Iotlh chap 7
After Emily had shut the door behind Allen, she turned around and leaned against it.
'Wow,' she thought as she slid down to the floor. 'Best guy ever!' She lightly touched her lips and smiled. She could still taste Allen's lips against hers. He had tasted like some sort of far off spice, curie maybe.
Emily was jolted from her daydreaming by the sound of a car pulling into the drive way. Her brothers were home from hockey!
"Crap!" said Emily, she scrambled from her spot by the door and bolted to the living room, where her afternoon movie date mess was located. She threw the pop cans in the recycling bin and tossed the popcorn bowl in the dishwasher, just in time for her bothers to walk through the door.
"I'm telling you Jack, if you just work on you slap shot some more, coach will totally put you in this season." Emily rolled her eyes at this comment. Mark tried to give Jack hockey advice even though Jack was the worst player on the team. He didn't even like hockey anymore! He was only doing it because he didn't want to disappoint their dad and Mark.
"I don't know Mark," said Jack as the rounded the corner and came within eyeshot of the kitchen where Emily was standing. Jack's face lit up at the sight of her. "Emmy!"
"Hey Jakie." Emily smiled. She loved her baby brother.
"Emm, do you know the guy with that awesome red convertible? He was driving down our street a moment ago." Mark looked at her suspiciously.
"A red convertible…" Emily pretended to think. "Nope doesn't ring a bell. How was practice?" she quickly changed the subject, hoping she didn't change it too quickly.
"Great!" Said Mark, he was the star of the team.
"Miserable," said Jack, looking down at his feet.
"Aww, Jakie," Emily looked around, trying to find something to cheer him up. She ended up diving her hand into the cookie jar, and offering him a cookie. "Here" Jack took the cookie and nibbled on the edges.
"Thanks," he muttered, but he sounded a little happier. "How was your drama club meeting?"
Emily slapped her hand to her forehead. She had completely forgotten about the meeting, and Allen was supposed to go too!
"You forgot about a drama club meeting?" Mark looked at her in shock. "But you love drama club. You've never missed a meeting before."
"I just…had a huge test in biology and wasn't thinking." Emily explained. It wasn't a total lie. She had had a test in biology that day, and she wasn't thinking…about the drama club anyway.
"How did you get home, don't you usually walk with Katarina?" Mark pressed on. Emily didn't like where this was going. Mark was way too protective of her.
"Yes but-"Emily started but Mark cut her off.
"And isn't Katarina in the drama club? And didn't she go to the meeting?"
"Yes she did but-"
"Then wouldn't you have noticed that your walking buddy was missing and remembered about the meeting and gone to it?"
"Yes I would have but-"
"Then, you clearly didn't walk home and must have gotten a ride, since we all know how much you detest riding the bus, right Jack?"
"Leave me out of this," stated Jack and he marched off to his room.
"Yes I did have a ride Mark," Said Emily as he turned back to her.
"But aren't all your friends in the drama club also?"
"Yes they are." Thank god, he was finally letting her finish her statements.
"Then who gave you a ride?"
"A new friend," said Emily. 'Or a new boyfriend…' she thought.
"Is this new friend a girl?" Mark was prying now.
"No," said Emily through gritted teeth.
"Well, then I don't think-" Now it was Emily's turn to cut Mark off.
"Oh look at the time, I should go work on my homework now." Emily made a break for her room before Mark had any time to say anymore on the subject.
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As Apollo drove to no where in particular, he thought about Emily. He couldn't stop. He loved her with everything he had. It was hurting him, even now, to be away from her.
He went up to Olympus and tried to stop thinking about her. It didn't work too well. Finally, after lying in his cottage thinking about nothing but kissing Emily again, he decided to go see Hermes. He was always good for a laugh.
"Hermes! Where ya been? I've been looking all over for you." Apollo said when he finally found his best friend. Hermes looked at him sheepishly.
"I was…a…busy." Hermes looked at his feet, His shaggy red hair falling in his green eyes.
"Busy doing what?" Hermes never did anything except play practical jokes on unsuspecting nymphs. Hermes bit his lip, just like Emily did sometimes when she was embarrassed. Apollo's eyes widened with realization. "You didn't! Please tell me you didn't!" Hermes raised his head a little bit and grinned at Apollo in a mischievous way.
Hermes was in love with Apollo's sister Artimis. He loved her in a similar way that Apollo loved Emily. But she was a virgin goddess sworn off loving men so that made things difficult. Hermes had been talking about telling Artimis about his love for her, but Apollo thought that that was all just talk. But Hermes must have been serious and by the look on his face, he just had. Apollo groaned.
"Tell me what happened." Apollo said as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Well," said Hermes, "it started like any other day. I was eating breakfast and I just glanced at her when she wasn't looking…you know…like usual." Hermes gave a nervous sort of giggle. "And then I saw her with…Dionysus." He spat out the last word like an insult. "He was drunk, as always and she was laughing at something he said, and I just felt this…burning rage. I believe mortals call it jealousy." This speech reminded Apollo of how he felt when he saw Emily give Ryan a hug the other day. "So after breakfast I tried to forget about her. I went to look up Gigi." (Hermes' version of Fiona) "But even being with her didn't work. So finally, after wrestling with my feelings all day, I just saw her. She was sitting under a apple tree, talking with Persephone. I just walked up to her and before I could control my self, the words poured out."
Apollo waited for him to continue, but when he didn't he asked the inevitable question.
"What did she say?" Hermes looked up at him with a wicked smile.
"Nothing….she kissed me instead."
Apollo and Hermes spent the rest of the day talking about everything that was going good with Artimis and Hermes. But when Hermes left to go see her, Apollo was left alone with his thoughts of Emily. The pain of not being near her came back with a vengeance.
Apollo shuffled his way to his room and tried to sleep. He laid in bed for 3 hours before giving up. Then a tricky thought entered his mind. 'I could just go see her….I do have the helm of invisibility. (It was a trade off from Hades. Apollo had found him in some compromising positions with Aphrodite. The price for not telling Persephone was to have the helm until the next World war…which wouldn't be happening any time soon.)Apollo grabbed the helm and quickly left his cottage.
Apollo climbed stealthily into Emily's window. He looked around her room. It was bright and colorful, just like her. He saw her bed in the corner. He quietly walked over, being carful not to wake her.
She looked beautiful with her fiery red hair spilling across the pillow. She had a small smile on her face while she slept. She looked perfect. She was even more beautiful without any makeup on. He just watched her sleep for a while. He was about to leave when he heard her speak.
"Allen," she whispered. Apollo whirled around to see if she was awake. Thanking all the gods, he saw she wasn't. Then his heart melted. She was dreaming about him. And it looked like a good dream.
"Allen," she whispered in her angelic voice. "Sweet, perfect Allen." Her smile grew bigger and she sighed through her nose.
Apollo looked at her. What he felt before wasn't love, not compared to what he felt at this very moment. He had always assumed that they would get married eventually, but now he couldn't wait. He wanted to marry her and be with her for the rest of his existence. Apollo spent the rest of the night thinking about the future and the beautiful sleeping girl laying in front of him.