by Joan Holub
"Aha!" said a voice behind her. Too late, Persephone realized that Pheme hadn't disappeared into the gym after all. She'd been hovering in the open doorway. Now the door banged shut behind her. No doubt she
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couldn't wait to spread rumors about Persephone and Hades!
"Sorry I'm late," Hades said. "Just as I was leaving, Charon delivered a huge boatload of shades. One of them tried to escape, and Cerberus took after him. Then a fight broke out between the shades of two men who fought as enemies in the Trojan War." He sighed. "It took me a while to help sort things out."
"It's okay," said Persephone, touching his arm. "You're here now."
Hades smiled down at her. "You look beautiful."
Persephone blushed. "Thanks." Feeling self-conscious, she straightened the wreath of daisies atop her red curls. Demeter had made her a gorgeous saffron yellow chiton. Woven through the fabric were sparkling gold and silver
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threads. But the black velvet cloak she'd thrown over the dress had been her idea.
Aphrodite had rolled her eyes when she saw it. "Interesting fashion statement," she'd said. Persephone didn't care. The combination of light and dark suited her just right.
Hades peered toward the door. "I suppose we have to go in," he said grimly. He didn't sound like he was looking forward to it.
"You're not nervous, are you?" asked Persephone. "My friends will like you. I promise. Just be yourself."
Hades frowned.
"Only perhaps not so gloomy," Persephone added. "It is a party, after all."
"I'll try," said Hades. He reached for her hand. The two of them entered the gym, but as they started toward
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the band, they found their way blocked by a couple of godboys.
Just beyond them stood Pheme. "I'm sorry," she mouthed to Persephone. She certainly hadn't wasted any time! And though she probably hadn't meant any harm, as usual her gossip had stirred up trouble.
Ares stood with his legs apart, his arms crossed in front of his chest. "What are you doing here, Deathboy?" he sneered.
"Yeah," said the beefy-looking godboy next to him. "You don't belong here."
Hades' grip on Persephone's hand tightened.
Ares frowned at his companion. "Let me handle this, Kydoimos." Stepping forward, he poked his finger in Hades' chest. "Why don't you go back to that stinkhole you call home?"
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Scowling, Hades knocked Ares' hand away. "Lay off, will you?"
Godness! If ever there was a time to go along to get along, it was now, thought Persephone. Summoning a smile, she looked right at Ares. "We're just here to dance, same as you," she said sweetly. "Aren't we, Hades?" To her surprise her words sounded far calmer than she felt.
After a second, Hades' grip on her hand loosened. "Yeah, that's right," he said, matching her light tone. But his face still looked grim.
By now some of the godboys and goddessgirls nearby had noticed what was happening. They gathered to watch.
Ares swept his eyes over the crowd, then smiled at Hades. "All right. You win." He wheeled around and
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took two steps away, as if he'd decided to leave Hades alone after all. But in the next second, he whirled toward Hades again. "Or maybe not." He drew back a fist.
Persephone gasped. At that exact moment, Aphrodite pushed through the crowd. Athena and Artemis, accompanied by her dogs, were right at her side. She marched straight up to Ares and dazzled him with a smile. "Want to dance?" she cooed.
Ares' eyes softened. "Um, yeah. Of course I do," he said in a lovestruck voice.
Aphrodite turned toward the dance floor. Seeming to forget all about Hades, Ares unclenched his fist and followed her as if her beauty had cast an enchantment over him.
Suddenly she spun away from him. "Find another
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partner, then!" she exclaimed, starting back toward Artemis and Athena. "I don't dance with bullies!"
"What?" Ares sounded confused.
"Get a clue!" Artemis blurted out. "She doesn't like bullies."
"Ye gods! Your brain is slower than a horseless chariot!" added Athena.
The crowd burst into laughter.
Ares' face turned purple with rage. His hands balled into fists again, but then, glancing uncertainly at Aphrodite, he unclenched them.
Suddenly, lightning flashed above everyone's head. Zeus's voice boomed out as he strode into the middle of the group. "What's going on?" he demanded. "I can hardly hear myself think with all this commotion."
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Persephone couldn't help wondering how he could hear anything over his own loud voice.
No one answered Zeus, but he seemed to notice Ares' guilty expression. He glowered at the godboy suspiciously. To Persephone's surprise, Ares practically wilted under his gaze.
Hades glanced back and forth between Zeus and Ares. Finally he seemed to reach a decision, and he spoke up. "Sorry for bothering you, Principal Zeus." He looked at Ares and laughed in a way Persephone could tell he didn't quite mean, but fortunately, Zeus didn't seem to notice. "Next time I ask you to show me your boxing moves, Ares, I guess we should do it outside."
Ares' eyebrows rose, and he shot Hades a surprised, grateful look. "Yeah, I s'pose so, um, buddy."
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Bustling over, Aphrodite grabbed Ares' hand and gave him a more genuine smile this time. "That's better. Now I'll dance with you."
Ares grinned lopsidedly, looking far more handsome than when he'd been angry. "Okay, Aphrodite, whatever you say." She pulled him toward the dance floor as the crowd broke up.
After they'd gone, Zeus clapped Hades on the back, making sparks fly.
"Ow!" said Hades, barely managing to keep his balance.
Oblivious, Zeus glanced approvingly from him to Persephone. "Glad you two were able to make it. Having fun?"
"Yes, sir," they said at the same time, glancing uncomfortably at each other and then at him. But Zeus didn't
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seem to take the hint that they felt awkward at the party with him around.
Suddenly Zeus grunted and thumped his forehead in a way that told them he was speaking to Metis, the fly that lived in his head, who was also Athena's mother. "What? I'm not bothering them. Sure, of course I know they don't want grown-ups hanging around when they're trying to have fun, but ... What? You want to dance? But I'll look like an idiot out there dancing by myself. Oh, okay. Whatever you say, dear." Shaking his head, he went to stand near the edge of the dance floor, where he could discreetly sway to the beat of the music without looking too foolish.
Persephone squeezed Hades' hand. "Good job," she said. "What you did with Ares, I mean."
Hades shrugged modestly.
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Sometimes going along to get along really was the best choice, thought Persephone. If Hades hadn't defused Ares' anger by pretending they were friends, who knew what could have happened? But there was a time for anger, too. Without it, she might never have cleared the air with her mom and her friends.
Athena and Artemis came up to her and Hades. "Come on, you two," Athena said, giving Persephone's arm a tug. "Let's dance."
Hades held back. "Maybe we should just watch. I'm a really horrible dancer."
"You can't be worse than my dad," said Athena, nodding toward Principal Zeus. He seemed to have overcome his initial embarrassment and was now doing a weird sort of mix of the hula, the tango, and the bunny hop.
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Persephone winked at Athena and Artemis. Then she grinned up at Hades. "Yeah. Come on, Hades. Everyone knows that the hottest new steps come from the Underworld. We're just dying to see them." Giggling, the three goddessgirls dragged Hades onto the dance floor.
"It'll be your own fault if I step all over your feet," Hades warned.
Persephone put her hands on his shoulders and smiled up at him. "I'll take the chance."
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READ ON FOR THE NEX
T ADVENTURE
WITH THE
APHRODITE THE BEAUTY
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APHRODITE SLID INTO HER SEAT IN MR. Cyclops's Hero-ology class just as the lyrebell sounded, signaling the start of another day at Mount Olympus Academy. As she tucked her long golden hair, which was threaded with pink ribbons, behind her delicate ears, she was aware that every godboy in class was watching her. Hoping that in her rush to get ready that morning she hadn't gotten lipstick on her teeth, she lifted her chin and smiled at one of the godboys. Because he was a centaur, and therefore part horse, he stood at
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the back of the room; with four legs it was too difficult to sit in a chair. Dazzled by Aphrodite's attention and sparkling blue eyes, he blushed and glanced away.
A few of the bolder godboys continued to gaze at her, however. Their adoration was plain to see. Ignoring them, Aphrodite reached into her desk and took out her Hero-ology textscroll. As the goddessgirl of love and beauty, she'd grown used to such admiration. Took it for granted, in fact. All her life godboys had found her enchantingly beautiful. It seemed they had only to look at her to fall hopelessly in love. That wasn't her fault, of course. It was just the way things were.
Aphrodite glanced across the aisle at Athena, trying to get her attention. All week in class, the discussions had centered around mortal maidens and youths. She wanted to ask if Athena had heard the intriguing
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rumors about a maiden on Earth who could run as swiftly as the wind, faster than any youth--or beast even. But as usual, her friend's nose was buried in a textscroll. Before Aphrodite could call out to her, Medusa, who sat directly behind Athena, leaned across the aisle.
Her head writhed with hissing green snakes instead of hair. Their tongues flicked in and out as Medusa poked Aphrodite with one of her long green fingernails. "You were almost late," she sneered. "Troubles, Bubbles?" Medusa and her horrible sisters, Stheno and Euryale, never missed an opportunity to use the awful nickname to make fun of Aphrodite's sea-foam origins.
"Not really," Aphrodite muttered. She wasn't about to admit she'd overslept. It would only give Medusa another reason to poke fun at her. Probably with jokes
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about her needing lots of beauty sleep. Fortunately, before her snaky green nemesis could say anything more, Mr. Cyclops finished with a student he'd been speaking to and stood up. As his humongous single eye swept the room, everyone fell silent.
Aphrodite wondered what they'd be discussing today. Yesterday their teacher had asked how much and what kind of help they thought gods should give to mortals they favored. Aphrodite, who enjoyed helping mortals in love, had hoped to talk about that, but the godboys in class had immediately steered the discussion toward weapons and war--topics that could never hold her interest for long.
Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her pink papyrus notescroll and began to doodle little hearts all over the front with her favorite red feather pen. Mr. Cyclops
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cleared his throat. "Today I'd like you to consider the following question," he said. "Need mortal maidens always marry?"
Dropping her red feather pen in surprise, Aphrodite sat up straighter. Now, this was an engaging question! She'd like to see the godboys try to make this into a discussion about weapons and war, she thought as she raised her hand high.
"Yes, Aphrodite?" asked Mr. Cyclops.
"I wouldn't want to see any young maiden go unwed," she said. "Everyone should have a chance to fall in love."
"But what if the maiden would rather be alone?" Athena asked. "What if she has other interests, like traveling the world, or becoming a first-class scholar, or . . . or inventing things?"
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Aphrodite smiled at her. Poor Athena. She'd never really had a boyfriend. Just wait until she experienced her first crush. She'd think differently then. "If the maiden feels that way, then perhaps it's only because she hasn't yet found the right youth," she said kindly.
"But not all youths marry," Athena pointed out. "So why should all maidens?"
Poseidon thrust his trident into the air. As always, water dripped from it and from him to puddle beneath his chair. "That's because many youths prefer the life of a soldier," he declared.
"That's right!" exclaimed another godboy. "War trumps marriage any day."
Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Oh, really? And which do you think contributes more to the survival of the human race?"
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Mr. Cyclops beamed at her. "Good point."
Just then the school loudspeaker crackled to life. "Attention, godboys and goddessgirls!" thundered Principal Zeus in a deafeningly loud voice. Everyone, including Mr. Cyclops, automatically reached up to cover their ears. "A special assembly on chariot safety starts in ten minutes. Please make your way to the auditorium."
Looking somewhat annoyed, Mr. Cyclops muttered something about unwarranted interruptions to class time. But then, with a sigh, he said, "All right, everyone. Please line up at the door."
Normally, Aphrodite would have welcomed a chance to get out of class, but not today. Not when the topic of discussion was such an interesting one. Besides, the chariot safety assembly was repeated every year, and it was deadly dull. Who among them didn't know
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that racing into a turn could cause a chariot to tip over? Duh. Or that you shouldn't ever fly directly into the sun?
After the assembly, which Zeus had livened up with a real demonstration of racing chariots for a change, it was time for lunch. Aphrodite was starved. As she stood in the cafeteria line with Athena and their other two best friends, dark-haired Artemis and pale-skinned Persephone, her stomach began to rumble like a volcano about to erupt.
Her friends laughed. "Somebody's hungry," said Artemis.
Aphrodite blushed. "Yes, very." She didn't say it loudly, but considering the response, she might just as well have shouted it. A dozen godboys in line ahead of
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her whipped around at the sound of her voice, eager to get her attention.
"You can have my spot, Aphrodite!" yelled Poseidon from ten spaces up the line. He took a step toward her, dripping water onto another godboy's sandal-clad feet.
Ares, who was the cutest godboy in school, in Aphrodite's opinion, glowered at him.
"Watch where you're dripping, Fishface!" Droplets of water flew as he shook one foot and then the other. Poseidon glowered back, his mouth opening and closing a couple of times like a fish's.
Ignoring him, Ares turned toward Aphrodite. "Take my place," he said with a charming smile. "I insist."
Aphrodite hesitated. Ares could be a bit of a bully at times, but she had to admit that there was something about him she found ... well, irresistible.