Mia frowned, racking her memory, but she still found herself drawing a complete blank. She turned towards the other girl who was waiting with her to decide.

‘Hey, Marie?’

‘Heya! What’s up Mia? Ben isn’t here yet.’

‘Ah, sorry to bother you again. Could you do me a big favour and remind me which god this is?’.

‘Where’s the holy symbol for the god?’

Marie looked confused for a moment. The school had gradually become quieter as most of the school students had left the building or moved towards their extra-curricular activities. At this moment it felt as if the two of them were the only ones in the nearby area at the moment.

‘Right here, on the door to the medical office.’

Mia decided against pointing at the icon of the unknown god as she didn’t want to come across as rude despite how good-natured the other girl seemed. Religion and worship of gods were a part of society, after all, it was best to stick closely to cultural norms while she still could.

‘Oh, right. Yeah, I know the name. Obviously. Wouldn’t be much of a year perfect if I didn’t remember all the important ones.’

Marie flashed Mia a bright smile as if to show that although she was knowledgeable, she wasn’t trying to put her down in any form.

‘I just knocked on the door, but the nurse didn’t answer yet.’

‘It’s so cute how polite you are! Obviously.’

‘….thanks?’

This girl does not like me. She’s just being polite. High EQ personality. Respond positively.

‘Anyway, the god? Do you recognize the symbol?’

This time she shrugged her shoulders to try and indicate that although Marie might know she couldn’t remember, and it was a little embarrassing to admit it.

‘Let me take a quick look then.’

Marie moved towards the door while I stepped back for a moment while she examined the icon.

‘That symbol belongs to a god of healing and patience.’

‘Healing and patients? A doctor god then.’

‘Ha-ha, no, no. Patience as in being able to wait patiently.’

‘Ah, got it. My bad. What’s the name of the god?’.

‘Stupid god puns.’

‘Asileticus. You can see the lizards twinned with the red cross. That was a more recent symbol of the god. I think it changed the symbol a few months ago. Don’t you subscribe to the channels of many gods?’.

‘No, no. We have a shrine at home, but I don’t subscribe to god channels or updates. They don’t interest me that much.’

‘Really? I guess each to their own. I mostly follow the well-known ones as recommended by the school council.’

‘Seems like a good idea…’ I said weakly.

Hey, is that Ben over there? I don’t recognize who’s with him. Wait, is that the school priest? What do they want?’.

‘Here comes trouble. Don’t make it worse’

There was a figure dressed in a smart white and black suit with a short purple cape behind them walking with Ben. I noticed that Ben had picked up a spare school uniform after all and it was in my size. That was one thing out of the way then, just in time for another one to crop up.

‘I don’t like priests. Even school priests. Respect should be earned.’

The school priest looked to be in his mid to late thirties. An older man but not too old. He had closely cut brown hair with bushy eyebrows and a plain look on his face with one part of his mouth raised in a slight smile. Not bored but it just looked like he was aware of something that we didn’t know about and found it a little bit funny. His cape trailed behind him as he walked towards them, arms open in a friendly gesture.

‘Hi there, hi Marie. I told the officer that we were helping another student who was hurt, and they recognized our efforts. Oh, and the school priest was helpful enough to find you a new school uniform. You can keep it!’

‘Hello, all faithful followers of the gods. Blessings of your deities of choice are upon you’. Said the priest.

‘I’m still hurting here. Mostly stopped though. Make your blessing fix the wound then priest.’

‘Hi, Ben, Hello priest. Thanks for your blessings! We were just talking about Asileticus. I was saying that I didn’t follow them particularly, but I know who they are. I still subscribe to god channels and updates though’.

‘Hello, priest. Thanks for sorting me out with a new uniform Ben. I appreciate the effort.’

‘Heh, I do have a name young students. Please call me Priest Atticus. Better that than to be called priest all the time. I’m well aware of my nickname of Priest Fussy Atty as well. Although that would be better suited for the younger ones in school hmm?’.

‘Yes, Priest Atticus.’

‘Yes, Priest Atticus.’

‘Yes, Priest Atticus.’

‘Are you called Fussy Atty in school? That doesn’t sound right to me. A priest should be given a degree of respect.’

I just realized that I was the one who had talked, and Ben and Marie were both looking at me with a degree of confusion.

‘Only by the younger students and then on occasion when they’ve had enough of my preaching. I try not to bore them too much with talk of choices of gods.’

‘I agree that you still deserve a degree of respect Priest Atticus.’ Replied Ben with a touch of respect in his voice.

‘It’s true.’ Said Marie.

‘Now, Marie, isn’t it? I remember you as being one of the Head Prefects for your year group along with Ben here.’

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‘That’s right, Priest Atticus. Yes, I was lucky to be chosen. So was Ben, he didn’t want to volunteer his name, but I pushed it forward anyway. He deserved to be a Head prefect.’

‘Marie! The school priest doesn’t need to hear that!’

‘I’m certain that both of you are excellent year prefects. Ben was telling me about which gods he prays to at his home shrine. Don’t forget that we also have the school temple on-site if you care to visit. We have sigils for all the major gods in our country and space for others that are lesser-known. All are welcome to private or public worship in school. We even allow space for…exceptions.’ The priest looked directly at Mia when he said that last word.

Another thought unbidden rose from the depths of Mia’s mind and plugged itself into her consciousness.

He doesn’t know that gods are built. Not made.

Marie turned towards Ben after nodding at the words from Priest Atticus.

‘Ben? We should encourage more students to visit the school temple. I think we should submit it to the school council.’

‘Wait a moment, Marie. I need to pass on this spare school uniform first. Here you go.’

Mia took the uniform from his outstretched hand, her hand lightly brushing against his.

‘Thanks, Ben.’

‘Marie and Ben, the gods will thank you for your service to your fellow student here. I can see that both of you are pious, generous with your time, and kind. If you are willing, I would like to put you both forward for a recommendation for your efforts.’

‘No, no Priest Atticus. We don’t deserve more than helping. That’s our role as Head Prefects for our year group.’

‘Ben? Do you not want a recommendation?’ Priest Atticus frowned for a moment.

‘To be honest, I’m a Head Prefect because I want to be a good model for other students. I’d prefer we don’t have anything as a reward. Our effort will lead us forwards in the name of our chosen gods.’

‘So be it then. I appreciate it. Oh, and I’ve already let your respective after-school clubs know that both of you will be arriving slightly later than usual. I’m quite happy to take my leave of both of you once I can see that your fellow student has gone in for medical treatment. That arm, it must hurt slightly still, yes?’ He looked at Mia’s face directly with a solemn look.

‘Uh, it’ll be fine. Looks like it stopped bleeding quite some time ago. Don’t worry about it.’

‘I regret that my particular gods do not focus on healing. My talents do not lie in that field. If the nurse is in the office, then they will be able to give you better treatment. I have some first-aid training if that would help. Part of my duties as your school priesthood is to give aid where needed to students in need. Do you perhaps worship the god Asileticus?’

‘That’s, that isn’t one of the gods that we pray to at home.’

‘Priest Atticus, now that you’re here to provide support is it acceptable if Ben and myself go now?’

‘Yes Marie, both of you can head off now. Again, the gods thank you for the kindness you have shown in your role as year Head Prefects.’

‘Bye Mia!’

‘Yeah, see you!’

‘…bye and thanks, guys!’

Holding onto the spare school uniform I watched Ben and Marie both walk back into the school corridors to attend after-school curricular activities.

It would have been better if they stayed.

The school priest remained behind. He looked hesitant about something.

‘Now…don’t you think that you should go into the medical room to get treatment for your arm?’

‘Uh, sure. I’ll go and do that right now.’

‘Aren’t you forgetting something? Didn’t your fellow student Marie tell you the symbol of the god that can be seen on that door? The gods need worship in turn as they supply their support and guidance for our mortal lives. Ah, my mistake. Maybe Asileticus isn’t a popular god in your class. You don’t like to click the follow and update buttons. With the demi-god competitions coming up, your students tend to support those more during these times. Still, can you please offer a prayer to this god as a sample of good faith? I would appreciate it, a small request on my part.’

Mia looked carefully at the symbol on the blue wooden door. To her eyes, it still looked like a lizard sitting around a red cross. It made her wonder exactly what kind of god would choose a symbol like that. Worse would be a stick with snakes. She didn’t know what the religious symbol had to do with healing.

Looks like a god of bad taste.

‘Well?’ the school priest interrupted.

Mia shook her head. While she didn’t want to be overly noticed when she was faced with a figure of religious authority, she found herself becoming braver.

‘Look, Priest Atticus.’

‘Yes?’

Mia slumped her shoulders slightly and let out a sigh that he had been holding in since she had left the classroom slightly earlier. At this time the number of school students had become far fewer as most had headed home or to their after-school classes at this point. The sound of her voice echoed within her ears as her heart pounded hard for a moment.

‘I used my god-given right earlier today to express my personal opinion.’

‘As you should. An open mind is very beneficial for all, we don’t exist as a strong country compared to others without the importance of freedom of expression. Diversity leads to a stronger environment.’

‘I, uh. I thought that Ben notified you to come along, or you saw the record of a new school uniform being borrowed from the office.’

‘I can assure you, young woman, that everyone experiences different crises of faith with the gods. We do have so many different ones to choose from and choosing to switch to a new belief while rare is not wrong to do. Are you having any concerns about your particular faith in a god? We match ourselves to the gods according to our personalities and beliefs. They respond with protection and miracles.’

‘Um, sure. Let’s call it that.’

‘Even as your school priest I have to take a long view with regards to the gods. Experiences shape beliefs, not the other way around.’

‘I certainly had my moment in my classroom earlier. It was an experience all right. My eyes are pretty open now about the effect of gods on society.’

‘As a young woman, you’re becoming more independent while at the same time being given restrictions by your parents, your education system and even your friends. Religion exists in our society as a support, not a hindrance. I apologise if I’m coming across as condescending or demeaning, your personal opinions are entirely your own. We welcome freedom of thought and expression of belief.’

Priest Atticus brought his body standing upright and rested both his hands in front of him, trying to assume a non-threatening posture.

‘My opinions are my thank you. It’s the expressing them that I find the hard part, especially when in a society that is meant to welcome independence and expression others use violence.’

‘There are always consequences for the harmful actions of any individual. Your…event in your home room was not without cause.’

‘You saw what happened?’ Mia felt surprised that any recordings had already been viewed. It should have followed a set process surely and at least been checked by a panel of religious authority figures.

‘To be honest, yes. I will not pass judgement or personal opinion. The individual was responsible for hurting you though. I think that someone that you know closely would like to have a strong word with that young man. No, I know this person will act on your behalf.’

Mia just stared at Priest Atticus. This whole conversation was going past her head at this point. First, she had been approached by two head-of-year prefects who offered their help and asked no questions and then a school priest turned up and offered kind words and the statement that someone was going to deal with Trevor for throwing a faulty stone and hurting her.

‘…Yeah. I don’t need my parents to hear about this right now. If I wanted to make a serious complaint about a particular person, then I would have headed straight to the office.’

Priest Atticus had a strange expression on his face at this point, as though he had revealed something that he should not have said. He seemed to freeze in time for a few seconds before he lowered his head and muttered something to himself quickly. Quickly, raising himself back up into a firm stance he smiled at Mia and put his hands by his side unclenching his hands.

‘My apologies young lady. I just received a message from a priest of a far higher calling than myself. Still, I’m here if you would like to share your faith. Or perhaps you’re interested in a new god to worship. Surely you young students like to change and shift your interest between which god is popular or most rated this month.’

Mia felt slightly odd at the behaviour of the priest, but her impression was that he felt friendly enough if not too sure how to talk to people her age.

The priest was left standing there as they both fell onto an awkward silence before Mia decided to shatter it.