"So, after such a major betrayal, the most popular accounts of the myth tell of Medea's filicide and then escape. But this is shown to be an account by the poet Eumelus, popularized by many other poets and then becoming the central story we hear of today. But, as we've gone over so many times during these last few weeks, the mainstream mythic accounts we have or use in courses like this one, are only one side of not a coin, but a dice."

Alexandria continued typing away at the keys of her laptop, filling line after line of the word document she had reopened earlier on. And no, she wasn't writing notes.

Alex was writing out another scene that had entered her mind for her latest novel.

Was she paying attention to what Professor Hector was saying? Yes.

Was she showing any sign that she was? No.

From beside her, Angelina continued to lean back into her chair as discretely as possible, stealing glances over Alex's shoulder to catch a peek at what she was busy writing. After a third time, she rolled my eyes, turning to watch Angie with a blank stare. "Can you not?"

Angie lifted her shoulders in a light shrug before straightening her posture in her chair. "What? You've been writing that story for a while now and you never once showed me a copy. I've got to try what I can to read."

Alex scoffed before turning her attention back to the laptop. "Why do you want to read this so badly anyways?"

Angie shot her a wide-eyed glare as though she'd just blasphemed. "Um, excuse? Did you not read the last novel you published?" She raised a finger after thought. "Oh, wait, never mind, you probably didn't. Well, spoiler alert, it was amazing! When are you writing the sequel? Is that what you're working on right now?"

Alex was about to answer, when the both of them received slightly perturbed glances from Professor Hector, so instead she shook my head, placing a finger over her lips to motion for her to be quiet. She shrunk back in her seat, allowing Alex to continue her multitasking endeavor which involved both writing out the current scene while listening to the professor's lecture.

"And so, what do you think the message would have been if instead of Medea killing her own children in revenge against Jason, we got the people of Corinth killing them instead, as told by other accounts of the same myth."

Since his suspicions as to whether or not they were paying attention in class had just gotten a boost, Alex decided to raise her hand for this question at least. He was all too ready to pick her. "Yes Alexandria?"

"I think that ultimately, it would have placed a hole on the entire front the Greek poets were trying to present. Medea joins a whole list of other women that perpetuate this sort of 'tragic woman' persona. Heracles' wife murders him, Pandora becomes a curse to humanity, Helen becomes a catalyst for the war, Agamemnon's wife murders him when he returns from war...all of these were canonized by Greek men to solidify this image of the woman's curse, how a woman ultimately becomes a man's downfall or a civilization's downfall. I think that using the account where the Corinthians kill her children would have gone against the very message they were trying to promote, and it would have been a bit of a contradiction in showing just how misogynistic that society was."

Professor Hector seemed more than satisfied with her answer, which only meant one thing: more questions. "Good point, but what would you say then about Penelope and Odysseus. She doesn't exactly follow the woman's curse image now does she?"

Alex sighed, thinking of whatever answer she could string up as she opened her mouth to respond. "I think that they emphasized Penelope as the exception on purpose. If we look at the reasons given as to why she was this 'ideal wife', we can see why. Throughout the entirety of the Odyssey, Penelope never leaves her house, much less her room. It's twenty years into her separation from Odysseus and she still hopes that he'll return. She spends her entire time either at the loom or crying herself to sleep, and the only show of trickery she uses is when she devises a plot for the suitors, but even that is highlighted to show that she mirrors her husband since he's the real trickster in the entire story. Penelope was supposed to show what Greek men thought to be the ideal woman, the one who stays at home and waits for the husband. Anything otherwise turned into a Medea."

His smile was all she needed to know she had a pass to not paying attention for the rest of the class.

And Alex took the pass without a second thought.

-

"I wish I had your brain."

She frowned at Angie's statement as the two walked out of the class and headed for the Dunkin' Donuts in the library. "Can you stop saying that?"

Her eyes widened yet again. "What? I just wished I was able to not pay attention in class or not take notes and still be able to ace the class and deliver responses like that. That'd be amazing!"

Alex shook her head silently and adjusted the bag over her shoulder, muttering a pardon as some random person brushed against her.

"Wow, I don't even get a second look? I'm offended."

That voice...

That damned voice. Alex forced a smile on her lips and made sure that it appeared as fake and as forced as it really was before turning to face her assailant, having to tilt her head upwards a bit in order to fully look him in the eye.

"Eric! How absolutely terrible to see you!"

The man grinned deviously before turning to pat his buddy on the back and send the guy off, reaching out to grasp her wrist by the time he turned around and realized she hadn't stayed to wait for him. "What?"

His grin never faltered once, and Alex had a budding urge to wipe it off his face. Just then, he managed to realize that she was not alone and turned his smile to Angie. "Hey Ang."

Angie returned his smile with an easy one of her own. "Hi Eric."

Alex rolled my eyes. "You two enjoy yourselves, I have to go back to my apartment and pack anyways."

Angie then grasped her other arm with a pout marring her face. "Ah, come on. We were going to get the matcha lattes first."

Eric turned to stare at Angie and let go of Alex's hand, raising both of his hands defensively. "Oh, please, by no means. Don't let me deter you from your fun."

Alex huffed. "Too late. And why'd you skip class again you bum, Professor Hector was taking attendace for the trip."

Eric shrugged, stuffing both of his hands into his jean pockets. "He checked my name off, didn't he?" She quirked a brow. "Having Liam voice in for you while you're out doesn't count you idiot."

His near black eyes glinted in mischief. "It does if my name got checked off." He then nodded to Angie and towards the doors of the building the girls were planning on exiting. "Mind if I join you?"

"Yes."

"Nope."

Alex shot Angie a glare and she chuckled, only for Eric to fling an arm over both of their shoulders and usher them out of the Classics Department Building. "Off we go then."