Greek Times for a Future Girl

The Big Lie

"Bleah! Hummus day." I gagged as I got my lunch in the cafeterium. 

Of all the days I forgot to pack a lunch, I forget on a Friday. Aka, the day the lunch ladies decide to give the students the leftover hummus no one wanted to eat all week. Truly the worst school meal there ever was. And at my old school, they once served us moldy peanut butter sandwiches, so that's saying something

"You've said it." Hercules agreed as the lunch lady piled food on his plate. "Creamed hummus, hummus tots, and-"

"Hummus Brown Betty. Next!" the lunch lady finished for us.

Hercules and I left the lunch line to try to find a seat. Since Finals Week ended about a week ago, everyone was practically free to do whatever until the last day of school, which weirdly enough wasn't until another two weeks. It's weird, but I kind of liked it.

"See any available seats?" I asked him as we searched for empty spots.

Hercules looked around before pointing towards two empty seats left. "Right there!"

We raced over to the seats before anyone else could steal them from us, and while I managed to sit down quickly, Hercules wasn't so lucky. Someone had beaten him to his spot and accidentally bumped into him, spilling the hummus all over Herc.

"That wasn't very-" he stopped himself when he realized who bumped into him: A freckled, green-eyed girl our age with red hair tied up behind a pair of purple headbands and wearing a green dress.

Judging by her shy demeanor and nervous look at the mess she made, I could tell that she was a last-minute transfer student after finals week. Aka: a new girl at school. Lucky for her, she only had about another week or two before she could really make a name for herself at Pro Ac.

"Nice..." Herc finally finished with a dreamy sigh. 

Oh, great. The infamous Zeus gene strikes again.

"Oh, real smart, Andromeda." the girl scolded herself as she used a napkin to clean off some of the hummus off Hercules. "Your first day, and you drop hummus on some guy's chiton."

"Andromeda? Wow, that's a great name." Hercules complimented.

"New girl, huh? Welcome to Pro Ac." I welcomed her with a kind smile and an introduction. "I'm Aria, and he's Hercules."

"Please, t-take this seat." Hercules offered as he stood back up.

"What about you?" Andromeda asked him as she sat down next to me.

"Oh, I'll just stand here staring- I mean eating!" he caught himself as he began to both stare at Andromeda and eat like a love struck puppy.

I decided to be the good friend I was and encourage him to ask her out. 

"She is pretty cute." I whispered to him.

Hercules hid a blush as he briefly turned away, forcing Andromeda to quietly giggle at him. For being self-sworn to no romance until I was good and ready, I was actually pretty good at trying to get dates for my friends. Now, if only I could convince Panic to stop being a wuss and ask Cassandra out.

"He's coming!" the excited voice of Icarus cheered as he ran towards Herc and I, interrupting the sweet moment. "He is coming!"

"Icarus, this is Andromeda." Hercules introduced the new girl to our friend.

"H-hi. I'm new." Andromeda greeted. "Like, first-day new."

"Nice to meet you." Icarus said to her. "Usually, I would be there for you, but not today."

Well, that was kind of rude. 

"And why's that?" I asked him.

"I have got big news- the biggest! It doesn't get any huger than this!" Icarus grinned.