by Vera Strange
Hector leapt onto it, flying over the mud trap, and scrambled up the wall lightning fast. Then he flipped over the top and landed in a graceful crouch. He sprang right back up.
The crowd went wild. Now they’d all taken up the chant.
“Go, Wonderboy! Go, Wonderboy! Go, Wonderboy!”
Hector sailed through the finish line to thunderous applause, but he didn’t stop there. He kept sprinting toward the stands and ran straight into his family’s waiting arms for a big group hug.
Juan and Luca hoisted him onto their shoulders, parading him around. He watched Mae cross the finish line in a distant second place. Her father kicked the turf in anger, while she looked bewildered. She shot Hector an accusatory look.
He felt a stab of guilt. He could tell what she was thinking.
How did he get that much faster overnight and beat me so badly?
He quickly looked away. She’d played dirty to win. Now it was his turn. It was what she deserved. So why did he feel so guilty?
He tried to shake the thought and focus on the cheering crowd. His family was so proud of him. He felt his guilt wash away and vanish in the shower of applause and praise.
“Hector, we’re so proud of you!” Dad said, beaming. “You won the Zeus Cup! I always knew you’d win! Never had a doubt!”
“That’s my Wonderboy,” Mom said, hugging Hector fiercely. “Your grandparents, rest their souls, would be so proud of you for bringing the Zeus Cup home to our little family store.”
“Mom…Dad…I love you,” Hector said, hugging them back.
He had never felt so loved and adored as he did in this exact moment. It washed through him, making him feel golden and strong. That’s when he knew that he’d made the right decision.
All the hard training was part of it, of course, but the deal with Hades had sealed his victory. One thought shot through his head.
It was worth it even if I had to play dirty to win.
Phil presented the glimmering, golden trophy to Hector with a tear in his eye. It was over two feet tall. The golden figure on top depicted Zeus holding a lightning bolt, ruling over Mt. Olympus.
“You did it, Wonderboy,” Phil said, choking up. “You won, just like we always dreamed!”
He tried to pass the Zeus Cup to Hector, but Hector made Phil hold it up with him. The trophy felt solid and strong in their shared grip.
“No, we did it,” Hector said to Phil. “You were there every step of the way. I couldn’t have done it without you. This is your trophy, too.” He turned to his family. “All of yours!”
The Gomez clan all held the trophy up together as the crowd cheered them on.
“Hey, Wonderboy!” called a dad with his son, waving to Hector from across the street and summoning him over. “Please, can we take a selfie with you?”
Hector hesitated—he was already running late. He was carrying the Zeus Cup with him, so it was no wonder they recognized him. Only one short day had passed since he won the race, but it felt like the blink of an eye. He’d been walking around as if on a pink cloud. And now he had to be at Hero’s to place the Zeus Cup in the trophy case and sign autographs to promote the store.
He had wanted to bring the Cup straight to Hades last night—let the god use it and give it back—but his family had thrown him a huge party, and he hadn’t found a chance to leave. Now he was stuck. His parents expected the Cup to be displayed today. He just hoped he’d be able to sneak to the store later and grab it so he could bring it to Hades. Hector wasn’t sure what Hades might do to him if he didn’t make good on his half of their deal.
“C’mon…please!” begged the kid, who looked to be about five years old, with a messy head of bright red, curly hair. He peered at Hector with big, wide eyes.
The kid was starstruck.
Hector was running late, but he couldn’t refuse.
“Uh, sure,” he said awkwardly, posing with the man and his kid while hoisting up the trophy.
Click.
“Wow, this is so cool,” said the kid, marveling at the selfie on his dad’s phone. “I can’t believe I got a pic with the champ! One day I wanna be a true hero like you.”
He gazed up at Hector in awe while his dad looked on excitedly.
“Thanks for inspiring my kid,” the dad said. “All he was doing was playing video games. But now he wants to join the track team.”
“That’s great!” Hector said, looking down. “You’ve just gotta work really hard, like me…” He trailed off, feeling like a total fraud. His stomach sank.
His hard work had not paid off. He’d only won because of Hades.
But he pushed that thought away. He had also worked hard. He had trained on that field every day for over a year. He deserved to win the trophy. The only reason he’d lost the preliminary race was because Mae played dirty. He could have won fair and square—he was sure of it.
“Nice to meet you,” Hector muttered. He was still running late, so he hurried off, dodging more people calling out his name. Hector wasn’t used to being recognized on the street, let alone asked for selfies like this, even if it was just in his small-town square.
But that’s how it was now. Everywhere Hector went in Mt. Olympus, people cheered and called out Wonderboy! or they wanted selfies or autographs. He couldn’t get one block down the street without getting a request.
Hector hurried toward Hero’s Sporting Goods, hoping he wouldn’t get stopped again. A long line snaked down the front of the store. The customers cheered for him when he walked into the shop. He gave them a sheepish wave and quickly ducked inside.
The bell let out a welcoming jangle as he rushed through the door, inhaling the familiar musty scents of leather and rubber.
Mom spotted him and rushed over from behind the register.
“You’re late,” she said, glancing at the clock impatiently. “What took so long? You’re the fastest kid in this whole town.”
Hector blushed. “Uh, I guess…my fans…kept stopping me.”
“Already bragging about your entourage?” Phil teased, joining them. “Don’t get a big head. You’re still my littlest bro, remember?”
“Yeah, littlest,” Luca added, skipping over with a goofy grin.
“Thank the gods I’m not the littlest anymore,” Juan added in a low voice. “It was pretty rough before you were born.”
All the brothers chuckled, just like old times, bringing Hector back down to Earth a little bit. It felt like he’d been floating on a cloud with the gods in Mt. Olympus ever since he’d won the race.
“Hey, now, let your brother enjoy it,” Mom said, giving Phil a friendly squeeze. “He worked so hard. This is his moment to shine.”
She led Hector across the store. He still clutched the Zeus Cup, carefully cradling it in his arms.
“Care to do the honors?” Mom said, producing a golden key and unlocking the trophy case. The glass door swung open, revealing the rich velvet-lined interior. His brothers all looked on. Hector could feel the weight of the Zeus Cup in his strong hands.
Dad came out from the storage room, whistling cheerfully and carrying a box of T-shirts.
“Look, the new shirts came in!” he said excitedly. His eyes landed on Hector. “Oh, is it time?”
Mom nodded. “Can’t keep his fans waiting forever.” Her eyes shifted to Hector. “You ready?”
She gestured to the trophy case. But Hector hesitated, still gripping the trophy. His hands felt sweaty. They all noticed his hesitation.
“Son, go ahead,” Dad urged, setting the box down and swiping a tear from his eye. “You earned this! We’re so proud of you.”
Dad held up his phone to document the moment.
“And so grateful,” Mom added, giving him a proud smile. “We’ve never sold so much merchandise in just one day!”
“And these new T-shirts,” Dad said, holding one up for Hector’s inspection. “They’ll fly off the shelves.”
The shirts were bright crimson with a gold graphic of Hector h
olding the Zeus Cup. “Wonderboy” was emblazoned across the front in gold lettering. The back read:
HERO’S SPORTING GOODS HOME OF THE FAMOUS ZEUS CUP
Both his parents stood waiting for him, but still he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t put the trophy in the case. He’d made a deal with Hades. What was he going to do?
His parents exchanged a look.
“Well, Wonderboy,” Dad said. “What’re you waiting for?”
“Yeah, you need me to coach you through this one, too?” Phil added, chuckling with Dad.
Dad Jokes forever.
But Hector couldn’t even crack a smile this time. Reluctantly, he approached the trophy case that his family had specially constructed to house the Zeus Cup, hoping that one day one of their kids would finally win it and bring it home to their shop.
But his feet felt like lead weights were strapped to them. He tried to put on a brave face, but doubt ate away at him anyway. Hades’ voice from the bathroom echoed through his head.
Remember our deal! Win the race—and bring me the Zeus Cup!
What if it was already too late? What if Hades was already angry that Hector hadn’t yet brought him the Cup? Maybe he should just turn and run, bringing the trophy with him over to the park in the town square. But then he looked at his family’s faces—they were all so proud, even Luca and Juan, who usually razzed him.
“Look, it’s not like it’s going anywhere,” Mom said, patting the trophy case. “I know you’re attached to it, but you don’t have to worry. It’ll be right here, safe and secure.”
She dangled the golden key in front of him for extra emphasis.
“Yeah, you can visit it whenever you want,” Dad added with a big grin. “I know I would.”
Hector’s eyes fixed on the golden key, then shifted to the trophy case made of glass. But that was exactly the problem. It would be too safe and secure. Locking the Zeus Cup inside the trophy case meant that it would be even more difficult to deliver it to Hades like he’d promised.
But then another thought shot through his head, loud and clear and powerful.
Maybe I should keep the Zeus Cup for myself?
For one thing, Hector didn’t exactly need Hades anymore. He had already won the race, right? Plus, now that he considered it, how much had Hades really helped him? Hector had trained his whole life for that race.
Also, although he hated to admit it, Hector had never had it this good. Everyone in town loved him and thought he was a hero. Overnight, he’d become a local celebrity. Kids were posting to social media, idolizing him. The local paper had even run a front-page story on him that morning, featuring a picture of him holding up the Zeus Cup at the top of the podium.
Hector glanced behind the register, where his mother had already framed the paper’s front page. Mae stood below him in second place, wearing a tight smile.
Despite her frustration at losing, Mae had asked for his number after the race so that they could text and stay in touch. He could tell she was impressed by his athletic prowess. Heck, everyone was.
His eyes darted to the line waiting patiently outside the door for his autograph-signing session. His mother had pulled it together fast, hoping to bring some business into the store. If each of those people bought one shirt today, it would be a huge day for their bottom line.
Maybe it was a bad idea to free Hades from the Underworld, anyway. Zeus had probably locked him up down there for a good reason.
Hector took a deep breath, then came to a decision. He approached the trophy case and set the Zeus Cup inside, carefully nestling it on the red velvet shelving. The lights hit the trophy, making it glow with golden light. Dad snapped pictures while the rest of the family clapped for Hector.
Applause erupted from the folks outside the doors as Phil flung them open to the crowd.
With that, Mom shut the case and twisted the lock, securing it. Hector heard the lock click solidly into place and knew it was done.
He was keeping the trophy.
“Ready?” Mom asked, leading him over to a table draped with a white tablecloth. She pulled out the chair for him. A stack of glossy pictures of Hector holding the Zeus Cup waited next to a big pile of golden metallic Sharpies.
“Uh, guess so,” Hector said, trying to put on a brave face for his family. “Here goes nothing.”
But inside, his nerves flared. He glanced at the trophy case, where the Zeus Cup gleamed under the lights. A shudder of regret rippled through him, but he didn’t have a choice now that the Cup was locked up. Unless he wanted to steal the key from his mother, a thought that made him shudder even more.
I won that race, he told himself. I earned that trophy. I trained hard. I don’t need Hades anymore. He signed autographs with his nickname, Wonderboy, until the line dwindled, the stack of photos diminished, and his hand ached from the repeated motion.
“Hey, can I get a bottle of water?” Hector called to Phil, who was busy manning the register. When his brother didn’t respond right away, he added in a snippy voice, “Like, now?”
“Yes, your highness,” Phil said, rolling his eyes. “Just a little busy here.”
“Well, you’re only busy because of me,” Hector said, feeling a surge of annoyance.
“And you only won because I coached you—” Phil shot back.
Before their argument could escalate, Mom popped over and set a bottle of cold water in front of Hector. She rubbed his shoulders while he slurped it.
“Wonderboy’s just tired,” she said in a kind voice. “He’s been working so hard. Go easy on him, okay?”
But Phil shot Hector another disapproving look. “Like the rest of us haven’t?” he muttered under his breath. “And he’s getting the star treatment. Must be so hard on him.”
Tension rippled between the brothers, but Hector ignored it and went back to signing.
Finally, after another hour, the line ended and Hector was off duty. He helped his family close up the shop for the day. When they turned out the lights, the Zeus Cup remained illuminated in the case. Light danced over its luminous surface, making it look alive.
I did that, Hector thought. I’m the one who finally brought home the Zeus Cup.
“C’mon, son, let’s go home,” Mom said, steering Hector out of the store. “You’ve worked hard enough, and we’re so grateful.”
Phil watched, locking the door behind them, while Hector sauntered down the sidewalk like he was walking on air.
That night, Dad cooked a celebratory dinner—carne asada tacos from an old family recipe. He’d been marinating the steak all day. After dinner, his family presented Hector with a special cake in the shape of the Zeus Cup.
Hector beamed. “Wow, thanks, everyone,” he said. “But the party last night was enough. You guys didn’t have to do this.”
“We wanted to,” his mom said, kissing the top of his head.
After they polished off the vanilla buttercream cake, with Juan and Luca fighting over the last piece and Phil poaching it while they were busy squabbling, Hector offered to help clear the table and wash the dishes.
“No way!” Dad said. “You’ve worked hard enough. We’ve got this. You take some time off.”
Hector retreated to his bedroom and shot Mae a text:
What’s up?
They had texted some that morning, too, but just good morning and stuff like that. She had asked how his party was but hadn’t said what her family had done last night. Little dots popped up to indicate she was replying.
So, wonderboy, how’s it feel to be a true hero?
Hector hesitated, then wrote:
Honestly, it’s pretty amazing! My family keeps stuffing me silly. I signed autographs today.
He stopped writing, feeling guilty. Mae wrote back.
Must be great. My parents are on me to focus and train harder. It feels like no matter what, i’m never good enough
Hector’s stomach sank. He knew exactly how she felt.
I’m sorry. Wanna hang soon? I’d
love to hear you play guitar.
He added a cute guitar emoji for good measure, then a devil’s horns rock-on hand symbol.
If i can steal you away from your fans. Seems like you’re going to be busy. Sure your schedule can handle it?
She sent a laughing face emoji and music notes. He laughed and replied:
Will make it happen.
With that, Hector shut his phone and opened his closet to get ready for bed. His whole body felt heavy and exhausted from the event today. A complicated mixture of thoughts whirred through his head as he pulled out his pajamas.
He still felt bad for beating Mae, but he had to shove that aside. Someone had to win and someone had to lose. Besides, she hadn’t felt badly when she played dirty to beat him in the preliminary race. It was time to move on. And Mae did win second place, which was pretty impressive. They could both be winners.
He pulled on his pajamas, then glanced in the mirror and frowned at his reflection. He knew everyone thought he was a hero, but all he saw was a zero.
He wasn’t really a hero, and he knew it deep down.
I’m a fraud, he thought.
Suddenly, the blue flame flashed in the mirror.
A deep, smarmy voice echoed through the room.
“Liar, Liar, Head on Fire!”
Hades erupted into bright red flames in the mirror. The mirror shattered from the blast of heat, glass shards flying everywhere.
Hector leapt back, protecting his eyes from the glass. Inky, black smoke poured out of the shattered mirror, filling his bedroom and choking him.
Hector coughed, unable to breathe. His eyes stung from it. His throat felt like it was burning. Red and orange flames licked out of the mirror, kissing his face.
Hector burst out of his bedroom and bolted to the kitchen, expecting the smoke alarm to blare and gasping for breath.
The smoke chased him down the hall, following him like a ghost.
He could feel the heat behind him starting to devour the house. Soon it would go up in flames. His family was in danger.