The moon had taken its place high in the sky, casting a soft glow over the night. With a heavy sigh, Artemis reluctantly pulled herself out of her cozy bed, preparing to join Apollo for dinner. She swiftly changed into her usual attire—tights and a shirt, accompanied by some comfy blue sweatpants. As she made her way downstairs, the mouthwatering aroma of a home-cooked meal wafted through the air. To her surprise, Athena was nowhere to be found.
"If you're looking for Miss Owl Head, she's already gone," Apollo chimed in, not bothering to glance in Artemis' direction as he skillfully chopped some onions.
"I see... well, that's good, I suppose," Artemis muttered under her breath, accepting the plate of food her brother had prepared. She settled into the empty spot beside Apollo and began to eat.
As the silence threatened to stretch on, Artemis decided it was time to break the ice and brought up a rather embarrassing topic. "Why were you staring at me for nearly five minutes earlier? It was making me a bit uncomfortable."
Artemis, caught off guard by the sudden question, replied with a hint of worry in her voice, "Because... I need your help with something."
"Okay... what is it?" Apollo asked between bites, curious to know what his sister needed.
"I... I need you to teach me how to be cute in front of a guy," Artemis confessed, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink. Apollo nearly choked on the broccoli he was eating, his eyes widening in surprise.
"What? Are you serious?" he managed to sputter after finally regaining his composure.
Artemis, still feeling a bit flustered, insisted, "Yes, that's what I said."
"You want me to teach you how to make someone fall for you?" Apollo repeated, disbelief lacing his words.
"No! Well... not exactly," Artemis stumbled over her words, her nerves getting the best of her. Fortunately, Apollo quickly grasped the underlying reason behind her request and his urge to tease her about it diminished.
Oh, how he wished he could shout it from the rooftops - his sister, the virgin goddess, was actually seeking his advice on dating. It was just too good to keep to himself.
"Does this have anything to do with Orion, by any chance?" Apollo asked, arching an eyebrow. He noticed the slight blush on his sister's face as she hesitated to answer.
"Don't get me wrong, it's just... I feel like I need to apologize for my outburst earlier. I must have scared him," Artemis explained, her voice filled with genuine concern. She didn't want Apollo to think any less of her than he already did.
"Who wouldn't be scared, honestly?" Apollo muttered, his tone softening. He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts before speaking again. "Alright, let's get down to business. First things first, you should start with a simple apology. 'I'm sorry' goes a long way."
Artemis nodded, realizing the truth in Apollo's words. "Yeah, I know. I just hope it's enough."
"Secondly," Apollo continued, a playful glint in his eyes, "try being as friendly as possible. Skip the whole 'cute' act, because let's face it, sweetness isn't really your strong suit."
Suddenly, a shoe came hurtling towards Apollo's head, narrowly missing him and landing on the floor with a loud thud.
"Ow!" he exclaimed, rubbing his head.
"Can you please be serious?!" Artemis hissed, her frustration evident.
"Oh, come on, it's kind of funny," Apollo chuckled, his smirk widening.
With a loud groan, Artemis picked up the shoe from the floor and threw it at Apollo's face. However, her brother's reflexes were quick, and he dodged the projectile with ease. Once he had evaded her attack, he flashed her the most annoying smirk imaginable.
"Alright, alright, you win," Apollo conceded, his amusement still evident in his voice. "But I'm serious about this. It's the only way I know to get closer to a mortal without making them fall for you. I mean, can you really blame me?"
Artemis huffed, a mix of annoyance and fondness for her brother swirling within her. As much as he could be a pain at times, she couldn't deny that he had a point. If she truly wanted to get closer to Orion, she needed to learn how to act more civil. That meant spending time in his company, something that made her heart race and her cheeks flush ever so slightly at the mere thought.
"Well, consider it settled," Apollo declared with a mischievous grin. "Best of luck, sis."
Artemis let out a disgruntled grumble. "Oh, please. But honestly, I have no idea when I'll cross paths with him again. I haven't got a clue which school he's attending."
Apollo hesitated, his voice trailing off for a moment. Suddenly, Artemis's curiosity was piqued. "Hmm? Something wrong?" she inquired, suspicion lacing her words.
"I might have forgotten to mention," Apollo confessed sheepishly, "he's actually a student at our school."
Artemis's reaction was immediate and forceful. She yanked fiercely on Apollo's shirt, and before he knew it, both of them were sprawled on the floor, locked in a wrestling match.
"And you had the audacity to keep this from me until now?!" Artemis bellowed, her fingers gripping his shirt's sleeves with fiery anger.
"Hey, stop it!" Apollo pleaded, trying to break free from her grasp.
"Just shut up, you idiot!" Artemis retorted, her voice filled with frustration and exasperation.
"Let me GO!" Apollo cried out, his voice laced with a mix of annoyance and desperation.
Artemis awoke the next morning, slowly parting her heavy eyelids and letting out a big yawn. "Phew...what a day I had," she thought wearily, still feeling the exhaustion from her fight with Apollo. After lying there for a few moments, she finally pushed herself off the bed and made her way towards the bathroom. Stepping inside, she flicked on the light switch, the bright white light causing her to squint and rub her eyes a couple of times before she could see clearly. As she turned the corner, she splashed water on her face and brushed her teeth, trying to shake off the sleepiness.
Finished with her morning routine, Artemis headed downstairs, noticing that Apollo was still fast asleep. Normally, he would already be up and preparing for school. She figured he must have slept in because of what happened last night. "Well, whatever. If he's not up, I'll just go by myself," Artemis thought to herself, slipping on her shoes and grabbing her bag, phone, and keys. She hurriedly made her way outside, closing the door behind her. Before leaving, she turned around one last time to check on the house. With no one in sight, she magically teleported herself just outside the main entrance of the school. Thankfully, no one witnessed her arrival; mortals tend to freak out when they see a young girl appearing out of thin air. Not that Artemis cared much about what they thought.
"Time to start another dreadfully boring day," she muttered to herself, before being interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Artemis?" The sound made her freeze. That voice didn't belong to Apollo. The only person with a deeper voice than him was Orion. Her heart raced with nervousness, feeling as if it might burst out of her chest. Slowly, Artemis turned around and saw Orion standing not too far away. He was dressed in his school uniform—a black dress shirt, dark trousers, shiny silver boots, and black gloves covering his hands and elbows.
"I can't believe you're attending this school too. What a surprise," he spoke softly, a slight smile playing on his lips. The sight of him made her heart race even faster, and she had to summon all her strength to keep from fainting.
"Uh yeah, well...surprise or not, I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of each other now that we're both here," Artemis managed to reply, avoiding his gaze.
Oh, for the love of Zeus! Out of all the places and times they could have crossed paths, it had to be today, at school. And for Orion to act all friendly as if nothing happened between them yesterday...it made her both happy and annoyed, not to mention terribly embarrassed.
But despite the weight on her heart, she knew that the time had come to offer her long-awaited apology. With a hint of nervousness, she approached him.
"Orion, about what happened yesterday. I'm truly sorry," she began, her voice tinged with remorse. "It was childish of me to react that way. I just assumed you were my... old friend."
He responded, a glimmer of amusement in his tone, "No worries at all. You caught me off guard, that's all. I guess being in school can drive anyone a bit crazy."
A flicker of hope brightened her eyes as she ventured, "So... you forgive me?"
He didn't hesitate, a grin spreading across his face. "If you're genuinely sorry, then yes."
Her heart skipped a beat as a smile bloomed on her lips, unable to contain her relief and gratitude.
After that sweet yet slightly awkward moment, the two of them made their way to their classroom together. Finding their seats on the left side of the room, Artemis settled near the window, while Orion sat next to her, facing the opposite direction. As they settled into their seats, the teacher arrived to take attendance.
Math class proved to be a struggle for her, as she already knew most of the facts and symbols being taught. She sighed, leaning back in her chair, longing for the end of the lesson.
"I just want this to be over, so I can..." she mumbled, trying to concentrate, when she noticed Orion's dedication to the class. His pen danced across the paper, diligently recording every answer and piece of information. While his classmates chatted animatedly, he remained focused, capturing every detail.
Artemis couldn't help but admire his determination, even as frustration gnawed at her.
