Make Me Your Aphrodite
I promised another update so here it is! After this chapter their will only be 2 more chapters! I am so sad to have to end this story so early but I'm afraid it's what I have to do. But don't worry my children I have a sequel in the making! I really think you will enjoy the it. I hope you do anyways. I will have more info at the end of the chapter! So without further ado... Chapter 25. :)
Chapter 25: The Past is in the Past
Skyler's POV:
The next morning I woke up a new person. Luke and I were good. My dad and I were good. The pageant was going amazing so far! Today was our battle skill and talent. I was shooting arrows and singing. I woke up around eight, pulled on some black leggings, a pink t-shirt, a blue sweat shirt, and my black sneakers then I went to get breakfast. Then I went to the arena to practice my shooting. But when I got there they were already setting up for this evenings events.
"Skyler!"
I look over to where I hear my name and see Luke standing with a bow and a quiver full of arrows. He gestured towards the woods with his head and he went down the path to get to the lake. I smile and quickly follow. When I get to the lake he is leaning against a tree with the bow and arrows. I holds them both out for me to take. I grab them with a smile and he goes and sets s up three targets.
"Hit the target that lights up." He said as he walked back over to me "And don't forget to re-"
"Relax my shoulders. I got it Luke." I sassed him. He smirked and wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into a hug. I snuggled into his chest and smiled. After a minute or two he kissed my head and sat on the rocks a few feet away.
"Ready?" He asked. I nod my head. "Set. GO!"
The target on the left light up and I shot my arrow. Then the right one. Left. Right. Center. Right. Left. Center. Left. Center.
"Hey gu- OH MY GOSH!" Leo screamed as he came into the clearing. I scream as well as the arrow just barley misses his head.
"WHAT THE HELL LEO!" Luke and I scream simultaneously.
Leo smiles mischievously, "Oops?" I glared at him and take the arrows out of the targets.
"I think I'm all practiced out for the day." I said gathering the arrows and taking the bow.
"You did great sweetheart." He called after me.
"You have to say that you're my boyfriend." I mumbled leaning in for a hug. He kissed my cheek and sent me on my way.
Luke's POV:
I smile as I watch Skyler walks away then Leo burst into laughter. I stare at him like he's gone insane but he continues to laugh.
"You did great sweetheart!" He crowed his voice 3 octaves higher than normal "I love you sweetheart!" I glare at him for making fun of me. Then I slap him over the head.
"Shut it Valdez!" I growl at him. He only continues to laugh at me.
"You've got it bad man. You are so lovesick!" He laughed wiping tears from his eyes.
"Am not!" I snapped.
"Are too." He sang skipping down the trail. I rolled my eyes and started to chase after him. This kid was going to be the death of me.
Skyler's POV:
After my target practice – which only made me more nervous – I went to the singing studio to do vocal exercises and practice my song. I head back to the cabin after that and Piper is sitting there with some hot tea to help sooth my voice before I go on.
"Thanks Pipes!" I say excitedly as I gulp down the tea.
"No problem Skyler!" she said equally excited.
I laugh at her bounciness, "You seem more excited for today than I am!"
"I am really excited though!" she squeals "I finally get to hear so sing again!" I laugh and blush remembering the last time she heard me sing when she convinced me to try out for the pageant in the first place.
Flashback
I get my honey smelling shampoo and squeeze it into my hands. I scrub my hair and I start to sing.
It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me,
I'm free!
I rinse out my hair and start to condition it.
Let it go, let it go
I am one with the wind and sky
Let it go, let it go
You'll never see me cry
Here I stand
And here I'll stay
As I finish singing I turn off the water and wring out my hair so it's not as wet. I continue to hum the song as open the shower curtain.
"OH MY GODS!"
I ripped the curtain shut.
"What the hell are you doing in here Piper?" I shout popping my head out of the curtain. She simply smiled.
"Was that you singing? OMG! You are fantastic! You should audition for the WSP!" she squealed.
"The what? Get me my towel." I snapped. She looks around and gets my towel from the rack. She hands it to me. I dry myself off and wrap the towel around myself. I open the curtain and step out. Piper is still there with a smile on her face.
"Ok back to my question. What are you doing in here?" I asked sitting down on the edge of the bathtub.
"Well I needed to brush my teeth because Leo made me eat this disgusting concoction he made. And then when you started singing I kinda just stayed." She said blushing.
"Ok, that is acceptable. Now what is the WSP?" I questioned. Her eyes widened in excitement.
"It's the Winter Solstice Pageant. One girl from each cabin is selected to participate. It's like a beauty pageant. There's the different competitions. Theirs skill, talent, and intelligence. Although you have to do two different things for talent. Also you have to do a partner dance with a boy in your cabin. Then you have to do a skit with other people. " She explained, "Normally Aphrodite's cabin does one with Hephaestus and Ares since she was married to Hephaestus but truly loved Ares."
"I'm sorry but I can't do it." I said getting up to get a towel to dry my hair.
"Why!?" she screeched
"I promised myself I would never perform again. It reminds me too much of home." I explained to her, "Plus if they judge on beauty I defiantly will screw it up. Get someone prettier than me to do it."
Piper looked upset and appalled. I mean it's true. There are so many girls who are way prettier than me. I would just screw it up. Plus I've never sang in front of anyone before. Well except Lacy. But there's still no way I could do it.
"Ok just think about it," Piper said sadly as she left.
End Flashback
I laugh at the memory and Piper gives me a weird look. I just shake my head and continue to laugh. I take a short nap and get awakened around 3pm. Piper gives me sandwich and some apple slices to eat before she starts getting me ready. We then repeat the process that happened yesterday. I shower and dry my hair. Then the cabin helps me get ready for the talent portion.
Thy put my hair into a low twisty bun and they do my make-up light and neutral. My dress is a beaded chiffon gown in an icy blue color that goes well with the song. My shoes are a bluish silver color and have leaf and flower designs on them. We head to the dressing room with my other things in a large bag.
When it's almost time for me to go on Piper put's my tiara in my hair. She then reaches into the bag large bag and pulls something out.
"I figured you'd want to wear this." She said holding something out.
My necklace!
I take it from her and put it on and admire it. I thank her and go wait by the side of the stage. This time is different from yesterday because there is no one on the other side who can comfort me with their smile.
"Skyler?"
I turn at the sound of my father's voice and smile. I hug him and laugh quietly.
"What are you doing here dad?" I whisper as I pull away from the hug.
"Just wanted to give a pep talk to my baby girl." He whispered back.
"Thanks dad but you'll only make me more nervous!" I tell him already feeling the nerves settling in.
"You can do this baby I have faith in you!" He said pulling me into another hug.
"Next up we have Skyler Jones who will be singing for her talent!" Chiron said into the microphone.
"Good Luck princess!" My dad whispered and left the dressing room to sit in the audience. I take a deep breath and head onto the stage. They had given me a portable microphone so I don't have to carry one around as I sing. My music starts and I breathe in and out before I start to sing.
The snow glows white on the mountain tonight
Not a footprint to be seen
A kingdom of isolation,
And it looks like I'm the queen.
The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried!
Don't let them in, don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
I feel my neck become warm. I touch where my necklace is and feel it is the source of the heat. I look down to find it glowing. The audience oohhs and aahhs as I continue to sing.
Well, now they know!
Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door!
I don't care
What they're going to say
Let the storm rage on,
The cold never bothered me anyway!
I hear the audience gasp. My smile falters for a moment and I brush a stray hair out of my face. Then I realize that my hair is down in curls around my shoulders. I look at Aphrodite who is in the front row and she just motions for me to go on.
It's funny how some distance
Makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me
Can't get to me at all!
It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me I'm free!
I now feel my whole body glowing and then it stops and I look down and my dress is a pale yellow and my shoes are gold. I twirl around and continue to sing.
Let it go, let it go
I am one with the wind and sky
Let it go, let it go
You'll never see me cry!
Here I stand
And here I'll stay
Let the storm rage on!
My hands are now glowing and I shoot beams of light all around the stage and into the audience.
My power flurries through the air into the ground
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
I'm never going back,
The past is in the past!
I make eye contact with my dad and he just puts his thumbs up. I close my eyes and keep twirl about the stage singing and dancing.
Let it go, let it go
And I'll rise like the break of dawn
Let it go, let it go
That perfect girl is gone!
Here I stand
In the light of day
Let the storm rage on,
The cold never bothered me anyway!
I bring my hands in and the glowing stops. There is a moment of silence before the audience go's wild. I'm smiling and laughing and waving at the audience. I make eye contact with my dad again before going down the steps and into the dressing room. All my friends are waiting but Piper is the first one to greet me.
"What the hell was that!" she squeals as she throws her arms around me. I hug her back and laugh.
"I don't know!" I exclaim as I move to hug the rest of my friends "I was singing and then I felt my necklace glowing and then my dress and shoes and hair just changed!"
"Well you are for sure the winner of this pageant!" Annabeth said as I hugged her. I blushed.
"You're great too Annabeth! I bet you'll win." I said as I moved to hug and kiss Luke.
She scrunched her face up, "Nah, I'd prefer if you win."
"Well thank you." I said wrapping my arms around Luke's waist.
"Ok you guys go finish watching. Annabeth and Skyler you both need to get ready for the skills portion." Piper said shooing the boys away.
The boy's congratulate us on more time and wish us good luck before they are off. I take off my crown and shoes and Piper helps me out of my dress. She hand me a pair of cropped black leggings and a loose gold sparkly tank top. I roll my eyes at the top but put it on regardless. She then hands me gold gladiator sandals that go up to the middle of my calf. Piper then braids my hair into a side french braid.
I look in the mirror and I feel fresh new and sparkly. I leave my necklace on and then grab a pair of gold dragonfly earrings and put them in my ear. We then make our way over to the training arena where bleachers have been set up. Weapons and targets of all kind line the arena. Once everyone from the audience is seated we begin.
"Ready Skyler?" says and icy cold voice from behind me. I jump and turn around. It's Eric.
"What do you want?" I snap at him.
"I'm your escort remember? I give you your bow and arrows and then I control the remote for when the targets line up." He snapped back equally as harsh. I roll my eyes.
"Skyler Jones will now be using a bow and arrows to hit the targets." Chiron called to the audience. I walked out to the middle of the arena with Eric by my side. He hands me my bow and arrows and walks towards the end of the targets. There are about 10 targets lined up in a row. My goal is to hit a bull's eye each time. The catch is that I don't know which target is going to light up. Eric controls them. And if the arrow doesn't hit the target before the light goes off it doesn't count.
"Ready, set, GO!"
The target all the way at the end of the line lights up. I hit it with ease. Then the one at the other end. I hit it but not as fast. They keep lighting up faster and faster. Finally the last one lights up and I shoot my arrow but the light goes out half a second before the arrow hits it.
"All arrows accounted for except for the last one! 9/10 points will be awarded to Miss. Jones." Chiron calls to the audience. They boo and shout. I simply glare at Eric.
"You did that on purpose!" I yelled at him as he approached me.
He smiles innocently, "I did no such thing" He then walks away and I let out a loud shriek. I start running after him but Luke grabs my arm before I can make it over to him.
"Easy Killer!" He says with a worried expression on his face.
"Don't 'Easy Killer' me!" I snap "I could have made that last one if he didn't set them off so fast!"
"Calm down Skyler," He laughed "You have the highest points so far. And you'll probably be the one with the most. The rest of the girls aren't that good with battle skills." I sigh and nod. He's probably right. I just wish that I could have gotten that last point.
"You should probably go get some sleep. Tomorrow's the winter solstice and the last day of the pageant. You'll need your sleep." He said with a kiss to my temple. I kissed his cheek and head to the cabin. I fell asleep almost instantly.
Luke was right tomorrow was a big day. And I need to make the best of it.
Ok I promised more information and here I am giving it to you...the title of the sequel to Make Me Your Aphrodite is called...(drumroll please!)
Still Into You
Hmmm but what could it mean? You'll just have to figure it out.
Also I will be giving you my readers an opportunity to contribute to the sequel. I will give more information at the end of MMYA's last chapter. Enjoy your night!
XOXO,
SophieElizabeth