Medusa the Rich

by Joan Holub

  After flinging the letterscroll onto her bed, Euryale reached in her pocket. “Here you go,” she said, handing Medusa three small silver coins.

  “Oh, joy,” Medusa muttered under her breath as she stuck her allowance in her pocket.

  Across the room her sister counted out the remaining coins, splitting them with Stheno. “Nine for you; nine for me,” she said, handing her sister a share of the loot.

  Then Euryale snuggled back against the pillows on her bed with a bag of Ambritos. After tearing it open, she munched on a handful of the chips. “Want some, Dusa?” she mumbled with her mouth full when she saw Medusa staring.

  “Sure,” Medusa said eagerly. Euryale held the bag out to her. However, when Medusa reached for it, Euryale snatched it away, laughing. Her sisters got a kick out of teasing her like that.

  “Ha-ha. Thanks for nothing,” Medusa said coldly. Then, to cover up for the hurt of being left out of her parents’ affections, she added, “You can keep all the stuff in your stupid I-don’t-care package. I don’t need it!” Privately she considered sneaking a few of the treats when her sisters’ backs were turned, but that would be thieving, and she was no thief. Besides, her snakes would see, and she was trying to set a good example for them. No way did she want them to attempt shoplifting ever again!

  “You’re just jealous,” Stheno said. After carelessly tossing her brand-new flowery green chiton over the back of her desk chair, she flopped down onto her bed opposite Euryale’s and opened one of the new Teen Scrollazines their parents had sent.

  “Am not,” Medusa grumbled. But she knew it was a lie. Though she tried not to dwell on the injustice of how much her parents favored her sisters, she couldn’t help thinking how nice it would be to have parents who doted on her, showering her with the kind of stuff her sisters always got. But that was never going to happen. When both of her sisters’ heads were turned, she balled up her dirty dusting cloth and stuck it into the pocket of Stheno’s new chiton.

  She jumped when Stheno looked over suddenly and asked, “What are you doing with my new chiton?”

  “Just going to hang it up,” Medusa replied innocently. She took the chiton to the closet to do just that, but then let it slip off its hanger to the closet floor when her sisters looked away.

  Euryale picked up a new Teen Scrollazine and started to leaf through it. It was a duplicate of the one Stheno was reading. Their parents always included two copies of each new issue so that her two sisters wouldn’t have to share. Must be nice!

  Face it, she told herself sternly. She was stuck with the family she had, and none of them was ever going to change. And really, she should be used to it by now. Back home her room was a closet (literally!). By contrast, her sisters had grown up sharing a cute room with twin beds covered with frilly green bedspreads, and shelves of books, toys, and dolls.

  Being a mortal, Medusa just didn’t count in her family. But someday, when she was all grown up and a famous comic-scroll author, she would buy herself her very own care package filled with all her favorite things.

  3

  Silenus

  JUST AS MEDUSA WAS ABOUT to declare that she had finished cleaning, Stheno popped the top off a bottle of NectarFizz. “Oops!” she called out as the syrupy drink sprayed all over the rug between her and Euryale’s beds. “Wipe that up, will you, Dusa?” She turned another page of her scrollazine.

  Medusa let out a displeased huff. But she grabbed the cleaning sponge and went down on her knees. As she was scrubbing at the spill, there was another knock at the door.

  “Enter!” Stheno called out.

  At the exact same moment the door opened, Euryale said to Medusa, “Don’t forget to empty our trash can when you’re done with that.”

  Glancing up, Medusa saw Artemis standing awkwardly in the doorway. Her archery bow and quiver of arrows were slung over her shoulders as usual. And her glossy black hair was encircled by golden bands that caught it up in its customary cute twist at the back of her head.

  “Oh, there you are,” she said to Medusa after a moment’s pause. Though she acted as if nothing were amiss, it was obvious she had taken in the scene and overheard what Euryale had said.

  Medusa’s cheeks flushed. She dropped her sponge and jumped to her feet. Godsamighty! She must have looked like she was her sisters’ servant! Which she kind of was, but only temporarily. Before she could think what to say to cover her embarrassment, Artemis nodded toward the far end of the hallway.

  “Dionysus is looking for you,” she said. “I ran into him outside the dorm when I was coming upstairs just now. Told him I’d check your room. Only, you weren’t there, so I—”

  “I’ll go see what he wants,” interrupted Medusa. She tossed the sponge in a high arc to land on Euryale’s desk. In two steps she was at the door, where Artemis still waited.

  “Hey!” Euryale protested.

  “But you haven’t finishing clean—” Stheno started to say.

  Medusa cut them off. “Don’t be pathetic,” she called to them over her shoulder. “I only volunteered to help you out this once.” She spoke in a voice loud enough for Artemis and anyone else who might be lurking in the hall to hear. “Watch and learn, I said. Good housekeeping is a valuable skill. With more practice even you two mess-monsters might someday master it.” Quickly she swept out of the room before her sisters could retaliate. She knew they’d make her pay for what she’d said, but seeing their shocked faces just now had been worth it.

  “Is everything okay?” Artemis asked hesitantly once Medusa shut her sisters’ door firmly behind her. “Between you and your sisters, I mean?”

  “Sure. Why wouldn’t it be?” Medusa snapped as they both headed up the hall. She was still embarrassed about what Artemis had seen and heard.

  “No reason,” Artemis said, backing off a little. But then she added, “I’m glad Apollo doesn’t treat me like your sisters treat you sometimes. They’re something else!”

  “You can say that again,” Medusa agreed ruefully. She gave Artemis a small smile, glad for the acknowledgment of how difficult her sisters could be. Artemis’s brother, Apollo, was way nicer than Stheno or Euryale, or so it seemed to Medusa. Still, she didn’t tell Artemis why she had been cleaning her sisters’ room. Besides not wanting this goddessgirl’s pity, Medusa didn’t want to sound whiny.

  “Later, then,” Artemis said when they’d reached her room.

  “Thanks for coming to find me . . . ,” Medusa began, but her words were drowned out by sudden barking.

  As soon as Artemis had opened the door to her room, her three dogs had leaped around her in the hall, licking her hands and wagging their tails. They seemed overjoyed to see her, even though she probably hadn’t left them for long. Medusa smiled to herself, thinking how glad she was that she and her snakes never had to be parted from one another.

  At the end of the hall, she pushed through the door to the stairway and found Dionysus sitting on the landing beyond. He sprang to his feet when the door opened. “Oh, good. Artemis found you,” he said, his violet eyes shining with excitement.

  Medusa’s heart skipped a beat like it always did when she hadn’t seen this brown-haired, violet-eyed godboy in a while. In this case “a while” meant since lunch. She still found it hard to believe that such a cute, popular, and fun-loving godboy was in like with her. “What’s up?” she asked.

  “Good news!” he told her excitedly. “Silenus has been found!”

  “Your pet goat?” Medusa asked him. “The missing one?”

  Dionysus had told her about the pet goat he’d gotten when he was a four-year-old child being raised by nymphs in a hidden valley on Earth. He and Silenus had been inseparable from the start, wandering everywhere together. And once, when they’d become lost in a sudden snowstorm high on a mountain, Silenus had saved Dionysus’s life by keeping him warm until the storm had passed and they could find their way back to the valley again. So it was no surprise that Dionysus had been heartbroken when, during a weekend v
isit home recently, the nymphs had informed him that his goat had disappeared.

  “Yeah. That’s what my news is about. He’s not missing anymore! Dionysus said in reply to her question.

  “Oh! I’m so glad,” she said. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose my snakes. Luckily there’s no chance of that, since they’re firmly attached to my head.”

  Dionysus laughed. “Come get a snack in the cafeteria with me, okay? I’ll tell you what happened.”

  “Okay,” said Medusa. She didn’t want to stick around the dorm anyway, just in case her sisters decided to come after her. They were probably too lazy to bother, though. She’d bet anything they were still on their beds, reading their new scrollazines and eating snacks. Or maybe they were planning a way to get even with her for what she’d just done. Whatever!

  Giving her the dimpled smile that Medusa adored, Dionysus took her hand, and they started downstairs together. “So this king in Phrygia named Midas sent me a letterscroll a few minutes ago,” he said as they walked. “He found Silenus wandering around in his rose garden yesterday. Can you believe it? I have no idea how he got there. But I’m going to go get him.”

  “Now?” she asked. When he nodded, she couldn’t help feeling a stab of disappointment. She was glad her crush was going to get his pet back. Still, since it was Friday, she’d hoped they’d go to the Supernatural Market for shakes later with their friends. But Phrygia was across the Aegean Sea in Asia Minor. Not a quick trip. He wouldn’t make it back in time to hang out.

  As they reached the main floor and headed down the hall to the cafeteria, she got an idea. “Think you’ll need help?” she asked.

  He raised an eyebrow. “Are you offering to come?” he said as they pushed into the empty cafeteria.

  She smiled at the hopeful note in his voice. “Don’t sound so surprised,” she said. “Of course I will.” Then she added, “If you want me to.” She scanned the snacks table. There was a huge bowl of fruit, mini hero sandwiches, and a large platter of freshly baked ambrosia turnovers. She grabbed a tart, green apple and crunched into it.

  Mmm. The more sour, the better, as far as she was concerned. She knew some people might say that her taste in apples mirrored her personality. Not so! Though she seldom sugar-coated her opinions about things, that did not make her sour.

  “Are you kidding?” said Dionysus. “That would be mega-awesome! And I’m sure Zeus won’t mind either.” He took a bite of his turnover. “Ye gods. These are great!”

  “Oh yeah. Zeus. I almost forgot I’d need his permission to go on such a long trip. You will too, right?” She took another bite of her apple.

  “Done. I was going to go by winged sandal,” Dionysus said, “but when I told Zeus about the trip a few minutes ago, he volunteered to take me in one of the school chariots. Turns out he’s heading to a temple ceremony in Aizanoi, which isn’t far from Phrygia. He’ll drop me at King Midas’s palace before he flies on to the temple, then pick me up to return to MOA tomorrow morning.”

  “So this’ll be an overnight trip?” Medusa asked. “I’ll need to pack a few things, then . . . if you really think Principal Zeus will let me—”

  “LET YOU DO WHAT?” boomed a voice as loud as thunder. Startled, Medusa and Dionysus turned sharply to see Zeus burst through the cafeteria doors and come toward them. Seven feet tall, with bulging muscles, wild red hair, and a piercing gaze, he was always an intimidating sight.

  “Ready to go?” he asked Dionysus.

  “Just need to run upstairs and grab my bag,” Dionysus told him.

  “Good,” said Zeus. He turned his blazing blue eyes on Medusa. “Well?” he asked her. “You look like you have something on your mind. Speak!”

  “I . . . uh . . .” Thrown off guard by his abrupt manner (as well as his formidable appearance), Medusa just stood there, rooted to the spot and unable to answer. Even her snakes went still. It was as though she’d turned her stony gaze—which could turn mortals to stone in an instant if she weren’t wearing her protective stoneglasses—on herself!

  Seeing that she was at a loss for words, Dionysus came to her rescue. “Medusa and I were kind of wondering if she could come with me.”

  To her surprise Zeus replied, “I don’t see why not.” His eyes lit up at the sight of the snacks table, and he grabbed a couple of turnovers. After stuffing one into his mouth, he mumbled, “Mee me owside. Coryar. Twenny mints.” Then he turned on his heel and marched back out the cafeteria doors.

  “Meet him outside in the courtyard in twenty minutes,” Dionysus translated in case she hadn’t understood. “We’d better get a move on!”

  “Thanks for the save,” Medusa said as they hurried out of the cafeteria and up the stairs again. “My brain froze.”

  “No problemo, greenie-girl,” Dionysus replied gallantly.

  She smiled. She loved it when he called her that!

  “See you in the courtyard,” he said once they’d reached the fourth-floor landing. There he split off and took the stairs two at a time up to the boys’ fifth-floor dorm.

  Medusa dashed down the hall, slowing only to tiptoe past her sisters’ room. Luckily, their door was still closed tight. Phew! She made it to her room without incident. She grabbed her overnight bag, opened it on her bed, and tossed in some clothes, plus snacks for her snakes, and a toothbrush.

  Then she plucked her green wool cloak from a peg on the back of her door in case it got windy and cold during the journey. Folding it over one arm, she turned back to her bed to pick up her bag.

  Her eyes fell on the comic-scrolls still sitting in the middle of the floor. She’d gotten so caught up in Dionysus’s story that she’d forgotten she still had a story to write of her own. One for the contest. Hmm. Maybe she shouldn’t go with him after all.

  But then she had a thought. If she was lucky and kept her eyes peeled, maybe the trip to Phrygia would give her an idea for that tenth comic-scroll she needed to complete her contest entry. If so, she could work on it while staying at King Midas’s palace! She snatched up a blank scroll and tossed it into her bag too.

  After locking her door behind her, Medusa headed down the hall again. Unfortunately, this time when she neared her sisters’ room, Stheno flung open their door as if she’d been lying in wait.

  Her eyes fell on Medusa’s overnight bag and cloak. “Hey! Where do you think you’re going?”

  Euryale poked her head out and added, “Yeah. There’s still a mess in here you need to clean up or it doesn’t count as an official cleaning.”

  “Oh, sorry. But I’m off to Phrygia,” Medusa informed them with fake sweetness. “Zeus invited me,” she added, though that wasn’t exactly true. “He’s got a temple ceremony near there to attend. And he’s waiting for me and Dionysus right now. But if you want me to tell him I can’t go because you think your room is more important . . .” She hadn’t said she and Dionysus were actually invited to the temple ceremony itself, but she’d implied it.

  “You’re lying,” Euryale accused.

  “Just look out your window if you don’t believe me,” Medusa challenged. “He’ll be out in the courtyard getting ready to leave.”

  As Euryale went to check, Stheno stayed in the hall, eyeing Medusa to make sure she didn’t sneak off. “What do you see?” Stheno called to Euryale after a minute.

  “She’s right,” Euryale called back reluctantly. “Zeus is out there and he’s hooking Pegasus up to one of the school chariots.”

  “Humph.” Stheno flipped her long green hair back and stared hard at Medusa. “I don’t know why Zeus would invite you to go to a temple ceremony,” she said peevishly.

  Medusa shrugged and slipped by her, then called over her shoulder. “What can I say? Maybe he just likes me. I did give him an awesome wedding gift, you have to admit. You know how much he dotes on Pegasus.”

  “You better at least cover your head!” Stheno called after her in a parting shot.

  Euryale snickered, having just returned to the hallwa
y as Medusa reached the stair door. “Yeah, those slimy reptiles of yours might spook Pegasus!”

  “Ha-ha,” said Medusa, gritting her teeth. “And how many times do I have to tell you, they’re not slimy.”

  Ssss! As if to emphasize her displeasure, her snakes hissed at her sisters, and flicked their tongues as well.

  Medusa smiled to herself as she swung through the door and started down the marble staircase. It was plain that for once her sisters were jealous of her, instead of the other way around. Sweet!

  4

  Up and Away!

  DIONYSUS SMILED, SHOWING HIS CUTE dimples again, as Medusa came up to him and Zeus in the courtyard. She could tell her crush was superhappy about finding his pet goat, and she was happy for him too.

  “Looks like we’re almost ready,” Dionysus announced. He took her bag from her and swung it up into the small deep-purple, single-benched chariot the two of them would be riding in. The MOA logo and a large gold thunderbolt were emblazoned on its side. Already hitched to the chariot, Pegasus pawed at the ground and fluttered his mighty golden wings as Zeus made some final adjustments to the harness.

  Medusa went over to give the white horse a pat, and he gave a whinny of recognition. “Do you remember me, boy?” she asked. It was hard to believe that he’d once been a charm on a necklace she’d bought from seeing an ad in a Teen Scrollazine. The necklace was called the Immortalizer, and it was supposed to turn whoever wore it into an immortal. It hadn’t worked on her, obviously, but it had brought the enchanted Pegasus to life.

  “Course he does,” Zeus said, giving his favorite horse a fond pat on the neck. “This guy never forgets a thing.”

  Pegasus pushed his big head toward Medusa and nuzzled her hand with his nose. Contrary to what her sisters had suggested, he didn’t seem at all put off by her snaky hair. And her snakes weren’t wary of him, either. In fact, Lasso, Sweetpea, and Slinky reached over and stroked his muzzle, while Snapper and Scaly stretched themselves out and gently head-bumped him in a fond greeting.