"...so if x equals y, what does z equal?"

A few hands go up, one of them Mexxy's. They were in the final year of their school, and after that, they would be going to a demigod skills school, one which taught them how to control their powers, how to fly and how to turn invisible.

"Mexxy, what's the answer?" the teacher asks.

"2.4cm" he answers, and the teacher smiles, giving him a reward point.

"Know it all" Ridge mutters from the other side of the classroom, and they all giggle. Mexxy swallows, looking back down at the page in front of him, his mind calculating the answers of different angles. He was smart, smarter than most. One of the smartest in the classroom. So he was often ridiculed because of it.

And also because Ridge was spreading rumours about him.

First was a rumour that his mum had left him because his dad cheated on her, which wasn't true-his mum left because she cheated on him, but Mexxy didn't feel like correcting him. Then there was the rumour that he was snogging girls in the boys bathroom, so now everytime he went in there, girls would tap him on the shoulder and make kissy noises when he tried to go in. 

The place he wanted to be was the Quartgod school. The world back then was typically alpha/omega dynamics. The demigods were the "alphas", stronger, faster, smarter. The quartgods were the "omegas", not as popular or as strong, or as fast. But he knew quartgods were a lot smarter. It was hard for them to get an education, as they were put under the hierarchy so low. But if they got the chance, then they passed their classes with flying colours.

He especially liked this one girl, a quartgod-he couldn't remember her name. It began with a C, and she stuck up for him once when Ridge was stuffing him into a bin behind the school. She pulled him out, dusted him down, and took him home, bowing politely when he thanked her, before she left without another word, just a small smile.

"...Mexxy? The answer for w, please?" the teacher frowns, waving a hand in front of his face.

He snapped out of his daydream, glancing at his paper.

"Oh, um, 34.6cm" Mexxy answers, and the teacher nods. 

"Try to stay focused, Mexxy, we're almost done" the teacher smiles, and he smiles weakly back, nodding, ignoring the chorus of chuckles.

Just to see how long until they were done, his fingers close around the pocket watch in his pocket. He had managed to get someone to fix it, although the picture was still a little crinkled, which bothered him but he learnt to live with it. The faint Tick....Tock....Tick....Tock...vibrated in his hand as he took it out, glancing at the time. Five more minutes until the end of class. 

Five more minutes until Ridge created another "elaborate" scheme to stuff him into the locker.

He met his eye across the classroom. Ridge was chewing gum with his mouth open, something the cool kids found incredibly amazing, and he caught his eye from across the classroom. Ridge smirked, pretending to slit his throat with his finger. A girl next to him giggled-his current girlfriend, Syncrasis.

When the bell finally rang, signalling the end of class, Mexxy stands briskly, packing away his things quickly, but lingering in the classroom. Ridge shoved past him, whispering in his ear "You can't hide forever" as he went by, giving him a menacing glare before departing, his arm thrown over Kaz's shoulders.

Mexxy briefly began to discuss with his teacher how the weather was, what homework he needed to do etc...it was something he had gotten into the routine of doing, and so he had befriended most of his teachers in doing so. Really, he was just trying to buy enough time so that Ridge would hopefully get bored and leave.

But that never happened-however, he lived in hope.

As he finally left, he went into the library. He had learned to love the library-it was like a warm, soft blanket being thrown onto him everytime he walked through the door, snuggling him close and making his worries disappear.

"Hello, my Prince! Here to get some more books?" the librarian smiled, and Mexxy smiles easily back. Tugging the study books he had borrowed recently out of his bag, he placed them delicately on the "Returned books" desk before going over to the shelf and picking some new ones out.

When he had finished, he bid the librarian farewell before tucking his books into his bag and leaving, going out the exit near the cafeteria. Looking left and right, he trudged away, making it past the school gates with surprising ease-maybe his plan had worked after all?

As he walked down the long, winding, isolated road he passed the woods and the local park. To his surprise, a familiar girl was swinging by herself on the swings, reading glasses perched on her face and a study book in her hand. Mexxy recognized her as the girl who had helped him when Ridge had pushed him into a bin, and he hesitated. Should he go over there and talk to her?

Rocking back on his heels slightly, he debated it in his head before repeating "I'm the Prince I can do what I want" in his head, before he nodded and walked across the grass towards her.

She didn't see him or hear him until she opened the park gate. Looking up, she smiled at him like he was an old friend.

"Mind if I join you?" he asks.

"Sure!" she smiles, patting the swing next to her. Ditching his bag near the swings, he hopped on the one next to her and looked over at the book she was reading.

"So you're interested in magic?" he quizzes her, trying to make friendly conversation.

"Yeah, I love it! Mostly the potion making though" she grins.

"I hate potions" he laughs and she giggles with him. 

"It's not everyone's cup of tea" she agrees, before adding, "what do you like to do...Mexxy, is it?"

He was surprised she knew his name. Even though he was a Prince, no one knew him, and those who spoke about him just called him the "orphan boy" or just "Prince".

"Yeah" he nods, "and I like to do...well, pretty much everything" he grins, shaking her hand.

"Apart from potion making" she corrects him, and he nods with a smirk. "My name is Carmine by the way" she smiles, shaking his hand.

"Nice name" he smiles, looking at her properly this time. She had long, flowing brown hair down to her waist, and beautiful blue eyes. He suddenly felt slightly awestruck by her and couldn't stop staring at her.

She blushes, not realizing she was still holding his hand. "Thank you" she says shyly, bowing her head a little.

"Hey, look who it is!"

Ridge hopped over the fences surrounding the park, sauntering over to them. Deamon followed on behind him, looking uneasy.

Mexxy dropped Carmine's hand quickly, standing. "I...s-should probably go" she stutters, stuffing the book in her bag and going to leave.

"Hey, don't go!" Ridge yelled after her, making his way towards her. Mexxy stepped in front of him, glowering at him.

"Get the hell out of my way, orphan" he spits, pushing Mexxy to the floor, before sprinting after the now running girl.

Mexxy didn't waste any time. Dragging himself to his feet, he ignored Deamon's yell "Wait, your bag!", he just ran.

He ran faster than he had ever ran in his life.

He was closing in on Ridge who was almost upon Carmine. He was so close he could reach out and touch his shoul-

His foot connected with the back of Ridge's by accident, and Ridge hurtled forward, his head hitting the ground with a crack. Mexxy followed him, throwing himself to the side so he wouldn't fall on top of him, and he rolled over, scrambling to his feet as Ridge did.

"Right, that's it" Ridge seethes, stepping towards him. Mexxy was just relieved to see Carmine peering from behind some rocks-she was fine.

Ridge hurt him. A lot. Mexxy didn't think he had ever gone through agony like this. He had been kicked, punched, bitten, scratched, and he was left a bleeding, crumpled heap on the floor. His vision was becoming blurry and he swore he blacked out a few times.

Ridge disappeared soon after, and Carmine crept to his side.

"Oh Mexxy" she whispers, her eyes brimming with tears. "It's all my fault."

He smiles weakly, and stretches out his arm, groaning in pain as he takes her hand. "Go, he might come back." he coughs, and she hesitates, before cupping his cheek in one hand and pressing a light kiss to his forehead, whispering "Thank you" into his hair before she got up and left, turning back several times.

Deamon came by five minutes later. Mexxy could barely muster up the energy to look to him.

"I'd keep your mouth shut, if I were you. Ridge will just get angrier if you snitch on him." he warns, but he helps him sit up against a wall, propping his bag up beside him.

"I feel for you, Mexxy, but there's nothing I can do. He's my best friend" Deamon sighs before leaving the scene. 

And so he left the Prince alone to bleed in the dirt, who put his trembling hand into his pocket to stroke his pocket watch gently as he waited for help to come.

Help didn't come for a long time.