Dealing with Drama

Living his Life: Part 5

Time: Next Day

"And this, and this, and this!" Ruby listed off at a rapid pace, making Percy groan.

"Why are you like this? Why couldn't the Hunters make you abandon this?"

The daughter of Aphrodite glared at him in response. "For your kind information, I'm much better than my sisters. At least I don't make you go around buying tons of make-up!"

Seeing Percy's incredulous look, she snapped, irritated at him, "Just wait till you get Drew and my mom's lists!"

Percy paled, knowing the truth in her words, before he sighed. "You know what, scrap this."

He flopped down on her bed, amid mountains of shampoo, perfume and makeup. He had thought that the Huntress had abandoned the ways of the love goddess. But noooo!

To his horror, Piper, too, came up blushing up a storm, and handed him a long list to buy. What was with Aphrodite and her daughters?! It's not like they needed makeup to look good. Even in their bed hair, they looked like perfect goddesses.

"What do you mean you are not going to do this?"

Percy stared at the several lists in his hands with bleary hands. "Do you think I can buy all this alone?" He waved the papers. Who knew maintaining a harem was so tough?

"Who told you to do it alone. Just take some of the girls along to the mall." She snapped.

Percy looked horrified. "Absolutely not!" He still had Vietnam flashbacks from when he had taken Annabeth shopping, thinking she could do with some 'girly' stuff. Never again would he make that mistake.

He continued, before Ruby could interrupt again. "I'm going to call Hermes, and give him everything. He is gonna deliver it to the island, and charge it to some account I have by default in some godly bank."

She huffed. "You're a big pussy."

Seeing Percy's eyes light up, she immediately corrected herself, "Forget I said something. You're a big wimp."

The day outside was well on its way, the sun was up and shining, scorching the sand on the beach. There was not a wisp of clouds visible anywhere in the clear sky, filled with the white wings of seagulls and other birds. The perennial seabreeze was hot and humid, making everyone sweat and curse Apollo. No one was out, it was too hot to be outside. Most of them were at the air-conditioned gym, or playing video games without telling him, or just lazing around in lavish, air-conditioned rooms. Artemis and Thalia were still in their beds, their rooms dark and cool. Even Athena had emerged from her library for some chilled nectar.

Only Calypso, the only one on the island used to Ogygia's tropical weather, was in her garden, snipping some trees to a more controlled shape, wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat that provided shade.

Percy had used the quiet as his golden opportunity to collect the girls' possessions, which they had lived without for the eight, almost nine months they had been on the self-sufficient island. Only the Hunters had all their possessions, but they, too, wanted some things from the market.

Percy had thought that gods could just snap their fingers and summon things out of the air. Apparently, it did not work like that.

He didn't understand a single word of Artemis' and Hestia's long-winded, joint explanation on the why.

He examined Ruby, who was busy arranging her things, piled in a huge mess on the bed, back in order.