A/N: Hey everyone! I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to update last week. I've been getting ready for this huge test! To make it up to you guys, this chapter is a little longer than normal. It's got some sibling fluff, and you find out a little more about Cassia.

Thank you all for the reviews! I didn't get a chance to respond to some, and I apologize for that. You guys make my day when I get to hear from you!

Hope you enjoy!

-Apollo-

"I need you to do something for me."

Apollo looked up in interest at his sister. She was covered from head to foot in dirt, and there was a twig and a few leaves in her hair. Her feet were bare, caked in mud and leaving footprints all over the wood floors.

"You are disgusting," he noted appreciatively. Apollo had thought many times that his sister would get along perfectly with the Amazons. He glanced back at the magazine he was reading, some Olympian gossip rag with an article about him and his sister being punished. Their version of the "inside scoop" for the reason they had chosen that particular school was because Apollo was supposedly having yet another affair with two different mortals nearby. Normally, that was perfectly true, but this time, there was no one that had caught his eye…. except one.

"I get that; I've been hunting," she grumbled. "I needed time to think."

Apollo just raised his eyebrows. He gave his sister a questioning look, wondering what she could possibly want to talk about or needed. She had been gone all night, "preparing" for her next encounter with her mortal.

"I need you to tell me how to be charming."

Apollo snorted, but with the glare his sister gave him, he refrained from laughing any more out loud. He couldn't hide the wide grin on his face. This was just too good! His sister, miss boys-are-awful-and-I'm-a-maiden-forever, wanted dating tips!

"Casting your line out to see if the mortal will bite?" he murmured off-handedly.

Artemis sneered at him, and he knew he was pushing her buttons. He couldn't help himself. He didn't like what Athena had done, and he didn't feel comfortable keeping that he knew about the boy from his sister. None of them had anticipated that he would have no idea who they were, no memories of his past life. Artemis, stubborn as always, was determined to find out what exactly was going on with the situation.

"No, I am not! I probably made the poor mortal freak out," she snapped. Since her little episode with the boy, Apollo couldn't help but notice that Artemis had not used his name one time. She either referred to him as that boy or the mortal. Apollo did not enjoy his sister being upset. Part of him was curious as to how this boy appeared once again. He vaguely remembered Orion and that awful business with his death. To him, he was just another passing mortal, and he had not realized the extent of Artemis's affection until after his death.

"I just want to be able to apologize for my actions and get him to talk to me. You can get anything to fall at your knees, and I am not asking Aphrodite," she finished with a shudder.

Not everything falls to my charms, he thought distractedly. When Cassia had intervened in the middle of Artemis and Orion's meeting, something just felt off to him. He still got that same static, and she had caught his gaze for a moment. Her expression was eerily familiar. He intended on talking to her, a mortal of his own that he was interested to know more about. Also, because Artemis had asked him to use his charms to find out everything he could about Orion through her. What Artemis didn't know is that he had already tried that and had failed miserably. Apollo did not fail at anything. Maybe this girl was just going to be a challenge, and it was one he didn't particularly mind accepting. After all, what else did he have to do?

"Well?" Artemis huffed impatiently.

"Well you should apologize for acting so rashly, and you need to act normal. If it really is him, you should be best buddies in no time."

"I figured that!"

"Artemis, I mean you have to really apologize. Not that half-assed apology where you say you are sorry and don't really mean it. You are not nearly as convincing as you think you are," he admonished her.

"Fine," she ground through her teeth. "What else?"

"You need to find out what interests him. That shouldn't be too hard, considering you actually are interested in that. Mortals like to feel like you care, even if you really don't. Maybe then he will open up to you."

"Okay, fine."

"And be nice, or as nice as you can be," he finished sweetly. Artemis just rolled her eyes and stomped off to the bathroom.

"I'll be ready in twenty minutes," she yelled back to him. "We need to be early because I'm switching some of my classes today!"

"What no make-up? No dressing up? You should look your best, little sister!" he taunted her.

Artemis swiftly responded by hitting him in the side of the head with a tennis shoe.

"I AM NOT YOUR LITTLE SISTER!"

The morning had been quite uneventful for the sun god.

Two weeks into this mortal hell hole, and he already had everything figured out. He had a group of girls (along with a few guys) that obsessed over him. Class was boring, and he had already convinced a few extremely willing students to do his assignments for him. He had just walked into the gym, which he enjoyed immensely. Apollo loved being fawned over. Everyone either wanted to be him or be with him, and he enjoyed the spotlight. What good was it being a god if they didn't acknowledge how awesome he was? Lifting weights and showing off his athletic ability around the mortals was something of a joke. He could lift the heaviest thing in the room with his pinky.

And she was there, like a nagging thought that he couldn't get rid of. This must be the will of the fates, because he kept running into her. He knew now why he hadn't noticed her before. Cassia quietly hid in the background of their gym class. She didn't seem that strong or agile as they all worked through the exercises, but Apollo was beginning to wonder. She wasn't out of breath or struggling when she stopped on her fifth pull-up. He noticed her abs, defined and taut, underneath her shirt when it had ridden up slightly. She never looked tired or stressed. In fact, to him, she looked bored. He had thousands of years of acting, but she just seemed like she was going through the motions. She lacked the skills that he had acquired over the years he spent among the humans. The mortals probably wouldn't notice; they were terrible unobservant. However, there was not much that could be hidden from him. He had noticed.

He had just gotten out of the shower, every person in the locker room wishing they had his physique. He walked out, back into the gym, and carefully finished buttoning up his shirt. It earned a sigh of approval from the girls who were waiting by the door for the bell to ring. All eyes seemed to be set on him in that instant. Except hers.

Apollo spotted her in the bleachers. Her hair had a dark blue streak in it today, so dark in fact, that he had just noticed it in her hair. She was bent over a notebook scribbling something furiously. She glanced up at him, and her eyes narrowed. Her lips twisted slightly, and she slammed the notebook shut before tossing it into her bag. He walked up the steps, leaning into her.

"What are you working on?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," she teased. She raised her eyebrows, a small smile on her face. "You might want to pull down your shirt before Megan has a heart attack. Your fan club is thoroughly enjoying the little show you are giving them."

Apollo turned around hastily snatching down his shirt. His boxers had peaked just above his jeans, and the v of his hips had been visible where his backpack had hiked up his shirt. Why did it seem that he was destined to feel uncomfortable around this mortal? Cassia just shook her head as the bell rang. She bounded down the stairs, heading in the opposite direction from the rest of the students.

"Where are you going?"

She turned, walking backwards to the far gym door. She had a playful look on her face, one that he faintly remembered for some reason. The more he was around her, the more intrigued he was. She was like a memory that he could almost remember, but that made no sense. He had never seen her in his life.

"Not to lunch," she explained sarcastically. He bounded after her, finding her walking away from the school.

"I thought you were a rule follower, like a-"

"Nerd? No, thank you. Smart? Yes. Stuck up goody two shoes? No."

They had come to a gate, and Cassia reached into her hair pulling out a bobby pin. She also pulled a pick from her bag. She inserted them both into the keyhole, concentrating on the clicks.

"I thought that only worked in movies," he said skeptically. It was a simple padlock, and he could unlock it with a simple thought, but he wanted to see what she would do. He couldn't revel himself anyways, but he had the feeling he wouldn't have to.

"Takes practice," she muttered. "If you are going to stand there and hover over me, at least keep an eye out."

She fiddled with the lock, and then a smile lit her face as they both heard a satisfied click. She slipped out of the gate, walking towards the park that bordered the school.

"Where are you going anyway?"

"You just seem to be full of questions, aren't you? I thought you knew everything."

"Not everything," he responded, a little grudgingly.

"Humility!" she gasped as she feigned shock on her features. "I didn't think you were capable of it."

"I might surprise you," Apollo wagered. She plopped down on the grass underneath a large tree, pulling an apple out of her bag along with a book.

"You broke out of the school, to come outside and read?" he asked, astonishment in his voice. Did this girl have any sense at all?

"You are really annoying, you realize that, right?" There was a pause, and she rolled her eyes. This girl was rolling her eyes at a sun god! "Yes, I hate being inside. If you have a problem with it, you are welcome to leave. You invited yourself, you know," she reminded him.

"I wanted to talk to you." Apollo gave her a pointed look, and she watched him, interest flaring in those mesmerizing eyes.

"By all means, it seems I can't stop you."

"I wanted to apologize for the way my sister acted. She thought your friend was someone else, someone she knew from when we lived in Texas."

"Ah, yeah, that was a little weird. Orion's never left the state, as far as I'm aware. She seemed like she could have swore she knew him."

"She thought so."

"Same name and looks. Gotta be more than a coincidence," she wagered.

"Maybe so. Do you believe in the supernatural? Magic, fate, destiny, and all of that?"

"I believe there are forces in this world that people do not understand and are not meant to be understood."

Her tone was a little harsh, grudging even. They lapsed into silence. Apollo watched her as she bit into her apple. She really was quite lovely for a mortal, but not in the made up sense. She had a natural beauty that was a bit understated to be honest. He noticed the edge of a scar poking out of her shirt, strangely noticeable against the pale of her skin.

"That's not all you wanted to talk to me about."

"I also wanted to apologize for the way I acted. I was a jerk. I hope we can get off on a better foot. That's all, I guess." She smirked at me, shaking her head. He got a little annoyed, until Apollo heard her laugh. It was musical, and when she did, her whole face lit up. It was beautiful, like the earth when the sun's first rays of dawn shone upon it.

"I appreciate the apology, but try again."

"Excuse me!?" he stuttered.

She looked at him, a knowing look in her eyes. It was like she could see straight through his motives. Gods, there were only a handful of mortals in his entire life that he could remember having such an impact on him. He was at a loss for words.

"Look, you and I both know that the apology was nice, but it was pleasantries. If there is something you want to ask, then ask. I'll either tell you or I won't," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. She leaned against a tree, closing her eyes as she chewed a bite of her apple.

"How do you know Orion?"

"You must be obsessed with him! I'm sorry, but as far as I know he doesn't swing that way," Cassia divulged. Good gods at the audacity of this mortal! He smiled because he knew how to get her off-balance.

"And you know because? Are you two dating?"

She coughed, the rest of the apple falling to the ground. The cough ended, and she shook her head.

"Ew, no! Orion's like my older brother. We grew up next door to each other, and we've been friends since we were little. Our families' houses are just outside of the city. We are both on scholarship here."

"Scholarship?"

"Yeah, he got one for archery, and I got one for scholastics," she answered off-handedly. The bell rang in the distance, and Cassia cursed.

"Damn it all," she said as she got up. "C'mon playboy or we'll be late."

The pair had made it back to the gate, and Cassia had quickly snapped the lock back into place. Apollo and Cassia walked back into the school among the throng of students. So they had something like a sibling relationship? She would know some information about him for sure, things she may not even realize that she knows. As they walked, some of the girls they passed called out to him, flirting in their very high pitched, girlish voices. Cassia rolled her eyes, stopping at her locker.

"You called him an older brother…Aren't you and Orion the same age? Aren't you a junior, too?" Apollo questioned as they walked back to the school grounds.

"Oh, you are still here? Yeah, I'm a junior, but I skipped a grade," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Are you done interrogating me? Because you are making me late to class."

She slammed her locker shut, but Apollo stood in front of her.

"You really don't like me, do you?"

Cassia looked at Apollo, her gazed hardening. It wasn't hateful or angry. It was a well-conceived mask that covered what he suspected were years of hurt. She looked resigned almost.

"Why are you asking so many questions about Orion? I know it's for your sister, and it's only going to hurt the both of them," she revealed ominously. She looked taken aback for a second, realizing what she said. What could go wrong? Apollo didn't see anything in the future. What harm could there come from his sister getting to know this mortal?

"And how do you know that?" he questioned skeptically. She let out a sarcastic snort, and turned her head towards the ground. Then her eyes met his, defiance in every line of her face.

"You wouldn't believe me."

"CASSIA WOODARD!"

She flinched at the sound, and both turned to see the principle striding towards them.

"Late for class yet again? Trying to skip, are we? I won't have it! Detention, Miss Woodard. That is the same for you, Mr.?"

"Foster," Apollo grunted. Artemis and he had just picked a random last name.

"After school, both of you. Now get to class!"

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