Chapter 16 When Life Gives You Apples
WELL, HELLO THERE, PENELOPE,” DR. Dione says as soon as I approach her.
“Hi,” I answer, tripping over my own tongue as I continue, “how are you?”
Her warm smile is both welcoming and a little bit blinding at the same time as she answers, “I’m doing fabulously, thank you for asking! Opening day is one of my favorites of the year. I love meeting all the new members of Aphrodite Hall and feeling the air crackle with possibilities.”
It’s a perfect segue—I couldn’t have asked for a better one if Athena herself was helping me out.
Then again, maybe she is. Just because she and the other gods couldn’t make it to the opening ceremony for the first time ever doesn’t mean they aren’t watching out for us. Maybe Athena is as upset about me being put in the wrong hall as I am.
It’s that thought that gives me the courage to say what I need to say, even in the face of Dr. Dione’s overwhelming everything. I clear my throat again and say, “Actually, that’s what I wanted to speak with you about.”
“Oh, don’t worry. We’ll give out room assignments once we reach the hall.
All the first years stay on the top floor, so you’ll have a lovely view of the campus.
Not to mention first access to the elevators in the morning when everyone is rushing to class.
” She grins indulgently. “It’s one of our first years’ favorite perks. ”
The Athena in me appreciates the fact that I won’t have to fight for elevator access—I hate, hate, hate being late to class. Honestly, I hate being late to anything, which is why this entire day has been torturous for me so far.
But that stops now. If I can convince her I belong in Athena Hall, I can head over there instead of to Aphrodite. My day—and my life—can get back on track.
“That sounds great, but I’m pretty sure there’s been a mistake. I should be in Athena Hall, not Aphrodite.”
The words come out in a rush—the only way I can get them out—and my heart threatens to burst from my chest as the look in her eyes turns from welcoming to puzzled.
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean,” Dr. Dione says after a brief pause that seems to take about a million years.
“The gods don’t make mistakes, certainly not about something as fundamental as the students they claim to be theirs.
When Aphrodite chose to give you her apple, she claimed you for her hall. ”
“Yes, but—” I break off because when she puts it like that, my arguments don’t seem to hold nearly as much weight as I expected them to.
Not to mention, there’s a small part of me that feels a spark of pride from her words. A teeny-tiny part of me that likes the idea of being claimed—believed in—by a god, even if that god is Aphrodite.
But I tell myself I’m being ridiculous, that it will feel even better when I get claimed by Athena as I should have been all along. So I take a deep breath and force myself to continue. “My whole family are Athenas, even my twin brother. It’s been that way since Anaximander’s opened.”
“I’m sure that’s true, but the gods obviously believed it was time for a change.
” Her smile fades as her face, and her voice, grow serious.
“You know, Penelope, those who underestimate Aphrodite—the god or the hall—do so at their own peril. Love, respect, kindness, friendship, joy. These are some of the most important ideas in the world. I’d like to think that anyone sorted into Aphrodite Hall would know this already. ”
“I do.” Of course I know love and kindness are important. But so is wisdom. Always knowing the right path and doing the right thing so that people have the chance to be friends or to love each other.
I start to say as much to Dr. Dione, but the last thing I want to do is insult her. Especially when she’s pretty much the only one who can help me right now.
So instead of pointing out just how important Athena is, I move on to my second argument. “When I put my coin in, there were two balls. I’m positive that the second ball has an owl in it. An owl that was meant for me.”
“Bold of you to assume there is anything in those balls before a student opens them, rather than thinking that the charm appears there when a god claims a student. What do you think the coin chase is for besides letting the gods get a good look at all of Anaximander’s new students?”
Her words have everything freezing inside me as I wonder if she’s right. Is there nothing in the little plastic balls until a god claims you? Does that mean if I opened the red ball, there would have been an apple in it, too?
Horror washes through me at the thought.
“Besides,” she says as her smile comes back. “There might have been two balls, but you only caught one. The sooner you come to accept that you truly are an Aphrodite, the faster you’ll settle in here.”
Before she walks away, Dr. Dione reaches over and pats my shoulder in what I’m pretty sure she means to be a comforting gesture. But I’m too busy feeling like my whole world is imploding to appreciate it.
Is she telling the truth? Did I do such a poor job in the coin chase that Athena decided she wanted nothing to do with me? Was I such a mess that the only god who would take me is Aphrodite, who is known for being kind even when it isn’t deserved?
The thought shatters me, has my chest aching and tears building up behind my eyes. Was I such a total failure that Athena thought I was useless? That she went against generations of tradition and chose not to claim me?
Probably because I messed up so much to begin with.
From the moment I stepped in that mud puddle and gave Paris the chance to eat almost all the donut holes, I’ve made mistake after mistake after mistake.
If I had thought things through better, if I had formulated a more cohesive plan, maybe none of this would have happened.
Maybe I’d be over at Athena, with Paris, where I belong.
I just didn’t work hard enough, that’s all. I didn’t do as well as I could have on anything having to do with Anaximander’s so far.
But I can change that.
I just have to come up with a plan that will show Athena that I’m worthy of being in her hall after all. I just have to prove to her that I won’t be a disappointment if she claims me.
“Hey, are you okay?” Arjun asks as he appears next to me. He’s got a red backpack on his back and the handle to a red suitcase in either hand, both of which have stickers of giant birds all over them—swallows, doves, sparrows.
He may like Hades Hall, but I think it’s pretty obvious that he ended up exactly where he wanted to be. And so did Fifi, who is dragging three giant bags and two backpacks with heart stickers all over them.
Now I just have to figure out how to get where I want to be.
“Are you two going to stand there all day?” she calls as she blows right past us without stopping. Then again, those suitcases look heavy. Maybe if she does stop, she’ll never get started again.
“We’re coming!” Arjun calls back. But he doesn’t move from his spot next to me, his big dark eyes searching mine like he’s trying to figure out if I’m okay.
I’m not, but I’m going to be, which is practically the same thing.
“Come on, let’s catch up!” I answer Arjun, and I even manage a smile while I say it.
Ten minutes of luggage pulling later, I’ve lost my smile and close to the last of my energy.
Everyone around me is bright-eyed and ready for whatever comes next, but they didn’t have to run all over campus and fight a waterfall already today.
Not to mention, my wet clothes are chafing in some places that should never be chafed.
On the plus side, I’ve gotten a much better look at the Stoa and the planetarium and a bunch of the other classroom buildings, since they’re all on the path we’re taking. I just wish I had a clue where on campus Aphrodite Hall is so I’d know how much farther it is to get there.
As we round another corner, the ground begins to slope upward. I groan before I can stop myself.
“What’s wrong?” Fifi asks, looking concerned.
Which makes me feel bad all over again. Not to self: These Aphrodites are way more concerned about people than my home full of Athenas ever has been.
My parents tend to be super involved in their thoughts, so much that they rarely notice if Paris and I are unhappy.
We have to need stitches or at least have a broken bone or two for them to actually be concerned about our angst.
Despite the fact that my Vans are shrinking as they dry—and rubbing blisters into both of my heels with each step I take—I do my best to pretend I’m fine.
Athena girls don’t complain about things. They fix them.
“Nothing,” I answer with a shrug. “I just didn’t expect it to be such a hike to get from the classes to our hall.”
“On the plus side, that means it probably won’t be nearly so bad tomorrow,” she tells me.
I shoot her a confused look. “How could it not be? It’s not like the path back to the classrooms is going to get any easier anytime soon.”
“What do you mean? Of course it is!” Now she looks confused too.
And so does Arjun. “Did your parents really not tell you anything about Anaximander’s?”
“Not a lot, no. Just the basics. They wanted the rest to be a surprise for Paris and me.”
“Well, then, this is definitely going to be a surprise.” Arjun shakes his head as he gives a little rueful laugh.
Before I can ask what he means, Fifi bounces up onto her toes with obvious excitement. “The whole campus moves! It’s part of the curriculum—using logic and math to figure out where everything is.”
“Not the entire campus,” Arjun corrects. “The amphitheater and a few other key buildings stay the same to give you something to navigate off of.”
“Who cares?” Fifi rolls her eyes. “The point is everything else is going to be in a different place every day. Isn’t that fun, Ellie?”
Everything changing every day with nothing consistent to count on? “Fun” is definitely not the word that jumps to my mind.
Terrifying, maybe.
Torture, definitely.
But fun? No, not really. Especially when I think back to how I almost had my coin today, and then the whole wing of the museum moved and I ended up in the middle of the forest. Again.
I don’t say that to them, though. Considering the way they’re grinning, they won’t hear me anyway—at least not until it happens to them. I do, however, gently remind Fifi, “My name’s not Ellie. It’s Penelope.”
“I don’t think so.” She purses her lips as she thinks about it for a few seconds. “No, Ellie suits you much better.”
“But that’s not—” I break off as hoots and hollers come from the older kids as they make it to the top of this giant hill/mountain we’re climbing.
Where Aphrodite Hall must be waiting.
Knowing we’re almost there must give everyone the extra shot of adrenaline we need, because suddenly we’re all hauling butt up the hill. Even Fifi, with her three suitcases and two backpacks, is laying on the speed.
“I can’t wait to see it,” she gasps out as we close in on the top of the hill. “I mean, I’ve seen pics from Charlie and Levi, but—”
Apparently, whatever is up there has the power to render her speechless—who knew that was possible?
And then it’s my turn, and as Aphrodite Hall finally comes into view, I can absolutely see why even Fifi ran out of words. It’s the most bizarrely beautiful and fantastical looking building I have ever seen.