Temporary Goddess

P.E. Sucks

            Casey and Gwyneth had been right, it took everything in me to stay awake during Art. What happened with Torrance and Gunner still etched into my mind. I didn’t like the fact that all my new friends were working this hard for me. Derek and Casey both got into fights with a bunch of guys, Gwyneth was threatened, and Jacek has come to my rescue three times in a eighteen hour span. This is not what I had in mind when I got to this town.

                With no one I knew in sight, I felt kind of worried. Worried if they were okay, and nervous about my own well-being. Since the incident with Vivian in the cafeteria, it seemed everyone knew I was the only human in the school. Wherever I went the other students stared or whispered when I walked by.

                After letting out a deep breath, I read my schedule and groaned. Physical Education with Torrance was next. This was something I was absolutely not looking forward too. Luckily, I had seen where the auditorium was earlier and knew where to go without help. I could see the doors as I came around the corner and noticed a familiar face heading through the large double doors.

                “Mr. Bad Wolf. I didn’t know you had to take Physical Ed.”

                Jacek glanced at me over his shoulder and shrugged. “Everyone has to. It’s part of going to the school.”

                I hurried to catch up to him. “Is Torrance really the teacher?”

                “He’s the secondary coach starting today.” He said as he pulled open the door for me.

                Hearing that made me make a disgusted face. “Oh yeah, this is going to be a fricking blast.”

                “My sediments exactly.” Jacek said as he slipped into the auditorium behind me.

                I glanced over at him. “What the hell is going on?”

                In front of us, over two dozen students all sat in the bleachers. Some talking, reading, and then some noticing me and Jacek. It felt like they were all waiting on something, and I was hoping it wasn’t us.

                Jacek sighed, lightly touching my back to get me to move forward. “Find a seat.”

                My eyes scanned the bleachers, locating Gwyneth and Derek sitting together. Then my eyes saw something I wasn’t happy with. Sitting almost at the front was Vivian and one of her subordinates.

                “Is there a way to get out of this?” I asked over my shoulder to Jacek.

                He shook his head. “Nope.”

                “Great, absolutely wonderful.” I whispered before moving to join Gwyneth and Derek.

                As I made my way up the bleachers, I noticed Jacek sat down at the bottom away from everyone. It was apparent that he had a reserved spot that everyone stayed away from. I was slightly disappointed that he wouldn’t sit with us, but then again, he’s only known me for a day.

                “How was Art?” Gwyneth asked as I sat down next to her.

                I shrugged. “Not as exciting as I was hoping it was going to be. Maybe tomorrow will be better.”

                Casey nodded. “This. Is going to be absolute hell. Torrance just walked in and guess where he’s looking.”

                We glanced over and saw Torrance looking in our direction. I huffed and flipped him off with disgust written all over my face. We watched as his lips turn into an amused smile while he shook his head.

                “At least Jacek is in here with us.” Gwyneth whispered as she casually pointed to the front.

                I was trying to regain my composure as I glanced to Gwyn and nodded. “Yeah. Torrance has nothing on Mr. Bad Wolf.”

                Gwyneth raised an eyebrow. “He lets you call him that?”

                Casey nodded. “Yep, this girl is amazing.”

                I rolled my eyes. “Jacek isn’t what everyone thinks of him.”

                “Oh yeah?” Casey looked surprised as he leaned back in his seat. “Do you think he’s got a favorite color or food? A hobby?”

                “Casey, you know, Jacek can probably hear you’re mocking. I’m not too sure if he will appreciate it, what do you think?” I said with a smirk, seeing the slight fear echo through Casey’s eyes as he realized what he did.

                Gwyneth laughed. “He’s going to destroy you in everything, and I’m going to sit back and laugh.”

                “Alright kids enough socializing. After roll call were going to go outside and do some walking and football.”

                One of the other coaches called out as the three coaches walked over to the bleachers. P.E. was three separate classes combined to make one massive class with three coaches to supervise. Torrance was one, Coach Butcher, and then Coach Hugh. Casey and Vivian were under Butcher, Gwyneth was under Hugh, Jacek and I were under Torrance. I figured that’s what he meant when he winked and said he could see us in class. He must have known Jacek and I were his students.

                “Now we head off to the lockers to get changed.” Gwyneth said as she stood and yawned.

                It took five minutes to get roll call over with, leaving the students to make our way to the locker rooms to get dressed. Gwyneth lead me to the lockers and showed me which one was mine before going over to her own to get ready.

                “Of course, you’re going to have the locker next to mine.” Vivian scoffed as I opened my own locker, rolling my eyes at her.

                “Oh hey, dragon lady. Didn’t see you there.” I said sarcastically before yanking off my shirt, noticing how Vivian stopped to watch me. “See something you like, eh?”

                Vivian huffed as she turned away. “I really hate you.”

                I pulled over the uniform black tee before smirking at her. “Aw come on, you know you can’t resist my human charm.”

                “What charm?” She rolled her eyes as she slid her own uniform tee over her head.

                I chuckled. Let my shorts drop to the cold concrete. “If I didn’t have charm, you wouldn’t be here talking to me, would you?”

                Vivian shook her head. “No, I’m talking to you because your locker is right next to mine.”

                “That doesn’t make you have to speak to me. Admit it, you wanted to talk to me.” I said as I winked over to a stunned Vivian.

                Before she could answer I left her standing there to go out to the rest of my friends. Casey and Gwyneth were next to each other, seemingly waiting on me, but my eyes scanned the crowd for one more. I couldn’t help the small smile that appeared on my lips when I saw him. Jacek was by himself, only in the uniform tee, the assigned shorts must be still in his locker. Gwyneth looked over to see me gesture over to Jacek and make my way there.

                “Don’t you have friends?” Jacek asked, glancing to me as I sauntered up to him.

                I shrugged. “That’s exactly what I was going to ask you.”

                He slightly shook his head. “Haven’t you heard the rumors about me?”

                “Should I be listening to them?” I asked, taking a step forward and entering his personal space on purpose.

                Jacek shrugged. “Probably.”

                “So, you really think you’re as terrible as everyone makes you out to be, Mr. Bad Wolf?” I tilted my head questioningly. Trying to feel him out, seeing what he really thought about himself, not what the others said about him, but how he truly sees about himself.

                Why do you want to know? He said into my mind, surprised when he saw a smile slide across my lips.

                I unconsciously ran my tongue over my teeth. “I want to know about you. Is that so strange?”

                Yes, it is. The others are all afraid of me, enough to stay far away. Jacek watched me like I was the only thing in the room while everyone else watched us like one of us could explode at any moment.

                “Let them be afraid.” I said as I winked.

                Jacek raised an eyebrow. You’re not afraid of me then?

                “Nope, because I can see the things none of them bother to look at.” I pointed to his wrist. “That bracelet is from donating money to the wish foundation for kids in town, there is a small pin on your backpack that is from last Christmases toy drive, at lunch I watched you put money into a kid’s locker that didn’t have enough for food, and you saved my stupid ass four times now when you could have just walked away. You’re a badass guy, Jacek. Don’t let these tools tell you otherwise.” I smiled. Reaching up to push a stray strand of hair out of his face. “Your hair is messed up from you changing shirts, by the way.”

                Before he got to say anything back to me, I went over to get a hair tie from Gwyneth.

Inside Jacek’s mind: Third person P.O.V.

            That was the first time Jacek had someone pay so much attention to him. Most everyone avoided him like the plague and it became habit for him to do the same. For over eleven years that was how it had been for him, and now, a single human has swooped in and completely changed his life. He was used to walking through the halls on auto pilot and not caring about socializing with anyone, but now he finds himself looking through the crowds for Cairyn. Even when he thought he was over it, he would catch himself feeling out the atmosphere for her presence. Then Cairyn called his name when Torrance was harassing her, he responded like he had been waiting for her to get into trouble. He didn’t know why, but she was the first person he wanted to let in. Hearing her taunt him and call him by her pet name for him didn’t bother him like it should. It should make him upset that he now has to look out for her well-being, but it didn’t. This fact, was more upsetting than anything.

Back to Cairyn’s P.O.V.

                “Oh god, here comes Torrance.” Gwyneth sighed as she crossed her arms.

                I rolled my eyes. “Let’s see what kind of power-trip he’s going to be on now.”

                Coach Butcher pointed to the double doors on the other side of the room. “Let’s go! Those of you who don’t want to play football get to walk the track! Move!”

                Casey groaned. “Why? Why do they always make us play football?”

                “It’s because football season is coming up in two days and they are all excited to see some kids getting smashed up. So, they are starting here, with us.” Gwyneth said as she stretched, heading with the crowd to the outside doors.

                I looked over and raised an eyebrow. “Wait, we have a football team? Do we face off against other schools? I don’t get this.”

                “We do. We’re not the only school of in-human’s around. In all, there are twelve schools including ours. We play against them with our sports teams and even do school functions with some of the ones that are closer. We may be special beings, but our high school functions just like a regular human school does, Cairyn. The only difference is we have abilities beyond humans, that’s pretty much all.” Casey explained as we headed through the doors.

                “So, I’m probably the only human in all twelve schools then?” I asked, trying to look completely cool as a cucumber while processing this new information.

                Gwyneth shrugged. “I mean, as far as we know…yes.”

                Casey nodded. “Which means when the schools get together it’s going to kind of be chaos for all of us. Some of the other school’s students don’t take kindly to the human world, let alone having a human who knows about us. If I were you, I would make sure when that time comes, you stick close to us.”

                “And close to Jacek.” Gwyneth put in.

                I let out a deep sigh as I rubbed the back of my neck. “This year is going to be the longest year of my life.”

                Casey, Gwyneth, me, and Jacek all decided to walk the track rather than participate in football. Which isn’t unusual apparently. I was being told a million different things from Casey and Gwyneth. From who’s dating who, the students they’ve known the longest, and especially the school hierarchy. For instance, the Demi-Gods and Immortals are divided into the two groups of male and female, then at the very top is Vivian and Jacek. After them comes a girl named Evelyn and a guy named Jericho, who I hadn’t met yet. Then a girl named Gaia and her boyfriend Leo, after them is Gwyneth and Gunner, and lastly Diana and Orrick. The rest of the students strive to be on the list or simply obeyed the ones on the list, kind of like our own student counsel. Casey argued that I should be on the list now, but without everyone saying it, then it wasn’t happening.

                I figured out something else too, the school participated in a bunch of events with the other schools and was very active in the community. The human community. It was their way of blending, no one wanted to start anything with the school that did so much for everyone.

                While they talked my eyes strayed. I found my target quite easily, I can feel him in the air like a light in the dark. I smiled a little to see Jacek looking very board on the other side of the track.  Everything he did seemed to interest me. From the way he always looked irritated, to the little glances he shot my way as if making sure I was still there. Just like that, he looked over to meet my eyes. I smiled before sticking out my tongue and wrinkling my nose. I got a little excited seeing that the corner of his lip curled just ever so softly into a smile before he looked away to hide it. Not being able to hold it in, I laughed out loud and scared Casey as he hadn’t been paying attention.

                “What are you doing to that man? He’s going to hurt us one of these days.” Casey said as he sighed.

                I rolled my eyes. “You’re wrong.”

                “If it wasn’t you, Cairyn. Jacek usually doesn’t socialize, and the few times I’ve seen him speak, it’s usually making some girl cry or some boy scared. The Jacek you see isn’t the one we all know.” Gwyneth said as she shrugged a little.

                I huffed. “How many girls have asked him out?”

                “All of them.” Casey said, yawning. “Have you seen that guy? He’s like a dangerous, dark haired, tattooed Adonis.”

                Gwyneth chuckled. “No, Adonis is wrong. He’s muscles don’t bulge like Adonis’s did.”

                Casey made a disgusted face. “Did you seriously just use the word bulge in a proper sentence?”

                Before any of us could say anything, a football came out of nowhere and slammed into my face. Dropping me to my knees on the tarmac. My hands were covering my face as I felt blood dripping down my skin.

                “Cairyn, move your hands.”

                Hearing Jacek in front of me made me obey. I moved my hands and winced. The football had hit me hard enough to bust open my lower lip against my teeth.

                “Are you okay, Cairyn?” Gwyneth asked she knelt next to Jacek.

                I nodded, the blood running down my chin. “Yeah. I’m good.”

                “Sorry about that. I didn’t see you girls over here.”

                All four of us looked up to see Torrance walking over with a coy smile on his face. I annoyingly sighed while Jacek tilted my chin up so he could see the cut better.

                “You knew she was here.” Jacek said as he yanked off his shirt to whip the blood off my face.

                Torrance shrugged. “I didn’t. Are you saying that I intentionally threw that football at Cairyn, my student, to hurt her?”

                “That’s exactly what we all are saying, are you def?” I scoffed, never taking my eyes off Jacek. “Go away.”

                Torrance shrugged again. “Fine, but if I were you, I wouldn’t go to the nurse. Your blood might attract attention from some of the other students, if you get what I’m hinting at.”

                With that he turned on his heel and headed back to the middle field.

                “I’m really starting to hate that man.” I sighed. “Does it look bad?”

                Jacek shook his head slightly. “Not on your face.”

                I smiled, which hurt. “Was that a…complement?”

                “Yeah.” He said as he stood. “Come on.”

                I took his hand and let him pull me to my feet. “Hey Jacek, your shirtless now…So, one good thing came out of this ‘accident’.”

                Jacek rolled his eyes as he turned to keep walking. “Good to know Torrance didn’t knock out your terrible sense of humor.”

                “Who said I was joking?” I called out with a painful smile on my lips.

                He glanced over his shoulder to see me shoot him a wink. “Get ice from the cafeteria.”

                All three of us watched his toned back as we started walking the track again.

                Casey sighed. “Man, I should have done that. Then all the ladies would be able to see my muscles. You’d be impressed, Gwyn.”

                “What muscles?” I asked as I raised an eyebrow.

                “I think they’re there. Maybe.” She said,  poking his side.

                Casey mocked them. “You girls are rude as hell. Let a man be a man.”

                “Speaking of man. I stand corrected Casey; tattooed Adonis was an accurate description.” Gwyneth said as she joined me and the rest of the female’s in class in admiring the now shirtless Jacek.

                My eyes memorized every detail of his back, from the way it tensed and flexed as he moved, to the tattoo’s etched into his slightly tan skin. Freaky tribal work and some kind of language covered nearly every inch of his back, and in all I was mesmerized. I was also positive he knew I was staring.

                After everyone changed into our regular clothes and got back out into the gym, Casey, me, and Gwyneth met back up. In five minutes school was over, and my first day was done with. Something was strange though, I felt like something was wrong, but I couldn’t place it. As I stood nervously I fiddled with my favorite ring, it was given to me by my mother. A stunning band that liked like it had hieroglyphics etched out of it, it was the only thing I wore every single day and never took off. I always thought it was funny, being hieroglyphics and my mother was named Cleo.

                You seem on edge.

                I smiled. Glancing over to see Jacek watching me with curious eyes. My tongue ran lightly over the bottom of my top teeth while I studied him. “It’s just a feeling.”

                Trust your feeling’s. They are your instincts. He said into my mind like it was the most natural thing there was.

                “I’m human. I don’t have instincts.” I whispered, knowing full well that he would hear me.

                You sure about that, dolcezza?

                I raised an eyebrow. “And you’re not?”

                Before he responded, Gwyneth came over with Casey in tow.

                “No. It’s not a good idea.” She said as she put a hand to her forehead.

                Casey rolled his eyes. “It is. This is a way for Cairyn to make more friends, that way she won’t be more of a target. Anyways, it’s her decision.”

                “What are you two fighting about now?” I asked as I tilted my head to the side to watch them.

                Gwyneth sighed. “Since you came on the Wednesday before football season, there’s a party. Casey wants to invite you, and I told him that it was probably not a good idea.”

                I shrugged. “Okay, then I won’t go.”

                “No, come on, Cairyn! You have to come with me and Derek. We never get invited to parties, but this time we did and we can take you.” Casey said pleadingly.

                “Exactly, Casey!” Gwyneth snapped. “You two never get invited, but this one time you do when you become friends with the only human in school? They are hoping you bring her, you box of rocks!”

                He made a disgusted face. “Was that an insult?”

                “She’s saying your being dense, Casey.” I chimed in as I watched them fight. “What do you think?”

                Gwyneth and Casey stared at me like I was insane for a moment.

                I think Gwyneth is right. Jacek said in my head, never looking over to us.

                “You don’t think I should go to show them that I’m not afraid to be here in the school with all of them?” I asked, looking down to my feet to avoid my friend’s weird staring.

                You stood up to Vivian in front of everyone. No one thinks you’re afraid. You know, she’s going to be there at that party.

                I sighed. “Yeah, I figured that. Wait, are you going?”

                “Who in the hell is she talking too?” Casey whispered to Gwyneth as they watched their new friend seemingly talk to nothing.

                Gwyneth looked over to Jacek and watched him for a second and raised an eyebrow in shock. “Hells bells, Cairyn’s talking to Jacek…”

                Casey looked over and shook his head. “There’s no way. He’s nearly across the gym.”

                “Yeah, I know.” She said as the two of them watched me in awe and confusion.

                I didn’t intend to. Do I look like a teen drinking party goer?

                I smiled and bit down on my bottom lip. “Come on, everyone likes to be a stereotypical teenager and get drunk at some football player’s house. It’s like a rite of passage.”

                I’ll pass.

                “What are you going to do instead then? Go get another tattoo?” I said sarcastically as I tried not to laugh when he looked over at me with a ‘I can’t believe you just said that’ look on his handsome face.

                Calm down over there, dolcezza. I was going to go out on my bike for a while. I think I’ve run out of room for tattoo’s.

                “Did Cairyn just openly mock Jacek?” Casey asked Gwyneth as they both watched the exchange in amazement and slight horror.

                Gwyn nodded. “She did, and he is…enjoying it.”

                “God, I love this girl.” Casey said as they went back to quietly observing.

                “Oh, that sounds fun too. Come to the party with me.” I asked. My eyes were on him this time. I wanted to see him. Wanted to see how he was going to react physically.

                I’m usually not welcome at these kinds of things.

                His voice echoing into my mind was soothing. I could listen to him like a song on replay for an indefinite amount of time. “Why? Because your Mr. Big Bad Wolf?”

                Exactly.

                “I don’t care. Come with me. If you don’t want to I understand. I just don’t want them to think they can control you by thinking they know you. See you later maybe.” I said as the bell rang over our heads.

                Jacek glanced over to me and shrugged. Watching me smile and bite down on my bottom lip before turning back to Casey and Gwyneth. Only when he was gone out the door, was when they ambush me.

                “Holy crap! I was going to have a heart attack!” Casey cried out as he grabbed his chest for effect. “You…joked…about him getting a tattoo for fun…and I died.”

                I laughed while Gwyneth rolled her eyes. “Don’t die, Casey. I thought we were going to a party?”