Iridescence

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

KRISSY

I listened to everything Eliza told me in shock. Not only had her mother known what kind of monster her father was, but she'd stayed with him to protect Eliza. It was heartbreaking, but it made her more determined than ever to stop her father from getting away with it.

"Liz, you need to read the will," I reminded her gently.

She sighed before opening it. We began to skim over everything together. "Your mom was the legal owner of the house," I said as I realized that detail, "and she left it to you. She also left you the money in her bank account and all of her personal property..."

"I would trade it all to change her fate," Eliza said softly.

"I know, Liz... But at least this means the house and basically everything in it belongs to you. Your mom was a smart woman, putting it all in her name." I kept reading, and that was when I came across the best news. "She named a guardian for you," I said.

Eliza wasn't looking at the will, and her face fell. "So I'll have to leave?" She asked.

"No, you're not going anywhere. She named my aunt as your guardian. You can stay, Liz!"

She looked as relieved as I felt. I hugged her and said, "We're basically sisters now."

"You've been my sister since we were eleven," Eliza replied.

I smiled at her. "I feel the same way," I said. "Get changed. We'll watch a movie and go to bed. You're definitely crashing with me tonight."

She didn't protest. I knew how badly she needed me, and I was ready to get her through this no matter what.

***

The next day, we went back to school. People stared at Eliza as we walked through the halls. She tried to make herself as small as possible. Faith met up with us and started acting out just to draw attention away from Eliza.

I watched in mild amusement as Faith's antics got crazier and crazier. At first, she just got in people's faces or punched lockers, but soon she was shouting incoherently and making threatening gestures at anyone who so much as looked at Eliza, embracing her "crazy girl" image. I couldn't help but laugh as kids started keeping their distance.

"Thanks, Faith," Eliza said softly.

"Anytime, Eliza," Faith replied. "I can always be counted on for a good distraction."

"Just try to relax in class, Liz," I added. "I'll be a few doors down if you need me." I reluctantly headed to English class.

Miss Maven immediately split us into groups. I was pretty excited when she put me in Jenna's group. Kevin and Leo were also in our group. Jenna looked at our assigned subject.

"The use of ancient mythology in modern literature," she read aloud.

I barely covered up a laugh. "Mythology? Yeah, we've got this," I said.

"What should we start with?" Leo asked.

Kevin shrugged, looked at Jenna, and said, "I'll follow your lead, Babe. I'm more of a math guy."

"What about you, Leo?" I asked.

"I like mythology. It's entertaining," Leo replied. "It's like the world's first soap opera."

I laughed. "Today, on As Olympus Turns, Zeus gets someone other than Hera pregnant... Wait, that was last week... Actually, it is this week, too!"

"And probably next week," Leo added.

Jenna grinned before saying, "Today, on la novela, Monte Olimpo, Zeus meets the almighty chancleta!"

I snorted out loud. "We're definitely going to create a fun project," I decided.

"Hey, Zeus isn't all bad," Kevin said. "He's the leader of Mount Olympus! That's no easy job. If anyone's the bad guy, it's Hades. That guy has issues."

I felt the need to stick up for Hades, considering I actually knew the guy. "Hades just had middle child syndrome," I said. "He was always being compared to his twin or his little brother, and he was stuck running the Underworld, and it's so hot down there! No wonder he's so cranky, right?"

"Besides, Zeus is a serial cheater," Jenna added. "And cheating is never okay."

Kevin looked at Jenna like he was worried she'd hit him with her chancleta any second. I laughed at his fearful response of, "It's not like I'd ever cheat on my girl, Babe... It's just that it's not as evil as the things Hades did. That guy abducted his niece and forced her to marry him. That's sick."

"Okay, I don't disagree, but he's changed," I said. Jenna's eyes widened in horror at my slip. "I mean, I assume he would have changed after all these millennia, right?" I added quickly. "If he was even real, which he's obviously not."

I vaguely wondered if Gods were like faeries. Did one disappear every time someone said they didn't believe in them?

Sorry, Hades, I thought. I totally believe in faeries- I mean, in you.

I thought I heard Poseidon howling with laughter in my mind. That made me laugh aloud, like his amusement was contagious.

"What's so funny, Krissy?" Kevin asked.

"My mind's just going a little ADHD on me," I replied. "Let's try to focus and get this going."

For the rest of the class, that was what we did. By the time the bell rang, we had a pretty good idea of what we wanted to do.

"This was kind of fun," Kevin said. "You should hang out with us more often, Krissy."

"Yeah, you made things a lot more interesting with your sense of humor," Leo added.

"I'm not a jock, though," I pointed out. "I wouldn't fit in."

"You're a really good swimmer," Jenna replied. "You should join the swim team."

"I'd probably lose interest too fast, but I appreciate the suggestion."

"You don't have to be athletic to hang out with us," Leo said. "We also accept class clowns."

"Now that is a role I can fill." I suddenly realized I'd spent most of the class laughing. It felt good, and for a little while, I'd kind of forgotten about Eliza's mom. I sighed, suddenly feeling terrible.

"What's wrong?" Jenna asked.

"I'm sitting here cracking jokes and laughing while Eliza is grieving and broken. I feel like the worst best friend in the world," I admitted.

"Krissy, you're a great best friend," Leo said. "I see the way you look out for her... But you have to take time to take care of yourself, too. It's okay to laugh and relax. That's the only way to keep your sanity."

"He's right," Jenna agreed. "You'd do anything for Eliza. Everyone knows that, but you can't take care of her if you don't take care of yourself."

"Yeah, Krissy," Kevin added. "It's okay to have fun for a little while."

I nodded. "Thanks, guys," I replied. "Anyway, we better get to our respective next classes. See you later!"

I hurried out of the room and headed toward my science class. I was very surprised when I noticed a piece of paper on my desk. I flipped it over and nearly died from too much laughter.

The sketch had been drawn in exquisite detail. Hades wore a tutu and a tiara. He held a wand and had wings coming out of his back. His face was as grumpy as ever. Beneath this image was a short note.

Thanks for the laugh! I thought I'd return the favor. Love, Poseidon

I carefully placed the hilarious artwork in my binder. With my spirits lifted back to their usual state, I sat down at my desk and tried to figure out how to focus on science while I was still giggling internally.