Persephone the Phony (Goddess Girls) (9 page)

147

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

148

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

149

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
.