✔ Aspen | Sherman Yang

[15.02]

"Miranda Gardiner and Sherman Yang, please report to the office. Miranda Gardiner and Sherman Yang, please report to the office."

Sherman was never called down to the office. He didn't have a mother to pick him up for dentist appointments or participate in any bad behaviour to end up there. Even more surprising was the fact that he and Miranda were called for at the same time.

The students in his class whispered and "oohed" but he ignored it, looking at his teacher for permission to leave. When she nodded at the two, they gathered their school supplies and headed out of the classroom.

Swallowing his nerves while being around his former friend, they walked side by side but far apart, heading for the same area. They didn't glare at each other or talk but acted as if they were strangers, like every other day. He consistently glanced at her to see if she was looking at him, expecting her to maybe show a little bit of civility, but he was disappointed.

The principal's office was right around the corner when she broke the unbearable wall of silence.

"Sherman?"

"Yes?"

All too suddenly, the child of Ares whipped his head around and met her copper eyes. Every trace of the Miranda she became at school disappeared and relief washed over him. She was finally looking at him the way she would normally look at him at Camp Half-Blood, the one he became close with.

"You don't think that we were both called to the office together as a mere coincidence do you?" she asked, her voice ringing in her head.

Even her voice sounded the same. There was tension, but familiar tension rather than the type strangers have when talking. He let out a shaky exhale and shook his head.

"We haven't done anything wrong and I'm sure our guardians wouldn't call the school to deliver a message for us," he replied. "As much as I hope it is a coincidence, I doubt it with every part of my body."

"I agree," she said softly, giving him a nod of thanks as he held the door of the office open for her.

They headed towards the secretary's desk and she looked up, a phone between her chin and her shoulder. She tilted her head to the side, motioning to the direction of the principal's office. The chances of normal things happening right now were much slimmer now that they were to enter together.

Footsteps rang loudly down the hall and Sherman sighed.

"I kinda miss you," he said suddenly, glancing over at her to gauge her reaction.

Miranda suddenly had a huge fit of coughs and he was startled, stopping to put his hand on her back, hoping to help. It only made things worse and she coughed harder, bending over to hide her face. For a moment, her coughs seemed to resemble soft sobs and he regrettably removed his hand from her back. Finally, she calmed down and they waited outside the principal's office.

"I missed you too."

He opened his mouth to say something but the door swung open and August Cloverleaf was standing before them, a very grim expression on his face.

Sherman's mouth dropped open even wider at the sight of his best friend. Ever since he was claimed, August had other demigod missions to attend to and he didn't go to school anymore. It had been a while since they had seen each other. He hugged the satyr tightly and let go so their protector could hug Miranda as well.

"Come on," he said, leading them into the large room. "I knocked the principal out with a little music, he won't remember anything.

"What's going on?" Sherman asked.