American Royalty II

Part 8: I forgot just how much I hate school

Thalia stared at Professor Slughorn, feeling the all-too-familiar itch in her fingertips. The old professor was rambling on about some obscure potion ingredient, his voice a monotonous drone that seemed to sap the energy out of the room. Thalia's mind wandered, and she found herself seriously considering the merits of a small, harmless shock to liven things up.

"Thalia, no," Annabeth's voice cut through her thoughts, her tone half-amused, half-serious. Thalia shot her a look, her lips twitching in a mischievous smile.

"I wasn't going to do anything," Thalia whispered back, though her fingers twitched as if itching to summon a small bolt of lightning.

Annabeth rolled her eyes but didn't press the issue. She knew Thalia well enough to recognize when her friend was just blowing off steam. The demigods were all struggling with the mundane reality of school life, and Thalia's natural inclination towards action made sitting through these tedious classes even more unbearable.

Across the room, Leo caught Thalia's eye and mimed an exaggerated yawn, causing her to stifle a laugh. Slughorn glanced up, his eyes narrowing slightly, but he didn't say anything. Thalia quickly composed herself, focusing on the parchment in front of her and pretending to take notes.

She glanced around the classroom, noticing the different ways her friends were coping. Percy was doodling little waves on the edge of his parchment, while Piper was meticulously organizing her notes, her brow furrowed in concentration. Frank looked like he was about to fall asleep, his head nodding slightly with each passing minute.

Thalia's thoughts drifted to the prophecy, the weight of its words pressing down on her. They were caught in another impossible situation, expected to save the world yet again. The constant pressure, the endless cycle of danger and responsibility—it was enough to drive anyone crazy.

After what felt like an eternity, the class finally ended. Thalia practically leaped out of her seat, eager to escape the confines of the dungeon classroom. She quickly gathered her things and followed the others out into the corridor.

"I thought that would never end," she muttered to no one in particular.

"Tell me about it," Percy said, catching up to her. "I was about ready to summon a tidal wave just to see if I could wake myself up."

"Would've been more interesting than that lecture," Leo quipped, joining them. "I think Slughorn might actually be part troll. He's got that whole putting people to sleep thing down to an art."

Annabeth sighed, though she couldn't hide her smile. "Come on, guys. Let's just get to our next class. The sooner we get through the day, the sooner we can figure out what to do about the prophecy."

Thalia nodded, but her mind was still buzzing with the need for action. As they made their way through the castle, she couldn't help but feel a pang of envy for the other students. They were blissfully unaware of the looming threat, free to worry about homework and Quidditch matches instead of ancient prophecies and deadly enemies.

They reached the Transfiguration classroom, and Thalia slid into a seat next to Annabeth. Professor McGonagall was a far cry from Slughorn, and Thalia found herself actually looking forward to the lesson. At least Transfiguration required some level of skill and focus—something to keep her mind occupied.