like a duck. Ruined her face.”
“Precisely!” Aphrodite says, releasing her face.“Beauty, my darlings, is from within. It is from knowing precisely who you are and loving that person. And let me let you in on a little secret.”
We lean closer toward her.
“I have to fight the men off,” she whispers.
I look at Annie and grin. I love Aphrodite already.
“Now”—she spreads her hands palm down on the table—“I suppose you’ve come here because you have a lot of questions.”
“Understatement,” I say. Though I’m beginning to feel at home, I’m still a little nervous about starting down this rabbit hole of my family history. I glance at Annie.
Annie says, “I’ll start. Why did you leave the Underworld?”
Aphrodite rolls her eyes. “The drama. The backstabbing. I guess I was tired of it all. So I came to live among the mortals. Maybe I just wanted a change. Maybe I just wanted Nico’s pastries.” She grins devilishly. “And Nico.”
“But it’s not like humans don’t backstab, too,” I say, thinking of the meanest girl in our high school, a girl in my English class—Harper. She’s treacherous, spreading rumors about Annie and, worst of all, doing it all with a smile, pretending she is somechurchgoing Goody Two-shoes. Meanwhile, she tries her hardest to destroy anyone she doesn’t like. And she’s never happy. She’s always got some new enemy she has to get even with. Annie is only one of many. This week’s frenemy. It will be someone else next week. And the week after that.
“I know.” Aphrodite smiles. “But you all live, what? Seventy years? Eighty? Maybe ninety, if you never eat pastries or drink good wine? In god terms, you’re pikers. Some of your behaviors are strangely endearing because you’re such babies. But the dramas down in the Underworld? Honey, I’ve been living them for centuries . Besides, I know love and beauty. I really thought I could help people. And I do. I know when two people are meant to be together. I’m the world’s best matchmaker.”
I want to ask about Sebastian, but before I can, Annie blurts out, “So do you know who I’m supposed to be with?”
Aphrodite tosses her long hair behind her shoulders and laughs—squeals actually. “If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me.”
Annie grabs Aphrodite’s arm. “ Please? Please tell me.”
“All right. You, Annie, are going to get marriedwhen you’re twenty-six. And you’re going to be so happy—a soul-mate match. Zeus help me, I love those.”
“Who?” Annie asks. “Do I know him?”
I know Annie is hoping it’s Ryan, the goalie on the guys’ soccer team. She’s been crushing on him since eighth grade.
“In fact, you do.”
Annie smiles.
Then Aphrodite says, “It’s Henry Wu.”
My mouth drops open. “Henry-in-math-class Henry?”
Annie adds, “Henry-with-the-GPA-of-4.35, sure-to-be-valedictorian-and-going-to-Harvard Henry?”
“Beanpole Henry?” I add. Henry Wu is six feet three and, despite eating five hot dogs every day for lunch, can’t seem to gain an ounce—hasn’t since junior high. He’s just gotten taller. Aphrodite may be a goddess, but now I think she’s delusional.
Annie shakes her head. “He is most certainly not my soul mate.”
“Ah, but you can’t see what I see. Henry, dear Henry, will pack on forty pounds in college rowing crew for Harvard. Wait till you see his biceps. He will invent the next Facebook.”
“The next Facebook?” I ask.
“He’ll be worth billions. Zillions.”
“Henry Wu?” I ask incredulously.
“Yes. Henry Wu. But see the inner, my darlings. Despite being worth zillions, it won’t change him. He’s deep-down good. The very best kind of good, right down to the core. He won’t become a player. And then he’ll donate to Annie’s foundation, the girl he’s carried a torch for since freshman year of high school. And the rest, my little lovebirds, is all a matter of the heart.”
“My foundation?” Annie
“Precisely!” Aphrodite says, releasing her face.“Beauty, my darlings, is from within. It is from knowing precisely who you are and loving that person. And let me let you in on a little secret.”
We lean closer toward her.
“I have to fight the men off,” she whispers.
I look at Annie and grin. I love Aphrodite already.
“Now”—she spreads her hands palm down on the table—“I suppose you’ve come here because you have a lot of questions.”
“Understatement,” I say. Though I’m beginning to feel at home, I’m still a little nervous about starting down this rabbit hole of my family history. I glance at Annie.
Annie says, “I’ll start. Why did you leave the Underworld?”
Aphrodite rolls her eyes. “The drama. The backstabbing. I guess I was tired of it all. So I came to live among the mortals. Maybe I just wanted a change. Maybe I just wanted Nico’s pastries.” She grins devilishly. “And Nico.”
“But it’s not like humans don’t backstab, too,” I say, thinking of the meanest girl in our high school, a girl in my English class—Harper. She’s treacherous, spreading rumors about Annie and, worst of all, doing it all with a smile, pretending she is somechurchgoing Goody Two-shoes. Meanwhile, she tries her hardest to destroy anyone she doesn’t like. And she’s never happy. She’s always got some new enemy she has to get even with. Annie is only one of many. This week’s frenemy. It will be someone else next week. And the week after that.
“I know.” Aphrodite smiles. “But you all live, what? Seventy years? Eighty? Maybe ninety, if you never eat pastries or drink good wine? In god terms, you’re pikers. Some of your behaviors are strangely endearing because you’re such babies. But the dramas down in the Underworld? Honey, I’ve been living them for centuries . Besides, I know love and beauty. I really thought I could help people. And I do. I know when two people are meant to be together. I’m the world’s best matchmaker.”
I want to ask about Sebastian, but before I can, Annie blurts out, “So do you know who I’m supposed to be with?”
Aphrodite tosses her long hair behind her shoulders and laughs—squeals actually. “If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me.”
Annie grabs Aphrodite’s arm. “ Please? Please tell me.”
“All right. You, Annie, are going to get marriedwhen you’re twenty-six. And you’re going to be so happy—a soul-mate match. Zeus help me, I love those.”
“Who?” Annie asks. “Do I know him?”
I know Annie is hoping it’s Ryan, the goalie on the guys’ soccer team. She’s been crushing on him since eighth grade.
“In fact, you do.”
Annie smiles.
Then Aphrodite says, “It’s Henry Wu.”
My mouth drops open. “Henry-in-math-class Henry?”
Annie adds, “Henry-with-the-GPA-of-4.35, sure-to-be-valedictorian-and-going-to-Harvard Henry?”
“Beanpole Henry?” I add. Henry Wu is six feet three and, despite eating five hot dogs every day for lunch, can’t seem to gain an ounce—hasn’t since junior high. He’s just gotten taller. Aphrodite may be a goddess, but now I think she’s delusional.
Annie shakes her head. “He is most certainly not my soul mate.”
“Ah, but you can’t see what I see. Henry, dear Henry, will pack on forty pounds in college rowing crew for Harvard. Wait till you see his biceps. He will invent the next Facebook.”
“The next Facebook?” I ask.
“He’ll be worth billions. Zillions.”
“Henry Wu?” I ask incredulously.
“Yes. Henry Wu. But see the inner, my darlings. Despite being worth zillions, it won’t change him. He’s deep-down good. The very best kind of good, right down to the core. He won’t become a player. And then he’ll donate to Annie’s foundation, the girl he’s carried a torch for since freshman year of high school. And the rest, my little lovebirds, is all a matter of the heart.”
“My foundation?” Annie
Similar Books
