Charlie is just a normal high school girl whose biggest concerns are cheerleading and the upcoming dance, but when she is mistakenly enrolled into an all-boys academy, she finds out what it's like to be just one of the guys. Friendship, drama, roman...
"So, why are the Spartans and Athenians rivals?" Charlie was still trying to understand as she walked down the hall with the twins after class.
"They're always the two top dorms in the Olympics," explained Demeter. "One of them always wins."
"Yeah, except it's been Sparta for the last five years straight," frowned Apollo. "That's why it was so important to-"
"We really wanted to win this year," Demeter finished for him.
"But if we aren't even entering, then why are they still acting like we're their enemies?" Charlie tilted her head in confusion.
"Because they're bullies," shot Apollo. "And that Printz dude is the biggest one of all."
"Yeah! Who does he think he is anyways? Everyone knows we're the real Princes of Olympus Academy," Demeter puffed out his chest. "Printz... Yeah right..."
"Well, he doesn't seem like a bully to me," said Charlie as they stopped outside of an English classroom. "I mean, maybe the other guys are a little mean, but he can't help who his roommates are. I think Printz is nice."
"Charlie, Charlie, Charlie. Let me show you what nice really is," Apollo grinned, shooing his brother away and ushering Charlie into the room. "Once you hear my royal poetry, you'll realize who's the true prince around here."
"Yep! Me!" called Demeter from the hall. "He's just the frog!"
Apollo narrowed his eyes and slammed the door in Demeter's face.
"Hehe, hi guys," he smiled, turning to see the circle of Poetry Club members who were now staring at him in silence.
"You're just in time," a small boy with glasses greeted them as they joined the circle. "We were just about to start. Today we're doing improvisational rhyming poems. Apollo, would you like to go first?"
"Of course," Apollo grinned, rising to stand in the center of the circle. "Let me show you how it's done," he sent Charlie a wink and began his rhyme.
"Flowers begin to bloom Every time you're near When you walk into the room I'm glad that you are here My heart goes all aflutter Every time you speak With every word you utter You make my legs go weak
Since you and I first met My life has never been the same With you I feel better yet I long to speak your name Without you my heart feels hollow I love you my sweet Prince Apollo"
After he finished, Apollo took a deep bow and the rest of the club snapped their fingers in applause.
"What did you think?" he whispered as he sat back down next to Charlie.
"Umm, well, I didn't expect the ending," Charlie told him. "Although I guess I should have," she told herself.
"Okay! Who's next?" asked the boy with the glasses. "How about our new member?"
"Me?" Charlie gulped, slowly taking her place in the middle of the group.
"Don't be nervous," said the club leader. "Just speak about whatever comes to mind."
"Oh... okay..." Charlie took a breath and tried to think, but her mind suddenly went blank.
"Think, think, think," she whispered, looking around the room for some inspiration.
Everyone was staring at her.
"I'm standing still, All eyes on me,"Charlie began, glancing around for more ideas.
The afternoon sun beamed through the window.
"But the only thing that I can see," she continued, surprised to have made her first rhyme.
"Is the bright sun lit up like," Charlie paused, grasping for a good descriptive word and peered back outside.
Rib was running by wearing his hockey mask again, but what really stood out was his bright hair sticking over the top.
"Like an orange," she finished, proud of her simile. "Shining on me with its... its..."
"Umm, I hate to say it," the bespectacled boy spoke up. "But there's no rhyme for orange," he told her.
Charlie could feel her face turn red as she darted back to her seat.
"Nice try," Apollo smiled sympathetically, but Charlie knew that her relationship with poetry was over.
~~~
"I guess I'll have to try a new club next week," Charlie sighed as she and Apollo entered the Athens dorm.
"Hey, Charlie!" Rib called from the kitchen. "Want an orange?"
"How does he already know about that?" Charlie gaped, unamused by Rib's teasing.
"We know things around here," Rib grinned creepily.
"It's okay," said Demeter. "You can come to Astronomy Club with me next Friday. I'm sure you'll love that. You... Me... Stars..."
"It's worth a shot," Charlie agreed gratefully, much more eager to look through the circular lens of a telescope than to stand in the circular group of students and try to make rhymes.
"So, are you coming to the match tomorrow, Charlie?" asked Rib, picking at the scab forming on his leg.
"Uhh... Yeah," Charlie answered dodgily, afraid to tell her dormmates who had invited her first.
"Sweet! I knew I could count on you to come cheer for the world's greatest goalie!" Rib grinned. "Hey! Who wants to watch a movie?" he waved another scary movie in the air.
"Uh, I have some things to do," said Charlie, hurrying to her room. She didn't like horror films, but she also wanted to finish assembling her outfit for the soccer match before Pace showed up.
Roommate-free, she was finally able to retrieve her fallen skirt from the bottom of the wardrobe. Then pulling the heart-print tee she had picked out the night before from the shelf, she laid out the ensemble on her bed.
"Great. Everything's wrinkled," she pouted "Thanks a lot, Pace."
Trying to drape her shirt from the skirt hanger as well, she hung her clothes back in the wardrobe, giving Pace's two jerseys a resentful look before closing the door.
"At least I got that done without getting yelled at again," she thought as she climbed into bed. "Hey, since Pace isn't home yet, I actually made it through an entire day without getting yelled at!" she grinned in realization and happily drifted off to sleep.
However, when morning arrived, Charlie noticed that Pace's bunk was still empty.
~~~
---AUTHOR NOTE---
Hey guys!
I received some more fan art that I want everyone to see! (Even though we had a Fan Art Corner last update, I am always open to things you want to send in! So feel free to keep 'em coming! :D)
Anyhow, this is an adorable drawing of Charlie x Pace by Star Evelynn!
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