Valhalla High (A Magnus Chase Fanfic)

Strutting Like a Prince

You know that feeling when someone has completely humiliated you, but then you strut into your next class like a prince? Okay, I did not strut. It was more like a frantic jog from my gym class to Odin's classroom, but at least my clothes were comfortable.

Oh yes, my clothes. Well, it was a hodgepodge really. Alex gave me a pair of pink sweatpants, TJ had given me a t-shirt for some summer camp he had been apart of, and Halfborn had given me a ridiculously large jean jacket that I kindly handed back to him.

I made it to AP History ten minutes late (it had taken me some time to change and put my ruined clothes in a plastic baggy that I put in my school locker. The door was closed, so I knocked on it. To my surprise and trepidation, Odin was the one who swung the door open. "Magnus Chase," he said.

Alarm bells rang in my head. It was never a good thing when teachers addressed you by your full name. I quickly thrust forward the green hall pass Coach Thor had given me. Odin studied it and finally nodded. "Come on in. I'll change your attendance from absent to present."

I gratefully entered the classroom and sat down. A few people snickered, but my friends quieted them with glares as I settled among them and took out my history binder. "I'll give you the notes you missed later," Sam promised.

I threw her a grateful look and took out a pencil and a sheet of paper to take notes. Odin was talking now about the consequences of slavery in the New World. Odin was a good lecturer because he was passionate about teaching and learning knowledge. He kept things engaging by including pictures in his PowerPoints and reading out loud primary sources. Plus, he posted the PowerPoint slides on Canvas after class, so we could go back and study them if we chose.

     After the lecture, Odin told us he was assigning an essay due before winter break. "I want you to use at least three primary sources and two secondary ones," he said. "Choose a topic we've covered that interests you. The paper will be 3-4 pages, double-spaced, twelve-point font, and normal margins."

The bell rang and I set off for AP Calculus. It was a hard class, but it was better to be challenged by the material than the teacher. After another hard lesson and (surprise, surprise) another announcement of a final before winter break, the bell for lunch finally rung. "Gosh, it's Taco Tuesday!" Halfborn said. "I'm gonna run ahead. Can you guys save me a seat?"

He charged off before we could say yes. I went to the bathroom and then my locker to retrieve my packed lunch. When I entered the cafeteria, I looked around for my friends and felt a brief moment of panic when I couldn't see them. "Hey Mangus!" Utgard-Loki shouted. "Nice sweatpants you got there. You're really lowering the bar for Valhalla High student fashion."

"That's your idea of an insult?" Alex said, walking forward so she stood beside me. "I think Magnus looks cute in those sweatpants."

I blushed. I thought they looked better on her. "Also," Alex said. "You shouldn't make fun of someone for the clothes they wear."

     "But he's wearing pink!" someone said. "That's a girls' color. He should be wearing blue."

     I shook my head. "I'd rather wear pink than blue."

     There were several shocked gasps. I feared my declaration was going to send several of them into cardiac arrest. Utgard-Loki regained composure. "Do you like pink? What else do you like? Barbie dolls? Glitter? Princesses? Or should I say princes?"

      I froze and it was like I was at two places at once. I could hear Utgard-Loki continue to mock me, saying I was a sissy and effeminate and whatever else. Another part of my brain was busy replaying past events that were like this. I remembered the taunts, the way boys avoided being in the same group with me because they were afraid I'd hit on them. There were words that my mind replayed that Alex would never say. My neurons were firing off words rooted in hatred as I heard more of them repeated in real-time.

    I don't know who threw the first punch. I only know that was what freed me from the bind of my memory. My perception changed and suddenly I was fully back in the present. Alex was trading blows with Utgard-Loki. Halfborn was holding a guy in headlock (his tacos forgotten). Mallory was using one of the plastic knives from the cafeteria and wielding it at two of Utgard-Loki's posse. Sam was using a textbook to fend off a broad-shouldered jock. TJ and Jack were engaged in skirmishes.

    I wasn't sure who to help first. Hearthstone and Blitzen came charging in, carrying a parking sign (was that real and if so how did they get it?) and a set of fake bow and arrows. Hearthstone fired one of the them at Utgard-Loki. It landed on his forehead, but because it was only plastic and the "arrowhead" was basically a rubber ball, he was pretty nonplussed.

I used that moment to run forward. "Don't hurt my friends!" I shouted, swinging my lunch bag as I charged towards Utgard-Loki.

I never made it to him. In mid charge, I slipped over a puddle of someone's spilled Gatorade. I tried to stop myself, but I ended up landing face-first in the blue liquid. I spat it out and looked up to feel gazes boring down on me and the laughter — it was horrendous.

I got to my feet as Coach Thor muddled his way towards us. "You all," he said, jerking his head. "You're going to the principal's office."

"But Magnus started the fight!" Utgard-Loki said.

"Utgard-Loki was teasing Magnus!" Alex shot back.

Coach Thor gave them both his grimmest expression. "All of you. To the principal's office. Now."

There wasn't another murmur as he led us there.