The Pantheon

by Amy Leigh Strickland

  He knew he’d never win this race honestly.

  She was gifted and he was a fool in love,

  but the goddess had given him a sure thing:

  three golden apples.

  The flag waved and he tossed the first fruit away.

  Enchanted, she left the path to pick it up.

  She was compelled by the way it caught the sun.

  She could not resist.

  He ran ahead but she gained on him again.

  He threw down another apple and she stopped.

  He did this until all three apples were gone.

  So he won the race.

  The reward of his victory was her hand,

  for he was the first man not to lose his life

  in the ultimate bet, a race with his bride.

  They celebrated.

  He had all the time in the world, now he’d won,

  but as they left to consummate their marriage,

  they had forgotten one important thing first.

  They had rushed too much.

  The goddess of love did not miss this detail,

  but she wasn’t the type to dirty her hands

  Instead she stirred their passion and impatience

  and prodded at lust.

  They broke into the temple of another.

  They made love in front of her sacred altar.

  This goddess was not too shy to wet her hands

  and coldly killed them

  Their corpses would be discovered at sunrise.

  With their whole lives ahead they had rushed one thing,

  but it was the most important thing of all:

  it was to give thanks.

  “Dear to the heart of a girl is her own beauty and charm.”

  -Ovid

  V.

  The election for the Semi-Formal Committee Chair was to be held at the end of the week. Jason normally didn’t volunteer for boosters and club advising, but that year Candice Matthews, one of the English teachers, had discovered that Jason had a hard time saying “no.” Dr. Livingstone had been roped into supervising the election. Candice was advising the committee, but the student handbook said that two faculty and two students needed to be present to collect ballots and count them. Jason was glad this was a one-time-commitment.

  Jason had planned to stay in his office and hide away during the second block assembly, but Candice Matthews-- who was bubbly, enthusiastic, and a little more than fond of the single school nurse-- popped in the doorway at the interim bell, bouncing on her heels like a teenage girl. She was tall and slim with a too-red hairstyle that would have been popular in the early nineties. Her glasses were round and altogether the wrong shape for her face and her clothing suffered from the same flaw. She had round cheeks and large front teeth that would have been cute if her personality wasn’t quite so persistent. “Are you coming to the assembly?” she asked.

  “Uh... there’s really no point in my presence, is there?”

  “Don’t be silly!” She came fully into the room now, assuring Jason that he wouldn’t easily be rid of her. “You’re officiating the election. You should be there. It makes the ballot counting so much more fun when you secretly have a favorite.”

  Jason forced a smile. He waited. She just stood there. He knew he’d have to go. “Alright,” he said. “Just give me a minute.”

  “I’ll wait for you,” she said, leaning against the wall. There went his last escape plan.

  Students were supposed to go to their second period class and wait to be called down to the assembly. As the bell hadn’t rung yet, everyone was milling around near their destination, delaying their arrival at class.

  A group of boys on the football team--Zach Jacobs, Frank Guerrero, and Zach’s friend Lewis who wasn’t on the football team but was okay because he was Zach’s friend--were in the same math class and hanging around the junior hall lockers. Devon Valentine, one of three candidates for the Committee Chair position, made her approach, flipping on the charm. Their conversation stopped and all three boys looked at her.

  Devon was hot. She had a very sexual figure, full in all the right places, thin in all the others. She was tall, confident, and walked with a sway in her hips. Her long blonde hair was wavy and healthy and always looked like someone else had just helped her mess it up in a dark corner. Her lips were full and pouty. When she walked into a room you would think that a Victoria’s Secret model had just showed up by the way the boys would stare. She was captain of the cheerleading squad and this year she felt different. She knew she was untouchable and that the raw sex appeal she exuded drew men to her more than anyone else. Indeed Devon was the hottest girl at Olympia Heights Senior High.

  Now when one says she was the hottest, it doesn’t necessarily mean that she was the most beautiful. Devon was beautiful, but more importantly she was flirty and accessible. Her sea-foam-green eyes held so much promise for the eager boys of Olympia Heights. She dressed to emphasize her shape. If she wore a plunging neckline one day, she would pair it with long pants. Likewise, if she wore a short skirt, she might wear a high-necked top that kept the focus on her legs. She owned her good looks, but she still wanted to keep a little mystery. She knew she could use that power to her advantage. If only she knew how much power she actually had.

  Even before acquiring her power over the rougher sex, Devon Valentine had been a bad example. The problem with Devon was that she was beautiful. That’s not to say that beauty made her a beast, rather that beauty gave her the means with which to show her fangs. It is easy to be a good person without the presence of temptation; the temptation to abuse power is one of the strongest kind. Devon Valentine was beautiful and her character wasn’t strong enough for her to be humble or fair. She was really quite shameless.

  “Hey guys,” she giggled, resting her hand on Zach’s shoulder. She was dressed in gray skinny jeans and a green men’s dress shirt that probably had originated in someone else’s closet. The sleeves were rolled up to just above her elbows and the buttons were left open so far down that it gave the boys hope. Her already long legs were lengthened by red pumps that drew their eyes straight down her figure. “I wanted to talk to you guys about the election today.”

  Lewis Mercer was the first to speak up. He was always ready with a quick quip, which was part of the reason Zach kept him around. “Oh, you have my vote.” The blonde boy flashed a goofy smile.

  “Yeah, mine too,” added a lingering classmate who was trying to outdo him. “I’ll steal another ballot and vote twice.”

  “That’s cheating, you ass!” Lewis snapped back.

  “Just so you know,” Devon said, pretending not to notice the boys fighting for her attention, “the dance is only once a year and it’s a lot of the student council budget. I don’t want to waste your money on a lame party and I’m really good at throwing parties. My sweet sixteen was way better than June Herald’s.” It wouldn’t have mattered what she said. They were captivated. “I can throw a really sexy semi-formal.” She placed emphasis on the word “sexy” and leaned forward a little. If they were dogs, they would have been drooling.

  “Yeah, we’ll all vote for you.” Lewis shot the guys a glare. It was amazing how much clout he had for not even being on the team. They all nodded, except for Zach. He was entranced too, but there were obvious reasons why he was voting for June.

  Devon waved, “Okay, thanks guys. I have to go to class now. See you all at the assembly!” She turned to leave but looked back over her shoulder. She winked to no one in particular. Each guy was certain it was just for him.

  Zach followed. “Hey, going so soon? We’ve got two minutes.”

  “You didn’t say you’d vote for me.” She’d turned back and was looking up at him through heavy lashes. “I noticed.” Devon ran her finger down his chest and traced the lightning bolt on his O.H.S.H. Athletics t-shirt. He faltered.

  “I--I, well you know I can’t.” Zach stepped closer to her. He knew she was teasing him and he knew everyone could see them,
but he loved the chase. “But I do hope you win.” He spoke quietly, removing her hand from his chest, but only so he could hold it. Her slender fingers were so tiny in his hands.

  “If I win, Junebug can have more time to spend with you,” she pretended to think that was the reason.

  “Maybe I want her to win then. If she wins, I can have more time to spend with you,” he leaned in and whispered in her ear.

  Devon chuckled. “We’ll see about that, Lightning.” She pulled away from his hand and turned around. “See ya.”

  Zach watched her skinny jeans go. When she’d put distance between them, Zach’s head cleared. He immediately looked down the hall. June was looking over at him, her jaw open in angry disbelief. Zach pretended not to see and went into class. God, he thought, he wouldn’t be making out for at least a week. Not with June, anyway.

  Most of the teachers tried to squeeze a mini class into the fifteen minutes they had before the assembly was called. Most of the students did not cooperate. Finally, as the notice came over the intercom, the students poured into the halls and moved like cattle down the corridor to the auditorium.

  Jason’s mere presence meant that he had to take charge and get students using all the doors to avoid a traffic jam. He was opening the door closest to the academic support center when he heard a shrill voice behind him. He cringed.

  “Devon!” June Herald snapped.

  Devon Valentine spun around, her blonde hair twirling out behind her. “Oh, hi.” Devon smiled. June’s eyes were daggers.

  “Devon,” she repeated, quieter now, though she already had Jason’s attention. “We need to talk.”

  “Do we?” She knew exactly what was up. June Herald had legendary jealousy. Devon was perhaps the only girl who didn’t fear it.

  “We do. You need to back off.” June stepped closer. “Use your tricks on whoever you want if that is the only way you can get votes. Stay away from Zach. He’s mine and he’s too busy to be pushing you off of him all the time.” Devon’s tricks were working. June seemed seriously threatened.

  “The real problem you have, Junebug, is that he’s not even trying to push me off. Is he?” Devon knew June had seen the exchange before class. She’d made sure of it.

  “He’s mine,” June repeated. June knew her composure was slipping and she was dangerously close to flaring supernova-bitch on Devon.

  “You just fail to give Zach what he needs. It’s not my fault I have what you lack.” Devon slid one hand down her sides to show off her curves. June cracked.

  She grabbed Devon’s hair and slammed her head into the drama club bulletin board, push pins and play posters flying everywhere. Devon’s button-pushing plan had worked too well. June was scratching and slapping her like a rabid squirrel fighting over an acorn.

  “Cat fight!” Lewis Mercer-- who was lucky enough to be in the area at the time-- loved to fan a fire. Zach came tearing down the hall to stop June. He could hear her all-too-familiar screams of fury. Devon managed to get free.

  “Gawd! June what the hell?” Devon looked down at her shirt to assess the damage. It was ripped sexily on the top right shoulder. Lewis almost fainted. “Oh you bitch,” Devon flung herself at June and the two of them hit the ground in a vortex of fingernails, high heels, and well-conditioned hair.

  “Ladies!” Jason’s voice tore through the shouts as he was finally able to force his way through the crowd to pull them apart. He had the odd thought that this was not too different than the graveyard ER shift at Mercy Hospital.

  “Come with me,” he barked. “Now.” He really could not care less about their teen drama. He hated feeling like a glorified babysitter.

  June tried to straighten out her hair in an attempt to reclaim some of her lost composure. Devon allowed her hair to stay frizzed and tangled because it complimented her freshly-sexed style. Still panting and pissed, June turned away and both girls went willingly. June tried to compensate for her broken heel as they walked, but the end result was an awkward hobble. Devon didn’t even try to hold her shirt together.

  They passed Valerie Hess, who was on her way into the auditorium to make her speech. June and Devon had missed their chance.

  Dr. Philips, the Principle, wanted to see the girls one at a time and Jason wanted to avoid the assembly and Candice Matthews, so he sat on one of the benches outside the principal’s office to supervise June while Devon went inside.

  June shifted in her chair over and over while Jason read a back issue of the school paper that was sitting on a nearby table. She was never in trouble and now she had a permanent mark on her record. This would not look good for colleges. She shouldn’t have let Devon goad her.

  Finally, Jason got tired of the fidgeting and spoke up. “Are you alright?”

  “I’m so sorry Dr. Livingstone,” she said, immediately beginning to plead her case to the nearest figure of authority. “Devon just kept pushing. It was sexual harassment, that’s what it was.”

  “It was a jealous catfight,” Jason said, putting down his newspaper. “But not totally unexpected from a pair of teenagers. When you get older you start to realize that fighting doesn’t solve your problems, and who hits on Zach Jacobs is a very, very small problem.”

  June’s eyes narrowed. It was strange to have an adult level with her like this. “So what, you don’t think I should be worried about Devon?”

  “No, not at all. He’s your boyfriend, right?”

  Her eyes narrowed further until they were slits along her fair face. “That’s a lie.”

  “What?”

  “You’re lying to me. You think I should be worried. I can tell when people are lying to me.

  Not her boyfriend, Jason thought. Despite trying his hardest to keep out of the cyclone of drama that swept up so many teenagers, Jason couldn’t help but notice things. He wasn’t blind. He saw when half of the school’s “it” couple was stealing kisses from other girls in the corridors. June chose not to see it.

  “You think you can always tell when I’m lying?”

  June nodded. Jason smiled. “Okay, smarty pants. My favorite team is the Chargers.”

  “True.”

  “I have four kids.”

  “False.”

  “Well that’s easy enough. We live in the same town.”

  “Come on, you think you’re gonna get me?” June was temporarily distracted from her impending academic doom by this little challenge. “Let’s go.”

  “Alright. I never drank in college.”

  “False!”

  “I never smoked pot.”

  “True.”

  “My favorite color is green.”

  “Nope.”

  “Blue.”

  “True.”

  Jason folded his arms and cocked his head. She really did have a gift. “Does that trick work on everyone?”

  “Most people. I mean, I’ve only ever tested it on a few people and Zach and his friend Lewis were the only ones I couldn’t catch.”

  “You’d think you’d be better at judging the people you know best.”

  June shrugged. “Can I ask a question?” she said. Her tone changing significantly. “You were married, right?”

  Jason nodded.

  “Divorced?”

  He shook his head. “Died.”

  “Why do men cheat?”

  Well now, maybe June wasn’t as ignorant as he thought. Jason leaned forward. “Validation. Ego.”

  “So what percent is ego and what percent is the relationship they’re in?”

  “If a guy cheats because he’s in a bad relationship, it’s because he’s too much of a coward to walk away, not because the girl did anything wrong. If Za-- if Mr. Jacobs makes you feel like you’re doing something wrong, then maybe that’s a sign that you should walk away.”

  “Oh we’re not talking about Zach,” she said, straightening up suddenly and looking away. “No, I was just thinking about all those guys Devon goes after, you know? Like she pursues guys she can’t have on purpose. Wh
at is that?”

  Jason sat back. He could see the door was closed. June was back to feigning ignorance.

  The office door opened and Devon came out with a paper folded up in her hand. She cast a condescending glance to June as she passed. On her way out the door she flipped her hair, just for Jason’s benefit.

  June stood up and straightened her skirt. She took off her shoes and carried them into the Principal’s office, not looking back. With any luck she could plead her case and her clean record would smooth this over.

  The bell rang. All of the closed circuit TVs flicked on. Lewis Mercer sat at a desk and, from the TVs, he grinned out over every homeroom at Olympia Heights Senior High that Monday morning. He was a sprightly blonde boy and really loved the spotlight.

  “Good morning Olympia Heights. I’m Lewis Mercer and this is the news for today, Monday October second. Lunch today is chicken patties.

  “The results of the Semi-Formal Committee Chair election are in and the winner is Valerie Hess.”

  Devon cursed under her breath. She knew that this was June’s fault.

  June, who heard the news in her own homeroom, kept her composure. It was imperative that, no matter what happened, nobody at Olympia Heights Senior High ever saw her look disappointed or vulnerable. Still, June was sure if it weren’t for Devon, she would have had the spot.

  The bell rang. June stood up and coolly left the room for her first class. It was alright, she tried to convince herself. June was used to giving herself little pep talks in her mind. It allowed her to keep control. Semi-formal committee wasn’t the be-all and end-all of student leadership. It would have been nice, but she didn’t need it. At least now she’d have more time to keep her eyes on Devon. She was going to need that.

  “Appearances are often deceiving.”