When Dating a God

The God of War

The cafeteria filled with the laughing and screaming of students as Alex and Ada piled into a table to chill before their next class started. Alex scanned the room, studying the cliques and clubs, each packed neatly into their own spots. Some boys were throwing food at each other while their friends tried to convince a teacher to rap for them. Some freshman huddled, in the corner, whispering about which boys they liked and who would be the next person some popular kid would start dating. Even the thespians had a table all to themselves. Singing show tunes and quoting their favorite plays. Alex had never really fit in like those people did. She only sat where Ada sat and hoped that she was worth including in time conversation. Some days, she would sit with Eliot and they would read or write together but he normally sat in the library at lunch.

Alex pulled out her book and began scanning the pages. Gobbling down ever syllable like it was the only food she would ever need. Trying her hardest to forget that she was in a smelly school cafeteria with walls that echoed all the glorious hate that students spouted about one another.

"Come on, put your book away and pay attention!" Ada said disapprovingly, "we've talked about this before, you look like a nerd, they're a bunch of people at the table to talk to. So talk to them!"

Alex begrudgingly book her book down and studied each student at their table. No one was close enough to talk to without shouting, and even if she wanted to talk to them, they most likely wouldn't want to talk to her.

"You look a little stressed," a voice said from beside her, "It's lunch, the time to relax." Alex turned to see Ares , one of the more popular guys in the school, taking a seat next to her. A moment later a posse of football players came waddling over to take a seat next to him. Her confusion must have read on her face because he laughed. "Why do you look so shocked? I know I'm pretty but geez, chill."

"No, no, it's not that. It's just, you don't usually sit over here." This was accurate, they didn't ever sit by her, most likely because she is a looser, and no one would dare be seen with her. "Can I help you with something?"

"No, just looking for so new company, the soccer girls were getting on my nerve." He flashed a sparkling grin, "I doesn't to bother you if I sit here, does it?"

"No, no, you're fine, you can sit where you want. That's part of the joy of the cafeteria."

"OMG Ares, it's so good to see you!" Ada squealed, finally realizing that the person who had just sat down was far more interesting then whom ever she was talking to before. "How long have you been here?"

"I just sat down, I was talking to Alex."

Ada eyed me and grinned, "Good, she needs someone to talk to." The two of them bantered back and forth all through lunch. Alex slowly reopened her book and went back to reading. Ignoring the talk of popularity and who's dating who. She didn't care about that. All that mattered to her were the characters.

"You're so innocent, it's adorable." Ada crooned. "He is totally into you, why can't you see that?" If Alex was going to be honest with herself, she could see it, she just didn't really care. Ares was know around school, he had a reputation, and not one Alex was ready to become part of. "Don't give me that face. You two would be so cute together!" Ada giggled as Alex rolled her eyes, "It would be like one of your stupid fairy tales. You could finally make him see that it's about more then just a face. You could be the one he has been looking for!"

"Or I could be just another body, crossed off the list." It was Ada's turn to give a look, "Besides, I like being invisible, I'm not ready to give that up just because you want something to gossip about."

"But think about it! We could be popular!" Alex knew full well that that was some part of y's motivation. It always was. Last year, Alex had sprained her anchor because Ada insisted it would be of their best interest to try out for the volleyball team. Alex's lack of coordination and fear of flying projectiles made that a little difficult. "Look, I found his Snapchat. Just text him. Give it a try. If it doesn't work, you can stop." Ada slid a post it note not so subtly towards Alex.

"Can I at least wait until Z gets here? I want to know what he thinks."

"Eliot wants you to have fun. Come on, it's not that hard. Either you do it, or I do it for you."

"Fine, fine," Alex mumbled. Picking up her phone and typed in the username Ada had given her. Aresthewargod69. "Really?" Alex groaned.

"Just do it!"

Alex hesitantly typed hi into the message box and pushed send. "There, happy now?"

"For a little bit," Ada grinned.

"Am I interrupting." Eliot laughed as he let himself in the the dinning room.

"Nope!" Ada sang. "Im just working my magic!"

"Should I be afraid?"

"Don't worry, I've got everything under control." Ada grinned, turning to her back pack, "Where should we start?"

Eliot gave Alex a look that seemed to say, Is everything ok? and Alex just shrugged. Hopefully this would all blow over, Ares would forget she existed and everything would go back to normal. Alex knew how these things worked. Never meet your idols, right? She had needed someone to name as her crush so she picked Ares because she liked the idea of him. Ada was right about that. I could so easily become a beautiful story. But that was not how real life worked. Dating a popular kid might be nice in theory, but reality was a whole new ball game, and Alex was no where ready to play.