Mon travail consiste à vous tuer les gars: My work is to kill you guys
Apollo
Dreading Daphne,I stayed silent most of the time as we walked home.
"You okay Big Bro?"
"No,so shut up. I'm feeling queasy."
"Aw,come on. Penny does not hate you. Also,I'm guessing Piper's not gunna keep her promise and gunna tell Penny you like-like her-"
"Dont make me puke."
"Right sorry. Geez,you're a wimp!"
Rolling my eyes,I walked up the steps and rang the doorbell. Within seconds,the door opened,revealing a suspicious looking Artemis."What is Daphne doing here?" she hissed.
"Just let us in first sis." I said. She opened the door more wider so that me and Will could slide in. Daphne wasn't in the living room,so maybe in the kitchen or something. Artemis turned towards us expectingly.
"So,did you do it?" she glared at me. I gulped.
"I was. I was halfway through asking,but then Daphne came in." I said in a low whisper. Artemis's shoulders sagged,and Will pouted.
"Fine,you've got four more days before Homecoming. Four more days for you to ask her out. Work fast brother."
"Easier said than done. Plus,I'll have to dodge Daphne-"
"Hi guys!" Daphne chirped,stepping out of the kitchen. I forced a weak smile.
"Uh hi. Um..you left you phone at the shop." I said,handing it to her. She sighed with relief,taking it from me gratefully.
"Thank you so much! As soon as I came,I realized I left it behind,and I prayed that you would get it."
"Yeah well,your wish came true." Artemis said coldly,a false smile similar to Penny's planted on her lips. Girls sometimes have a weird way of communicating with people they don't like. I cleared my throat.
"Um..I'll be right back. Need to speak to my sister." I mutered. Daphne smiled and nodded.
"Kay." she agreed. Me and Arty exchanged looks,then slowly walked upstairs with Will behind us. We entered Will's room and shut the door behind us. Artemis stared at us,waiting.
"Well? What happened?"
I told her everything that happened in school,and Will told her what happened at the Cafe. When we finished,Artemis looked furious.
"The little git. Honestly,she wasn't like this until she started hanging out with Drew Tanaka."
"The girl who hooked up with Dylan for a week? The Queen Bee who's a makeup addict?" Will asked. Artemis nodded.
"Yeah. Technically,she'll do anything to steal Apollo right under Penny's nose,or push Penny out of the picture. And you said Penny didn't say or look at you guys as she left?"
"Yeah." me and Will said in unision.
"Well,she's jealous. Try speaking to her in school." Artemis advised.
"Yeah well,I messaged Penny and told her I wasn't going with Daphne." I said. Artemis rolled her eyes.
"You guys are you thick. Apologising in text is never a good thing to do. You should've called,or talked face-to-face. Anyways,what did she say?"
"She well,got kind of rude at first." I admitted,showing her the texts. As her eyes darted side to side,his lips curled into a smile at the last text that she sent.
"I think she's hitting on you."
"Yeah,we may be thick,but yet we already thought of that." Will muttered,rolling his eyes "But...this brings us back to our one question;Why is she still dating that idiot Dylan?"
"Dylan's extremely powerful,and his dad controls half of the city," Artemis said wisely "He could have something against her,or maybe he's forcing,threatening or blackmailing her. She's never happy when around Dylan,so we don't have to worry about Dylan getting in the picture."
"But what about Percy?"
"Brother,we have a plan for that,don't worry." Will smirked. I didn't want to ask,so I sighed gloomily.
"Yeah sure. Ever heard of a plan where a million things could go wrong?"
"Nope!" Will said cheerfully "Now c'mon,let's go and meet our doom downstairs."
Penny
"Guys,I'm not going,so I don't need a dress-"
"Stop whining Thals. If Apollo doesn't ask out Penny,you two can go as dates."
"Apollo's not gunna ask me out Pipes. So shut up. But better Thalia than Dylan."
We were busy checking out dresses in the best dress shop,Aphrodite. The dress code for the prom is that girls should wear full length,formal dresses,and there were a lot of dresses to choose from.
"Hey Thals,what about this?" I suggested,pulling out a dress from a rack.
It was floor length,which was black and from the knee length,was merged in blue. It had just one strap,which ran behind,showing off the back. Piper whistled.
"Damn Frenchie,you have taste."
"C'est moi ma chérie." (That's me my dear) I said,winking. I handed the dress to Thalia,who analyzed it.
"Okay,it's pretty cool. But it'd go good with your hair Frenchie-"
"Dylan's getting me a dress." I muttered,looking down. Nobody said anything,until Annabeth cleared her throat.
"Uh,right. So um,care to help us out Frenchie?"
I could tell that she wanted to divert my mind away from the horrendous thought of what dress Dylan would get me,and not to be rude at the same time. For that,I was grateful.I broke into a grin at once. "Avec plaisir." I giggled with a tiny bow. Thalia frowned.
"What's that,an illness?"
"It means,with pleasure in French,Grace. Keep up."
"I knew that."
Even though I was a more jeans-and shirt girl,I love picking out dresses. As much as I hate them,the dresses that I had to wear for my dad's buisness parties and and stuff were always up to point,and I had a really good knack for picking out the best ones. "Okay,so which one is best on me,red or white?" Piper asked,holding up two dresses for us to see. One was a sleeveless red dress with sparkly sequins all over. The other one was a low V neck merging with gold from the bottom. I shook my head.
"Meh,try pink. You always look good in pink."
"As much as I don't like that color that much,that's true." Piper sighed,searching through dresses again. Annabeth was frowning at the racks. Her expression was so funny I stuffed my fist on my mouth to prevent myself from laughing.
"You okay Annie?" I teased. She shook her head.
"Just...confused."
"Wow,Annabeth Chase,confused?" Thalia snickered. Rolling my eyes,they came to rest upon a red dress. I pulled it out.
It was long red dress,mermaid style,with the sleeves sliding off the shoulders. I showed it too Annabeth."This?" I asked her. Her lips turned up into a tiny smile.
"Nice." I said,taking it from me. Piper cleared her throat.
"Ladies-" she held up a sparkly sleeveless pink dress,which went brilliantly with her hair "-the perfect dress,is here."
"Jason's gunna have a hard time taking his eyes off of you."
"Isn't that what Apollo's weakness is?" Thanks grinned "Taking his eyes off of you?"
I felt my face go hot "Oh,shut up. So,we done here?"
"Yup,and I'm paying!" Piper chirped. Annabeth frowned.
"But-"
"Do you have a million dollars Chase?
"Richie." Annabeth grumbled. Piper winked and took all three dresses.
"You guys wait outside,I'll pay up."
Nodding,we all walked outside,but as we walked past the short dress racks,I heard my name,which made my footsteps stop.
"-Well,show her the footage! Penny won't know a thing!"
I stopped and turned. The girl who had said my name had her back again me. She had straight,glossy black hair and was wearing designer clothes,her phone pressed against one eat with her shoulder while she rummaged through cloths. I ducked behind a rack to listen,my ears alert.
"Penny,wha-" Annabeth started,but I pulled them behind me,gesturing for them to shut up.
"Well,there's only four days,right? If she ever find out,and by the time she finds out,it'll be too late! Easy peasy."
Four days...till Homecoming? Did she mean that?
"Yeah yeah,the footage said that he's gonna ask out you,but Jackson could reach there first. Of course,he could turn her down..wait,I've got an idea! Crop out the footage where he says he'll ask out you and show the remaining to Dylan! That'll scare Solace off and you've got him in the bag!"
A pellet dropped in my stomach. What's this footage? By Solace,does she mean Apollo Solace? Who is she talking too? What will they show to Dylan? Nothing good,I expect.
"Exactly! He'll be to scared to ask out Jackson,and he'll be bound to ask out you!...yeah,I'm at Aphrodite...ooh,try and get him alone in his room...kisses!"
With that,she cut the call,and I glanced at her face. Drew Tanaka,a.k.a Regina George number 1. We three exchanged looks and quickly escaped from the scene. Once out of the shop,my mind was running with thoughts.
"Who was she talking too?" Thanks asked in wonder,looking behind my shoulder. Annabeth seemed deep in thought.
"Try and get him alone in his room..." She muttered under her breath. Something inside of me clicked.
"Do you mean the girl Drew was talking to..is in the Solace's house now?" I asked,trying not to sound like I was interested. I could see Thalia was trying hard not to make a joke about this.
"She could be...we can't be sure." Annabeth mused,her eyebrows scrunching up as usual,whenever she's in thought. A dark thought appeared in my mind.
"Daphne Rose."
Apollo
Act natural. Just act natural. Help,I'm about to pee my pants. And yes,there are guys who are kind of shy around girls. Yes ladies,we exist. Daphne was in the bathroom for a very long time,which comes to only one conclusion; She was probably doing what other girls do,texting or maybe the toilet is broken. Or uh..girl issues. You know what? Forget it.
I couldn't even eat,there was a bitter taste in my mouth,and every time Daphne looked up to give me a gentle smile,my stomach squelched. What would I give to be sitting upstairs just talking with Penny on the phone...
Hey,don't blame me for being a romantic.
While Mrs Rose and my mom talked,and Artemis and Mr Rose in some conversation,me and Will kept exchanging useless looks. Have you ever heard of secretly texting under the table when nobody's looking? Well,that's what we were doing.
'this is seriously killing me'
'imagine the look on Penny's face if she was here,watching Daphne make goo goo eyes at u'
'shut up before I loose my dinner'
'you hardly ate'
'point'
I waited for such a long time,until me and Will started clearing the table,with looks of relief on our faces. Artemis was talking with Daphne in the living room,and it seemed as though she wasn't happy about it. As the adults were all talking about boring elderly stuff,I saw Daphne enter the kitchen.
"Hi." She said breathlessly.
I nearly dropped my mom's China plate. I looked around frantically,but Will was not there. Cursing silently,I smiled. "Oh,hey. Um..sup?" I asked stupidly. She shrugged and walked closer. I could smell her pine scented fragrance,and I prayed that Will would walk in. She was remarkably pretty,I admit that.
"Oh,nothing much. Just..wanted to talk."
The way she was looking at me made me feel electrified. If Penny gave me that stare...ah,shut up me."Oh,sure."
She was so close,I could see her irises clearly. Her fingers were now tracing my knuckled. I wanted to gently step back,but I was paralyzed to the floor. I could hardly blink.
"I really like you Apollo.." She muttered. She was way too close to me now,much to close-
"What are you guys doing!" Will burst,breaking the silence and making both of us jump away from each other. I was still in shock,my heart beating very fast. I seriously owe Will for saving me. Before any of us could reply,Will strode forward and grabbed my wrist.
"Excuse us for a moment,but I need Apollo to fix the upstairs toilet." He said firmly,then pulled me out of the kitchen and up the stairs,until he threw me in my room,the door slamming behind him.
"What-in-the-name-of-no-decaf-coffee-were-you THINKING?!" Will yelled,his eyes narrowing and cackling with electricity. I gulped and scooted backwards.
"Look,I-I was in shock okay? I-I didn't know what to do! One moment she was all-"
"This is gunna be harder than I thought." Artemis muttered,face palming.
"Oh,so you thought this would be easy?!"
"If you weren't such a wimp,it would be." Will shrugged.
"Hey,cut me some slack!" I said angrily "I have to ask out the most popular and hottest girl in Goode,not to mention my crush for the past two years!"
"Alright alright! But seriously,a girl would want a bold,sassy guy,not...uh.." He gestured towards me,and I felt ashamed of myself. How could I ever imagine Penny falling for me? If she was Nutella,I'd be a rotten peanut. Literally.
"Hey,she's supposed to like him for who he is," Artemis piped in,frowning. I threw my hands up.
"Thank you!"
"But Will is right,she'd want someone kind of bold."
"I hate you guys."
Penny
"Sorry mom,I'm late." I said at once,opening and closing the door behind me fast "So what's-
I turned around,stopping dead in my tracks. There was dinner on the table,with my mom and her boyfriend sitting together,laughing and drinking champagne. My heart stopped,and I stared,my mouth open.
Paul Blofis,my English teacher.
My mom's boyfriend is Mr Blofis.
Oh boy.
"Mr Blofis!" I said,surprised,smiling weakly "I didn't know you guys were uh...dating?"
"Assuming by your expression,your mother didn't tell you?" He asked with an amusing smile. My mom looked a bit nervous.
"I-uh..no...but,I'm really happy for you guys!" I said,trying to let it sink in. True,my mom told me she had a few friends,and once in a while she said she was heading out with Mrs Solace (Leto,my mom called her) and someone named Paul...I just didn't know that he was Paul Blofis...
"Would you like some dinner dear?" My mom asked kindly. I blinked.
"Uh..no thanks mom. I ate on the way home. You guys enjoy. I'll just be doing my homework."
With a parting smile,I rushed towards my room,breathing hard. Wow,that was another blow in the face. My thoughts wandered off to Daphne Rose. Was she the girl whom Drew was talking too? To my surprise and also annoyance, my insides boiled at the fact of Daphne cornering Apollo in his room. Well,it doesn't bother me.
Yes it does.
No it doesn't me,shut up.
But you like him,a part of me argued.
No,so shut up.
Sighing,I took out my phone and stared at the contact which I had saved as 'Sadie' (Apollo). The last time we chatted,I literally flirted with him. I suddenly felt stupid. Why did I do that? He was such a sweetheart,nice and innocent. And most of all,he was free from troubles...
With disappointment,I remembered Dylan,and quite possbly the horrendous dress he might get me. Ugh,if only I had never fallen for Dylan's charms two years ago..
Flashback..
I hated this place,I absolutely hated this place. I wanted to be back in France,with my friends again,and under the warm eyes of my dad...but I wasn't entirely safe there. After everything that's happened? It don't know which is worse,New York,or France.
I was skipping my Biology class,and yes,I know I'll get detention,but I don't care. Better safe in a boring classroom then walking home alone,in front of the eyes of millions...
I missed mostly him.
A pang in my heart rang in my ears. I wanted to hold his hand,stay in his arms,feel my lips over his...he was everything to me. I gave my entire soul to him...and he broke me,leaving cracks and a knife in my heart.
"Hey,you okay?" A voice asked. My head shot up out of my hands,my eyes burning with the sudden contact of air. I looked up,meeting the eyes of another student.
He had spiky black hair and dark brown eyes,not as brown as his though. He had a good tan,and a stocky kind of body. He was kneeling in front of me,eyeing me with concern.
"I-I'm fine." I said shakily,wiping my eyes messily and getting up. He took my hand,and I pulled away immediately. I didn't want another guy in my life. Never again. It was too painful.
"I'm sorry,if I made you uncomfortable." He said,bowing his head a bit. My eyes widened nervously.
"I-It's fine. I-I'd better get to c-class." I muttered,trying to control my shaking body and trembling lips. I reached out to pick up my bag,but he picked it up for me.
"Hey,I have an idea. How about we ditch school,head over to a coffee shop or something? Something to cheer you up." He asked,tilting his head and showing his bright teeth. I stared at him.
"W-Why would you do that?"
"Well,I'm not cold hearted enough to leave a pretty girl in the middle school hall alone,crying am I?" I asked,shouldering my bag. I let loose a watery chuckle.
"I-guess not.."
He smiled "Come on. What's your name?"
"Penny. Penny Jackson. Et to-I mean,and you?"
"A Frenchie huh? That explains the looks. Dylan. Dylan Venti."
I didn't like,or trust guys,but what I felt with Dylan..it felt so real...and then he had left me for Sadie Kane...what if Apollo did the same? I couldn't afford to break again. I'd lost so many things. I'd nearly been rape. I've been suicidal. I can't afford any more sorrow in my life. I was only fourteen,in middle school at that time. Coming from Paris,France,I was a romantic,innocent and carefree. Only now I realise how much of an idiot I was. How stupid I was.
I felt something buzz in my hand,and I jolted out of my thoughts,realising I still was holding the phone. Looking at it,I realised that it was text from...him. I gasped out loud and punched myself. My instinct told myself that I should block him and never remember him,but I thought otherwise.
'hey,long time no talk. How r u ma chére?'
Oh,if only I really was his dear.
'fine,all gud. How's Sadie?'
'Great. Anyways,I've got a surprise for u on Wednesday,keep ur chin up.'
'Surprise? Pour moi?'
'Of course penny. Pour quoi sont amis?'(What are friends for?)
Friends. That was it. Friends. Nothing more.
'well,thanks in advance?'
'believe me,you'll love it.'
"I loved you." I whispered,feeling weak,a lump in my throat. How could he hurt me so horribly? Then my eyes travelled back to the contact,Sadie,which on cue,suddenly received a message. Wow,the Fates are real.
'Hey,heard what happened at the football practise with Dylan? Are you okay? Do you need anything?'
He was too sweet and considerate. Smiling,I typed back;
'Im fine,but thanks for asking Apollo. I'm good :)'
Apollo Solace,I will never fall for you.
But Penny,I think you've already fallen.