Read Online Persephone the Phony (Goddess Girls) by Joan Holub - Free Book Online
Authors: Joan Holub
Tags: Fiction, General, Social Science, Children's Books, Juvenile Fiction, Ages 9-12 Fiction, Social Issues, Children: Grades 4-6, Girls & Women, Friendship, School & Education, Folklore & Mythology, Schools, Legends; Myths; Fables, Social Issues - Friendship, Legends; Myths; & Fables - Greek & Roman, Mythology; Greek, Greek & Roman, Goddesses; Greek, Hades (Greek deity), Persephone (Greek deity)
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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 lik e 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 anythin g 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
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
131
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
132
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 lik e 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."
133
Persephone couldn't help wondering how he could hear anythin g 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
135
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
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