Chapter One
Ellie leaned back in her chair. It was probably as old as she was and it didn’t like being tested. It squeaked angrily against her weight, protesting misuse and abuse. In front of her, the class studied quietly. Then it struck her. Studying? Quietly? That can’t be right. Oh, that’s right – they were taking a test. Yes, that’s why they were so quiet. She looked at their studious and hard-working faces.
The long blonde hair of Sarah Jacobs. She was the head cheerleader and hid her intellect from the rest of the team. Ellie had seen her walking the halls with her friends and listened to her talk to them in class. She always played the “airhead cheerleader” role but Ellie knew better. Her papers – written in bright pink ink – were always excellent and incredibly introspective. However, when she chatted with her friends about their grades, she complained of always getting D’s. “Heh, I don’t know how I keep passing these classes.” Sarah looked up at Ellie and smiled. Ellie returned the gesture and moved on.
The shaggy head of hair of Paul Druid – that kid probably didn’t need to even study for the test. He was as sharp as a tack and more charismatic than Cassius. He would make it far in this world, that she was sure of. Cassius? Her gaze moved past Paul’s shaggy brown rat’s nest to the tall, handsome man sitting at the desk behind him.
“Cassius?” she sputtered. “What are you doing here?” She sat upright in her chair.
“I wanted to see you,” he replied.
She could feel her cheeks flush. She could feel the gaze of the kids move from their papers to her pink cheeks. Why did he always do this to her? He always made her act like a high schooler.
“But you can’t be here. This isn’t Rome and my kids are taking a test.”
“What kids?” he asked.
Ellie looked around. The classroom was empty. No kids. No desks except for hers and the desk that Cassius sat behind. “Where did…?” she started but her voice faded as the words fell out of her mouth.
“No one is here but you and me,” he said as he stood up. Cassius walked around the desk. As his sandals slapped against the linoleum floor, Ellie watched his hands move toward his belt and unfasten it. It fell to the floor with a thunk.
“We – We probably shouldn’t-” She didn’t know how to finish that sentence. Shouldn’t what? Undress? Make the most memorable night of her life? Make passionate love on top of her desk? What was wrong with her? She grinned. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” Ellie stood up and locked the door. She stared at the lock and took a deep breath before turning back around to Cassius. “Where were we?” she asked in her most sultry voice. Of course, as soon as she said that she regretted it. Where did she think she was? The middle of a Fabio-covered trashy romance novel? But it didn’t matter. There was no one in the room to hear it. She was in an empty hovel of a home. She looked down at the flattened linen tunic that she wore. The dirt under her sandals crunched like fresh snow packing under her feet, as she took a step forward.
“You’re sinking” said a familiar voice.
Ellie looked up and found herself face-to-face with Carol, the office secretary at Roosevelt High. The sand began to quickly cover Ellie’s exposed toes. “Oh my god. Quicksand? What…” She reached out for Carol but couldn’t quite reach her. “Quick, pull me out!”
“First you have to tell me where we are,” Carol said, looking around.
“What?”
“I mean, I’ve heard of teachers redecorating their classrooms but this is a bit excessive, don’t you think?”
“We’re in ancient Rome. Quick, pull me out.” Ellie could feel the sand wrapping itself around her calves like a clingy baby. The thought of either made her a little panicky.
“Oh! Am I on your vacation?” Carol squealed. “How fun! Tell me, did you meet a man?”
Now this was just ridiculous. Ellie looked
Ellie leaned back in her chair. It was probably as old as she was and it didn’t like being tested. It squeaked angrily against her weight, protesting misuse and abuse. In front of her, the class studied quietly. Then it struck her. Studying? Quietly? That can’t be right. Oh, that’s right – they were taking a test. Yes, that’s why they were so quiet. She looked at their studious and hard-working faces.
The long blonde hair of Sarah Jacobs. She was the head cheerleader and hid her intellect from the rest of the team. Ellie had seen her walking the halls with her friends and listened to her talk to them in class. She always played the “airhead cheerleader” role but Ellie knew better. Her papers – written in bright pink ink – were always excellent and incredibly introspective. However, when she chatted with her friends about their grades, she complained of always getting D’s. “Heh, I don’t know how I keep passing these classes.” Sarah looked up at Ellie and smiled. Ellie returned the gesture and moved on.
The shaggy head of hair of Paul Druid – that kid probably didn’t need to even study for the test. He was as sharp as a tack and more charismatic than Cassius. He would make it far in this world, that she was sure of. Cassius? Her gaze moved past Paul’s shaggy brown rat’s nest to the tall, handsome man sitting at the desk behind him.
“Cassius?” she sputtered. “What are you doing here?” She sat upright in her chair.
“I wanted to see you,” he replied.
She could feel her cheeks flush. She could feel the gaze of the kids move from their papers to her pink cheeks. Why did he always do this to her? He always made her act like a high schooler.
“But you can’t be here. This isn’t Rome and my kids are taking a test.”
“What kids?” he asked.
Ellie looked around. The classroom was empty. No kids. No desks except for hers and the desk that Cassius sat behind. “Where did…?” she started but her voice faded as the words fell out of her mouth.
“No one is here but you and me,” he said as he stood up. Cassius walked around the desk. As his sandals slapped against the linoleum floor, Ellie watched his hands move toward his belt and unfasten it. It fell to the floor with a thunk.
“We – We probably shouldn’t-” She didn’t know how to finish that sentence. Shouldn’t what? Undress? Make the most memorable night of her life? Make passionate love on top of her desk? What was wrong with her? She grinned. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” Ellie stood up and locked the door. She stared at the lock and took a deep breath before turning back around to Cassius. “Where were we?” she asked in her most sultry voice. Of course, as soon as she said that she regretted it. Where did she think she was? The middle of a Fabio-covered trashy romance novel? But it didn’t matter. There was no one in the room to hear it. She was in an empty hovel of a home. She looked down at the flattened linen tunic that she wore. The dirt under her sandals crunched like fresh snow packing under her feet, as she took a step forward.
“You’re sinking” said a familiar voice.
Ellie looked up and found herself face-to-face with Carol, the office secretary at Roosevelt High. The sand began to quickly cover Ellie’s exposed toes. “Oh my god. Quicksand? What…” She reached out for Carol but couldn’t quite reach her. “Quick, pull me out!”
“First you have to tell me where we are,” Carol said, looking around.
“What?”
“I mean, I’ve heard of teachers redecorating their classrooms but this is a bit excessive, don’t you think?”
“We’re in ancient Rome. Quick, pull me out.” Ellie could feel the sand wrapping itself around her calves like a clingy baby. The thought of either made her a little panicky.
“Oh! Am I on your vacation?” Carol squealed. “How fun! Tell me, did you meet a man?”
Now this was just ridiculous. Ellie looked
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