Aphrodite and Persephone pulled Isis onto the dance floor, so she would feel like part of the group. The girls drew a lot of attention when Isis began showing them a new dance called “Walk like an Egyptian.” With their bodies facing forward, they turned their heads, feet, and hands, so that their noses, toes, and fingers pointed toward one side. Moving their arms and legs to the beat of the song, they took a few steps in one direction, then turned and went the other way. More and more immortals joined in until the whole dance floor was doing it.
Spying Hera mingling with some of the other teachers off to one side of the room, Aphrodite looked around for Zeus, who always came to chaperone the dances. He wasn’t here, though. She certainly hoped Hera didn’t leave before he arrived!
Seeing Medusa standing off in a corner with her sisters, Aphrodite sighed. Medusa’s arms were folded and she wore a scowl. Honestly! Some people had no idea how to have fun. Since her hero was a king, Medusa wore a gold crown. Unfortunately, her snakes had decided to curl up and nap in the middle of it. It looked like she was baking a green snake casserole on top of her head!
Naturally, no godboy went near her. Yet, Aphrodite had a feeling Medusa didn’t realize just how odd and unfriendly she looked. She probably just figured boys didn’t talk to her because they didn’t like her. Of course, her reptile hair didn’t help. Still, Aphrodite’s belief that there was someone for everyone hadn’t changed.
If anything, her experience with Pygmalion had made that belief stronger! And she actually had a godboy in mind for Medusa. Not the one the snaky girl liked. She didn’t think Poseidon was right for her. Instead, since opposites sometimes attracted, she’d selected a godboy who was the complete opposite of Medusa. A boy who lived to have fun—Dionysus.
As soon as he and Ares climbed down from the stage for a break, leaving the rest of the band to continue with songs that didn’t require them, Aphrodite seized her chance and headed for the unsuspecting fun-loving boy. A few steps from her goal, she bumped into Ares. Literally.
“Whoa!” he said, grabbing her arm to keep her from falling and then gently setting her back on her feet. “I was hoping I’d run into you here, but not quite like that!” He gave her a dazzling smile.
Aphrodite stood on tiptoe, looking past him for Dionysus so as not to lose track of him in the crowd.
“Could I talk to you for a minute?” Ares asked.
Her attention caught, Aphrodite looked up into his sparkly blue eyes and felt herself blush. Ares was the only godboy at MOA who had that effect on her. Often she wished that he didn’t, since most of the time she was mad at him about one thing or another. Although she’d never admit it, arguing with him was kind of fun. “Sorry, now’s not a good time. There’s something I need to do.”
Ares’ eyes darkened slightly. “Later, then, okay? I—”
But Aphrodite was barely listening now. Dionysus was heading for the door! “Yoo-hoo!” she called out, dashing after him. When she caught up to him, he looked at her in surprise. “What’s up?” he asked.
“Um,” she said, trying to figure out how to get him to ask Medusa to dance. Then she noticed the bandana peeking out of the pocket of his toga. “Is that the blindfold you wore at the agora the other day?” she asked.
Grinning, he whipped it out. “The one that says ‘love is blind’?” he asked, displaying it.
“Yes!” She laughed lightly. “That was so funny. You should wear it here.”
“You think?” His eyes, which were the color of purple grapes, brightened. He was always ready to try something fun, unlike Medusa. Quickly he wrapped the bandana around his head, tying it at the back.
“Oh! I see a girl waving at you already,” she told him. “Here, let me take you to her. No peeking now.” Aphrodite took his hand and led him to Medusa, who was still standing like a statue in the exact same spot she’d been in before. “Dionysus wants to dance.”
Looking stunned, Medusa looked left, then right. Seeing no one else around, she pointed to herself. “You mean with me?”
Aphrodite nodded. Narrowing her eyes, Medusa whispered, “Why is he wearing that blindfold?”
Hearing her, Dionysus laughed. But fortunately he didn’t seem to recognize her voice. He pointed to the saying on the bandana. “Because love is blind. Get it?”
“It’s a game,” Aphrodite explained. “He’s going to try to guess who you are after two dances. Don’t give him any hints, though.”
“Lead me to the dance floor, my lady.” Dionysus crooked an arm toward Medusa. “Time’s a-wasting. Only two songs to make you fall in love with me.”
Medusa giggled. Actually giggled! Well, maybe it sounded more like a cackle, but still. Aphrodite couldn’t recall her ever having cracked a smile that wasn’t mean before. As the pair headed for the dance floor, a slow song began. Aphrodite tensed when Medusa’s snakes hissed, as if they were humming to the tune.
Dionysus’s expression turned puzzled. “Are there some balloons leaking somewhere?” he asked. She couldn’t hear Medusa’s reply, but Aphrodite sighed with relief. Crisis averted. The pair seemed to be off to a good start, chatting away. She only hoped that the “love is blind” slogan would hold true when Dionysus finally saw who he was dancing with.
“Matchmaking again?” asked a male voice.
She turned to see Ares at her side. “Maybe.”
He shook his head in amusement. “But Dionysus and Medusa? That’s a strange combination.”
She sent him a superior smile. “I know what I’m doing. I can sense romantic sparks before they even fly.” He was standing so close to her that their shoulders and the backs of their hands were touching. Her cheeks began to feel warm.
Ares snorted a laugh and murmured, “Yet you don’t notice when someone likes you.”
Aphrodite’s heart gave a flutter. But then she remembered the current thing she was mad at him about. Turning toward him, she poked a polished purple fingertip in the middle of his chest. “What I told you about my grade the other day at the agora was private. You should have known that. I didn’t appreciate you telling your friends. I haven’t even told my own friends yet!”
Ares eyes widened innocently. “I didn’t tell them!”
She stared at him, suddenly uncertain. “But right after I told you, you said something to your friends, then they looked straight at me and laughed!”
“They weren’t laughing at you,” he said. He ran his fingers through his thick blond hair, looking frustrated, and a little embarrassed. “They—”
Ares’ eyes flicked to something beyond her and Aphrodite turned to see Isis approaching. Her beautiful green eyes were glued to him. And who could blame her? Ares was the cutest boy in school, no question.
Aphrodite fought to squash down a spurt of jealousy. After all, she and Ares were history, right? After she made the introductions, there was an awkward pause. To fill it, she gestured toward the dance floor. “Why don’t you show Ares that new dance, Isis?” she suggested.
Immediately she wanted to kick herself. What was she doing, putting the two of them together? Ares was bound to be drawn to Isis’s exotic beauty. She wasn’t sure why she cared, but she did. Behind her back she crossed her fingers, hoping Ares would make an excuse for why he couldn’t dance right then.
Instead, he just gave Aphrodite a strange look. There was something in his eyes she couldn’t quite interpret. Disappointment? But then he favored Isis with a polite smile and gestured to the dance floor. “All right, let’s hit that floor, goddessgirl!” As the pair moved away, Aphrodite couldn’t help thinking how beautiful the two looked together. But not wanting to think about Isis’s hand on Ares’ arm, she tore her eyes away.
Just then Poseidon hopped down from the stage to take a break, and she remembered she had another romance to kindle. Casually, she fell into step beside him. While complimenting him on how well he played the lyre, she herded him toward Pandora, who had cornered another godboy and was peppering him with questions.
&nbs
p; “Oh, hi, Pandora,” she said when they drew level with the girl. When Pandora turned toward them, the boy she’d been questioning saw his chance and dashed away from her interrogation in relief. Too bad the curious girl didn’t seem to know how to hold a normal conversation.
Yet, as soon as Poseidon greeted her, the usually gabby Pandora became completely tongue-tied. Poseidon fell silent too.
Aphrodite rolled her eyes. Godness, what would mortals and immortals do without her? she sometimes wondered. They’d never fall in like, much less in love, that was for sure. Catching Pandora’s eye, she nodded toward Poseidon, who was studying the prongs of his trident. Ask him about himself, she mouthed silently.
“What?” Pandora asked loudly, leaning closer to her.
Poseidon glanced at them as if he’d overheard. When his eyes rested on Pandora, his glittery cheeks flushed. This was a surprise even to Aphrodite, for half the girls in school had crushed on Poseidon at one time or another and he’d rarely seemed affected.
“Nothing,” said Aphrodite. But when Poseidon looked away again, she whispered to Pandora, “Ask him one question.”
“About what?” Pandora asked.
“About himself. Maybe about his . . . um, his trident. And then listen to his entire answer before you say another word.”
Pandora looked thoughtful, then nodded. Stepping closer to Poseidon, she asked, “So what’s the difference between a pitchfork and a trident anyway?” Then she pressed her lips together like she was trying her hardest to hold back another question.
Poseidon’s face lit up instantly. This was a topic that was near and dear to his heart. As he began to explain, Aphrodite quietly slipped away. When Apollo and Artemis began a duet with a catchy beat a few minutes later, she was gratified to see Poseidon lead Pandora onto the dance floor.
Isis and Ares seemed to be having a good time dancing out there as well, Aphrodite couldn’t help noticing. She forced her attention elsewhere, immediately spotting Mr. Cyclops. He was already talking to Cleo, the makeup lady! It appeared they’d found each other without her help. And they were making what Artemis sometimes called goo-goo eyes at each other.
Three romances down, one to go. And the last one was the most important. Right on cue, Zeus strolled into the gym, holding a big black umbrella and looking morose. His eyebrows were drawn together in a frown and his eyes roamed the room restlessly. With every step he took, thunder shook the floor. Shrieks of surprise sounded as it began to drizzle through the open-air roof and inside the room! All over the gym, umbrellas popped open. A black cloud hung over the party now, everyone’s joy dampened. If she didn’t do something fast, the dance would be ruined.
But before she could decide what to do, Hera walked over to Zeus, all confidence and determination. Aphrodite held her breath as Hera introduced herself and held out her hand to him. When he shook it, tiny sparks flew between their clasped fingers, but Hera didn’t seem to notice. Zeus gazed at her as if bewitched. Then he invited her under his umbrella, and the two of them began to talk.
As Aphrodite stood watching, Athena, Persephone, and Artemis joined her under an enormous multicolored umbrella that Artemis had found somewhere.
“I wonder what she’s saying to him,” Athena whispered.
“I don’t know, but whatever it is seems to be improving his mood,” said Persephone. She stuck her hand outside the umbrella. “The drizzle has stopped.”
“Hey, you’re right.” Artemis snapped the big umbrella shut, shaking droplets from it.
Within minutes the black cloud over the room vanished, and custodians rushed to mop the floor. Soon the band struck up a new tune, and students moved onto the dance floor again. Meanwhile, Zeus and Hera continued chatting away, seemingly unaware of what was going on around them. Zeus was even smiling now, and laughing, too.
Gray eyes sparkling, Athena turned to Aphrodite and hugged her. “This is the happiest I’ve seen my dad in ages. Thank you!”
“Is it hard seeing him with someone new, though?” asked Aphrodite.
Athena shook her head. “If Dad likes Hera, that’s enough for me. I just want him to be happy.”
“So do we,” Persephone and Artemis said at the same time. The goddessgirls laughed.
But then Athena’s face fell and she grabbed Aphrodite’s arm. “Ye gods! I think my dad just asked her to dance!”
“Oh no,” said Aphrodite turning to look. Sure enough, Zeus and Hera were moving onto the dance floor. Though he didn’t seem to realize it, Zeus was the worst dancer in the world. The four friends could only watch in horror as he began a jerky mix of the hula, the swim, and the twist. Persephone cringed. Artemis groaned. Athena’s shoulders slumped. “This romance is doomed before it can even get started.”
“Maybe not! Aphrodite said in excitement. “Look!” To the goddessgirls’ surprise, Hera was still smiling. Was it possible she found Zeus’s weird, uncoordinated dance somehow endearing?
“Aw, look how cute they are together,” Persephone said.
“Goo-goo eyes,” said Artemis, pretending to be disgusted.
But Athena had gone silent and was staring at the entrance to the gym. Aphrodite followed her gaze, and saw that Athena’s friend Heracles had just entered. His eyes roved the crowd, searching. When they found Athena, he grinned and made a beeline for her. He didn’t even seem to notice any of the other girls. Aphrodite liked that about him.
Moving away, Aphrodite looked for Isis. When she spotted her, she was dancing with a different boy. So where was—
Just then, the band struck up a new song—one she hadn’t heard before. Ares moved to the front of the stage, and she realized that he was going to sing it.
“This is a song I wrote,” he announced. “It’s called ‘Who Likes You?’” In a strong, steady, voice that seemed to fill the gym, he began to sing:
You’ve got the smarts
To help Lonely Hearts.
Guess whooo . . . likes you?
Aphrodite straightened, her eyes going wide. Wait a minute! That sounded very familiar. Could it be that the boy who’d once said he would never be caught dead sending flowers to a girl, had actually written a song for her? But it seemed it was true. For as the song continued, he sang all the lyrics from the riddlescrolls she’d gotten, one after the other. Ares was her mystery guy?
All over the gym, goddessgirls sighed and murmured, watching the handsome godboy onstage. When the song ended they cheered for him. Although he shot the crowd a smile, Ares didn’t seem to notice all the adoring girls. Instead, he hopped from the stage and made his way straight to Aphrodite.
“So it was you who wrote me those riddlescrolls!” she said.
He nodded. “That’s why those guys were laughing that day at the agora. They weren’t laughing at you. They were teasing me. Because of the song. They knew I wrote it about you.” He paused, tucking both hands in his pockets. “Did you like it?”
“What girl wouldn’t like a song written about her?” she said. “But did you mean it?”
Ares looked her in the eye. “Every word.” He hesitated. “Look, Aphrodite. I know I—”
“Stop.” Aphrodite held up a hand to shush him. “The words of your song were so incredibly sweet. You might risk ruining it if you keep on talking.”
Laughing happily, he took her hand and dropped a light kiss in the center of her palm. “You know me too well.” She folded her fingers over the kiss, holding it tight. “Dance?” he murmured.
“Sure,” she said dreamily. As he drew her onto the dance floor, the gym seemed ten times brighter and sparklier then it had a minute ago. Was it just that the dark clouds surrounding Zeus for so long had finally lifted? Or maybe it was simply being near a boy she liked. One who liked her back.
Nearby, Isis was dancing with yet another boy. She looked like she was having the time of her life. Aphrodite caught her eye and they sent each other little waves.
Then Mr. Cyclops happened by, twirling Cleo in his arms. Who’d have guessed he
’d turn out to be such a good dancer with those big feet of his!
Aphrodite smiled at him over Ares’ shoulder. Just that morning she’d slipped a full and honest report about all that had happened with Pygmalion onto his desk. “B?” she asked now, daring to hope. To her delight, Mr. Cyclops gave her a big thumbs-up.
Aphrodite beamed, her happiness complete. Wait till she told her friends what had really been going on over the holiday. In just five days, she’d turned her D for dumb into a B for brilliant, blissful, and beautiful!
Not bad for a sometime-diva. Not bad at all!
RACE YOU TO THE SPORTS FIELDS!” ARTEMIS challenged her twin brother, Apollo, as they crossed Mount Olympus Academy’s courtyard on Wednesday afternoon. Practices for the Olympic Games, which would take place on Saturday, were now in progress.
Apollo crouched in a runner’s stance with his fingers touching the ground. “You’re on.”
Artemis crouched too. “Ready. Set. Go!” she shouted.
They took off at the exact same moment. Both twins flew down a grassy hill, legs pumping, while Artemis’s three dogs kept pace beside them. They liked to run too!
The twins’ best sport was archery, but Artemis loved any kind of athletic competition. As archers, she and her brother were evenly matched, but with some extra effort she could usually beat him in a race. Right now he was a couple feet behind her. Slowly, she began to widen her lead, her eyes on the sports fields.
Ahead of them colorful banners waved high on the flagpoles that lined the edges of the largest field. Each had a logo for a particular sport. However, there was no logo for archery. It wasn’t an Olympic event. Not that it mattered in Artemis’s case. She had no chance at winning in the Olympics.
Why? Because girls were not allowed to compete in the games.
Thinking about it, Artemis’s shoulders tightened. It wasn’t fair!
Aphrodite the Diva (Goddess Girls) Page 12
