The Stolen Jewel of Hecate

Chapter 6

I was in the shower, rethinking of the incident that happened moments ago. Hephaestus doesn't understand that this isn't meant for me. It is clear I can't protect the world. The other heroes can live without me. I prepared to have my memory erased of this whole thing and go back to a normal life. I get out of the shower and do my usual routine. With my hair tied up and my shoes on my feet, I head downstairs for something to eat. At the island is Hephaestus. Sitting and looking at the knives and forks. Seems like an odd hobby. " Hephaestus, what are you doing?" I asked in curiosity. He just kept looking at them with a strange expression. " Your weapons are puny. I make weapons so much better than this. This is so distasteful. This won't kill anybody." He said in disapproval. I was dying laughing. Sure we still weren't completely friends with what happened a little while ago, but I couldn't help myself. "What's so funny? How do you expect to protect your home with these tiny sword things?" He asked. My stomach hurt from laughing. Did he not know that you eat with knives and forks? Has he been in the box for that long? " Uh Hephaestus, you eat with those." I said, trying to contain more laughter. "What do you mean you eat with these? Don't you use the stick things like what the keeper does? It seems more convenient and less dangerous." He says confused. My laughter calmed down and I showed him how they work. This was something I never thought I had to do. "Does that answer your question on forks and knives? There are still things like spoons, there are many different types of knives, measuring cups, and so many others. I guess a fork and your traditional ordinary knife is good for now. You won't starve or anything." I say hoping that explains everything. He nods still I hope in awe of what has been invented since he was last out of his box. I finish my breakfast. I would think he would know these things being used by others in the past for his power. These things were invented millennia ago. "Hephaestus, forks, and stuff were invented a very long time ago. Wouldn't you have learned these by now?" I questioned. He looked at me. " Well yes, but wherever I was needed they used those stick things. I knew they existed but I never saw them in use." He said looking back. That's interesting. He only ever used chopsticks? "You have only used chopsticks? For millions of years, basically since the dawn of time, you have only used chopsticks?" I was confused. He only nodded in response. " Well that or I eat like an animal but you probably don't want that," he said with a chuckle. I chuckled along with him. This almost makes me want to rethink my whole give this jewel back thing, but it's the right thing to do. "Well since you have to come with me, how do you propose you get in my bag?" I asked. I almost had to go and we needed to think fast. " Alright. I'll shrink down to size and I will go in this pocket here," he said pointing to a small pocket in my bag. I nodded in agreement and he did his thing. I held him in my hand. I'm actually doing this. I'm actually putting a man in my bag. I'm taking a small human being to school with me. Never in my wildest dreams would I say that, even if it's just in my head. " OK, jump in," I said. That felt weird to say out loud. Hephaestus jumped into our agreed pocket, I closed my bag and went out the door. I was walking down to my bus stop. All I could think is be cool. Don't act differently or I could get caught. I was slightly shaking, not because this is fall, no because I'm scared of doing something I'll regret and somehow show Hephaestus and then maybe be killed. I might be exaggerating but I don't know how this works. I could be killed once the job is done, who knows. I stand in my normal spot and I see Ellie walking towards me. She seemed sad. She was a bubbly person, she never acts like this. "Ellie, what's wrong?" I asked. She looked at me. Her eyes were so red, not to be rude but they looked like she overdose on good ol' mary jane, if you know what I mean. Her cheeks were red and wet. She looked horrible. She must have been crying for hours. "Remember our promise to never date each other's friends?" She asked as she started to get teary eyed. All girls have had at least once in their lives made a promise to their best friends about getting together with a guy, or dating till a certain age, and obviously we did that and one of our promises was to not have a crush on friends of the other person. Where was this going? I nodded to show her to go on. " I think......I think-" she started. "Go on," I pushed. She had full blown tears now. Good thing the bus doesn't come for another ten minutes. " I have a crush on Steven." she wailed. Do I tell her? Do I not tell her? Would Steven want me to tell her? " Ellie there is nothing to be crying about." I said in a worried voice. " But-but we promised. He is also a giant flirt that likes everyone and he would never notice me. I'm not the vision of the girls he goes after." She basically scream cried. You know that cry. When something really bad happens they scream cry. " Ellie that was a stupid thing we did as freshmen. You can't control love, OK. Don't feel bad or anything. Just make me proud and get him." I sat to make her feel better. She nods but then freezes. " I can't tell Steven. Are you mad?! He likes the opposite of me." She complains. Can I really not tell her. I give her a reassuring hug. I can't tell her, but I really want to tell her. I decide against not telling her to not get Steven mad at me even though I would get them together. I would be their cupid, but I want to live. Ellie pulls it together before the bus comes and we get to school. This time Ellie got her homework done on her own and we just sat and talked about whatever came to mind. We stop and we get off the bus and continue talking. It came to me. How does she think she has a crush on him? " Hey, Ellie." I asked to get her attention. She looks at me with full attention. "How did you figure out you had a crush on him?" I asked so I could get answers. She looks at me betrayed I would talk about it in public. She just looked at me. Shocked, I would want to talk about this. "Sam, I dreamt about him last night, and it all just came together. It made me realize I act differently around him and I always felt different around him, but it never came to the conclusion that it was butterflies. Then the dream. It put everything together. After the dream, I started thinking about him, I realized how cute I thought he was, how charming he was when he wasn't a flirt, how funny he is. Everything." Ellie said in frustration. I get it. Crushes kind of suck, especially when you think they don't like you back. It's frustrating. " I know how you feel Ellie. I wish there was something I could do to get rid of your frustration." I said sympathetically. She looked at me. She nodded. We went to math and went to our new seats. I sighed still mad about what happened. " Sam, there is no point in still being mad. Just let it go. You got to be more chill. Go with the flow." She said, trying to be my life guru. " Just go with the flow? I don't do that Ellie. I stress, worry, and get pissed off." I said with a pout. I go to grab a pencil from my bag and see Hephaestus on my freaking phone again. He knows I can't do anything about it and it sucks. I give him a look for him to get off my phone and grab the pencil he was sitting on, just to get him off my phone. I close my bag with pencil in hand and I sigh. "What's wrong now?" Ellie askes annoyed. What do I say? I don't know what I'm supposed to lie about. " I uh- just want the class to start. That 's all." I lie. Something tells me I'm going to do that a lot. Ellie nods in understanding and we are doing our separate things. I'm doodling while Ellie is reading her comic book. I'm doodling away when I hear Emma, her minions, and Logan come in. I look up and see Emma dangling off of Logan's right arm, with her minions on the other side of her. I look at Logan, and he doesn't look happy, he looks more depressed than anything. Again today, Logan is looking at me. Why is he looking at me? I haven't hurt anyone else, I haven't bothered anyone else, hell I haven't talked to anyone else today. I'm not wearing something ridiculously noticeable, just a hoodie and sweatpants. My hair isn't different, and I don't have pounds and pounds of makeup on. I don't even wear makeup so what in the world is he staring at. I turn to Ellie and see her induced in her book. "Ellie?" I whisper in her ear. She hums in response. " Do I look weird or something? Logan keeps staring at me." I asked looking for approval of what I did with myself today. "No,why? Do you want his attention?" She said with a smirk. I lightly slapped her arm. " No, the complete opposite. He is staring and it makes me uncomfortable." I said in a panicked whisper. She laughed a little. " This isn't funny you know." I said annoyed. " Girl, relax. He probably thinks you're cute. Maybe he has doubts about you being a total bitch." She stated. I shrugged. " First he doesnt think that, nobody thinks that and second, he has supposedly seen me being mean to her more than once. I doubt he doubts I'm not a bitch." I said with a sigh. The four jerks sit down in our seats and now we just need the teacher to get here. We wait patiently, well most of us wait patiently. Then there was a crash. A loud crash. The class rushed outside to see the trophy case destroyed, with glass all over the floor. Next to the destroyed trophy case was probably the most terrifying dog I have ever seen. It was roughly ten feet tall, with giant paws, huge teeth, and it looked angry. It was black with red stripes going down the back. What in the world was this, and how did it get here? Everyone screamed and ran off in all directions. I stood there in shock of the scene in front of me. I ran to the nearest hiding spot by myself and opened my backpack. " I didn't think this would happen so soon." I told Hepheastus. he nodded. " OK kid, You gotta say the 'magic words'. Also before you transform, your weapon is a whip alright? That is your way of getting around fast. It's magic so you will have an unlimited amount of whip per say. It can be as long as you need. All you gotta say is 'Hephaestus, give me strength' got it?" He questioned. I nodded. I hesitated. I was scared. I can't face that thing. It's huge and scary and muscelly, if that's a word. I looked at Hephaestus and he gave me a reassuring nod. I took a deep breath and repeated the phrase. " Heapheastus, give me strength!"