Aphrodite and Isis looked at each other in consternation. Two days wasn’t enough time to find true love for anyone!
“You can each bring me three crush candidates,” Pygmalion said as the girls stepped out onto the porch. “And if one of them turns out to be perfect for me, I’ll declare whoever brought her to be the true goddess of love.” He gave them a cocky farewell salute. “Later!” Then he shut the door in their faces. Again.
“Two days? This is hopeless,” said Aphrodite, shaking her head.
“Does that mean you give up?” asked Isis.
Aphrodite straightened, remembering what was at stake. “No way. You?”
“No,” said Isis. “So I guess we’ll meet back here in two days?”
“Right,” said Aphrodite. “Want a ride back to Cairo before I fly home?”
Isis shook her head, the beads in her shiny, smooth hair clicking gently. “Ra’s sunboat is just over there,” she said, pointing toward the setting sun. “I can get a ride from him.”
“Then I guess I’ll head back to Greece,” said Aphrodite. “Would you mind taking a message to my goddessgirl friends in Cairo?”
“Not at all,” Isis replied graciously. Aphrodite pulled a blank piece of papyrus from her handbag and scribbled out a note explaining what was going on. Isis took it, then they each went their separate ways.
Moments later, as Aphrodite’s swans lifted her golden cart into the air and started toward MOA, she watched Isis step into a long boat that also held the setting sun. A muscled god was at the helm, slowly steering it to where the sea and sky met. All around it, the sky turned scarlet, pink, and gold. Just before the boat disappeared on the horizon, Isis turned her head and glanced toward Aphrodite, a determined look in her eye.
Aphrodite met her gaze with a determined look of her own. If Isis thought she could beat her at the game of love, she had another think coming!
6
Work, Work, Work
THE MINUTE SHE LANDED IN THE MOA COURTYARD, Aphrodite spotted Pheme coming down the granite stairs toward her. Quickly, she shrank her swan cart and waved the girl over.
“I’m so glad to see you. I have new news!” Aphrodite told her, dragging her travel case behind her. She sure wished she’d packed lighter, especially since it had wound up that she hadn’t even stayed in Cairo overnight!
Pheme’s eyes widened with interest. “Do tell.”
“I’m going to be playing matchmaker for a very, um, special mortal boy,” Aphrodite said. “And I’ll need your help.” Pulling a sheet of papyrus from her handbag, she sat on the bottom step of MOA’s staircase and began writing. This time she was taking no chances that Pheme might garble her message.
“What’s this boy’s name?” Pheme asked eagerly as she sat down beside her. “Is he rich? Handsome? Smart? Funny? Where does he live?”
“Sorry, I can’t reveal the details,” said Aphrodite as she wrote. If she did, girls might go straight to Pyg’s house to meet him on their own. No, she must be the one to present them to him. Then, when he fell in love with one of them, he would proclaim her the one and only goddessgirl of love! She paused in her writing to imagine the scene of her triumph, with trumpets blaring and cheering crowds waving colorful flags. Would she wear her ruby-red chiton or her new aquamarine one? Red, she decided. “But I will say this,” she went on, pushing her daydream aside for now. “This boy is a real Lonely Heart looking for love.”
“Oh, he sounds adorable! And fascinating,” said Pheme, obviously intrigued.
“And I plan to help him find a new crush by holding a competition,” Aphrodite continued. “That’s where you come in. I want you to spread the word about it. Tell the mortal maidens in Greece to come to the agora in Athens tomorrow morning if they’d like to compete for this special boy’s favor. I’ll interview them and then choose three girls for my client’s consideration.”
“The three prettiest?” asked Pheme.
“Not necessarily.” Having finished writing, Aphrodite used the end of her quill pen to poke a hole in the top two corners of the papyrus square. Pulling a gold chain from her case, she strung it through the holes. “I will choose the three I judge to be the most suitable for the particular boy I have in mind.” Which meant finding a girl who was extremely tolerant of boys who were clueless, annoying, and boastful. A tall order. At least he was talented. She’d just have to find girls who appreciated that and could overlook the rest. There was someone for everyone, she kept reminding herself.
Just then, they spotted Hermes walking across the courtyard toward his delivery chariot with an armload of packages. Pheme jumped up and waved wildly at him. “Wait up!” Before she could dash off, Aphrodite grabbed the back of her chiton to stop her. Pheme tugged at her dress, trying to escape. “Let go! Don’t you want me to start spreading your news? I have to hurry if I’m going to catch a ride to Greece with Hermes.”
“First, I want you to promise me you’ll wear this the whole time you’re in Greece, okay?” said Aphrodite. Standing, she looped the gold chain around Pheme’s neck and clasped it, so that the papyrus sign she’d made hung in front of the girl’s chest.
Without even reading what Aphrodite had written, Pheme nodded. “I promise.” The sign was only an announcement of the details of the competition, but it could have been a KICK ME sign for all Pheme knew. She was in such a panic to spread her gossip that she rushed off as soon as Aphrodite let her go, dashing toward Hermes’ chariot as if her sandals were on fire. Still, Aphrodite was comforted by the fact that no matter how Pheme messed up the spoken news this time, everyone would know the true details of the contest by reading her sign.
Picking up her travel case, Aphrodite dragged it up the steps toward the school building, huffing and puffing. Normally several godboys would have dropped everything in their eagerness to help her, but as luck would have it there wasn’t a single godboy in sight. Many were gone for the holiday, and since she could hear Apollo’s band practicing upstairs in the fifth floor boys’ dorm, those who were still here were probably upstairs listening, completely unaware that she needed help!
“I give you an E for effort,” Medusa joked. Aphrodite glanced up to see the green girl standing a few steps above her clutching a scroll and blocking her path.
“I’ll give you one back for excuse me,” said Aphrodite.
Medusa moved, then fell into step beside Aphrodite as she continued climbing the stairs. Medusa lightly tapped the end of her scroll against the side of her leg as she walked. “And speaking of grades, you never did say what you made in Hero-ology.”
Aphrodite dropped her bag on the top step and glared at her, feeling tired and frustrated. “Ye gods! I got a B,” she fibbed, spreading her arms wide. “Satisfied?”
Medusa’s snakes hissed, as if they were sssuspiciousss that Aphrodite wasn’t telling the truth. Medusa arched an eyebrow, as if she didn’t quite believe her either. “If you say so, drama queen.”
She didn’t know why, but for some reason Medusa had had it in for her almost since first grade. Suddenly fed up with her name-calling, Aphrodite asked bluntly, “Why don’t you like me?”
Startled by her directness, Medusa’s eyes went wide. For once she didn’t have a snarky—or snaky—comeback.
“Is it because I’m immortal and you’re not? Or because I’m popular?” asked Aphrodite.
“No!” Medusa shot her an angry stare, then blurted. “It’s because you’re so happy.”
“Happy?” Of all the things she’d expected Medusa to say, this was not on the list.
Medusa nodded. “It’s annoying. You’re always looking on the bright side and seeing possibilities for love everywhere. Bleah!” She opened her mouth and pointed inside it, pretending to gag, then ranted on. “Everything’s so easy for you just because you’re pretty. You don’t even have to try and boys adore you. You’re not even smart and teachers give you good grades. It’s not fair.”
Not smart? There it was again, the implication that she was
dumb! Aphrodite stepped back as if she’d been struck by a blow. Then she just lost it. “Do I look happy to you?” she yelled, not even caring that her scowl might be giving her wrinkles at the moment
If only Medusa knew the truth—that Zeus and Mr. Cyclops were upset with her. That her claim to the title of goddess of love was in danger, and that she’d made a D in Hero-ology. She wasn’t about to confess all that, though, so instead she said, “I assure you things are not as easy for me as you imagine!”
“Oh, go tell your sob story to someone who’s interested,” scoffed Medusa. It was obvious she didn’t believe Aphrodite, or at least thought she was exaggerating—playing the diva role again. “Here.” Slapping the scroll she held into Aphrodite’s palm, she stalked off.
Realizing it was the Lonely Hearts Club quiz she’d dropped by Medusa’s room that morning, Aphrodite tucked it under one arm and continued dragging her bag. Had she really expected any sympathy from Medusa?
When she got to her room, she found Pandora’s quiz half-shoved under her door. However, there were no more letters in her Lonely Hearts mailbox. That made her success in helping Pyg more important than ever. Everything hinged on it. It was her only chance to regain her title and the favor of mortals, to calm Zeus, and to make Mr. Cyclops view her community service as a success and agree to improve her grade. She had to win, or forever be a loser!
She tossed her bag on her spare bed and set the swan cart figurine back on its shelf. She was exhausted! And hungry. Taking the two quizzes with her, she headed to the cafeteria. She had no intention of helping Medusa after what she’d just said, but she was still curious to see how the two mortal girls had responded. Sitting down with a carton of nectar and a heaping plate of ambrosia salad and cloud nine soup, she began reviewing their quizzes.
Several of the questions had been written with her best friends in mind. For example, when she’d asked what kind of animal they liked, she was thinking of Artemis.
Pandora had answered: ? to that one. In fact, she’d written question marks as answers to several questions. Aphrodite supposed that shouldn’t have come as a surprise, considering.
Medusa had answered: reptile to the animal question. Also unsurprising. Considering.
She glanced at some of the girls’ other answers to the mostly multiple choice questions:
What do you love most about yourself? (Please check one.)
I have a good personality.
I’m smart.
I’m a good friend.
I’m pretty (or handsome).
My creativity.
I can keep a secret.
Other ______________________________________
Pandora had checked “other” and in the blank beside it, she’d written: That I’m curious?
Medusa had checked all six responses, and beside “Other” she’d written: I’m green.
Aphrodite bit back a giggle at Medusa’s answer. She may have checked all the responses, but after what she’d just said to Aphrodite, it was easy to guess that she wasn’t nearly as self-confident as she pretended to be. Feeling eyes on her, she glanced around. The cafeteria seemed practically empty now that so many students had gone on holiday. She tried not to feel too sorry for herself that they were off having fun, while she was here working.
Three tables away, she saw Pandora sitting beside Hephaestus’s crush, Aglaia. Pandora waved when she caught her eye. Aphrodite smiled, but didn’t invite the two girls over. Pandora’s constant questions would keep her from being able to read over the quizzes! At another table, Medusa sat with her two sisters. When she caught her eye, Medusa glanced away, looking suddenly shy. Shy? Medusa?
Her club was important to these two mortals, Aphrodite realized with surprise. Both girls were honest-to-goodness Lonely Hearts and were hoping she could help them connect with someone who would like them. Feeling touched, she studied the quizzes more closely. Mr. Cyclops might not think Medusa and Pandora counted as far as her grade went, but they still needed her help! Quickly, she read the girls’ answers to the rest of the quiz, which included questions like:
How would your friends describe you?
What makes you a good catch?
How would you describe your ideal boyfriend?
Pandora’s answer to the last question was: Maybe a godboy who likes water and has turquoise skin?
Medusa’s answer was: A godboy with turquoise skin who likes fountains, oceans, and tridents.
Uh-oh! There was only one boy in all of MOA with turquoise skin, and that was Poseidon.
Actually, Aphrodite wasn’t that surprised. She’d guessed that Medusa and Pandora were both crushing on Poseidon a long time ago and this just proved she’d been right. Pandora asked Poseidon more questions than she asked anyone else, and Medusa often stuck up for him. Those were the kinds of little details a goddess-girl of love noted and remembered.
Aphrodite looked around for Poseidon. He was sitting at another table, laughing and joking with his buddies, Apollo, Ares, and Dionysus. They’d finished their lunches and were building some kind of tower out of textscrolls, plates, nectar cartons, and various other random items on their trays. She noticed Pandora and Medusa both looking at him with identical looks of adoration.
Yet Poseidon, she was sure, was totally unaware that two girls were in like with him. Godboys were so dense sometimes. Or maybe Poseidon just didn’t like them the way they liked him, and so was trying not to encourage them. Aphrodite rubbed her forehead. She was too tired to figure this out tonight.
As she took her tray to the counter, she noticed a poster on the bulletin board nearby. Something about Apollo’s band, Heavens Above, playing at a dance. Oh, yeah, she’d forgotten about that. It was an MOA tradition to mark the end of Hero Week with a dance in which everyone dressed in hero costumes.
“Are you going?” It was Artemis’s twin brother, Apollo. He, Dionysus, and Ares had come up behind her to toss their trash.
Dionysus gestured toward the sign on the board. “To the Hero Dance at the end of the week,” he said. “Our band’s playing.”
“Well, I love dances,” she began.
Apollo laughed. “We know.”
“And I love your band.” She smiled at the godboys, trying to smother a yawn. “I’m kind of busy, but I’ll come by for a while at least.” A dance was the last thing she should be thinking about right now, but she wanted to be supportive and she did like their music.
“Promise?” asked Ares. “We stayed at MOA during the holiday just so we could polish our new songs in time.” Aphrodite looked up at him. Had he grown another inch or two in the last week or so? And gotten even cuter? Even though they’d broken up for good, her heart did its familiar pitter-patter. Was he having second thoughts about the breakup? “And it’d be great if you could bring your friends, too,” he added, bursting her bubble.
“Ares just joined the band and he wants lots of girls around to admire him,” Dionysus teased.
So that was it, Aphrodite thought as Ares gave his arm a mock punch. “Sure, okay, I’ll spread the word,” she said. “See you guys later.”
Once in her room, she fell asleep the minute her head hit her heart-shaped pillow.
The next morning, after unpacking her case, showering, dressing, and having a quick breakfast, she enchanted her cart once again and flew down to Greece. She landed in Athens, the city named after Athena of course, and immediately noticed that there was a long queue at the Agora Marketplace. Girls were lined up from one end of the colonnaded building to the other, their line even snaking around the back. There must be a big sale, she thought, wishing she had time to join them in their shopping.
“You’re here!” As Aphrodite tucked her figurine into her handbag, Pheme hurried toward her. “Great turnout, huh?” She gestured toward the agora.
Aphrodite’s jaw dropped. “You mean all those girls are here for my competition?”
Pheme nodded, looking proud. “Once everyone heard that you were competing with some hoit
y-toity Egyptian goddess to determine who’d be crowned the goddessgirl of love, they—”
Aphrodite’s breath caught and she grabbed Pheme’s arm. “I never told you that! How did you find out about Isis?”
“You didn’t tell me?” Pheme looked confused.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Well, then, I must have picked up the information somewhere else,” said Pheme, shrugging. “Oh! Now I remember. I heard it from the friend of a friend who knows that friend’s brother’s girlfriend who lives in Egypt, who heard it from—”
“Never mind,” said Aphrodite. She couldn’t help feeling embarrassed that the whole world knew about the challenge to her status as the one and only goddess of love! Why did Pheme have to have such a big mouth?
Still, she held her head high as she and Pheme walked toward the agora. She couldn’t worry about what people thought of her now. She had to concentrate on interviewing candidates to find a crush for Pyg. A delicate golden chair with a pink velvet seat cushion had been placed on a granite pedestal, waiting for her. Next to it stood a tall crystal vase of long-stemmed red roses. And next to that, someone had set an easel with a fancy sign upon it that read:
Today only!
Meet: Aphrodite,
the one and only true goddess of love.
Compete in her
Mortal Matchmaker contest!
“How nice!” she said, admiring the preparations. The minute she sat down, a mortal girl brought her a jeweled goblet of iced nectar. A minute later, two more girls came to stand on either side of her chair, and began to gently fan her with enormous palm leaves. Wow! This was certainly the royal treatment. What was going on? She’d thought mortals were mad at her!
The queue was long and she wanted to get to everyone today, so Aphrodite waved the first two girls in line forward. She’d brought a notescroll with a copy of her quiz questions and blank pages for taking notes, which she set on her lap.
At her summons, the girls curtsied and then approached her. “Your hair is so beautiful,” said one of them, sounding surprised.
Aphrodite the Diva (Goddess Girls) Page 6
