Chapter 28 Oh, Brother!
WE’VE GOT TO STOP MEETING this way,” Sullivan says as he grins down at me.
I don’t answer, partly because I’m afraid I’ll end up giggling again like I did in the Hall of Legends, and I flat out refuse to do that, but mostly because he—and Paris—are currently squeezing every last drop of air from my body.
Something my brother quickly fixes by scrambling to his feet and then yanking Sullivan off me.
As soon as I’m clear of both of them, I take a deep breath and roll to my knees, reveling in the feel of oxygen soaking back into my cells.
“Are you okay?” I ask, looking my brother over for any broken bones or eagle scratches.
“Pretty sure I should be asking you that,” he answers with raised brows.
He’s not wrong, especially since my entire rib cage currently feels like it’s on fire.
I don’t say that, though, and before I can think of anything else to say, one of the girls he was walking with before what I’m sure will go down in our family history as the Great Eagle Incident sidles up beside him.
“Are you okay?” she asks, her big hazel eyes batting so hard I can’t help wondering if she’s trying to fly like Agatha. “I was so worried about you!”
My brother puffs his chest out like he’s a peacock when she takes his arm. Meanwhile, I do my best not to throw up in my mouth. Because, seriously? Is she actually staking her claim on him because of me?
I start to tell her she can have him, but before I do, Paris says, “It was actually really cool. I got a great view of the school up there.”
“Seriously?” I shoot him a disbelieving look. “It was a great view? Next time you’re dangling three stories above the school, you’re on your own.”
He narrows his eyes at me. “I was fine.”
“Of course you were.” The girl pats his arm even as she turns her gaze to me. “Who are you, anyway?”
Before I can answer, Sullivan—who is still standing next to me—jumps in. “You’re pretty cool. You know that?”
“Because I didn’t want my brother to die?” I ask incredulously.
“Because you never hesitate.” He smiles at me. “It’s cool.”
That’s kind of a weird compliment, especially since I hesitate, and overthink, just about everything. He looks proud of himself, though, so I don’t say anything.
At least not until the girl currently attached to my brother exclaims, “Oh! You’re Penelope!” She plasters a big—and fake-looking—smile on her face. “Paris told me all about you last night. It’s such a shame you didn’t make Athena with the rest of us.”
I ignore the obvious slight, one my brother seems to be completely oblivious to as he grins down at her. Even though I have no interest in talking to her, Paris’s obvious infatuation compels me to ask, “The rest of us?”
“My brother, Atlas, and sister, Selene. We’re triplets.” She says it with an air of superiority as she gestures to them, like somehow the fact that there are three of them makes them better than everyone else—even Paris and me, who are twins. Well, maybe not Paris, but definitely me.
The girl who wasn’t good enough to get into Athena Hall.
“That’s very…”
“Names, please,” Dr. Minthe says as he finally approaches, clipboard in hand.
“I’m Rhea,” the girl still attached to my brother says. “And this is Paris.”
“And I’m Sullivan.” He waggles his brows at me as the teacher checks them off his list.
“That was some quick thinking, Sullivan. And you, too, Penelope,” Dr. Minthe says. “Nice job.”
That drops the smile—fake or otherwise—right off Rhea’s face.
“Though Paris was never in any real danger,” he continues. “Agatha would never hurt anyone.”
“Except Prometheus,” I quip.
He inclines his head. “Touché. Though that was another time and place.” His eyes grow misty, and he looks far away for a second, like he’s somehow traveled all the way to that rock Prometheus was chained to.
But then, just as quickly, he snaps back to the present.
“Why don’t the group of you head to the center of the circle while we wait for everyone else?
Class was supposed to start three minutes ago, but it’s the first day and our little logic problem takes some people longer to get used to than others. ”
Rhea laughs at that, as do her siblings, Sullivan, and Paris.
I don’t, though, partly because without Fifi, I would be one of those lost people, and partly because it’s mean.
I don’t like mean, and it bothers me a lot that in the twenty or so hours since he’s been in Athena Hall, my brother has started to embrace it.
It’s only as I turn around that I realize Fifi and Arjun are right behind me—and they didn’t laugh either.
“Let’s go over there,” I tell them, nodding to where Dr. Minthe directed us. I know I have to talk to Paris—I want to talk to Paris—but not when Rhea is around. There’s something about her that I really don’t like.
“Are you really okay?” Arjun asks, his brown eyes super serious as he looks me over for wounds.
“I’m fine. Just…” Despite telling myself not to, I glance back at Paris, who seems completely enthralled by Rhea and her eye batting. Ugh.
Fifi follows my gaze. “She’s horrible,” she tells me in a whisper that really isn’t much of a whisper.
“True story.” Arjun starts to say something else, but at that moment, another group of students comes over the embankment.
As soon as they set foot on the field, Agatha swoops down again.
This time, I don’t even try to interfere.
Two rescues in less than ten minutes is more than enough for me.
Especially since Dr. Minthe said she won’t actually hurt anyone…
something it would have been nice to know before I threw myself under my brother’s falling body.
As the drama plays out—a bunch of screaming, some crying—Paris finally breaks away from Rhea and comes to stand next to me.
“You need to call the parental units. Mom woke me up at two this morning because she still hadn’t heard from you and she is freaking out.”
“My phone is broken. I can’t call them until they send a new one.”
He looks at me like I’ve suddenly grown more heads than the hydra.
“Late for the assembly, stuck in Aphrodite Hall, and broke your phone all in less than a day?” He looks incredulous. “Who are you and what did you do with my sister?”
“What do you mean, stuck in Aphrodite Hall?” Fifi demands, looking very insulted. But Arjun pulls her away before she can say anything else. I shoot them an apologetic look and turn back to Paris.
“Are Mom and Dad mad I’m not in Athena?”
Paris doesn’t answer right away, which is all the answer I really need.
A shiver runs down my spine as I ask, “How mad are they?”
“They’re not mad. They’re just…” He trails off, another sure sign that things are very, very bad.
“Disappointed?” I fill in.
“Yeah, and…”
“Mad.” I blow out a long breath. “It’s okay. You can say it.”
“I think they’re more worried than mad.” Now it’s his turn to look me over. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. It was just a fall—”
“I don’t mean from that rabid eagle.” He shoots Agatha a look of loathing. Apparently, their little flight was more nerve-racking than he wanted to let on in front of Rhea. Go figure. “I mean about Aphrodite. How bad are they over there?”
“They aren’t bad at all.” I think about Fifi and Arjun and Charlie and Leah and everyone I met while disco-fying the apple last night. “They’re actually really nice.”
“You don’t have to say that. I know it’s not what you had planned.” He pats my shoulder. “I’m really sorry things went like this, Penelope.”
The genuine concern in his voice has a lump forming in my throat. Not because I’ve had a terrible time in Aphrodite—I haven’t—but because it reminds me of all my plans. Of all our plans, and of our family’s long history at Athena Hall.
How am I going to face all my relatives at holidays and tell them I failed?
Do I really want to be the only one left out?
I can’t say all that to Paris, though. Not without him freaking out and then getting my parents all freaked out too. Or, should I say, more freaked out than they already are?
So instead of telling him how confused and freaked out I am, I swallow the lump in my throat, ignore the burning behind my eyes, and ask, “Is it cool in Athena?”
For the second time since we started talking, Paris looks torn. Which only makes me feel worse.
“I swear, it’s okay.” I force a smile I’m definitely not feeling and continue, “I really want to know.”
My words must be the reassurance he’s looking for, because his entire face lights up, “It’s so cool, Pen. We have a giant library filled with every book you can imagine—including the entire unabridged version of Ancient Myths for Any Occasion.”
“All forty-nine volumes?” I whisper as envy sweeps through me. I’ve always wanted to see the complete set, but I never have—at least not in real life.
“I didn’t count how many volumes there were, but they took up five of the biggest shelves I’ve ever seen.
Plus, they have an entire section of the library devoted to games of strategy.
Chess, Risk, Catan, plus tons more. And they’ve got strategic video games and real-life simulators too.
It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. Except for the fake war room they’ve set up, where the upperclassers plan a whole paintball war against Zeus Hall.
There are battles several times throughout the year, and before graduation, the faculty chooses a winner.
” Even though it’s only our second day here, he looks proud as he says, “We’ve won the last ten years in a row. ”
“That sounds amazing!” I tell him, because it does. Planning stuff is pretty much my favorite thing in the world to do—I can’t imagine how much fun it would be to plan a paintball war that lasts the entire year.
“What about Aphrodite?” he asks, and it’s obvious he’s trying to cheer me up. “What do you guys have over there?”
I think about the disco apple and the stolen fireworks and the rooftop party. They’re all cool, but I can’t see myself trying to explain them to Paris. He wouldn’t get it, at all. Plus, there’s no rooftop cool enough to equal a yearlong paintball war.
Thankfully, I’m saved from answering when Dr. Minthe claps his hands. “Okay, class, everyone is here and it’s finally time to get started. Let’s begin by thanking Agatha for her participation today.”
He pats the giant eagle perched next to him on the ground, even as a loud groan arises from some of the other students. I turn to find several of them looking more bruised and scratched up than I feel. So much for Agatha not hurting anyone.
“Okay, okay, we’ll skip the thank-yous for now, though I think it’s a little rude.
” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out an entire hamburger.
“You did a great job,” he tells her, stroking her wing.
Then he tosses the hamburger super high, and she lunges for it.
She catches it and swallows it in one bite before launching herself into the air and flying away.
Dr. Minthe watches her go with a fond smile on his face before turning back to the class. “All right, then, let’s get down to it. Tell me everything you know about the myth of Pandora’s box.”