Aphrodite, who enjoyed helping mortals in love, had hoped to talk about that, but the godboys in class had immediately steered the discussion toward weapons and war-topics that could never hold her interest for long. Yesterday their teacher had asked how much and what kind of help they thought gods should give to mortals they favored. As his humongous single eye swept the room, everyone fell silent.Īphrodite wondered what they’d be discussing today. Cyclops finished with a student he’d been speaking to and stood up. Fortunately, before her snaky green nemesis could say anything more, Mr. Probably with jokes about her needing lots of beauty sleep. It would only give Medusa another reason to poke fun at her. She wasn’t about to admit she’d overslept. “Troubles, Bubbles?” Medusa and her horrible sisters, Stheno and Euryale, never missed an opportunity to use the awful nickname to make fun of Aphrodite’s sea foam origins. Their tongues flicked in and out as she poked Aphrodite with one of her long green fingernails. Her head writhed with hissing green snakes instead of hair. Before Aphrodite could call out to her, Medusa, who sat directly behind Athena, leaned across the aisle. But as usual, her friend’s nose was buried in a textscroll. She wanted to ask if Athena had heard the intriguing rumors about a maiden on Earth who could run as swift as the wind, faster than any youth-or even beast. All week, the class discussions had centered around mortal maidens and youths. It was just the way things were.Īphrodite glanced across the aisle at Athena, trying to get her attention. It seemed they had only to look at her to fall hopelessly in love. All her life, godboys had found her enchantingly beautiful. As the goddessgirl of love and beauty, she’d grown used to such admiration. Ignoring them, Aphrodite reached into her bag and took out her Hero-ology textscroll. Dazzled by Aphrodite’s attention and sparkling blue eyes, he blushed and glanced away.Ī few of the bolder godboys continued to gaze at her, however. With four legs, it was too difficult to sit in a chair.

Because he was a centaur, and therefore part horse, he stood at the back of the room. Lifting her chin, she smiled at one of the godboys. She hoped that in her rush to get ready that morning she hadn’t smeared lipstick on her teeth. As she tucked her long golden hair, which was threaded with pink ribbons, behind her delicate ears, she was aware that every godboy in class was watching her.

Cyclops’s Hero-ology class just as the lyrebell sounded, signaling the start of another day at Mount Olympus Academy.

Aphrodite the Beauty by Joan Holub