Olympus Drive Book 1: Everything is Fine

Chapter 17

Della—Famine

The school day has gone okay so far. At least it's mostly over. The classes are long and after home school I'm not used to how much time is wasted. Most of the teachers are nice, though. We went around and met all of them in advance and my mother and Detective Stamos explained my 'situation' so now the teachers are extra nice and try to stop people from bullying me. Which amounts to stopping them from talking to me. Which is fine I'm not used to talking to anyone but my siblings.

My last class is art, for two hours, which is actually very relaxing because the teacher plays music and lets us all be quiet and just draw and stuff or watch videos. It's fun enough. Also HotEthan® is in that class, and he usually sits next to me and he'll let me borrow his headphones to listen to music. I'm currently journaling reasons he's a bad idea, I'm up to forty-seven.

"So you ready for this?" oh fuck there he is.

"I guess, last class of the day," I say, shrugging. He goes out of his way to be nice and talk to me. Luke has suggested he might be a serial killer. It's been a month and he hasn't tried to kill so I think this is just who he is.

"Better than biology, I'm not getting an A tomorrow I know it," he says, shaking his head. He's got lovely grey green eyes and hair that's short on the sides and longer on top. And his face is all smooth and dumb and pretty and dumb. But there forty-seven reasons why this is a bad idea.

"Do you want to study tonight?" maybe our dad was right maybe all six of us are equally stupid. Helen and I maintained we were smarter than the boys. That is not true apparently I'm doing this.

"Um---sure, if you wanted to---I don't know what my family is doing tonight—"

"You can come to my house my mom has said about fifty times in the last week I can invite friends over if I want. I have the same test, it would make sense to study together," Basil has the same test too. Basil is an idiot. Also I don't want to think about him or he'll magically appear like he does offering me a hot-cheeto swearing on Hector's non-existent soul it's regular.

"Really? Cool um---that would be great," he says, grinning awkwardly, then he looks over my shoulder, "Did you draw those?"

"Oh—yeah," they're just sketches of my flowers that I taped inside my locker. I drew obscene things and taped that inside Basil's locker. I'm mean. He deserves it.

"Those are really cool---is that what you want to do? Art?" he says having no idea I have way more detailed sketches of his stupid sweet face in three notebooks.

"No—I mean I don't know," I shrug. Getting through my crush on you is the first thing I want to do. Then get through the school year. Then probably die.

"Well that's neat. I am not talented like that---"

"Okay I need you to tell me how your teacher thinks World History went because as I understand it how my teacher thinks it went is not at all how it went???" Basil, vaguely towering over us both, in a black trench coat and dark grey sweater, hands in front of his face pressed together, paying little attention to Ethan and just leaning over me.

"Go away, talking to someone," I say, putting my hand on his face and physically pushing him away.

"Oh—hi," Ethan, trying to be polite.

"This is my brother don't engage him," I say, still pushing Basil away, "Talk to you later, Baz."

"Oh, right," Basil says, smiling knowingly, he does turn to go, but grabs Ethan's shoulder, squeezing it uncomfortably I'm sure, "You're not going to like me."

For that comment I roundhouse kick Basil in the ass, which nearly does knock him over, satisfyingly enough. Ethan just watches the exchange in surprise. I don't think he has siblings.