Free Aphrodite the Beauty (Goddess Girls) by Joan Holub

swiftly swept away.
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    11 Red Roses
    WHEN SCHOOL LET OUT THE FOLLOWING afternoon, Aphrodite and her friends lingered in the main hall near the marble staircase that led up to the dorms until Ares appeared. As usual, beefy Kydoimos and squinty-eyed Makhai stuck to him like bodyguards. Ares glowered at the goddessgirls as he came near, but Aphrodite smiled at him sweetly. "Hi, Ares." She turned toward Athena.
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    "Ask him about those flowers you got," she said. "Those red roses he sent."
    Kydoimos stared at Ares with a look of surprise, and Makhai raised a scornful eyebrow. "What roses?" Ares spluttered, embarrassed. "I never sent anyone roses."
    "Really? They were gorgeous!" Persephone exclaimed. "And they smelled as sweet as ambrosia."
    Around them, curious students paused to listen to this interesting conversation. As more and more gathered at the foot of the stairs, Aphrodite was pleased to glimpse Medusa and Pheme among them. They must have overheard because their heads were together and Pheme was whispering excitedly. It didn't seem to bother her when Medusa's snakes slithered and wound through her spiky hair. Or maybe she was just too busy gossiping to notice.
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    Aphrodite gazed soulfully at Ares. "A godboy could win any girl's heart with flowers like that. Right, Athena?"
    Batting her eyelashes, Athena sighed theatrically. "So true."
    "Well ... ," he said slowly. His eyes shifted between the two girls, and Aphrodite could tell he was trying to figure out how to turn things to his advantage. He was so calculating . Why hadn't she seen that before? "I guess maybe I did send those flowers," he said finally. "Glad you liked them." He gave them his most charming smile, and she felt certain he was betting that an Athena in love would change her mind about speaking to her dear old dad on his behalf.
    "Oh, I did," Athena assured him. "But of course I can't keep them."
    "Huh?" said Ares.
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    Medusa inched closer and the few mortals in the crowd shrank away or covered their eyes so as not to accidentally look at her. Cupping a hand around her ear, Pheme leaned forward too, like she didn't want to miss a single word.
    "Yeah. Too bad they were delivered to you by mistake, right Athena?" Artemis said.
    "Huh?" Ares said again, looking totally confused.
    "I finally checked the note you sent with them," Athena explained. Then she looked straight at Medusa. "You're one lucky girl!"
    Medusa's eyes widened in surprise, but then a smile spread over her glossy green lips, and she gave Ares a dreamy look. "They were for me ?"
    "What?" Red roses bloomed in Ares' cheeks and he backed up a step. "Wait a second, I never--"
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    "I'm sure you'll enjoy them," Aphrodite interrupted, smiling at Medusa. "What girl wouldn't!"
    For a second Medusa's smile wavered. She glanced suspiciously at the four goddessgirls. So did her snakes. Frowning, she reached up to stroke one of them and it wound around her wrist, hissing affectionately. "You're not putting us on, are you?" she asked.
    Us? Was Medusa referring to herself and Pheme ... or to herself and the snakes ? Maybe both, thought Aphrodite. "Why would we do that?" she asked innocently.
    Artemis shrugged. "If you don't want the flowers, I'm sure Athena would be happy to keep them."
    Athena nodded vigorously, but Medusa still looked uncertain.
    "We set the vase outside your room," Persephone said.
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    "Go take a look if you don't believe us," added Athena.
    Before Medusa could respond, Pheme pushed through the crowd and started upstairs. Aphrodite could bet she was making a beeline for Medusa's room. Hurrying after her, Medusa called out, "Hey, wait for me. The flowers are mine!"
    The goddessgirls grinned at one another. Once Pheme saw the roses and the card they'd asked Hermes Floral Delivery to send on Ares's behalf, it wouldn't be long before Ares and Medusa's names would be paired together on everyone's lips. Ares must have realized that too, because he raced upstairs after Medusa, a