tuesday after all) and he sighed gloomily in between bites. "What's wrong?" I asked. "You're sighing more than Victor Frankenstein."

Halfborn sighed. "We have so much homework. Calculus, this response paper, ugh. I haven't even finished the readings for English and my mother is expecting me to clean up the house today."

"Why don't you listen to an audiobook version of the assigned reading?" I suggested.

Halfborn brightened up. "You're a lifesaver, Magnus."

    I grinned. "Just you wait until I become a nurse."

     Alex threw a goldfish and caught it in his mouth. "You're finally showing your soft side."

     "Me, soft?" I asked him, bewildered. "You should see the faces on my former teachers and principals if they saw you saying that. I was a problem child."

    Alex rolled his eyes. "You act tough, but you're a huge softie. Besides, problem children usually just need some intervention. It means you're hurting — not that you're going to found the next dictator state."

   Halfborn snorted and Mallory started laughing. The laughter was contagious. Soon the whole table was lost to its power — everyone except me. Even Hearthstone was signing to express his humor. I poked Jack, who was sitting beside me, in the side. "What's so funny?" I asked.

     He tried to answer, but another fit of giggles overtook him. Hearthstone saw my bewildered expression and signed, "The idea of you as a dictator."

      Blitzen nodded in agreement and tried to still his laughter, but it was another few minutes until the table calmed down. "I diagnose you all with some laughter disorder," I declared.

    That set them off again, but luckily not for as long. I was feeling hurt and dismayed at this point. My friends had all laughed at me. Did that mean they thought I wasn't cool? If so, they weren't wrong.

    I excused myself to use the restroom, but I took my backpack with me so I wouldn't have to return. I felt like the only one in the group who wasn't in on it. Did they really want me to be their friend or were they keeping me around as a kind of stooge? I wasn't even that funny so maybe they were keeping me around because I was lame? That way, they'd never have to feel low on swagness when they could just compare themself to Magnus.

    The thought made me feel horrible as I slipped into the boys' restroom. I went into a stall, closed it, and put my backpack up on the hook attached to the door. Miserable thoughts crowded my head. I had finally thought that I was started to fit in. For the first time in years, I thought I belonged somewhere. Boy was I wrong.

I started to cry. The tears started slow at first and then picked up. Before I knew it, I was sobbing. I became so lost in my own thoughts that I didn't notice the knocking on my door at first. "Magnus, do you want to talk?"

It was Alex's voice, but why would Alex be speaking to me? Did he want to say something else — another joke at my expense? The knocking was louder — more insistent now. "Magnus, I know it's you," Alex said. "I can tell by your sneakers. What's wrong? You haven't been answering any of our texts?"

Texts? What texts? I checked my phone and saw a bunch of unread texts. They were from everyone at the table and they sounded concerned. I put away my phone and slowly opened the stall. Alex's two-toned eyes landed on my tear-stained face. "You've been crying," he said, blinking in concern. "I didn't mean to hurt you Magnus, honestly. We were just laughing because none of us could ever imagine you as a dictator. You're the antithesis of one."

I hiccuped. "What a compliment."

Alex stepped closer to me, his eyes earnest. "I'm really sorry. I never wanted to hurt you."

Strangely, I believed him. I believed that none of them wanted to hurt me and it scared me because I knew I was choosing to be vulnerable. I nodded. "I'm sorry for overreacting."

"You're not overreacting," Alex said softly. "You just saw what you feared."

Our gazes met and it seemed like we were twin planets rotating around each other. Gravity pulled me in and out lips brushed. It was slow and soft and when it was over, I was still blinking tears away. Alex used the sleeve of his long-sleeved green shirt to brush them from my face. "Thank you," I said, unsure of what else to say.

Alex appraised me. "They say kissing is good for your health. Now come on, you still got class to go to."

I nodded, grabbed my backpack, and followed him as he led me to Learning Lab.