Contagious Smiles
Zoë
I walked slowly into the town, keeping myself unnoticeable. But as much as I kept going, that stupid voice of that stupid god still pounded through my mind.
I love you Zoë
Yeah right. We've known each other for...a week? People don't fall in love that quickly; I certainly don't. He can shove all his stupid patronizing up his backside.
Am I even going to do this stupid favour for him? Look after a stupid blonde haired bimbo? She can look after herself.
But as fate would have it, someone suddenly crashed into me, toppling both of us down to the dry cracked ground.
"What the Hades?"
"Oh my gods, I'm so sorry – Are you alright? I really didn't mean to knock you over – "
I looked up and I felt like punching something. Preferably the girl. The blonde haired girl. She held out her hand to help me up, but I looked at her with disgust and got myself up instead.
She was just as Persues described - stormy grey eyes and long curly hair. I'll admit, she's pretty, but that just makes me hate her further.
"Just watch out where you're going, ok?"
She nodded and looked quickly over her shoulder as if she was afraid of someone following her. "My name's Annabeth – "
"Yes, I don't really want to know that," I sneered, feeling a strange ball of anger well up inside.
I turned away and started walking in the other direction.
Go back and help her, a distinctively familiar voice said in my mind.
No. She's your problem.
Zoë, please. She's homeless and scared.
I sigh. Do I care? No.
Does that matter? I thought you had kindness in your heart...
I scowled, wondering why I'm feeling so frustrated. If it was any other girl, I would help her immediately...but somehow, this...this Annabeth person...ugh, I don't know.
I turn around again.
"Ok, let me get this straight. I'm only going to help you because of Persues – "
"Percy?" she squeaked, using his stupid nickname.
I rolled my eyes with irritation. "You can stay with Marcato's household – "
"Marcato? You mean the Marcato? One of the richest slave traders in Greece?" her eyes were suddenly wide and terrified.
I stopped in my tracks. He's a slave trader?
"I'm not sure if he's a slave trader, but he is nice enough to look after you. Now, stop interrupting me, and don't mention Persues' name again and..." I trailed off, my eyes drifting down to her stomach...
Bloated. Out of proportion to her body. A noticeable bump, how had I not seen it before?
Hades.
Barely suppressing a scream I look back at her eyes. It all makes sense now.
"You're pregnant?" I hiss, between clenched teeth, feeling the need to go somewhere quiet and scream my lungs out. "You're pregnant?"
"Y-yes..."
I see red.
Ferocity fills me. I grab her neck and slam her against a wall. "Who Is The Father?" I say slowly, hardly controlling the fury running through my veins.
A bead of sweat trickles down her cheek and the blood rushes to her face. "Ow...l-let go of me, you're hurting me – "
"Answer the question!"
"It's Persues!" she gasps.
I let go and watch her in disgust sprawl to the ground, massaging her neck, with one hand on her belly. I had an urge to rip the baby out with my bare hands and then realised that maybe I was overreacting...
"Then you can find someone else to look after you," I say venomously. "And that bastard child of yours."
I've had enough with Persues' one night stands. His children and just about everything to do with him. He dared to befriend me whilst he had an unborn child growing inside another woman?
"Wait, please don't go..." her voice sounds so small and pitiful.
Yeah, he must always go for the weak ones.
How could he say that he loved me? What about Annabeth? Children should be born with love, now there's another child who will grow up without a father.
And trust me. I know how it feels.
I ignore her and storm away. I can already sense Persues' anger in the back of my mind, but I push it away. Why can't he just leave me alone?
...
It was the late evening when I finally arrived back at Marcato's house, having sat watching the sunset on a lonely hill.
A warm fire flickered inside, the girl from yesterday opened the door with a smile.
"I was beginning to wonder if you were alright," she says, closing the door behind me. "Come and meet our new visitor – Marcato brought her in from the streets, he's good like that, you see?"
Cold sweat trickled down my neck.
No...not her. The blonde haired whore...
I cannot express just how much I hate her.
"I'd rather not," I say tautly, with a clenched jaw.
Time to go...
I said a quick apology and left the house, before I had to see that thing I met earlier.
It's freezing though. I shiver outside the house since I'm only wearing a stupid thin dress that goes down to my ankles.
I kept walking, hurrying out of the gates of the town and down the lonely path that stretched into the wilderness. Maybe I'll return...maybe not...
Thump.
Something landed behind me. I didn't even need to turn around to see who it was.
Spinning sharply, I pulled my arm back and heard an almost satisfying crack.
Thump.
A tall figure fell to the ground clutching his nose.
"What the hades Zoë!"
I pull the hairpin out and it transforms into Anaklusmos, gold and deadly in the moonlight. I touch his throat with the end of the leaf shaped sword, and stared at him with a cold expression.
"What the hades? You're one to speak," I snarl down at him. "What the hades? If you want me to look after some filthy hooker you picked up – "
"She's not a hooker!" he says harshly, his green eyes suddenly flash with anger. Ichor drips down his face.
"I don't care whether she is or not. She's carrying your child, which is A: Disgusting, B: completely irresponsible of you to not be with her for the pregnancy and C: it's none of my business," I pause to let that sink in. "Yeah, I actually thought you were a decent male. How wrong could I be?"
"Zoë – "
I felt a stab in my gut when he said my name.
"- I wasn't thinking at the time...It happened ages ago – she was drunk after this party and I – "
"And I don't want to know the details," I snap. "But you should be there for that child. Forget the wedding, forget Artemis, the child needs a proper family – "
"It's against the laws – "
"Your laws? Or someone else's fucked up laws?"
"Zoë..." he protests, the anger in his voice is subsiding.
"And then you have the nerve to confess your 'love' to me, whilst there are people who need you more than me."
I pull the sword away.
He gets up slowly to face me –
Thump.
I almost laugh in surprise. The god topples to the ground once again, a blur of darkness on the path. Behind him stands dimpled cheeked Marcato, with an easy smile on his handsome face.
"Was he harassing you, madam?" he says lightly.
I smile, unable to stop myself. "Nothing I couldn't handle, but thanks – he's a complete dickhead."
Marcato raises an eyebrow and looks closer at the fallen god. "Is that...who I think it is?"
"Persues? God of moronity and stupidity, yes, it is."
"Is moronity even a word?"
Grinning, I reply. "It is now."
He laughs, and I feel a strange warmth inside. "Helena told me you'd left, so I had to say a proper goodbye, didn't I?"
I hesitate. "Maybe I shouldn't go just yet; do you think I can stay for one more night?"
"Of course, it would be my pleasure."
His smile is contagious.
A/N: Hi! Hope you liked this chapter...it feels like Thursday, meh. And It's my birthday in 7 days! :D
I'm doing a presentation in English on the Jabberwocky (it's a poem) and I'm so excited because it's like my favouritest poem in the world!
And Thankyou so much to Darkmoon111, 67-fupw, The Invisible Pretender, , rmitz53, Jake Wolf, Guardian'sDragonOfDeath, xRinneandSharinx, EricaValdez8893, and guest! Thanks for your reviews, you are the BEST!
Please give me suggestions (if you have any) and stuff like that and I'll write again soon!