Free Curse of the Sphinx by Raye Wagner Page B

she’s on the run.” Coarse laughter.
    From a group of cookie-cutter girls: “I don’t understand why she would come to Goldendale?”
    “Who would want to live here?”
    “Look at her clothes. If she has money, why does she dress like that?”
    “Well, I don’t think Burberry is out with their line of school clothes, yet.”
    “Maybe she forgot her tiara at home,” someone suggested. There was a round of giggles.
    And the inevitable group of jocks, who thought they were the gods’ gifts to women.
    “That’s what I’m talkin’ about. A girl with her own place.”
    “Yeah, then your mom won’t be walking in with Rice Krispy treats again.”
    “Shut up. She’s smoking hot. I’ll bet she’s really lonely. I’d better, ya know, go cheer her up.”
    “Uh, no one is that lonely.”
    She’d heard it all before, and even worse. As she spun the dial on her locker, someone approached her.
    “Hey there, beautiful. Can I help you find your first class?”
    She rolled her eyes before glancing at the chunk of testosterone standing next to her. She almost gagged on his cologne. “No, thanks, I’m sure in a town this small, the school can’t be so big I’ll get lost.” She grabbed her book, and then met the young man’s bulging eyes. “Oh. And I don’t like Rice Krispy treats.”
    She snapped her locker shut and turned away, leaving the young man with his mouth unhinged, his pack of friends howling with laughter.
    She walked into her first class, mythology, and found an empty seat on the front row. After setting her bag on a desk, she went to have her paperwork signed by the instructor, Mrs. Biggers.
    “Good morning. I’m Hope Treadwell.” She spoke the practiced words and stood at the desk waiting for acknowledgement from the drab, middle-aged woman.
    Mrs. Biggers looked up. “Good morning.”
    As the teacher came around to the front of her desk, Hope noticed her bright-red leather clogs, a stark contrast to her sedate appearance.
    “I’m Nancy Biggers. I’m excited you’ll be joining us. It’s always refreshing to have a new perspective.” Without waiting for a response, Mrs. Biggers continued. “Well, here’s a copy of Mythology and Men , and the reading list for the remainder of the year.”
    Hope glanced down as she grasped the book. But Mrs. Biggers did not let go.
    “What amazing eyes you have. Gold? Is that your natural—”
    Taken off guard, there was a moment of hesitation before Hope cut her off. “Contacts.”
    Mrs. Biggers nodded and released the book.
    Hope turned to go back to her desk. Her seat, however, was now occupied by a short girl with long, dark hair and dark eyes. Hope’s bag and papers now sat on the desk to the left.
    “Hi.” The girl leaned forward. “I’m Krista. I hope you don’t mind that I moved your stuff.”
    Hope nodded. “No problem.”
    “I’m nearsighted,” Krista added.
    Krista wasn’t wearing glasses, but it wasn’t worth pointing it out. Hope slid into her seat and focused her attention on Mrs. Biggers’s lesson.
    “All right class, let’s get started. Today we’ll be talking about Aphrodite. Does anyone know the myth behind Aphrodite’s birth?”
    There was laughter from the back.
    Mrs. Biggers addressed the cause of the disturbance. “Boys. Something you would like to share? Do you find a lot of humor in mythology or just Aphrodite? Perhaps you would like to do an analysis on the comedy found in Aphrodite’s interactions with men?” She left the last question hanging like she meant it.
    “No ma’am. Er, no thank you. I’m sorry we disrupted.” It was the dark-haired boy who’d offered to help Hope to class.
    Mrs. Biggers continued, “So you’ll have the next four days to write a five-page paper on whether you believe Aphrodite to be a benevolent goddess or not, and you need to cite at least six interactions with mankind supporting your claim. Be sure to address the conflicting view. Remember, this assignment is meant to