The Mortal Fringe Read online

  "My name is Constance Adkins", and she is a native speaker "I'll be your teacher for this course of Ancient Mythology, but don't worry, we are going to talk about much more. I'm a literature lover so we'll talk about books, movies, anything you want”, she says in a mysterious voice. "So, why don't we start right away, let's see", she takes a quick look to the students list "is Ingrid here? oh yes you are, great. Ingrid, tell me, what are you currently reading"

  "To Kill a Mockingbird" The soft and tender voice comes from my behind.

  "No, but seriously, you don't need to impress me. Come on, you wouldn't read that book ever in your life, would you? What is it? How to dye your hair at home, or something like that? Come on, be honest". Ok, that was quite something. "Who has read those books by G.R.R. Martin?” I know I shouldn't , but I raise my hand slowly. "What's your name young man?"

  "A…." I clear my throat "Alex Stills."

  She opens her eyes widely enough to scare me when I say my name.

  "And have you finished reading the last one? I'm half way through it, don't you love it?"

  I nod, being so shy to speak again.

  "That's great, that's great. You see, Ingrid? Honesty. One of the things I value most", and the strange look she gives me when saying that scares me.

  The girl, Ingrid, packs her stuff in her bag, which she had just placed on the floor, and leaves. She gives the teacher a rude smile as she walks past her. She surely is not one to mess with. Ms. Adkins looks at her and smiles, as if she also valued the courage Ingrid just showed.

  There's a knock on the door, and after Ms. Adkins gives her approval, it opens. Shit, no. Jay comes in dressed as if he was in Hawaii, he sees me in the front row.

  "Hello, flat mate!"

  I want to die. He sits right next to me. Constance smiles and goes on with the class. I look at Jay, he is taking a notebook from his bag. Deep inside, I'm glad I know someone in the class.

  "So, as I was telling you. This is ancient mythology. Now, who wants to enlighten us all and tell us something about it?" She waits for an answer that does not come. "No? Well, you won't be shy in a couple of weeks", for some reason I think that the reference is intended for me. "We are not going to study the myths but what lies behind them, why where they created? By whom? When? How much of what we know is truth? How much isn't? It's hard to know, right?"

  By that point, I know that I will love that class.

  "One step back, that's it. We are going to focus on one step back of Mythology. You'd be surprised."

  The hour goes on, I feel like I am the only one in the room paying some attention to what the teacher is saying. There is a buzz in the back rows that has been going on for half an hour and somehow I know that the topic of discussion is the rather funny hairstyle of Ms. Adkins. By the end of the class, I have filled up a couple of pages on my notebook, and before I stand up with the rest of the class, Ms. Adkins writes something on the board. «Hand in Essay, Tuesday November 13th».

  "I'll give you all a topic for the essay next week. That's all."

  She packs all her stuff and she is out of class in less than a second. Before I walk out the door Jay comes straight to me. I think that living with this strange guy is going to be quite an adventure.

  "What class are you going?"

  I check my calendar, I have all the classes written down because I don't want to be late. My next class is Latin. I could have taken a quick look on the map when I had the chance, I don't know how to get there. I feel really uncomfortable talking to people I have just met, but I guess this is the right moment to work on that.

  "I have no idea. This place is a great mess" I say it as a joke, but it doesn't seem to work. Jay picks my timetable and points straight to the room right in front of me. Great.

  "What are your plans for lunch? We could meet up in the bar and make the proper introductions, after all, we are condemned to live together". Luckily, I can tell he is joking. Alright Alex, time to make some friends.

  "Yeah, right", that didn't sound very enthusiastic. "See you there after class"

  "Don’t get lost" he jokes as he leaves.

  I get in the room, pick a sit near the teacher's table and wait for the next class to begin. As happened before, people begin to enter only after the clock has reached the exact hour in which the class is set to start.

  And among all those new faces, I see her.

  Her chestnut hair drops beautifully onto her shoulders and cover part of her face. I can't see her eyes but I know they are green, it's like they shed some strange light that I am the only one who is able to see. She walks past me and doesn't even notice me. I am completely invisible.

  This class is hell, the most boring thing I have ever been taught, and the teacher is not particularly good either. The class is in Spanish and even though I can get most of it, my mind is focusing on something else, or someone, sitting four seats away.

  Those eyes have cast a spell upon me. The moment the class ends I stand up and leave the room, I don't feel very well. I need to breathe. This is one of those moments you see in films and think «come on, how on earth can that happen» well, I guess I have just figured it out.

  I manage to get to the bar without losing myself more than twice. Jay is already waiting for me. I reach the table and put my stuff on the floor. My head is between my arms and after a minute of silence I realize that I am not at home, nor alone. Jay is giving me quite a strange look and I try to cloak that action.

  We have a quick meal, he keeps talking and talking. In less than an hour I already know more about him than I know about Richard, and I have known Richard for years. Jay comes from a rather wealthy family in New York, his father is an established thriller writer who sells about two million books per year, and his mum used to be a doctor up until she decided that she wanted some time for herself. He loves movies, even though I have known that from the moment I walked into our room. I would like to tell him about myself but I simple can't, I hate being like this, but there is nothing to do about it.

  All I manage to tell him is that I live with my mother and grandfather in a normal house away from civilization.

  "How come you ended up here?" that's a good question.

  "I decided that I wanted to move out for a semester some months ago, so I saved as much as I could, and with that and the money that I got from my mother I paid for it, and here I am". I keep the real reason to myself, although thinking about it is as painful as talking about it.

  The talking goes on for another half an hour, I'm getting more comfortable as time goes by, but suddenly, those green eyes are in my mind again and I can't remember how to talk or even think, and all I fear is that those eyes might my the cause of my dying dreams, for I'm quite sure I have seen them before

  CHAPTER 4

  It's been a week already, and I have seen the girl with the green eyes over and over, ending up shivering every time she walks near me. Life away from home seems to be what I desired; life away from self-punishment, although I still have my moments. I haven't told Jay about her, but I am managing to be more open than I used to be and we are becoming, I hope, friends.

  It's ancient mythology again. Jay is sitting right next to me, and the girls in the back keep talking as they have been doing in every class. Ms. Adkins writes something on the board pretending not to notice about the talking, and when she is done she waits for us to read what she has written. You can either be a real God, or make up a story about you that will live forever.

  "What do I mean by that?" she asks with a hopeful smile on her face.

  No one dares to speak. Every time she asks something, whoever answers is publically humiliated. Since I do believe that I know what she means, I raise my hand slowly. As mom used to say, the only way to beat what you fear, is facing it.

  "Mr. Stills, right?" I nod "let's hear it."

  "Well, I think that what you mean is that you can choose between being just a human being, or make yourself immortal", as soon as I say it I want to take it b
ack, but it's done.

  "Make yourself immortal", she whispers while nodding with her finger on her lips "I like the expression. You got it almost right, Mr. Stills. What it means is that back in the time, some people chose to hide their true nature so they would become rulers of the world. And how do you do that? You become immortal, you call yourself Zeus, or Ares, and you live forever."

  "So, what you mean is that someone came up with the great Greek Gods because they wanted to be remembered?", the voice comes from the back of the room, and surprisingly enough, it's one of the girls who can't seem to shut up during the class. The girl sitting behind me, Ingrid, gasps hopelessly, she is not particularly fond of this class.

  "What's your name darling?"

  "Maria"

  "Well, Maria. That's exactly what I mean. Yes. And that's how the class is going to be, we are going to trace the origins of every single myth, the reason for the creation, and how they have evolved up until today. "

  It sounds interesting, at least we won’t have to learn every single myth word by word, which used to happen back home.

  "I have written down some topics for the essays, they are in small papers in this box I have here. I will walk around and everyone will pick one, and that will be the topic for your essay. "

  Ms. Adkins picks the box up and shakes it so that we can hear the movement of the pieces of paper inside. I have to wait for five minutes to get my own. I pick one randomly: Theseus. I would have enjoyed something else better, but I write it down on my agenda, and rapidly begin to brainstorm on the topic. When Ms. Adkins reaches her desk again, she looks inside the box.

  "Oh, I wrote too many", she opens one up randomly and smiles. She keeps it in her hand and continues with the class. She has started to put into question the very first myth of Greek mythology: chaos.

  Ms. Adkins walks around the class, she does not stop talking and her enthusiasm fills me up like I have never felt in a class before. She comes near me and stands in front of my desk, and puts her hands over my notebook. The talking goes on for a couple of minutes and when she goes back to her table, she smiles at me and winks her eye. I look down, and where her hands had been some seconds earlier, there is a piece of paper just like the one I have taken out from the box. I open it carefully, she has left it there on purpose. I read what it's written on it: Immortals.

  I am getting all my things together when I notice that Ms. Adkins is pointing at me. I doubt for a second and when everything is in my bag I walk towards her.

  "About the piece of paper..."

  "I felt that it would be more interesting than Theseus. Listen, I have a proposal for you. I have been busy this past weeks and I would need an assistant in my office for some time. Getting everything in its proper place, no more than that. If you'd be so kind to consider it, I would grant 10% of your final mark, as an in class task. "

  I take a couple of seconds to think about it. I have nothing to do after the next class, which means that I have a couple of free hours. I accept the offer gratefully.

  "I'll see you in my office after your class then" and she leaves.

  I walk out of the room, Jay is waiting for me, with his back against the wall.

  "Meet you for lunch today?"

  "I can't make it, Ms. Adkins asked for my help."

  "Well done dude, if only she were younger."

  "Shut up!", and that's the first time I joke around with him unexpectedly.

  "Oh Alex! I forgot!" he grabs my arm. "I bought two tickets for a Star Wars thing next week, but something came up and I can't go. Do you want them? Please, I can't give them back."

  I don't know what to say, but I end up nodding and accepting his offer.

  The next class is, as always, as boring as it can be, and I am trying my best not to look at the girl with the green eyes. I've been trying to avoid her, she makes me strangely uncomfortable. I have never felt like this before.

  When the class is over, it takes me about fifteen minutes to get to Ms. Adkins office, and she is already waiting for me. The place is quite a mess, I suddenly regret having accepted the offer, and 10% is not worth it.

  "You need to tidy this up, my other assistant will help you, and she is from Sussex. Really nice girl. Elizabeth, darling where are you?"

  "Here" she says, and then she appears from behind a pile of books. That's her, now I regret being here even more. She is ridiculously beautiful. And her haunting green eyes are fixed on mine for the very first time.

  "This is Alex, he will help you out. I recruited him from my previous class, he is American." was my accent that showy? "My all-time first American."

  I have a bad feeling when I hear my teacher's last statement.

  "Cheer up. I meant that I had never taken in an American student as an assistant before." And without saying anything else, she leaves.

  I stand still for a couple of seconds until she gives me some old essays and papers that need to be archived.

  "So, from Sussex" I try to use Jay's tone of voice to seem friendly. Trying to hide how intimidated I feel.

  "Yes."

  "Never been there."

  Not even a glimpse of interest. I try to go on putting to practice everything that I've learned with Jay these days.

  "I'm Alex, nice meeting you" living with Jay is working out for me, I would have never been able to do that. "We go to the same Latin class."

  "I know" she says, with voice as cold as ice.

  Good, do not bother her.

  I go on organizing everything in boxes or filing cabinets and all of a sudden, it hits me: How on earth did Ms. Adkins know that I had taken Theseus from the box?

  CHAPTER 5

  It's been days of hard word, I hardly have time for anything else but to prepare my subjects the moment I get to my room. I have to decline Jay's constant attempts to get me out of here, he loves partying and for some reason he can't understand how on earth I am not like him.

  The best days in the week are the ones I get to spend those silent hours with Elizabeth in Ms. Adkins office. She barely looks at me, but I feel close to her, I feel better with myself when she is around, it's like we know each other from some other place or time. It is madness, but I like to think that. At least it is the most normal thought that my mind has met in a very long time.

  I hardly know anyone from class. Aside from Jay, and that girl, Ingrid, I haven't had the chance to make any other friends, and I have not tried much either. However, I keep telling everyone back home that this is going perfectly fine, I don't want them to worry too much. I will be ok, it's just six months and then I will be back. If I don't get to know anyone else, it won't be much of a deal, after all.

  It's ridiculous the amount of hours I spend with Elizabeth, and I only get to say the inappropriate thing. Our last time in the office I decided that it would be a nice move to tell her about the Star Wars tickets Jay gave me. She did not even bother to give me an answer. At least she smiled.

  People may think of me as the nerd who spends the afternoons at the library, and even thought that is not true, it would appear to be the case these days. Whenever I have some free time I show up in here, I love this library. It reminds me of some magical place, all the books are stored so beautifully that I could stare at them for days.

  The essay is driving me crazy. It doesn't matter how much I look into the subject, I can't find a single reference to the term Immortals that could be used for it. The only matches are either films or comic books, but none of that is useful.

  I don't like the idea of it, but I guess I will have to ask someone for help. I go to the front desk in the library and the woman behind it looks at me with a fake smile on her face. She talks to me as if I was bothering her, and in the end I get nothing out of the conversation. I have nothing to work on.

  Someone leaves a computer free, and before it's too late I go straight to it and look at the library's database. I write down the word I want information about, and even though I get some results, none of them focuses on
what I want. But it seems like there is one named “From mortal to Immortal”, with a Greek painting on the cover. It might do.

  "So they do not teach you about properly in the United States?"

  I turn around closely, it's the girl from my mythology class.

  "I'm Sorry?"

  "My computer" she says pointing at the screen.

  "But it was empty."

  "I needed to go to the bathroom. See? My things are here."

  She is right, I feel so embarrassed that I cannot even move. She smiles at me and sits by my side.

  "I'm Ingrid."

  I take my hands off the keyboard, but say nothing.

  "I know your name, there's no need for stupid introductions" she punches me on the arm, as a friendly gesture, judging from her face. "So, may I have the computer back?"

  "Yes, sorry. I was just…"

  "Doing the essay, I can see that. Did you find what you were looking for?"

  "I don't know how to get the book."

  She looks at me almost with pity eyes.

  "I'll show you around."

  I write down the number of the book, as she orders me too and follow her into the bowels of the library. If the library seems to be immense when you enter it, once you cross the door into its skeleton it's overwhelming. This huge place stands as a cemetery of dying books. I am sure most of the volumes in these shelves have not been touched for years. I see masterpieces as I go by, Les Misérables, by Victor Hugo, then I see the complete works of Jane Austen and right next to it, Fitzgerald and Margaret Mitchell, as guardians of the library.

  After an hour of looking, we finally find the book I'm looking for.

  "They will validate it on the front desk."

  "Thanks", I say shyly.

  She smiles at me, and punches me again.

  "Good luck with the essay."

  I take the book to the front desk, and once everything is sorted, I put it in my bag and leave.

  When I get home Jay is taking a shower, which gives me about half an hour to work on my essay without his constant comments on my way of living. I lie on my bed and open the volume I just picked up from the library.