Immortals (ON HOLD)

Chapter 35

Ariel

My eyes flew open at the sound of my alarm. My first instinct was to smash it to pieces, but I heaved a few deep breaths, pulling myself together. After I calmed my racing adrenaline, I got up and hit the OFF button, groaning as I did so. Sleep was not kind to me last night. I don’t remember tossing and turning much, but my slumber was just uncomfortable. I thought about tonight’s dinner almost the whole time. They’re going to find out we’re not actually together. They’re going to ask us about how we met, and what we like to do together, and all kinds of other sappy bullshit! Why did I agree to be a Guardian?! This isn’t what I signed up for!! I was told I’d be slaying monsters! Not having an awkward dinner with my parents!! I don’t think the voice in my head stopped to breathe the entire night. I imagined my hair looked like I had just been in a fight with a bear, and I sighed as I picked out my outfit. I threw on a flowing black t-shirt, sluggishly fighting my way into dark denim skinny jeans. I slipped into a pair of Sketchers, and I was thankful that they didn’t have laces. Honestly, I was pretty exhausted, so I just threw on some mascara and lip gloss, pulling my hair into a loose sideways ponytail like I did for bed every night. I brushed my teeth, grabbed my things and left, yawning as I made my way to school. I wasn’t in the mood to text anyone, so I didn’t even bother looking at my phone. I took a few sips of my elixir, which did slightly revive me- at least now I could keep my eyes open.

Today, I was actually reminded of what it felt like to be human. My movements and reflexes were a little sloppy, I felt fatigued, and I didn’t look as good as usual. I felt pretty average, and I had to admit…it wasn’t all I thought it was. Dexter and Emma met me in homeroom, asking me if everything was okay; I guess I looked pretty crappy. “Yeah I’m just tired,” I murmured, smiling weakly. Emma frowned, looking me over again. “Are you getting sick?” She asked, which actually intrigued me. Could Immortals get sick?? I shook the thought, meeting their gazes. “No, I just slept horrible,” I admitted, sitting up straight. Dexter looked thoughtful, but stayed relatively quiet. Out of nowhere, Emma suddenly squealed in excitement, causing me and Dexter to cover our ears. “OMIGAWWWWWWWD!!! YOU’RE HAVING DINNER WITH DIMITRI TONIGHT!!!!!”  I was now completely alert for two reasons. For one, my eardrums were ringing, and two- half of the school knew what my plans were for the evening. I gritted my teeth, narrowing my eyes to Emma. She smiled sheepishly, though she couldn’t help but to fidget in her seat. “Thanks for letting the entire school know,” I growled, rolling my eyes. She sucked her teeth, shaking her head. “Don’t get snippy, Ari. You have to be polite and lady-like for Dimitri!!” My face now bright red, I balled my hands into fists, watching the two of them giggle like little girls. “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” I muttered, the 2 minute bell ringing immediately after. They stood in awe for a moment, admiring my impeccable timing. I flicked my eyes toward the door, and they scampered to their homerooms, waving to me before they left.

I let my head hit my desk, sighing. The late bell rang a few moments later, and the morning announcements began, my homeroom now full of other students. I saw Remi run past my homeroom, and he briefly stopped to look me over and give me a playful wink before dashing off to his homeroom. I shook my head, figuring he’d be in detention today for being late. I was on my way to art when I snapped back into reality, and I was hoping we could just have another day to draw or paint whatever we wanted. Of course, we were starting a new project, and I took a quick sip of my elixir before listening to directions. We were asked to pick an abstract theme and create a collage. We were allowed to gather magazine clippings, personal pictures, and images from the internet to complete the assignment. There were probably other rules involved, but I tuned out after that. Mr. Moore set out a pile of magazines so we could at least get started, and I sighed, not feeling very artistic. Dexter stood up and grabbed a few magazines, bringing them back to his desk. “You have any ideas?” He asked, handing me one. I thanked him with a dip of my head, opening the cover page slowly. “Not at all. Maybe tomorrow I’ll be feeling more creative.” He smiled, getting himself “in the zone”. By now, he had blocked out all noise, and was sizing up his blank piece of construction paper, imagining what his finished product would look like. He scanned his magazines intently, looking for pictures that pertained to his theme, whatever it was. I frowned as I lazily flipped the pages of my catalog, managing to rip out a few small pictures that interested me. Dexter was off to a pretty good start by the time class was over, and we walked to the locker rooms slowly. “You sure you’re okay?” He asked, placing his hand on my shoulder. I had sensed the gesture before it happened, but I didn’t flinch or move out of the way.