The Experiment

Chapter 6

Kacey and Cole joined our group. We walked along in silence for a few minutes.

"How long have you guys been alone?" I asked. Cole fell back next to me, leaving Kacey in the front with River.

   "About a week," he answered, "You guys?"

   "Two days? Yeah, I think that's it. It seems like a lifetime, though."

"I know. This is all so much," Cole agreed.

"Totally. So much to handle," I said.

"So, what's your story?" The cute boy asked.

"My story?" I questioned, unsure of what he meant.

"You know, how did all this happen?"

"Oh, um, River went to school with me. He had just transferred this year, but so had I. We were best friends. A lot of weird things kept happening. Finally I told him about them. He went into the bathroom and was talking to someone or something. Then a fury crashed through my window. We ran, got on a bus, the works. We spent the night in a hotel, then a Hell hound crashed through the door, see a pattern? Anyways, we got away, and now we're here."

   "Wow. River, why were you talking in the bathroom?" Cole asked.

    "I was Iris-messaging Chiron," River said sheepishly.

    "Iris-messaging?" I asked. I didn't know what that was.

    "Yeah. The goddess Iris. You just make a rainbow, pay her, and ask for her to show you someone," River explained.

   "Like a magic mirror! Mirror, mirror on the wall, show me who's the fairest of them all, kind of thing," Kacey said, enhancing the mirror part in a creepy evil queen voice.

   We all laughed. I already loved Kacey, she was awesome.

  "What kind of weird stuff happened?" Cole asked, referring to the beginning of my tale.

    "I struck the school with lightning, breathed underwater, and regrew dead flowers."

   "And you still didn't know you're a demigod?" Cole asked.

  "Nope. I just thought I was going crazy. Now, enough about me, tell me your story."

   "Okay. So, I have dyslexia and ADHD. Always have, but didn't for a long time know that those were signs of being a demigod. Finally, my satyr, Leif, approached me. He told me I was in danger, apparently there were monsters stalking me, and I didn't even notice. Leif kept blabbering about how my scent was getting too strong, but at the time I thought he just meant that I needed to shower or wear more deodorant. But, now. Anyways, Leif told me all about the demigod crap. He made me believe him. That night, I went home and told my mom. She flipped out and tried to take me to a mental hospital. I ran away and met Leif. We went on the run, but we got attacked by a giant monster. It was like a mechanical bull thing, I don't know, Leif died before he could tell me what is was. He died so I could get away. I slept under trees and in dark alleys. Leif told me the general direction of the camp, so I've been heading there. Kacey, your turn."

   "Okay. Let's see. I didn't have a didn't have a guardian, seeker, satyr thing. I always knew I was different. When I tried to tell my dad, he kicked me out. He never was a big fan of me. I lived on the streets for a week, then Cole found me. We got attacked by our first monster together the next day. We turned out to be a pretty good fighting team, if I do say so myself. We kicked that monster's butt. That's about it," Kacey said.

    "Did you know you were a demigod?" I asked.

    "Not really. I knew that I was really different. Like something was off. I could sense that I wasn't quite normal, almost not quite human, you know?"

   I nodded, because I did know how it felt. That year in my life had been so confusing, with so much twists and turns I could never expect.

    "How did Cole find you?" River asked.

    "I was hiding in a grocery store. I would sneak in through the window at night and sleep there, then take some food and leave before it opened. One day, as I was climbing out of the window, Cole was walking underneath it. I landed right in front of him," Kacey explained.

   "She looked so small and scared, so I decided to take her under my wing," Cole added.

   Kacey rolled her eyes. "I was perfectly fine by myself. You, on the other hand, looked like you could pee yourself. You were so scared."

   "You startled me!" Cole defended.

    "Mhm, sure. Whatever you say."

   We all laughed at the two's argument. A fifteen year old fighting with an eight year old was quite a sight.

   Cole glared at Kacey. "Oh, I'm embarrassing him, and in front of a pretty girl too!" She joked.

   My cheeks flushed as Cole glanced up at me, clearly embarrassed. I was embarrassed too, I didn't get compliments often, so I didn't know how to accept one.

    Cole rolled his eyes and walked faster, so he was leading us, while we could no longer see his face. Kacey fell in step with me.

   "You know I wasn't kidding about the pretty girl part. You really are pretty, and Cole knows it," she whispered, like the cute psychic she was.

   "Thanks, Kacey," I said, my cheeks on fire. They burned red like I had laid in the sun without sunscreen for weeks on end. Cheeks shouldn't be allowed to get that red.

    We walked along for a little more, then we stopped to rest. We got some food, using the last of our money. Looked like we wouldn't be getting a taxi.

    We sat underneath a tree. Cole took off his sweatshirt and gave it to Kacey, without having to be even asked. Like they did this all the time.

   Kacey folded it up and used it as a pillow, as she laid next to him on the ground, her back pressed against his outstretched legs.

   Cole leaned on the tree, a soft smile on his face. He rubbed Kacey's back a little, like she was his sister. I could already tell that the short time they had been together, they had grown extremely close.

   Even though it was broad daylight, in the middle of the day, Kacey quickly drifted off to sleep.