“She’ll convince him that I do.”
He scowls. “Why that conniving, blackmailing—”
“I know . . . but I agreed.”
“So,” he says slowly, “you want to get off this island so bad you’re willing to make a deal with the gorgon?”
“Yes.” He sounds so sad that I feel kinda guilty. But undeterred. “I just wanted you to know, so you would understand, because I don’t want to lose your friendship.”
I place a little extra emphasis on the word friendship, trying to make him see that that’s how I think of him. As a friend.
From the look in his eyes, he knows exactly what I’m saying.
“All right.” He smiles, like he’s trying to show that he’s fine with that. “If that’s what you really want I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
I tug my zip-front sweatshirt tighter around my waist. The sun is gone now, and the beach is downright chilly. Maybe all that cool air blowing off the water.
“Thank—”
“Well, well, well,” a whiny voice I’m starting to get sick of says, “look who showed up at the bonfire uninvited.”
Flanked by two other cheerleaders, Adara is wearing a white crocheted bikini top and a pair of white cutoff jeans shorts. I’m shivering in my jeans and sweatshirt—she must be freezing.
The thought makes me smile.
“Hi, Adara,” I say with sugary sweetness. “I love your swimsuit.”
She scowls, but can’t resist the compliment. “Thanks—”
“Of course, I loved it when everyone in L.A. was wearing them last summer.” I turn to Troy and whisper dramatically, loud enough for everyone to hear, “It’s so last season.”
Adara’s mouth drops open. “Listen, kako. Tonight is for descendants only—no godly blood, no bonfire. Leave now before you embarrass yourself.”
“Leave off, Adara,” Troy says. “She’s with me.”
“Really?” she coos. “She was panting over my boyfriend at lunch today. Are your attachments always so fleeting, kako?”
Troy lunges forward, but I grab his shoulders and hold him back. He gives me a look that says he’s clearly willing to throw down with Adara for me. I shake my head.
“She’s not worth it,” I say. “You have to pity someone who doesn’t understand the concept of friendship.”
Adara sidesteps Troy, stepping right up into my face.
“Stella may be softening toward you, but I know better.” We are nose to nose when she sneers, “You are a disgrace to the Academy and your very presence sullies a reputation over two thousand years in the making.”
I know this shouldn’t bother me. I mean, she’s a jealous, vindictive cow. Still, I have a feeling that she’s not the only student at the Academy who feels that way. Since I can’t really argue that point—I mean, I can’t like suddenly make myself the descendant of a god—I resort to hitting Adara where it hurts.
In her superficial face.
“Wow, I have never seen pores that big,” I say with a gasp of awe, tilting my head for a closer look. “Those blackheads look like Dalmatian spots.”
While she struggles to think of some witty comeback—I’m not waiting around all night for that—I take Troy by the hand and lead him down the beach toward the blanket Nicole has spread out.
He stumbles a little as I tug him, but catches up quickly.
“She’s going to hate you.” He sounds genuinely concerned.
I roll my eyes. “She already does.”
From behind, she shouts, “At least I’m not wearing shoes from the last decade.”
I glance at my footwear.
My Chuck Taylors are brand-new. In fact, they’re so new they need a little wearing in and maybe a few scuffs. Besides, black All Stars are always the height of fashion.
And the originals date back to the fifties. Adara could use some work on her fashion history.
“You’re right,” I shout back over my shoulder, darting a glance at her standing petulantly with her hands on her hips. “Those beaded flip-flops you’re wearing are only two seasons old.”
“Aaargh!!!” Her scream echoes across the beach.
Everyone turns to stare at her as she stomps her foot on the sand. Does she think that’s making a statement?
“You’d better get off this island as soon as possible,” Troy says, laughing. “The longer you stay the greater the chance that Adara blasts you to Hades.”
“I’m not afraid of her.” We reach the blanket and I drop down to sit next to Nicole. “If she does anything too horrible to me, Damian will ground her powers.”
“Yeah,” Nicole says as she pokes me in the arm, “but by then you’ll be smoted.”
I shrug and lay back on the blanket, my hands behind my head. “No worries. With all the extra practices and workouts, Coach Lenny will kill me long before she gets the chance.”
Nicole lays out next to me. “I can’t understand why anyone would run on purpose, anyway. Are you masochistic?”
“Nonrunners don’t get it, I guess.” I close my eyes and picture myself running. A sense of calm sweeps over me. “There’s freedom in running. Escape. Power.”
“Insanity,” Troy adds.
I pry open one eye to glare at him. He’s sitting at the edge of the blanket staring out at the water.
Maybe it is insanity. Every time I hit the wall, when my body screams, No more of this running crap! I tell myself this is the last race ever. Am I so stupid that I want to run myself into utter exhaustion for no good reason? I’ll just finish this race and then hang up my sneakers. Forever.
Then I push through the wall. And everything becomes clear.
Euphoria sets in—along with a whole boatload of endorphins. I
can’t remember why I was even thinking about giving it up.
Maybe that is insanity.
Everyone has to find their version of therapy. Running is mine.
I wonder what Troy’s is?
“Don’t you have something that you just have to do, even though every time you do it you tell yourself you’re crazy to even try? But if you don’t do it you feel even crazier?”
He keeps staring at the water. He’s silent so long I think he’s not going to answer. I drop my head back and close my eyes.
“Music,” he finally says.
I lift back up on my elbows. “Music?”
“Whenever I play the guitar I feel like it’s a colossal waste of time, but I can’t stop playing.” His voice is almost reverent. “I want to be a musician.”
“That’s great,” I say.
He snorts. “Try telling my parents that.”
“The Travatas clan takes their heritage seriously.” Nicole exerts enough energy to roll onto her side. “They believe all descendants of Asklepios should pursue the medical profession.”
“So because your great-great-something was into medicine they want you to be a doctor, too?” I ask.
“A neurosurgeon.” He laughs. “I couldn’t even stand to dissect an earthworm in Level 4. How could I cut open a human skull?”
Ew. I shudder, but keep my disgust to myself. This is about Troy and his passions.
“If you want to be a musician—if you can’t be anything else—then you’ll find a way.” I lay a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “True call
ings aren’t easy to hide from.”
He covers my hand with his own. “Thanks.”
“If you two are done with the Hallmark moment, I’d like to watch the fireworks in peace.”
I glance up at the empty, silent sky. “What fireworks?”
“Just wait.” Troy checks his watch. “In five, four, three, two, one—”
The sky above us explodes in a shimmering burst of color. Red, blue, and green embers flicker through the darkness, raining down around us. Another big sphere of golden sparkles bursts into the sky.
“I didn’t even hear the launch,” I remark.
“Honey, we don’t need to bother with messy explosives,
” Nicole replies. “All it takes is a little focus and a snap of my fingers.”
She snaps her fingers and a little blue spark shoots through the air, landing on Troy’s Green Day T-shirt. He quickly pats at the spot where the ember hit—a spot that starts smoking and leaves a little hole above the G.
“Hey,” he exclaims. “Watch where you throw the fireworks, Nic.”
I laugh out loud at the thought of Troy going up in flames from a single spark. Nicole just shrugs and says, “Sorry. Haven’t honed my fireworks skills recently.”
“Well don’t test them on my clothing.”
I settle back into the blanket, feeling the warm sand crunch beneath the blanket, and watch the fireworks while listening to my two friends bickering. It’s almost like being home. If not for the whole supernatural-descendants-of-the-gods thing and being thousands of miles away from everything I’ve ever called home, this island could be bearable.
Almost cool, even.
A sudden outburst sounds down the beach. With lazy heaviness, I loll my head to the side. Griffin and a bunch of other tricksters— armed with a water balloon in each hand—are chasing after Adara and her cheerleader groupies. I recognize a couple of the long distance guys, Christopher and Costas. Christopher is super tall, blond, and actually very sweet—he volunteered to be my training partner at practice when no one else would. Costas, on the other hand, is like a shorter version of Griffin.
While I watch, the boys get the girls surrounded and hold the water balloons menacingly over their heads.
Did I say this island was almost cool? I meant juvenile.
I guess boys are the same everywhere—godly or not.
“Are you sure you want to get in the middle of that?” Nicole asks, drawing my attention away from the chase scene.
“Yeah,” I reply, reluctant. “I haven’t got a—”
“Aaack!” Adara’s scream pierces the air as Griffin and Costas trap her between them and pummel her with water balloons.
Now she’s cold and wet. I don’t envy her.
“—choice,” I finish.
“All right.” Nicole cocks her eyebrows. “But don’t say we didn’t warn you.”
“Consider me warned.”
Just then, Griffin—still shaking with laughter at his water balloon strike—looks our way. His eyes stop on me, intense and disapproving. He points at me. The sand next to me glows and a folded piece of paper appears.
Reaching across my chest, I pick up the paper and unfold the note.
Sunday. Noon. Be ready to work.
When I look back up he’s gone.
Mom and I stare at the glass display cases filled with shelf after shelf of bakery goodness. There are trays of biscuits, baklava, cakes, pies, and tortes. It seems like they’re all drizzled with honey and lit just right to make the reflection hypnotizing. On the wall behind the cases are shelves of baskets, overflowing with dozens of breads. Everything from fist-sized olive rolls to three-foot-long tsoureki, a braided festival bread Yia Yia Minta bakes every Greek Independence Day. I bite my lower lip to keep from drooling.
“I’ve never seen such a variety,” Mom says, leaning closer to examine the pies. “No wonder your grandmother is always baking—she could make a different recipe every day of the year and never repeat one.”
“Don’t tell Yia Yia Minta,” I say, “but these look better than hers.”
“I hope so.” A short, round, middle-aged woman wearing a white chef ’s coat emerges from the back room, dusting flour off her hands. “We have the Hestia Seal.”
“What is the Hestia Seal?” Mom asks.
“Ah, you must be the new nothos on the island.” The woman smiles, her fleshy cheeks pushing out into pink apples. “I am Lilika, a descendant of Hestia. My recipes come from the goddess of the hearth herself and are unmatched in all the world.”
“So nice to meet you, Lilika,” Mom says. She wraps her fingers around my T-shirt sleeve and jerks my attention away from the baklava. “I’m Valerie Petrolas, and this is my daughter, Phoebe.”
I’m so captivated by the display of treats that I barely register the fact that Mom introduced herself as a Petrolas. “Holy crap!” I drop to my knees, pressing my face closer to the glass. Closer to the treat to end all treats. “Is that . . . bougatsa?”
“The young lady has a favorite, no?” Lilika moves around behind the case, sliding open the panel in the back. “This is my favorite as well.”
“We have to get some, Mom.” I look up at her, pleading. She doesn’t answer, so I crawl closer until I’m at her feet. The bell over the front door rings but I don’t care. I’m focused on begging. Nothing but that sweet custard and cheese pastry could reduce me to begging—well, that and the new Nike+ with built-in iPod sensor. “Please, please, please.”
Mom laughs.
Lilika, who is busy pulling the bougatsa out of the case, glances up to see who walked in. “Moro mou!” she squeals. She slides the tray back into the case. “Pou sas echei ontas, Griffin?”
I only understand one word of what she says, but that name is all I need to know that mortification is in my future. My very near future.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been by in a while, Aunt Lili,” the voice that I dread hearing says. “I’ve been busy.”
Maybe it’s my imagination, but I can feel him staring at me.
Who wouldn’t stare at a girl on her knees in the middle of a bakery, pleading with her mom for some stupid pastry. Even if it is the most delicious, custardy pastry she’s ever eaten.
Carefully, so I don’t draw attention to myself in the off chance that he hasn’t noticed me, I push off the floor. Still, I can’t turn around. Having Griffin laugh at me at school in front of a ton of kids I don’t even know was bad enough, but I don’t think I’d survive him laughing at me in front of Mom. The kids at the Academy won’t even exist on my radar in nine months. Mom is my mom forever.
“Silly boy,” Lilika says. Then she gasps. “Of course, you must meet Phoebe. She is new to the Academy. Sweetheart,” she says and I can tell she’s turned her attention back to me, “I’d like you to meet my nephew, Griffin.”
“Phoebe,” he says, his voice low and steady. No emotion.
Against my better judgment I turn around to face him. I clasp my hands behind my back so I’m not tempted to wave like a total dork. “Griffin.”
He looks adorable, as always. Droplets of water hang off his dark curls, like he just took a shower, and the red cotton of his T-shirt clings in a few choice places. He’s watching me with a fixed, unreadable gaze. I can’t tell if he’s furious or completely unaffected by my presence.
“Wonderful.” Lilika claps her hands. “You have already met.”
“We’re on the cross-country team together, Aunt.”
I expect him to add something jerky like, “For now.” Or, “Until she loses that first race.” When he doesn’t, I tilt my head, wondering if I’m looking at the real Griffin Blake. Sure looks like him.
“You must be Mrs. Petrolas,” he says, stepping forward and holding out his hand to Mom. “Griffin Blake.”
“Valerie, please,” she says. As she shakes his hand she gives me a look that clearly says, Cute one! “I’m always pleased to meet Phoebe’s teammates. Though she might not say it, she’s very excited to be on the team.”
Thanks, Mom.
Griffin smiles politely. He flicks his eyes over at me as he says, “We’re excited to have her on the team. She is the most challenging runner I’ve ever practiced with.”
What was that? Sarcasm? Mockery? It didn’t sound fake, but it had to be. Well, I’m not going to stick around to be laughed at with backhanded compliments.
“Speaking of practicing,” I say, grabbing Mom by the hand, “I have tons of homework to finish before my afternoon session.”
Mom frowns, like she doesn’t understand what’s gotten into me, but lets me lead her out of the store. “Phoebe, honey,” she says when we get out onto the cobblestone street, ??
?is everything okay?”
“Sure,” I say. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“One minute you’re begging for bougatsa, the next you’re dragging me out the door.”
Darn! I totally forgot the bougatsa. For a second I think about going back, but decide that even custardy goodness isn’t worth facing Griffin’s thinly veiled ridicule again.
“Yeah, well, the sugar would mess up my training diet.” Which is a total lie.