Half Blood High

Part 8 - Khione/Octavian/Rachel

Khione was a new student at Half-Blood High. Her brothers Cal and Zethes had already found their places in the social system, the former on the hockey team, and the latter in the cosmetology department.
Half-Blood High has something for everyone.
Everyone but Khione.
She wanted to rule the school, but she wasn't currently placed in the social structure because she didn't get along with people.
No guy would date her.
No girls wanted to be friends with her.
Though there were a few people who wanted to be her, she ignored them.
But who wouldn't want to be her? Iconic, fabulously dressed, a "I don't care about your shit but you better care about mine" attitude.
However, she had no special talents besides being icy, deceitful, and an all-around loud mouthed know-it-all.
With some of the other popular kids having the same talents, she thought that would make her one too.
Which is exactly why she was in her own social structure of one.
No one liked her and she either didn't notice or didn't care.
Well, none of them knew it, but Khione did have a talent. A talent that would have stayed secret if a certain lesser male hadn't bugged her about it.

Khione didn't go to many of her classes because she didn't feel the need to. Instead, she spent most of her time in detention (because the teachers refused to let her leave without doing some work) and in the ballroom.
Khione was the best dancer in Half-Blood High, but no one knew it.
That is, until he crashed one of her practices.
Khione lost herself in the music, just as she always did. It was the only time she felt free.
Her phone was loaded with music from her favorite classical composers: Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Bach, and so many others. And she played it all day long.
As a song ended, Khione turned to find a boy in the doorway. She walked across the floor to her shoes and phone. "Get out!"
The boy didn't move. He barely breathed. His voice came out sounding meek, but from the way she had seen this boy in detention, she knew he was far from it. "Please let me draw you."
She scoffed at him. "Why should I?"
"Because the way you move. It's like the first snow of Winter: graceful, alluring, and always leaving the viewer wanting more. It's like the North Wind: icy and yet it breathes essence into the world. It's perfect. You're perfect. Please just one sketch. Just one song. I would love to draw you."
Khione smiled at the boy, not her usual cruel smile, but one of intrigue and amusement. "I've seen you around the school before but I don't think we've actually met. What's your name boy?"
"Octavian, miss."
"Well, Octavian, you certainly have a way with words. You may have one song."
She set her phone back down and allowed the music to consume her once more as Octavian's pencil moved over his pages.
One step. Two steps.
Three lines. Four curves.
Five songs later, they parted ways as friends.
Khione had a friend and now Octavian had two.

Later that day, they had detention, again. Khione, because she cut most of her classes and Octavian because he got in another fight. They decided to sit together and talk about how much they hated the school and everyone else in it. That's when Khione found that Octavian could be a useful ally in bringing her to the top of the social structure. Of course he would be slightly lower than her on the scale still, but only slightly so he would think he had some power.
Octavian also had a good way of getting her power.
"I'll have them publish a couple of my drawings in the school paper and you could do a show. Then everyone would see you are not only the best dancer ever, but that you are even better than that no good Percy Jackson!"
Khione could see a pale skinned, dark haired boy glaring at them from the other side of the room. Khione glared back at him and laughed when the boy turned back towards his friend. "Octavian, if you really think they will publish anything on anyone who isn't popular yet in the school newspaper, and that anyone will actually come and see me dance, then give me one of my favorite things in the world, your persuasion and flattery."
Octavian thought about his next words very carefully as he pulled out his sketchbook and showed Khione the drawings from earlier that day. "Oh Khione, you are a goddess among undeserving mortals who would worship you. Your talents surpass those of everyone else's in the school. No one can match your beauty. But if only they knew how wondrous you are! If you allow me to publish these drawings that don't measure up to the real thing, if you show everyone your talents, they would bow down at your feet and you would rule the school, and someday, the world."
Khione gave him a knowing smile. "That's why I shall keep you around when I rule the school. You, Octavian, can be counted on for such words of encouragement. Go forth, my friend, publish your work." She stood up and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Make all necessary arrangements. I shall see you tomorrow, my friend."
Octavian was frozen in place as Khione exited the room. He could feel his cheeks burning with heat and he wondered how many had seen what she just did. With a quick scan of the room, Octavian noticed the two people who were staring at him and walked over to them.
"Nico, Leo, what's up with you today?"
The dark haired one was almost smiling. "Well, Leo and I haven't been doing much. You on the other hand." Nico waved his finger at Octavian. "You certainly are naughty. You should hope your girl doesn't find out about Khione or you will be in alot of trouble."
Octavian glared at the boys. "You wouldn't dare."
The latino laughed. "We know better than to get on any of your bad sides. We are just going to let this play out."
"Tell Rachel we say hi." Nico blew Octavian a kiss as the two boys left, not because he liked him. Just to piss Octavian off a little more.
And Octavian was very pissed.

Rachel runs the school newspaper, which means she checks over EVERYTHING before it's printed. At first, when she saw one of her boyfriend's drawings had made it in, she was almost surprised. But then she noticed it wasn't gruesome. It was nice. It was also of a girl, one Rachel knew existed, but never talked to.
So instead of being happy her boyfriend had a drawing good enough to be in the paper, she told her team to find something new to place in instead.
She also couldn't help comparing herself to this girl who had no place in the school.
And she was going to give her a place.
Rachel stormed through the halls of Half-Blood High. She found Khione at her locker in no time. (It was between Gwen's and Nyssa's, near the closet where Coach Hedge keeps the baseball bats and dodgeballs.) And the person she wanted to see was closing it at that moment.
"Can I help you with something?"
Khione's question was answered wuth a slap across her face, causing everyone else in the hallway to stop and stare. "YOU D-LIST SLUT! YOU THINK YOU ARE SO WONDERFUL BECAUSE YOU CAN SUPPOSEDLY DANCE? YOU ACT LIKE A BITCH, DRESS LIKE A SLUT, AND ARE NOTHING BUT A BOY STEALER!"

No one in the hallway made any sudden moves. They knew better than to get between Rachel Dare and anything unless you were looking for trouble, or your last name was Stoll.
Khione clutched her cheek which was turning bright red, partly because of the slap, and partly because of her rising anger. "Perhaps my good looks caused your boyfriend to recognize a true muse when he sees one!"
Khione didn't have time to even flinch before she and Rachel were in a fistfight in the middle of the hall. More profanities were shouted. Hair was pulled. After several minutes, both girls found themselves in the principal's office, facing Mr. Brunner, and being told what the consequences would be for their actions.
"I don't care why you two were fighting over this boy. It will not happen on school grounds. You both have detention for the week, and you will not be allowed to perform your dances next month Ms. Boread."
Khione wasn't surprised in the outcome. She just smiled at Rachel. "It looks like we'll be seeing alot more of each other, eh princess?" She wiggled her eyebrows at Rachel's disgusted face.
"And if either of you are caught fighting again, you shall both be suspended."
"What? But when Octavian and Jason fought, they never were."
"That was also last year, Ms. Dare. Now both of you get out of here."
He shooed the girls out of his office and they went their separate ways before seeing each other on opposite ends of the detention room hours later. When she couldn't stand it, Rachel stomped over to Khione. Octavian ran over to both of them, after staying away to not cause any more problems.
Now he was hoping his two friends wouldn't start killing each other again. Rachel tried to push him away. "I won't be long with your new girl. She just needs to show me she can dance."
Khione gave her a smug smile. "And why would I do that, eh Princess?"
"Because then I will know you are actually worth something and I shall allow Octy's drawings to be published in the school paper."
"You've got yourself a deal."
The three of them moved desks around as the other kids napped, or otherwise ignored them. Mrs. Dodds told them to put everything back when they were done without bothering to look up from her book. 
Khione turned her phone on and set it on one of the desks, allowing the music to take hold of everything she was and bring it into the world.
When she stopped dancing, she realized Rachel was smiling. Genuinely smiling. "That was the best dancing I've seen in a long time. Ok then. You've kept your end of the bargain, and I'll keep mine."
Khione looked at her skeptically. "But what about Octavian. He's what got us into this mess. I don't want to loose my right-hand man."
Rachel shrugged. "Well, if that's all you see him as, I think we can share him."
They looked down at the boy and he held his sketchbook to his chest. "Truthfully, I just want to draw her as she dances."
The girls laughed at parted ways as allys. Perhaps one day, they could call each other friends too.