Hercules and the Modern Girl

Episode 1: First Day of School

Episode 1: The First Day of School - Part 1

Nattie and Cassandra woke up to the smell of breakfast, the sound of Nick's singing voice, and the rooster crow. Much to Nattie's dismay, she was still trapped in the past and must endure another educational year in another school. To think that her subconsciousness would allow her to sleep in a little longer or, better yet, enjoy a nice, long summer break she was supposed to have in the first place.

The grouchy girls dressed up in their chitons - Cassandra in her navy blue, while Nattie wore the outfit she picked from the five-finger discount. Luckily, Evelyn washed their clothes the night before without question. Nattie wished she had provided Evelyn her bra and underwear to wash, for it might be the only pair she could wear in ancient Greece. The only thing close to panties was a man's loincloth.

The girls shared the makeup kit from Cassandra's drawer. Cassandra applied her usual dark lipstick, while Nattie took advantage of the unused products - mascara, natural color eyeshadow, small wing eyeliner, bronzer, and tried the rose-colored lip gloss. Nattie looped her new leather purse with the instructions and supplies stuffed inside.

The parents encouraged their little casserole to pay attention, make more new friends, don't talk to strangers - all cramped in one lecture. Cassandra didn't utter a word as she slowly bit into her eggs. Meanwhile, Nattie nodded her head, acting as if she was listening. Nattie would be lying if she said that she wasn't nervous. She was attending the most prestigious school in Greece, after all.

Instead of taking the boat ride to school, Cassandra drove the chariot. Nattie envied her friend for being a licensed driver, while the Modern Girl had yet to receive a lesson. During the trip, Nattie had to take the reigns when Cassandra's eyes swirled a vision - something about a boat sinking. Nattie didn't exactly catch what her friend said because she was frantically steering the horse back on track, dodging pedestrians and an olive cart.

"Crazy kids!" a man blew his horn, waving an angry fist at them. "Watch where you're going!" If this weren't a Disney movie, road rage would've escalated far worse than that. Nattie recalled the days when Mom had lifted the finger and blown the car horn at those reckless drivers and slow pokes.

"Please don't tell me that you have visions while driving?" Nattie tried to catch her breath when Cassandra resumed her duty behind the reigns.

"Okay, I won't," Cassandra grumbled.

Nattie pressed her lips together, and her eyes squeezed shut. She believed the boat sink could be better than getting into a chariot accident.

~000~000~000~

Cassandra dropped Nattie off to the front, explaining that she needed to park the horse in the stables. She promised they'll meet at homeroomium if they had the same teacher. Nattie told her the name, which earned a cringed look from her friend, indicating that Nattie would meet Cassandra later.

"Ah, you must be one of our new students. Nattie, right?" a voice said from behind, which belonged to an easily remembered name - Parentheses.

"Yeah, that's me," Nattie turned around to see the man with a narrow stance with a small stone as a canvas. He had a chisel in his hand, writing or drawing something, too quick to see what he was doing.

"Just a reminder, I am Parentheses, your guidance counselor," he stopped drawing, handing the stone to Nattie. "Here's your student I.D. It signifies that you are a student in the Prometheus Academy, the most prestigious school in Greece." Then he mumbled the next set of words fast, "It cost ten drachmas if misplaced, lost, or stolen."