Pallas the Pal

by Joan Holub

  Oh no! It was now impossibly mangled—right in the middle of the most important routine her team had ever performed!

  2

  Lettuce

  Athena

  IT WAS SATURDAY, MIDMORNING, AND Athena and her three GGBFFs (Goddessgirl Best Friends Forever)—Aphrodite, Artemis, and Persephone—had just landed at the Immortal Marketplace. Athena had come to shop for a sword at Mighty Fighty—a store that also sold spears, javelins, bows and arrows, shields, armor, and athletic stuff. Because in one week there was going to be a spectacular swordplay competition at the Greek Fest, a festival she had been put in charge of down on Earth.

  Back when she’d lived in Triton, she and her old friend Pallas had practiced their swordplay skills almost every day after school. But since enrolling at Mount Olympus Academy, Athena had gotten really busy, and her sword skills had grown rusty.

  Luckily, her dad, Zeus, had offered to spar with her tomorrow on the MOA sports fields to help bring her back up to speed. She would use the new sword she bought not only for their practice but also in the swordplay competition.

  “Ready for some sword shopping?” Artemis asked her eagerly. Since Artemis excelled at archery—and most other sports too—she had promised to help Athena pick out a sword.

  “Sure,” said Athena.

  Aphrodite had come with them because she wanted to buy makeup. Persephone was here too and was the first of them to dash away after they’d entered the IM. “I’m off to help out at my mom’s shop. Have fun, you guys!” she called to them over her shoulder. Her mom owned Demeter’s Daisies, Daffodils, and Floral Delights, a flower shop in the marketplace.

  As Athena, Aphrodite, and Artemis passed the Oracle-O Bakery and Scrollbooks shop on the way to the atrium, they waved through the shop window to a girl with fire-gold hair named Cassandra. Her family owned the shop, and she was busy helping customers inside.

  Just then two mortal boys came out of the bakery munching cookies they’d bought. Though not on purpose, the goddessgirls wound up trailing them. They were passing a fancy carousel with fantastical animal rides that the immortals had helped build earlier that year, when Artemis pointed one of the boys out. “Hey, who’s that guy up ahead? He looks familiar.”

  “The tough-looking one with the red hair? That’s Agamemnon. He’s that mortal who was crushing on Cassandra, until Apollo stole her affections,” explained Aphrodite. As the goddessgirl of love and beauty, she could be depended on to know who was crushing on who at any given moment.

  “What?” a boy’s voice huffed from behind them. “I never knew about that!” Athena and her friends turned to see Artemis’s twin brother, Apollo, on their heels. So was one of his best godboy buds, Ares, who was Aphrodite’s crush.

  “Oops,” said Aphrodite, her pretty blue eyes going wide. “Forget I said anything.”

  Walking backward now, Artemis spoke to her brother. “Calm down. You have nothing to worry about. That Agamemnon is a bully, and I heard that Cassandra never liked him.” Artemis and Apollo were twins, but she was a few minutes older. Because of that, she often felt it her duty to advise or soothe him when he was upset.

  However, today her words only seemed to make matters worse. Concluding that Agamemnon must have bullied his crush as well as crushed on her, Apollo eyed the mortal boy’s back fiercely.

  “That guy with him is Achilles,” said Ares, glaring at the boys in front of them too. Achilles had glossy black hair that was short on the sides and longish on top. “He’s okay. Except that he hangs out with that loser Agamemnon. I think they both go to the same school.”

  “Yeah, same school as Cassandra,” said Apollo. His scowl deepened. Apollo and Ares started to move toward the boys, but were unexpectedly blocked by a gathering crowd.

  “What’s going on?” wondered Artemis, looking around in surprise.

  It was hard to see over the heads of all the people and the large fountain at the atrium’s center. However, when Athena stood on tiptoe, she managed to spot a bunch of mortal girls marching up to stand on a stage in the wide main aisle that ran between the IM shops. The girls were holding swords and lining up in cheer team formation.

  “Mega-cool!” Athena said. “Looks like there’s going to be a swordplay performance. My dad must’ve thought this up. He’s been doing a great job of booking entertainment to bring more shoppers to the IM, don’t you think? Did you guys come to watch this exhibition?” She knew she was jabbering, but she was trying to change the subject in hopes of calming Apollo and Ares down. It worked, sort of.

  Music began, and the two godboys looked toward the stage with interest. But as the first team began their performance, Apollo and Ares’ faces reflected disappointment.

  “Argh! We came because we heard there would be swordplay. But we didn’t know it was going to be all girls,” Ares said glumly.

  “Girls doing cheers,” added Apollo, sighing.

  Aphrodite lifted an eyebrow. “Is that a problem?” She, Athena, Persephone, and Artemis were all on the MOA Cheer team.

  Artemis folded her arms, frowning at the boys. “Cheer is a very physically demanding sport, you know.”

  “And as you also know, lots of girls rock at swordplay,” Athena informed them.

  Seeming to sense that they were losing this battle of words, Ares held up his hands, palms outward. “Okay, okay, let’s not fight about it,” he said. Which made everyone laugh, because he was the godboy of war and usually adored fighting—the physical kind, anyway!

  While they all continued to watch the performance, Athena suddenly realized two things. One, Agamemnon and Achilles had disappeared from view. And two, the mortals who had waved at her and her friends from their chariot were probably among the teams here. She wished she could see the insignia on their school uniforms, but distance and the crowds surrounding the stage made that impossible.

  “This is fun,” she said after a few more minutes passed. “But I’ve got to get going to Mighty Fighty.” She turned to leave, and Aphrodite and Artemis did too.

  “Mighty Fighty?” Ares echoed. Instantly his and Apollo’s expressions brightened and they started tagging along.

  “I’m meeting my dad tomorrow to spar in preparation for the Greek Fest, so I need a new sword,” Athena explained as the group walked along. “After I snag one, I’ll have to hurry back to the MOA dorm. Hero-ology and Science-ology homework awaits.”

  “Overachiever,” Aphrodite teased her.

  Athena grinned. In addition to being on the Cheer Squad, she was also the goddessgirl of inventing, battle, weaving, and wisdom, among other things. She just had so many interests! Her MOA friends all knew she enjoyed taking tons of classes and stuffed as many extracurriculars into her schedule as possible.

  “We’ll come help you choose a sword,” Ares offered, and Apollo nodded eagerly.

  Artemis rolled her eyes. “Athena’s the goddessgirl of battle. I think she can handle the decision on her own. With a little help from me, of course.”

  Athena laughed. “I only inspire heroes to excel in battle, though. Ares is really the expert when it comes to weaponry and actual fighting. I’d be glad to hear advice from all of you. I’m hoping that if I put in a glorious appearance in full battle gear at the Greek Fest, it will inspire everyone else there to do their best in the competitions!”

  The festival was to be held in Athens, a city in Greece that had been named for her after she had beat the godboy of the sea, Poseidon, in an invention contest. Her winning invention had been the small, seemingly unimportant olive. Turned out that Greek mortals had found many uses for the small fruit, including as fuel oil, food, and olive wood for building homes.

  “I’ll stop in here,” said Aphrodite as the group passed a shop called Cleo’s Cosmetics. “I need supplies for a Beauty-ology project. My class is going to offer youthful makeovers for any MOA teachers who dare to volunteer.” With a farewell wave and a “Catch you later,” she went into the shop.

  Not long afterward, Athena
and Artemis stood in Mighty Fighty, the only girl customers among a whole bunch of mortal and immortal boys. The bunch included the red-haired Agamemnon and his dark-haired friend Achilles, unfortunately. Those boys were oohing and aahing over something in the sword department.

  Avoiding that department for the moment, Athena led Apollo and Ares to the other side of the store, claiming fascination with a spear display there. When she glanced back, Agamemnon was holding a sword high and eyeing along its blade as if to make sure it was straight. “What do you think of this one?” he asked Achilles. His voice was loud enough to be heard throughout the store.

  “Looks good.” Achilles reached for a different sword, but Agamemnon quickly grabbed it first, discarding the sword he’d originally chosen. “Sorry, bud. Changed my mind.”

  Achilles just shrugged and sorted through some others. “It’s okay. I didn’t really want that one, anyway. I’m looking for the perfect sword. One I can name Briseis.”

  “ ‘Briseis’?” Agamemnon scoffed. “You’re going to name your sword?”

  “Sure, why not?” said Achilles, picking up a new sword. “It’ll be cool.”

  Agamemnon smirked. “Uh-huh. I bet it’s the name of some girl you’re crushing on, right?” he teased. Athena noticed that Agamemnon was now jealously eyeing the new sword that Achilles had picked up.

  “No, but if we’re naming swords after crushes, maybe you should name the one you buy Cassandra,” Achilles teased back.

  Hearing this, Apollo frowned at the mortal boys and nudged Ares, nodding toward them.

  “That’s over,” said Agamemnon. He and Achilles seemed unaware that Apollo and Ares were watching them. “Maybe I’ll call whatever sword I buy Evgenís instead.”

  “A noble name,” joked Achilles. Because “noble” was what the word “Evgenís” meant!

  Agamemnon sent him a mischievous glance. “Think Cassandra will like it?”

  Achilles laughed. “Thought you were over her.”

  Agamemnon just grinned. From the corner of her eye, Athena saw him sneakily glance across the store at Apollo and Ares. That meanie! Apparently he’d known for a while that the godboys were there, and was just trying to stir up trouble!

  Artemis stepped in front of Ares and her brother when they began to move toward the other boys. “Ignore them,” she advised Apollo. “He knows Cassandra likes you, so he’s only aiming to pick a fight.”

  “She’s right. Agamemnon seems the type who always wants what others have,” Athena added quietly.

  Sure enough, the next time Achilles picked up a sword, Agamemnon pushed to trade again. Achilles reluctantly agreed, probably to avoid an argument. But then Agamemnon seemed to lose interest in the new sword, like he feared he’d made a bad trade.

  “What a creep,” Artemis murmured.

  Needing to get moving on her own selection, Athena edged closer to the sword department. Apollo and Ares followed.

  After picking up two swords, one in each hand, she tested their weight and inspected their blades for straightness. Then she looked from one godboy to the other, hoping to keep their attention off fighting with the mortals. “Ares? Apollo? Can you help me choose between these?”

  Her plan backfired because Agamemnon overheard. Pointedly ignoring Apollo, he eagerly sought out the godboy of war’s opinion on the swords he and his friend now held. “Hey, Ares? Which sword do you think is better? Mine or Achilles’?”

  Before Ares could respond, Apollo butted in. “Excellence is more about the talent of the swordsman than the sword. Which tells me you’re in trouble no matter what sword you choose,” he told Agamemnon rudely.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Agamemnon demanded, his chin jutting out.

  Apollo’s meaning had seemed pretty clear to Athena. Was Agamemnon a little dimwitted, maybe? He was begging for a fight, whether he knew it or not.

  “I think I’ll take this sword,” Athena said, desperately trying to draw the godboys’ attention. “Ares? Apollo? Any thoughts?” Seeing that they were in no mood to weigh in with their opinions, Athena headed for the checkout counter to make her purchase anyway.

  Artemis was still doing her best to calm Apollo down when Athena returned to them with the sword in a shopping bag. Fortunately, before the godboys and mortal boys could come to blows, something astonishing happened. Out in the main aisle of the marketplace, people began running past the store’s window, hooting and shouting.

  Suddenly Aphrodite burst into Mighty Fighty, holding a shopping bag bearing the Cleo’s Cosmetics logo. “Athena! Thank godness! Come quick. It’s Hera!”

  “What’s wrong?” asked Athena, fearing that something awful must’ve happened to her stepmother.

  “Not sure exactly. I just heard she’s at the Hungry, Hungry Harpy Café and that something weird is going on with her. Something weird enough to attract a crowd. C’mon!”

  “Go!” urged Artemis, shooing them out of the shop along with Ares and Apollo. Then she stayed behind, blocking the door to make sure Agamemnon and Achilles couldn’t follow.

  Seconds later Athena was grabbing a pair of H-shaped door handles and pushing into the café. It seemed half the IM was already there, drawn by the excitement. Among the shopkeepers and customers in the café, she spotted Cleo, the three-eyed owner of Cleo’s Cosmetics, and Mr. Dolos, whose shop sold hero mementos.

  “Keep an eye on your stuff,” Athena heard someone caution as she made her way through the crowd. Automatically she clasped her shopping bag extra tightly. The Harpies that owned this café were known pickpockets. If you didn’t watch your plate, they’d steal the food they’d served you right off it!

  Although they had pretty faces and normal hair, the sisters were covered with bird feathers, had bird-claw feet, and liked to fly on scavenger hunts. A collection of oddities they’d snatched from far and wide was proudly displayed right here on the café’s walls, shelves, and ceiling—including a baby bottle they claimed had once belonged to a baby Zeus.

  Worried, Athena hurriedly nudged her way through the onlookers, leaving Aphrodite, Apollo, and Ares somewhere behind in the crowd. She came to a halt a half dozen feet from her stepmom. Hera was sitting in a dining booth, looking surprisingly unharmed.

  “Are you okay? What’s going on?” Athena asked her in confusion.

  “I’m fine. Better than fine!” said Hera, rising to her feet. There was a joyful light in her face, and she was smiling. “Look!” She gestured toward a three-tiered stone fountain that stood nearby. It was about as tall as Hera was, and the water in its bottom two tiers was bubbling merrily. Its top tier held a big green ball, Athena noticed, but no water.

  “Nice. A new artifact the Harpies acquired, I presume?” asked Athena, totally bewildered. All this fuss was about some old stone fountain?

  As Athena watched, Hera reached with both arms toward the top of the fountain. The green ball was actually made of crisp green leaves, Athena saw now. As Hera’s hands touched it, the leaves magically peeled back and opened, as if hinged. It was like a beach-ball-sized oyster made out of lettuce leaves!

  A gasp of delight rippled over the crowd. Because this leafy oyster didn’t contain a pearl. Instead, it held . . . a real live baby girl! Athena could tell it was a girl because a golden wreath embossed with the words “It’s a girl!” crowned the baby’s wispy brown hair.

  Hera gently lifted the infant from the lettuce leaves to cradle it in her arms.

  Athena smiled, relieved that her stepmom didn’t appear injured after all. “What’s a baby doing in a fountain?” Athena murmured, but no reply came. This baby couldn’t be a Naiad, could she? No, those were freshwater-swimming, mermaid-like nymphs that lived in rivers and fountains. And this tiny girl didn’t have a mermaid tail. Her cute little arms and legs were wriggling.

  Stepping closer, Athena smiled at the baby, and it gurgle-smiled back.

  Hera owned a wedding shop in the IM. So did this baby belong to one of the brides she’d helped get married somet
ime back? Athena looked around, wondering which woman here might be the baby’s mom.

  The crowd began to applaud and ooh and aah over the baby. Several of Hera’s shop assistants, who were also in the café, startled Athena by coming over and hugging her. “Congratulations!” they said merrily.

  Athena smiled at them. “For what?” She often won awards and contests, but she hadn’t won any new ones lately.

  “On the baby, of course!” a woman standing across from her said.

  “Huh? Whose is it?” replied Athena.

  Whereupon Hera smiled broadly and beckoned her even closer. “Athena! Isn’t it wonderful? You’re a big sister!”

  “What?” Athena’s jaw dropped. Slowly it dawned on her. This baby was Hera’s baby! That meant it was Athena’s half sister, since Hera was married to her dad.

  Aphrodite finally made her way through the crowd to Athena’s side and gave her a hug. “You are sooo lucky! I’ve always wished I had a little sister. She’s adorable!”

  Others came over and hugged Athena too, but she just stood there, stunned. She tried hard to wrap her brain around the idea that this baby was now part of her family. However, although her brain usually worked very well, it wasn’t quite grasping that she actually had a baby sister. Maybe because her brain didn’t really want to.

  Finally she found her voice. “But . . . I just saw Dad yesterday. He didn’t say anything about a baby,” she protested. Was this baby adopted? Had her parents really made such a huge family decision without telling her? It seemed so.

  Since Hera wasn’t Athena’s real mom, was that why Hera hadn’t thought she needed to include Athena in this decision? Athena’s real mom was a fly named Metis. But one day she had flown off forever to be with her fly buddies. After that, Zeus and Hera had met at an MOA school dance and then, later, had married. Athena had grown to love Hera, so it hurt to have a surprise baby sister sprung on her like this.

  Artemis had arrived in the café at some point and now pushed her way to Athena’s side, with Apollo in tow. “Tell Athena what you just told me,” she instructed her brother.