Valhalla High (A Magnus Chase Fanfic)

Jack of All Trades

September 14

     The next two weeks of school passed by quickly. We had our first exams and I did better than expected in all of them except for AP Calculus. I started meeting Sam and Alex on Wednesdays after school at the library to study for AP Calculus. Sam was an excellent tutor and she told me that she had been a volunteer tutor since she was eight. "That's a lot of community service," I said.

    She smiled. "It feels good to help others and besides, all the volunteering will look good on my college applications."

    Alex snorted. "Your application already looks amazing. What did you get on the ACT again, a 35?"

   Sam blushed. "No, a 34 and only on my fifth try."

     Alex met my gaze and rolled her eyes like can you believe that? "You'll have no trouble becoming a pilot, Sam," she said. "You're smart and you'll probably ace the test on your first try."

    "I hope so," Sam said. "Amir's grandfather is going to let me test flight one of his planes soon."

      "You'll do fine," Alex said. "And besides, if you don't—"

    "You'll garrote her?" I guessed.

    Alex gave me a strange look. "Why would you say that?"

    "Uhhh, errr," I said, my face resembling a bowl of fruit punch.

   Alex laughed and I was glad that I had not told her of the reoccurring dream I had of her slicing off my head with a garrote. Sure, if was to put me out of my misery and I did reanimate in the dream, but it was still weird.

    The first football game of the year was rapidly approaching and everyone was in a fervor. Valhalla High would have a home game against my old school, Midgard High. Sam and the other Valkyries had practice five days a week now, so I didn't see Sam for tutoring until around 4:30.m

***
One Wednesday, I saw the student council unfurling the Homecoming Court nominations as I was leaving the school. I stopped when I saw a familiar name on it. Along with Magni and Mothi, Jack and Amir had been nominated to the court. That wasn't all though; Gunilla, Sam, and Mallory has been nominated alongside some people I didn't know. I felt myself smiling for my friends.

I took a picture and sent it to Sam and Mallory before trudging to the library. I ate a granola bar during the short walk and entered the library. I promptly ran into Jack. "Magnus," he said. "You have to help me."

"Help you with what?" I asked.

"Asking out Riptide," he said. "I cannot be on the Homecoming Court and not being someone!"

"Wait a minute," I said. "How do you know you're on the court?"

"You texted me a photo of the banner," Jack said.

I checked my phone and sure enough, I had texted the photo to Jack instead of Sam. I mentally facepalmed myself as I patted him on the shoulder. "I'll help you and besides, if it doesn't work out, I'll go with you."

Jack brightened up. "Thank you, Magnus. You're much better then your father."

"You know my father?" I asked in surprise.

He went on a long tirade about how he had worked for my father's store where he sold hiking and camping supplies. "But he traded me to one of the other store chains in exchange for the love of a lady."

"That is weird," I said, shaking my head and trying to not think about it.

    He nodded. "He obviously doesn't know the saying: blades before babes."

    "Jack," I said.

    "Yeah?" he replied.

     "You're not a blade," I said.

      He raised his eyebrows. "I wish I was. Imagine me as a blade. . . I'd be silver with beautiful runes. . ."

He broke off as he looked off dreamily in the distance. "You wouldn't be able to sing or dance," I said flatly.

    He made a shocked expression like a fish gasping on land. "Banish that thought from your mind! Of course I would. I'd dance and sing better than any blade. My dancing skills and voice would make all the blades swoon."

   I shrugged. "If you say so."

    "I know so," he said and promptly began singing Taylor Swift's "Blank Space."

    "Will you be quiet?" another library patron whispered fiercely to us, looking up from their laptop. "I'm trying to work on my 40,000 word thesis on plowshares in 13th century Italy. Do you realize how important this is? This could make or break my entire career!"

     That sounded pretty dull, but I dragged Jack over to the teen section of the library. We sat down on two cushy armchairs and discussed the plan. "So, you want to serenade Riptide?" I asked.

   Jack nodded vigorously. "You know," I said. "I think I have an idea."

    Jack bounced up in down in his chair like a frog on a lily pad. I don't know how he had so much energy. It was an infectious sort of energy, though, and I felt it whenever I was around him. Once he left, though, I tended to crash like someone whose caffeine buzz had just worn off.

    "Okay," I whispered, leaning forward so he could better hear me. "What if you made a music video? You could show off your dance moves and singing abilities."

      Jack bobbed his head up and down. "I should sing 'Old Town Road!'"

    "Does Riptide like that?" I asked, thinking that was the least romantic song I'd ever heard.

     Jack shrugged and then rallied with a smile. "I'm sure she'll love it!"

    "Alright," I said. "Well, I can ask some of my friends for help. What if we tried to meet on Saturday over at my mother's house?"

    "Sounds great!" Jack said. "You're much cooler than your dad, Magnus!"

    "Uhh, thanks," I said.

     Jack's phone buzzed. "Oh! Riptide is calling me. I better step out and talk to her. Bye!"

    I waved and smiled as I saw a goofy grin spread all over Jack's face.