Valhalla High (A Magnus Chase Fanfic)

Preparing for our Futures

March 25

     Within a week, I wondered how I ever survived without Alex. My mother and I went to Target with her to pick up her favorite toiletries and we also bought some clothes there. We visited a few thrift stores and bought a new laptop charger since Alex had forgotten to pack hers in the rush.

       My mother and Alex got along well. When my mother picked me up after school, she asked both of us how our days went. When my mother prepared dinner, we all helped (if we weren't too busy with homework). Slicing bananas and peeling potatoes was a lot more fun with Alex.

      Towards the ends of March, Alex found out the news (via email since she wasn't getting mail from her previous address) that she'd been accepted into Asgard University. I high-fived her and my mother celebrated by ordering Fadlan's Falafels. "Alex, thank you for getting into AU," I said, "because this falafel in perfectly seasoned."

    Alex rolled her eyes. "You're not excited about us going to the same university?"

     "That's a bonus," I said.

    My mother and Alex exchanged looks like: why do we have to deal with this. "Hangry Magnus can get tunnel-vision," my mother said.

      "I'm not hangry," I replied.

      The corners of my mother's lips twitched. "Is that why you told me to turn off Peanut Butter Jelly Time in the car?"

     "And why you wrote an ode to falafel in your essay on the nitrogen cycle?" Alex added.

    "I was hungry!" I protested. "Not hangry. There's a difference."

   They both exchanged smirks. I decided to take the high road and savor another bite of falafel. The following day, Monday the 25, all of us seniors were invited to the gym for a full-day workshop on life after high school. I think it was called "Building Our Futures" or something corny like that.

    The workshop began (naturally) with a sixty-minute presentation by Odin. I knew from previous assemblies that he liked to drone on and I spent most of the time watching Alex draw tattoos on her arms with permanent sharpies. All I really gleaned from Odin's presentation was that he liked saying the phrases "promising futures" and "next generations of leaders, businessmen, and teachers."

        After Odin's PowerPoint presentation was finished, we were forced to endure another motivational speaker: Coach Thor. "Now I know many of you are now deciding what you're going to do with your lives," he began. "I'm here to tell you that the smartest thing is to get more schooling."

   Someone behind me whispered about crushing student debt and their neighbor nodded in agreement. "My mother is still paying off her loans from twenty-two years ago."

     "So I decided we'd play a game to demonstrate the utility of a college education," Coach Thor said. "I need ten volunteers."

     People raised their hands — some nervously, others half-heartedly, and some excitedly. I saw one girl waving her hand vigorously, as if she was afraid Coach Thor would overlook her; she need not worry because only eight people had actually put their hands up. "Alright, I still need two more volunteers," Coach Thor said.

    No one moved. "How about Magnus Chase and Samirah al-Abbas?" he said.

     "How about no," I muttered.

      "Come down Magnus," Coach Thor said in his booming voice. "I too am excited about this prospect."

   Alex gave me a half-mischievous, half-pitying look as I filed past her. Sam who was already by Coach Thor gave me an affronted look that clearly conveyed that I needed to get a move on. I did so reluctantly. I wasn't sure what game Coach Thor was going to have us do, but I didn't fancy making a fool of myself in front of the entire class.

When I got to the gym floor, Coach Thor divided us in two separate teams of five. Unfortunately, Sam was on the other team, which probably meant she'd best me. At least I wouldn't disappoint her as a teammate. "These two groups are going to have a relay race," Coach Thor said. "They will simply have to run from one end of the gym to the other and clap their next teammate until they are all finished. Whichever team wins will get signed Valhalla High football jerseys courtesy of me."

I sighed in relief. It was just a running race; I hoped my asthma wouldn't act up. "To demonstrate how much more difficult it is to find a good-paying job with benefits when you only have a high school education, this team" — he pointed to my side — "will be racing with their legs tied together."

I groaned, as did my teammates, but some of the people in the stands snickered. I was going to totally make a fool of myself, I thought ruefully as I tied my legs together using the sash Coach Thor had given me.

The race wasn't even a race. Sam and I went first. While she ran forward easily, I hopped along like a dazed kangaroo. Sam finished her lap by the time I made it to the other side of the gym. A stitch formed in my chest as I headed back to my teammates, their faces clearly open with disappointment even from a distance.

The best that can be said of the race was that I didn't have an asthma attack (my inhaler was in my backpack in the stands so that would've been a problem). After Coach Thor congratulated Sam's team (and gave them the signed jerseys), we were allowed to sit down. Alex greeted me with a sardonic smile. "Well, if nothing unless convinced me to go to college it was that."

I raised an eyebrow and she patted me on the back. "You did well."

"I feel like my lungs got run over by a monster truck," I said between gasps.

Alex rubbed me on the back. "Catch your breath."

I did so. "Now be ready," Alex said.

"For what?" I asked.

"Lunch break," she replied.

I'd never been happier to hear the lunch bell ring.