Divinity

"Sorry Diana, having a face like a cow isn't in this season."

Alexis 

I felt a twinge of pain as I stare in the mirror. My golden hair was twisted in a spectacular curl-and-braid thing, courtesy of Sapphire, and I was wearing a short red dress with a halter top that stretched perfectly around my stomach and dropped just to the my thighs. My makeup was perfect, my black lashes framing my eyes in a way only two hours of re-applying mascara and special technique could do. Some of us didn't get our own stylists for the parties. Boohoo. Long ruby earrings dripped from my ears, similar stones to the bracelets on my arms.  

   I look stunning, possibly, probably, better than Diana who had undoubtedly spent all day in a stylists chair. I wonder what I could have said about Diana’s imperfections. Perhaps, 'Sorry, Diana, having a face like a cow isn't in this season.'?  

  Ah, beauty. Usually a good thing, but not when you were going to the celebration of the marriage of your soul mate. No, looking stunning then just felt like a waste.  

   I felt my thunder being stolen too. The first celebration on my very own Divine Coronation night.  

Remember all the ways you fixed me? 

How will you fix me now? 

And if you’re ever feeling you’re, 

Bruised and battered, always sore, 

And I won’t tell no one, 

Just breathe, breathe. 

 I sigh.  

Sapphire walks in. She was dressed in a pale blue dress with a ruffled bottom that flared out, making rustling noises when she walked, no straps, which let her jet coloured hair fall over her shoulders unhindered. Her strappy blue stilettos made her at least three centimetres taller and a sapphire nestled into the creamy skin at the neck. Smiling, she takes my hand and we both look in the mirror. “Ready to go?” She asks my reflection, and I nod. Trying to hide my hurt was useless; Sapphire, like Luke, knew me enough to know I was miserable about all of this.  

   “It’s okay.” She whispers, her melodic voice reminding me of the look of clouds, and she smiles gently, “Izek won’t be married to her forever. She’s a Roman. And the Roman Empire fell while we lived on, remember?” 

   I smile faintly. Sapphire let go of my hand, and I immediately miss the warmth and comfort she radiates. 

   “Where are Luke and Todd?” I ask, fighting the urge to wipe my eyes. 

Remember the mascara Alexis. The mascara.  

“On their way.” Sapphires eyes glance to my steel clock. Perfectly on time, what else would they be, we hear a knock on the door. Sapphire shot me one last supportive smile and flung the door open, revealing Luke and Todd, both clad handsomely in tuxedos, Luke in black and Todd in dark grey. Luke held out his arm to me, Todd to Sapphire. We, with exaggerated elegance, took their arms and they pulled us out into the night. 

The air was cool and crisp, the stars shining brightly down on the street. There would be two celebrations, one on the inside for the main people and one outside for the rest of us. From across the tiled road, I saw almost everyone I knew, Clara shimmying in an electric blue cocktail dress, Jakob tipping a glass of something golden and bubbly down his throat, a couple pairs making out in the darkness of the corners. 

   I was a little annoyed. Not many people were considered good enough to be a part of the private celebration. This Diana girl must be a total snob, I thought. She probably thought we were beneath her Roman notice. 

   I scoff out loud, getting enquiring looks from Luke and Todd, but I just shrug and force a smile. As fake as it was to me, my smile did the trick. Luke twirls me around, making me laugh, and the string lights that had been tied around glimmered brightly as we all started to dance to the delicate, sweet music. Luke held me, a little too close, but for tonight that was okay.  

   Whenever I looked away from Luke’s familiar face, I would see how the other guys were eying me up, no matter how good looking their dates were.  

  I also noticed the unmasked envy they had when they say Luke.  

    If I cared enough, I would tell them that Luke and I were definitely not an item, but guess what? I don’t care. 

   Not tonight. 

School... Was there really a reason we should have this insufferable task? Was there really, truly a reason a goddess have attend day after day of boring regime with humans? Especially a goddess in pain. Honestly, was there anything some humans could teach that me being the goddess of love, arguably the most important element, couldn't?  

 As I walked down the corridor with Sapphire, Luke, Todd and Jasper flanking me, it became obvious that the crack between me and mortals had suddenly widened. They shy away from me and Luke, as his Herculean power became more obvious since yesterday. I sigh out loud.  

   Yesterday… When we became gods. Not your average extracurricular activity.  

   Sapphire clasps my hand and squeezes it, showing me that my discomfort was not lost on her, or Luke, due to the looks he was giving me. I was yearning... for what? I toss my straightened hair over my shoulder, and made a face at Luke. He nods, his mouth grim but his eyes gleaming with the smirk he was trying to hold back at my obvious unhappiness at the situation.  

   I love Luke to bits but sometimes I wish he was a bit more understanding. I mean, hello? My life sucks right now. It wasn't like the one he loved was in to someone else. Suddenly, he turned his head slightly and then, quickly, shoves me and Sapphire into a doorway. My first response was to be frightened because Luke was obviously in danger and he needed to save us, but then I remembered... I was Aphrodite.  

I duck out of Sapphire protecting grip, palms up. I had seen other gods shoot people with energy from their palms. Well. One god. In a movie. But I simply had to help Luke fight whatever was attacking him. You can develop better powers, but if this was all I got, well, it had to do. To my surprise I felt heat, or something, crackling in my palms right away and I thought hey, this god thing might actually be easy! As I jump out to protect Luke, I sensed not hostility... playfulness. Wait- what?  

… Emotions? Behind me I felt crippling fear and anxiety from Sapphire, only to disappear like water in the Sahara when she saw it was only Drake, another god, rough-housing with Luke. Drake was a carrier of Ares, not hostile enough to be the god himself. For a second I was mad at Luke for his very understanding (not) way of shoving us into a door but curiosity won over it and I decided to use my new found power to see his explanation. Lowering my palms, I delve into Luke’s mind. He had been concerned for us, because Drake was strong, but... There was this feeling he had when he looked back at me after clinching Drake into a headlock, it was warm and fuzzy and protective. It wrapped around me like blanket, keeping me safe and warm and there was no way anyone would ever hurt me with Luke around and...  

   No. This wasn’t happening. Mentally I slam a wall down, and all the emotions I had just been tasting melt away and I immediately miss the sweet, tender emotions Luke was feeling when he saw me. My eyes must have been blank while I carefully locked up my new power in my head, because Sapphire was shaking me. “Alexis? Earth to you?” She smiles and whispers sweetly into my ear, “Or maybe... Olympus to you, goddess?” 

   I snap out of it, and shove her playfully with my elbow. She swiftly dodges out of my way, and then looks down the corridor, smiling. 

   We all glance down the corridor and saw Kai, a human who Jasper seemed to like walking towards us, her blue eyes looking strangely tired. Had the poor little human spent all night studying? Some of us could go to all night street parties and still look better than that.  

   I survey her walk, which is strong and fast despite her alleged tiredness. It was obvious that if she was a goddess, which she so wasn't, she would be the warrior type. She stays with us, and although it was sometimes frosty between her and me and Sapphire, Luke was ok with her so I guess it didn’t matter. Internally I scowl at her but on the outside I shot her a candied smile and turn to Luke. Like always, I felt... weird around Kai. She just... she was just different to anyone else I’d ever met. It was almost like she wasn’t quite human... but if she was a goddess, she would have to be Roman. And if she was Roman, she must die. That was just the way it is, no matter what Zeus said.