Athens High School

The halls were quiet this early. School wouldn't star for another hour or so but this was the time he was supposed to arrive. He had long since finished his bagel and juice on the way here, stowing the mug away in his bag. He didn't even hesitate as he made his way to the office where he checked in and had his room pointed out. It was only a few doors from the office, tucked into a hallway near a little used stairwell, out of the way but he kind of liked that. His window faced something other than a parking lot, so that was a blessing. The shelves behind his desk were mostly empty save for a few out of date texts. The desk and chairs were worn, he was thinking most likely from the 80's, if not the 70's. At least it seemed clean and that was more than enough for him. He dug in his bag which he left in his desk chair for now until he found the little desk name plate, smiled at it in a way that barely contained an eye roll, then placed it on his desk facing the student chairs opposite his: Teos Steinico: Guidance Counselor. His father was having a good laugh, he just knew it. Brushing the thought aside he opened a filing cabinet in the corner and chose a folder before leaning on a shorter book case almost companionly with the potted plant currently residing on it to read.

Valerie walked up to the school, her bag over her shoulder. She was in a great mood today, that happened more often as the weather warmed up. She went inside, headed for her first class.

With a languid stretch and a from-the-bottom-of-his-lungs yawn, Hroda stepped onto school grounds. He did his usual routine, walking calmly and surely through the nearly-empty parking lot until he reached the doors--at which point he took to speed-walking, letting his sneakers screech on the ground, gradually picking up the pace until he reached his first class of the day, nearly running into the room and panting unrealistically heavily for the short distance before taking a deep, very audible breath and going into yet another variation of his daily monologue of how very sorry he was about being late. Despite his dramatic nature, the boy never offered an explanation as to why he was late, but from the fact that the materials for his first class were always in his backpack instead of his locker, it was clear he found it unavoidable. Or he saw no reason to show up any earlier. He always managed to burst into the room right before roll-call, after all.

It was only second period before Val's mood turned sour. She was in government, sitting at the back of the class as she always did, when two of the guys started whispering and glancing over at her. She had no idea what they were saying, but she didn't like the way they kept looking at her. It went on for some time before she finally stood up, "If you have something to say about me, you can say it to my face." she snapped on the middle of the class.
The teacher looked up from the papers on his desk and looked at her over his glasses, "Valerie-"
"I know," she interupted, "Guidance councillor. It's not like I could finish my exam with them gossiping anyways." She picked up her worn black messenger bag and slung it over her shoulder as she walked out. She walked the halls to the office and went inside.
The secretary looked up and didn't seem surprised to see Valerie, "Here to see the guidance councillor again, sweetie? Go easy on him, it's his first day."
Val sighed, great. She drew in a deep breath and knocked on the door to Teos's office.

Inside, Teos looked at the door with a frown. He wasn't expecting anyone- Oh wait, he shouldn't ever be expecting anyone here. They should always be a surprise. He set down the pen he was using to write notes in an unlined note book, using it to mark his page as he closed it and stood from his desk, striding over to the door to see who it was. Ah, Valerie. He looked skyward. The Fates smiled on him, that was new. He opened the door and offered her a warm smile. "Hello, please, come in." He stepped back and motioned to the two semi-comfortable looking chairs opposite his desk. When entering, from farthest left to right, the room was: a bookshelf covering the entire wall, his desk chair, desk, single chair for seeing students, slightly empty space of entry, then two chairs and a small coffee table type item to the right. It was to these chairs he was motioning.

Val raised an eyebrow, the old councilor never invited students to sit in those chairs, She had always sat at her desk. She walked over to the indicated chair and dropped her bag next to it before sitting and watching Teos with a carefully neutral expression.

Teos quietly closed the door behind her before walking over to take the other vacant chair. He sat there a moment, giving her that same welcoming smile, but when she didn't speak, he leaned forward, elbows on knees, glanced at the door, then look at her again, this time his expression a bit apologetic. "I'm sorry, I'm not psychic. I'm pretty glad I'm not, too. I like conversations more. Would you like to tell me why you are here?"

"Mr. Williams sent me from his government class." she said simply. She watched him, gauging his response. If there was one thing she hated most in the whole world it was being psychoanalized... Okay, maybe that was second after her mom,s boyfriend. She knew this new councillor was going to sit there and use everything she did and said to break down all her problems so she was determined to give him as little as possible to go off of.

Teos nodded thoughtfully, then was silent for a long minute, leaning back in his chair again as he considered it. Finally, he frowned. "That was nice of him," he replied conversationally. Honestly he was more interested in talking than why a mortal would tell her to do anything. "To save you, above all others, from that intense level of ennui."

"Level of what?" she asked, her face screwing up in a confused expression.

"Ennui," Teos repeated, making sure to emphasize to clear up his hint of a Greek accent. "'A feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement'." He paused, watching her, then continued. "Boredom. It means a lot of boredom. Your teacher saved you. It's kind of him."

"Hm." Val didnt think it was so kind of him to send her out of the final for doing what he should have, but she wasn't going to say so to a stranger.

Teos paused again, regarding her quietly. She had a personal bias against him because of what others have done. That wasn't very open minded of her, but he supposed he could see why she would become so guarded. Right, a different approach then. "Akrivós epeidí ntýnontai diaforetiká, den simaínei óti skéftomai ligótero apó esás," he said, the words rolling out of his mouth with a strong accent. "Ísos na vreíte endiaféronta , kai kryfá epithymoún tha boroúsan na ekfrastoún san eséna. O ekfovismós eínai sychná énas trópos gia na krýpsei to fthóno."

Val tilted her head, "You speak Greek." it was more an observation than a question, she felt stupid for not recognizing his accent before.

"Oh, I'm sorry, you're going to talk to me?" Teos replied in English. "I just thought, if you weren't, I didn't need to speak so you understood me. Conversations take at least two people after all." He smiled. "I'm interested in how you recognize Greek. Do you speak it? How did you learn?"

She shook her head, "My great grandparents immigrated, my grandparents spoke Greek so I recognize it but I never learned." Maybe he would stay on the topic of Greek instead of going back to the reason she was in his office.

"Did you see your grandparents a lot?" Teos asked. He kept his tone conversational, not the uncomfortable, prying tone of a therapist. He was amused by the image of himself as a therapist. Ridiculous. "Would you like to learn?"

She shrugged, "Off and on." she said in response to his question about seeing her grandparents frequently, "I wouldn't mind, but I don't know when I'd learn. I'm graduating after this week." she told him.

"Ah," Teos replied, giving a sage nod. He vaguely recalled something about that. Why school years didn't start in January and end in the fall was always beyond his comprehension. It made more sense, logically. At least, chronologically. He mentally waved the thought away. "If it were not an inappropriate thing to do I would offer to teach you this summer, but I understand you'd have no desire to spend that time with me-" He paused as the bell rang, signaling the end of class. He looked at Val, raised an eyebrow, and motioned to the door. "I believe class is over, if you wish to go to whatever appointment you had next. Or you may stay and chat a while longer. It has been pleasant, if short, so far." He still had not pressed her why she had been kicked out of class. He hadn't even asked her name. Or given his. He didn't seem too concerned with those thing either as he calmly awaited Val's response.

Val frowned, she was actually kind of liking this new councillor, too bad he hadn't started at the beginning of the year. "I have English next period." she said slowly, "I already turned in my final and the missed attendance isn't going to affect my grade enough to matter." She kind of wished she made enough money to ask about Greek lessons.

"You sound like a fine student," Teos replied, making zero effort to make her go to class. It would do her little good in the end anyway. "Perhaps you can help me then? I am not only new to your school, I am new to town. Do you know what might occupy my time? My new landlord has horses I could learn to ride, but I'd like a mental activity. A book club? Or students who may enjoy just learning something this summer?" Most likely he would spend more than half his time teaching them to kill minotaurs and gorgons, but that wasn't something young Valerie needed on her mind right now. "Perhaps I can offer a summer class- or club- to give some of the students staying in town something to do..."

"I mean, I would have been interested in learning Greek, but I think most students just want to have fun over summer break." Val told him, "You could take up fishing, if you're into that. "I usually work over the summers."

A knocking at the door was the only warning before Hroda Neander burst into the room--and the second knock was still happening even as the door opened. "Mr. Steinico, I presume? I understand you have only just arrived in our sweetly sleepy township, and feel it is entirely necessary to introduce myself to the man whom must surely be destined to become a pillar of our community, a light in the darkness, a voice for the voiceless--after all, is there ever a more noble profession than that of school counselor? To mold the fates of troubled youths at the peak of their hormonal metamorphosis must, you must be a master! To study the nuances of the mind for so long and then pursue a mere public-school wage, you must be a saint! My name, honored Mr. Steinico, is Hroda, Hroda Neander~" It was only after the teen's elaborate introduction--complete with dramatic poses!--that the boy seemed to notice the other occupant of the room. "Ah! My eyes do bless me with a truly favorable vision of my cherished friend on this fateful morning~ How are you, Val, my dear?"

Teos did not so much as flinch as Hroda answered the door. He'd been expecting something of the sort from what he knew of the little descendant. In fact, Hroda might not have joined them at all for all the attention Teos replied to him with, which was none. "I hadn't thought about fishing," he continued to speak to Valerie instead, completely ignoring the boy in the room. "I'm not sure it's something I am cut out for. I heard there was a judo studio, perhaps I will look into that." He hummed thoughtfully. "What type of work do you usually do?"

Val stared at Hroda, caught completely off guard by his sudden appearance and as completely off guard by Teos's response, "I,umm...I work part time as a secretary at the funeral home." she said uncertainty.

"That sounds like interesting work-" And contrarian. "Do you enjoy working there? Was it recommended or did you have an interest in it yourself?"

She shrugged, "They had an add in the paper and I needed the money."

After spending a few moments waiting to be acknowledged--followed by several more moping silently about being ignored--Hroda finally decided to integrate himself into the previously-established conversation happening in front of him. "How admirable it is to find a peer so dedicated to garnering experience and being a responsible soon-to-be adult! I can only imagine that secretarial work requires a great deal of organizational and time-management skills!"

"It's admirable you would begin to develop a work ethic at such a young age," Teos replied, once again ignoring Hroda's very existence. The only acknowledgement he was giving that he actually knew he was there was waiting for the boy's theatrics to come to an end before he would reply to Valerie. "I hope many more of the students in this school are as polite and responsible as you. I'm not sure why you would have been sent to my office. Did you perhaps burst into a room and interrupt a meeting without first waiting for your request to enter to be acknowledged? No, it could not have been that. From what I've heard so far, that seems far too crass and rude for a nice young lady like yourself." What she did was only just falling far enough in the past now, he could see a hazy idea of what it had been. He frowned thoughtfully. "Whatever the reason, I don't think it warrants a write up if you promise to come to speak to me instead of doing... whatever it was you did, or didn't do, whenever this problem occurs again."

Val frowned, work ethic had nothing to do with it. Her mom's boyfriend spent all the money her mom made on alcohol and poker games. She could barely pay the rent, let alone the bills, Val had to help. "Shouldn't be a problem once I graduate in a week." she said.

Teos nodded. "Good. Then I will give you my address so that you can find me even when I am not in the school-" He leaned forward to grab and pad of paper and a pen from the table to jot down Jade's home address with his name at the top, then added some directions and a vague map, just for good measure. He tore it off neatly and held it out for her to take.

Valerie looked surprised, "Your...address?" she asked, accepting the slip of paper.

"Yes, you said it shouldn't be a problem once you graduate to see me when it happens again," Teos clarified. Yes, he knew she meant that the problem with the other students shouldn't happen again, but that just wasn't true. Teos lowered his voice a bit to talk to her a little more seriously than the casual tone he had so far. "People will always do those things, whether they be old, young, male, female. Sadly, it isn't just grade school or high school or even university. I think it is very important that people have others they can count on as they live their lives. Now, I hope this has helped you. I won't keep you any longer but you may stay if you wish. Young Master Hroda-" he finally acknowledged the boy with a kind smile. "If you would have a seat." The title did not seem as derogatory as it might have out of a teacher. From Teos, it almost sounded respectful.

"I..." Val looked over at Hroda and then back at Teos. She didn't particularly want to go back to class in her present mood, but she knew she should, "I suppose I will see you around, Mr. Steinico. You too, Hroda."

Hroda had been moping near the door--seeming almost fearful in his hesitance to interrupt again--absolutely certain that he had made a bad impression of himself to the new counselor, until he heard the man say his name, causing him to finally perk up. It was with a bright--albeit slightly nervous--grin that the teenager took Teos's suggestion and sat beside Val. "I would be most delighted, Mr. Steinico~ Oh, you're not leaving already?" Hroda gave the older girl a clearly-dramatized hurt look. "Will I see you again at lunch, dear Val? I did so enjoy yesterday's conversation."

Valerie cracked a hint of a smile, "I don't really have anywhere else to go." she said. She was probably going to go hide somewhere quiet until the end of the period and then head to her next class.

"Well you are always welcome here," Teos assured her with a little nod of his head. Once Hroda was settled, he gave the boy a smile, accompanied by a surprisingly steady, attentive stare. "Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of your... enthusiastic... introduction?" he asked, the word rolling out of his mouth as if Hroda should consider his answer carefully and not nearly as flippant as he might have in the past. Teos wasn't like the other teachers- possibly because he wasn't a teacher at all- he clearly had expectations of Hroda but they had nothing to do with school or really life but more about manners. From what Chronos had said of Dionysus even he wasn't a brat, but they were so far removed from each other at this point, he could see how the littlest descendant could be more flippant. Disregarding what the law might say about it, Hroda didn't suffer the same repercussions as his ancestor. Teos already knew about Hroda though, just as he knew about Valerie, and despite his expectations, he didn't seem annoyed or mad at him. He was, surprisingly, still as calm as when Valerie had first walked in, just as patient.

Hroda gave Valerie his most dazzling grin (basically the same expression he had when first bursting into the room) before turning back to Teos. The corner of his mouth twitched for a moment and there was a flash of uncertainty in his eyes before the dramatic teen spoke: "Your very presence, Mr. Steinico~ Is it not customary to welcome new arrivals? To bring warmth and acceptance into the lives of those in the process of a drastic change? Especially when their sworn duty is to assist in the growth and maintenance of adolescent souls. Unfortunately, my peers are not always so willing to rub elbows with figures of authority, so the perceived burden--which, in truth, is an honor of great magnitude!--is mine to grasp! Welcome to Athens High, Mr. Steinico!"

Teos laughed when Hroda finished. It was short but warm and he shook his head, eyes lowered. "'Their sworn duty is to assist in the growth and maintenance of adolescent souls,'" he repeated absently. How close he was, surprisingly. He wondered if, all through the years, Dionysus' descendants always had a flair for the dramatic. Maybe it was in the blood. He turned his easy smile on the young boy. "You sound a little like a kiss ass," he noted. "Maybe instead of swinging for the fences you should be honest about the level of excitement a new staff member gives you? I doubt a person of my particular... position, will have very much effect on your life as a whole, as a member of this school anyway," he added as an after thought. He opened his mouth to speak again when the class chime sounded. He frowned, looking up at an invisible speaker as he listened to it, then turned to look at the youths again. "I'm sorry, I believe that indicates the beginning of your lunch period," he apologized and stood to head toward the door. "Please, feel free to come again any time you wish, my door is always open-" The statement felt a little heavy as he tried to imply 'no matter where he was' without actually saying so. He was pretty sure he failed. No matter, Athens Harbor was small, he would no doubt 'accidentally' bump into them this summer. He held the door for them. "I enjoyed our chat, though I feel it was all too brief. I hope the both of you will visit again soon."

---

The final bell of the day rang. Classroom doors opened and kids of all ages scattered going every which way. To their lockers, their cars, the gym, the weight lifting center. Everyone it seemed had somewhere to be. Hroda took his time to pack up his things go by his locker say goodbye to the few close friends he had and make his way off campus, across town to his little house.

Valerie was relieved when the bell rang. She slung her bag over her shoulder and headed out. She saw Hroda as he left butpossitioned herself on the other side of a clique of girls as she headed for the boto streets of Athens Harbor. She just didn't have the energy for another encounter withthe boy.

From the doorway of the main office Teos watched the movement with a curious interest. He turned away when a young teacher was bidding him farewell with a pleasant smile. He politely made his goodbyes as well before following the last of the students out the entrance doors to the building. He checked the clock before stepping out. Jade wouldn't be home yet. He could clear the house before she got there if he hurried. A quick check would put him at ease before he set to work reviewing his notes he'd brought with him from home. He had yet to choose the exact order he would greet all of the descendants, hoping destiny was on his side to make it go smoothly. Choose the wrong person and he could set it off so that the rest he had not spoken to yet thought him crazy. No, trust had to come first. There was, for now, time.


BotO Athens Harbor
Blood of the Olympians