Persephone's Point of View
♕︎ ♕︎ ♕︎
"Can we go together?" Apollo asked me on the phone, his voice as cheerful as always. His tone was light and easy, filled with the same easygoing warmth he always carried, as though nothing in the world could ever bother him. But I didn't even give it a second thought before I hung up on him mid-sentence.
Hah, I love doing this. It's one of those small victories that keep me entertained and, to be honest, I really do enjoy it. It's a little moment of power in my otherwise complicated life. It's not that I don't think it would be nice to go to class with my twins—it could be fun in some alternate reality, sure.
But that's not how things are. I already know how it would turn out, and it's not the pleasant scenario I'd want to put myself or anyone else through. The largest portion of students on this campus are downright terrified of me. They never hide it either. I see it in the way they glance at me when I pass by, the stiff posture they adopt when I'm near. There's always this unspoken tension hanging in the air when I'm around them.
It's not like I'm actively trying to make them uncomfortable, but I sure don't do anything to ease it either. Apollo and Atlas, on the other hand, they're the opposite. Social butterflies, surrounded by their massive groups of friends, always laughing and chatting with people like they've got nothing to worry about. I don't want to ruin that just by being near them.
The thing is, most people on campus forget that I'm part of the trio. They act as if Apollo and Atlas are just twins on their own, as if they don't have a third member in the picture. And yeah, it's probably because we don't look alike at all. If I'm being honest, it's not even a little bit hard to see why they would assume that.
Apollo and Atlas have that classic "twin" look going for them—they share a similar appearance, always dressed in the same style, with their matching charisma and charm. I, on the other hand, don't exactly fit into that mold. I know that's part of the reason people forget about me in the trio. It stings a little. It does, but I get it. I really do. People will gravitate toward the more obvious pair, the ones who make things look easy. But it's still annoying, and neither of them is aware of it. I can't bring myself to tell them, though.
I know that if I did, they'd feel bad about making me feel uncomfortable, and I don't want them to feel that way. They've already got their own burdens to carry. I can't ask them to tiptoe around me, not when they don't even realize what's happening.
So once again, I pushed them away. Again. It's not because I don't love them, because I absolutely do—I do. But they deserve more than to be subjected to the kind of negative attention that I constantly attract. They deserve better than that. I can't be the one who drags them down, especially when I know how it feels to be caught in the crossfire of that kind of scrutiny.
The blame, though, is entirely mine. I've been the one who made everyone so wary of me, with my cold, distant attitude and, let's face it, the aggression I sometimes show. It doesn't help that I've got a serious bone to pick with the arch-demons. Not to mention the fact that I don't hide how I feel about them. I get it. I understand why people would be wary of me. If I were in their shoes, I probably wouldn't like me either. I can be a bitch, I know it.
And honestly? I've come to terms with that. It's not something I'm particularly proud of, but I've learned to live with it. It's a part of me now, like it or not.
Now, the girls are always around me, but they keep their distance. They probably don't enjoy my company or my presence, and I can't blame them for it. But they stick around anyway, and I appreciate it. At least they know that I won't let anyone mess with my academy sisters. Even if we're not all that close, that's just the loyalty I have. I'm their Captain, and this sisterhood of ours is small, but we've earned our place at the top.
We've fought for it, and I won't let anything—or anyone—tear that down. We're the best, and we stay that way, above the other nine sisterhoods. That's how it is, and that's how it will stay.
Loki's situation is kind of the same as mine, in a way. He's got a whole group of brothers, and they all seem to get along just fine. The difference is that Loki, in all his ridiculousness, mimics me. It's getting on my nerves, honestly. Every time I turn around, there's that damn fox trying to act just like me. He's always stepping out of his place, pushing boundaries and testing limits. It's exhausting. Now that we'll be studying together in all the advanced subjects, I can already feel the headache coming on. I'm going to need to keep that fox far away from me.
If he doesn't stop stepping out of line, he's going to be the end of me.
I shook my head in annoyance and grabbed my phone once more, the smooth glass cool against my fingers. I could feel the irritation bubbling inside me, but I kept it in check. Taking a sip of my drink—a mix of oat milk, strawberry, and AB+ blood I'd gotten from the private blood bank of the academy—I let the sweetness calm me for a moment. The taste was rich, a little sweet, and undeniably comforting. It helped me focus. I opened the group chat that Adeline, the vice-Captain of our sisterhood, had set up for us. It was a secondary chat, one where the girls only spoke when I did.
They rarely messaged unless it was absolutely necessary, which was fine by me. I didn't need the distractions.
Me: Morning,
Me: I need you to seat around me in all classes from now on,
Me: I'll seat in my usual place at the last right seat of the first row.
Me: I want to avoid fire fox and winged horns from sitting next to me.
Me: Adeline will seat on my left.
Me: Emery will seat behind me.
Me: Makayla will seat behind Adeline.
Me: Aaliyah will seat on Adeline's left.
Me: Stella will seat behind Aaliyah.
Me: Æva will seat behind Emery.
Me: The other four can seat around us or anywhere else.
Me: I'll only need six of you shielding me from those arseholes.
Me: Are we understood?
I typed each message with careful attention, making sure that my instructions were clear and precise. I wanted everything to go smoothly, and that meant making sure there was no confusion about where everyone would sit. It's easier having just the three vampires and three dragon girls with me. They're the ones I trust. They don't get intimidated by the strange, off-putting vibes I give off.
They know what's what, and they know how to act around me. It's probably because they've seen me at my worst. Or my best, depending on how you look at it. Either way, they're solid, and I don't need to explain everything to them over and over. They've got it down.
I'm not exactly great at talking informally like this. It probably comes off a bit awkward, but that's just the way I communicate. It's not always perfect, but it works. As Middle of the Night by Elley Duhé played softly from my iPad's speaker, I leaned back and stared at my phone. The song's slow beat echoed through the room, blending with the thoughts in my head. I watched the little blue ticks appear one by one as they read my messages.
The atmosphere around me settled into the usual quiet as I waited for their responses. It didn't take long. Soon enough, the read receipts popped up, and the girls would confirm that they understood. They always did. There was no hesitation, no second-guessing. It's the way we worked.
They were loyal, and I trusted them to carry out what I needed without question. I didn't need to spell out every detail for them. They knew how to act around me, just as I knew how to lead them. We had our roles, and we filled them well.