Chapter 28: A Bar
CORA
There are days when being a college student is great. Today isn't one of those days. Honestly, it started out all right – I got my car back, talked to Jim's principal, even managed to talk to my insurance guys; it was all going good, but I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following me. I even got so creeped out that I didn't leave the auditorium for almost 30 minutes. Being in pre-med, my next class was a lab, and I had to do a dissection of a goat brain. I was in a group of three, and when I started to do my part, my fingers were shaking so bad I thought I that I was going to slip up. But brains are pretty tough, and everything turned out fine.
I still couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following me. My heart kept beating hard, thinking that Creepy Guy would come out of the shadows somewhere. I've never be so paranoid. I mean, it's ridiculous, right? Why would someone be following me? Why would that guy still be following me? How the hell would he even know where I go to school?
Dammit, I have to focus. I got get to my manager hat on; I'm not Cora the Student now – I'm Cora the Manager. Oh look – someone needs me.
And they're screaming at the cashier. Great.
"What's the problem here, sir?" He's a young guy – a college kid, dressed in gym shorts and a Giants football jersey. He's not big, but he looks pissed.
"What's the problem? What's the problem?! I spent $300 on these two books, and now this bitch right here is telling me that I can only get $20 if I sell them back! Are you fucking kidding me?!"
His veins are popping out of his neck, and his cheeks are red. This guy is gonna get violent. "Sir, you need to calm down-"
"Calm down?! Don't you fucking tell me to calm down!"
"Sir, I'm going to have to call security, and they'll take you to jail. Do you want that?"
"Fuck you!"
He takes a wide swing at me, and I'm sure he swings fast; he's wiry and skinny, so…he should throw a quick punch. For some reason, though, I can see his fist coming at me in slow-motion…almost snail-like, reminding me of the days I used to play softball and hit the ball every time. I step sideways, easily and effortlessly. And then I call security, 'coz this guy is fucking crazy and he's going to hurt somebody.
As the security guys drag him out, he starts screaming; foaming at the mouth –and crap, did his eyes turn gold? The store's cat – they call him Dewey for the Dewey Decimal System – jumps on the counter and starts hissing at the guy, reminding me of the crap that happened yesterday with Rachel. That freaks me out, but then the guy actually starts saying stuff – actual words and phrases in his incoherent nonsense, and a sentence sticks out to me:
"We will ruin you, daughter of Ceres!"
When he says that name, I immediately start to get a huge head-splitting headache. I lean back against the counter for support as images flash across my mind's eye – a face; a woman's proud smile…Mom? An uncertain look from frosty blue eyes. Hank? Then there's a piercing sharp pain that rips through my skull. I've never had a migraine before, but this a helluva time to get one.
"Yo, Cora, you alright?"
I rub my temples, nod. "Yeah I'm fine." I head into the office, take some Tylenol, and my headache decides to get worse. Fuck me. I look at my watch and breathe a sigh of relief when I realize that my shift is almost done. One more hour. I can do this.
Dewey weaves through my legs, almost tripping me. Now I remember why I don't really like cats.
"Go away, Dewey."
He meows, jumping up on a shelf in the office and knocking down a few books.
I roll my eyes. "Thanks, Dewey." He flicks his tail, jumping off of the shelf and heading back out into the store. I crouch down, picking up the books. Their covers looked like they've been ripped off. I frown. I hate it when kids rip off the covers of the books. I look at the titles on the front pages, and one is a small encyclopedia on world myths, which looks sort of interesting, and another is a book on dreams, and that one looks really interesting.
I pick it up, looking at the index and going straight to the section on nightmares and night terrors. Hank is a heavy sleeper, and he's woken me up more than once with his bad dreams, shaking and moaning like he's…being tortured or something. It's scary. The worst part is, I can't always wake him up from whatever he's going through in his sleep. Sometimes water won't even work, and I feel… useless and helpless at not being able to comfort him. I skim the section, and I know have to have the book, if only to try and understand what he goes through. I pick up the book on myths for Jim. I'm sure he'll need it for school at some point.
I leave the office and ask: "Hey, do any of you guys want these books? Their covers are missing."
Everybody shakes their heads, and that makes my day just a little brighter.
One more hour.
I can do this.
HADES
"You drink, Pluto?"
"Sometimes." The bourbon burns as it goes down my throat. There's a heavy pat on my back, and I hear Poseidon's throaty laugh at my side. He is drunk. I will be soon if I continue.
Hel nods, flittering off with Hestia to some other part of the hotel. Odin almost immediately replaces her, winking as he sits down and ordering a drink called an "All-Irish Black And Tan". Poseidon's hand is no longer on my shoulder; his voice is no longer in my ear. He is no longer by my side.
Odin pulls out a cigar, lighting it with a wave of his hand. "It seems your brother found a nice young woman to get comfortable with."
I nod, keeping my eyes on my drink. "What did she look like?"
"Dark skin, and hair; fair eyes-"
"That's Amphitrite."
"Who?"
"His wife."
"Ah." I take another sip of the bourbon, feeling the pleasant burn in my stomach and the blissful numbness begin to take over in my body.
Odin is given his drink, which he lightly sips. "What happened to your leg?"
"How did you lose your eye?"
I do not look at him, but from the corner of my eye, I can see him grinning. "I didn't lose it. I know exactly where it is. So, the question still remains – what happened to your leg?"
Finishing my bourbon, I order another drink. "Ask Zeus if you really want to know."
Odin winks his good eye at me. "You're quite stubborn, aren't you?"
"I try."
Odin smiles. "One of these days, you'll tell me. I'm sure Loki will ask you how you beat Thor – I'm still wondering that myself. He's been sulking for the past two hours. Ah, but no matter - he'll find some beautiful women and be fine in the morning. But look at me, rambling, while one of your beautiful sisters obviously wants to speak with you. Another time," he nods at me and smirks, slightly raising his drink, "Hades Aidoneus Clymenus Polydectes. Ta." And then he leaves, and I feel an angry presence on my right.
I shut my eyes, breathe out slowly. "I thought you didn't want to talk, Demeter."
"And I thought you were 'responsible'. Look at you; do you want to replace Dionysus?"
I shake my head, rubbing my throbbing thigh. "What do you want?" Just as I am about to take another drink, Demeter grabs the glass away from me, forcing me to look at her. This woman is infuriating.
"I want to see my daughter and grandchild."
I can feel monstrous anger begin to build up in my chest. "No, absolutely not."
"She is my daughter, and he is my grandchild! You cannot deny me my right, Hades."
I stand, putting my face close to Demeter's. I am not yelling, but my voice is dangerous. I can hear my own rage boiling underneath the surface. "She is my wife – my wife, who you let suffer in this world. Do you have any idea what you've done to her?"
Demeter clenches her jaw, and I am dimly aware of the bartender calling for security. "What I've done to her? You're the reason she died! You're the reason she's suffered so much! You, Hades. If you hadn't taken her, none of this would have happened. You destroyed her. You. "
I clench my fists. I have never been so close to striking her. And I hate her, because she's right.
It is all my fault.
All of it.
I take in a deep breath, feeling my control coming back.
"You cannot see her, or the boy."
As I turn and begin to walk out, I see the security heading towards us. Demeter's laugh follows me as I reach the exit of the hotel bar. "And the boy, what is he to you, Hades?" That makes me stop, and I almost turn my head to look back at her. I do not though, nor do I answer.
"What is he to you?! HADES, ANSWER ME!"
I know what he is to me, and yet-
I am… afraid to say it.
Why am I afraid to say it?
A/N: Sorry for the typos and taking forever to write a new chapter. I'll go back and fix as many mistakes as I can, I promise. I promise. Hope ya'll liked it. As always, leave me your thoughts in the comments section.
