The One Time

Chapter 1

 * I didn't understand this. I threw down my pencil, cursing.


 * As my classmates stared at me, I realized I had said something really bad. Great, I thought, the principal again.


 * "What did you just say?" Patty asked.


 * "Um..." I mumbled, trailing off. "Nothing."


 * "It sounded like another language," Vance pushed. Of course. Patty's boyfriend.


 * I blinked.


 * "It was Greek," Lena said. "I know Greek. That was pretty offensive, Annie."


 * I looked around, feeling my face harden. "So what?" I asked.


 * Lena stared at me. I shook my head and turned back to Algebra, staring at the polynomial again, trying to remember how to do it.


 * "Multiply," I murmured, "No. Add this and this, then- no."


 * "Annie Morin," a voice whispered, "ask to go to the bathroom."


 * I looked up, and watched as Nico walked away from me.


 * Colin was sitting across the isle, nodding at me. "Do it," he mouthed. "I need to talk."


 * I quickly nodded and walked up to Mrs. Feldman's desk. "Can I go to the bathroom?" I asked.


 * She nodded, and handed the other pass to Colin, who had already walked up.


 * We left the room together.


 * "Okay," Colin said, "we can't talk for long."


 * "Duh," I muttered.


 * "But..." Colin began, "it's almost the end of 8th grade. And we're going to high school soon."


 * I nodded. I knew very well how close we were, how we would be going to different schools. I remembered Field Day of the year before, and I knew something related to that was about to happen.


 * "I," Colin began, "know what you are."


 * I blinked. "What?"


 * "You can't focus, you have dyslexia, and you just cursed in Greek. Ancient Greek," he added. "You said 'Curse the Gods'."


 * I blinked. "What?"


 * "You're a demigod, Annie," Colin told me. "And I'm one too."