Artemis couldn't believe her rotten luck. All it took was one measly argument with her brother Apollo, the self-absorbed god of music, and bam! They were slapped with a punishment of living as mortals and attending a regular school. It was like the universe had a personal vendetta against her.
Gazing out of her second-floor bedroom window in their cramped apartment building, Artemis mentally prepared herself for yet another mundane day at school, courtesy of her ever-strict father. The mere thought of going to that place, and worse, going there with Apollo by her side, made her mood plummet even further. Ugh, she just wanted to get it over with.
With a tired sigh, Artemis finally mustered up the energy to change into fresh clothes for the day. "Knowing Apollo, he's probably in his room," she muttered to herself, imagining him as the first thing she would see. There was no need to knock before entering his room; he was always too engrossed in whatever he was doing.
"Hey sis! Looking lively today," Apollo greeted casually, continuing to fix his appearance in front of the mirror. He sported an orange turtleneck sweater, dark blue jeans, snazzy red converse shoes, dark sunglasses, and topped it off with a jaunty yellow cap. No one could mistake the difference between them, with Artemis sporting a head of blue hair while Apollo boasted a head of light orange locks. Twins they may be, but they were worlds apart.
"Save it, Apollo. And no wonder you're late," Artemis retorted, her playful energy drained. She couldn't muster up the will to tease him back. Apollo, being the epitome of perfection, looked offended by her remark and frowned ever so slightly.
"Come on, I'm the almighty Phoebus Apollo. I always have to look my best," Apollo tried to sound serious, but it was hard to maintain that facade when your sister was giving you the stink eye.
"And risk getting us late? Forget it. I'll give you five minutes to have breakfast with me downstairs. And if you're even the tiniest bit late, I'm going without you," Artemis declared, crossing her arms as she fixed him with a firm glare.
Apollo let out a defeated sigh, knowing he would lose if they continued arguing. He agreed to have breakfast together, not wanting to push his luck any further. "Fine," he conceded.
Artemis rolled her eyes at his response but still went downstairs to prepare breakfast for both of them. As usual, she sat next to Apollo, while he took a seat opposite her. The siblings ate in silence, savoring their food peacefully. Well, as peaceful as it could be when gods were involved. Considering how quickly gods usually devoured their meals, it was relatively serene.
Once they finished breakfast, the twins wasted no time in heading outside to where their car was parked. They hopped in and drove towards the school. It wasn't a grand institution, just a few buildings situated in a charming park where families spent quality time together. After a twenty-minute drive, they reached their destination and stepped out of the car.
Artemis led the way into the building, leaving Apollo to wait for a moment before following her. School was as predictable as ever, with nothing seeming to change since Artemis had started attending high school. What she despised most about the whole situation was the fact that this was their punishment for a simple argument they had a few months ago. All it took was for Apollo to push her buttons one too many times, resulting in her accidentally shooting an arrow at one of Hera's priceless statues. She missed her mark and hit the statue's face instead. Of course, the punishment fell upon both of them.
She knew she had initiated the argument, but she couldn't bring herself to admit it. And Apollo was just as stubborn. It was too late to turn back now; all they could do was endure high school until graduation, and then they could return home and reclaim their godly status.
"Alright, this is where we part ways. I have a packed schedule today, so I better get going," Artemis said, turning to face Apollo.
Apollo simply nodded and smiled at her, bidding her goodbye as she left. He felt a twinge of guilt for being the cause of her punishment, even though she deserved it. It was his fault for starting the argument in the first place.
History class was a total snooze-fest, and Artemis couldn't bring herself to focus for even a second. The teacher droned on and on about ancient Greek history, which Artemis knew like the back of her hand. I mean, come on, she was a Greek goddess herself! This lesson was slowly killing her, or at least that's what she thought.
Finally, the sweet sound of the bell rang through the classroom, signifying the end of their torture. Artemis scrambled to gather her things, but it seemed like everyone else was in a race to pack up and leave. Soon enough, she found herself among the stragglers, the only ones left behind.
Just as Artemis reached her locker to retrieve her books, a familiar voice called out to her from behind. "Hey, Emi! So great to see you!" the voice made her blood run cold. She turned around, only to come face to face with the one person she absolutely did not want to deal with—Aphrodite.
Dressed in her signature over-the-top pink ensemble with a skirt covered in floral patterns, Aphrodite stood there, a mischievous grin adorning her pretty face. Artemis struggled to find the right words, her frustration evident. "Aphrodite?! What in the world are you..." she stammered.
Cutting her off, Aphrodite stood beside her with that infuriating smile. "Oh, come on, dear. Did you really think I'd let you and your brother have all the fun mingling with mortals?" she teased.
Artemis tried her best to hide her irritation, but being the goddess of love, Aphrodite could sense exactly how much she didn't want her around. And of course, she seemed to relish in it. They had never seen eye to eye—Artemis, the goddess of virginity, always made an effort to avoid Aphrodite, the goddess of love. It was a constant battle, considering Aphrodite was one of her least favorite people to deal with.
"This isn't some game, Aph. You know that," Artemis retorted, slamming her locker shut and adjusting her bag on her shoulder. "If Dad finds out you're here, he's going to annihilate you," she warned, pointing a stern finger at her pink-haired aunt.
Aphrodite waved her hand dismissively, her tone calm and cheerful. "Oh, relax. Zeus is too wrapped up in his own affairs to care about where I go. So I am free to do as I please," she explained, the smirk never leaving her face. Artemis continued to glare at her, the anger simmering beneath the surface.
"I don't care... just... stay out of my business, for the love of Hades," Artemis snapped as she turned away, not wanting Aphrodite to say another word.
So what if Aphrodite was here? It wouldn't change a thing. Artemis couldn't help but seethe with frustration. "I already have enough trouble with Apollo in this school, and I am not about to make more just because of her," she thought angrily.
As Artemis continued to walk away, leaving Aphrodite behind, the goddess of love suddenly made her way to a nearby window that overlooked the school's archery range. She stared out for a moment before a wicked smirk crept across her face. "I wonder what would happen if Artemis found out about this..." she whispered, her hands gripping the railing tightly.
Apollo had just finished his art class, feeling the excitement of the impending end of school. The idea of having all this free time to flirt with countless people made his spirits soar. As he rummaged through his locker, searching for his book for the next class, a sudden craving for some delectable pizza rolls hit him like a ton of bricks.
Oh, how he adored pizza. It was undoubtedly the best thing he had ever tasted. If there was one thing Apollo loved more than teasing his sister endlessly, it was pizza. His absolute favorite kind of pizza.
"I could swing by the canteen and grab some. After all, class isn't starting anytime soon. Plus, I could use this opportunity to charm some girls from the cheerleader's club," Apollo happily thought to himself, his mind brimming with mischief and playful intentions.
Unbeknownst to Apollo, he strolled right past Artemis's locker, only to collide with Aphrodite in the process. He looked up, surprised to find Aphrodite standing before him with the biggest smile adorning her face.
"Apollo, my dear, just the god I've been waiting for," Aphrodite exclaimed in a sweet, melodious tone, her eyes twinkling mischievously with amusement.
"A-Aph? What in Olympus are you doing here?" Apollo asked, his confusion evident in his voice.
The goddess of beauty let out a small giggle, her laughter dancing through the air. "Didn't you hear? I've enrolled here. Which means we can go to school together. And if you're wondering if Zeus knows about this, he doesn't. You know how your father can be," Aphrodite explained, feigning innocence as she looked away.
Apollo wasn't buying it. Sure, her claim of enrolling here was true, but her presence could only mean one thing: she was up to something. There was always a scheme brewing in Aphrodite's mind, and it usually revolved around love. Whether she was here to find a new lover or meddle with someone else's love life, Apollo wasn't sure. He had been caught up in her schemes before, and he knew better than to get entangled in her web once again.
