Aphrodite's POV

2 weeks later…

I knocked on her door quickly checking my gorgeous white silk gown to make sure it was perfect, she opened the door quietly and I stepped in, she closed the door behind me. I turned so that I was facing her.

"What do you think?" she asked doing a short twirl so that the bottom of her black dress that only went to her knees spread out around her thin body. I wanted to tell her she looked absolutely beautiful, but I still hadn't asked her to the dance and I didn't want to wreck thing before we even got started or tried. So not to make things completely obvious I said.

"Oh, it looks pretty." I thought I saw a slight glimpse of hurt beam into her eyes before she nodded and said.

"Thanks." Then walked to her bathroom to finish getting ready.

I took a spot on her bed and sat there with my elbows rested on my knees holding my head as I tried to think of some way to ask her to the dance with out making a complete fool of myself. Then it hit me.

I stood up and went to stand at the edge of he bathroom door way and watched her do her make up, she glanced over at me but said nothing as she continued putting more eye liner and mascara on her eyes and eye lashes.

"So." I said, flatly. "Do you have a date to the dance?"

She looked over at me, with a bit of a pissed off look on her face as she answered.

"Aphrodite, you saw what happened between Heath and I, You see the way Erik glares at me, and you know how Loren died and just used me for Neferet." She walked past me to go to her night stand and pick out some emerald studded earrings and faced me as she put them in and talked again.

"And all the other guys here are to afraid to even say hi to me let alone ask me to the dance because of how powerful I am, so do you think I have a date?... Not a chance in the world."

Great . I thought to myself. I want to ask her to go with me and I have already managed to piss her off.

I sat on her bed as she hustled around her room frantically, making sure she had everything.

"Well, umm why don't we go to the dance together? You be my valentine and I can be yours?" she looked over at me and her face brightened up.

"Sure, sounds good to me."

"Okay cool." I said as we stood to head out the door. Wow am I a dork or what? Cool? Who says that anymore for things like that?

As we walked into the dance I noticed Stevie Rae was there with the other red fledglings from the tunnels and looked quite beautiful in her country style dress, she was slow dancing with the guy she liked before she died. Or whatever you want to call it. The twins, Erin and Shaunee were dancing with their new "boy toys" Cole and TJ, and of course Damien and Jack were dancing together.

"So what would you like to do Zoey?" I asked, lightly.

"I..uh want t-" she was cut off.

"Zoey, I.. we.. need to talk, please." It was Erik, one of her three ex boyfriends he begged her in a tone I knew so well and it was one that I used never be able to turn down either. So when she glanced over at me pleadingly, I wanted to walk over to him and claw his eyes out. But all I did was nod stiffly, before they both headed out of the dinning hall to talk.

SHIT! I said to myself I should have told her sooner, like on the way here or even back in her dorm room, I probably just lost any fucking chance that I had in the first place.

I felt a finger tap me on the shoulder and I tore my eyes from the door, to see that it was Stevie Rae.

"Why haven't you told her how you felt yet?" she said softly, I was shocked.

"H…How did you know?" I asked

"My power of reading minds appears to be stronger than Neferets because I don't even have to focus to get into their mind, it's just if they are standing next to me."

"Oh." I said as I saw her glance over my shoulder, which automatically made me turn my head, and I saw that Zoey was walking hand in hand with Erik and laughing the cute little nervous laugh that I loved oh so much about her. She walked away from him and came to talk to me and said.

" Hey Aphrodite, I know I said I would be your valentine and everything, but would it be okay if I had a few dances with Erik first?"

"I..Uh, yeah sure go ahead." I said as a plan started forming in my mind.

"Aphrodite!" I heard Stevie Rae yell at me.

"Oh." I said just remembering she could hear my thoughts.

"Sorry I forgot about your whole mind reading situation." I laughed then looked out into the crowd and took one last glance at Zoey who was now dancing with Erik, then turned and walked toward the refreshments table.