The Weight of the World Read online

  June felt stupid. She had let an anonymous gossip blog, a teen attempt at TMZ reporting, poison her friendship with Minnie. Now Minnie was mad, and war was an old specialty of hers.

  June slammed her palm into the concrete. The ground under her fingertips vibrated and June felt a surge of energy rising in her body. She wanted to shout out, to beckon some horror to burst forth and do the kind of damage that her temper demanded. That kind of powerful feeling frightened her and she pulled her hand back as if she had touched a hot burner. The rumbling stopped and she felt her inner animal settle.

  “What was that?” she whispered as she pushed herself off the ground. She stared at the sidewalk for a long time before taking a deep breath and putting the lid back on her emotions. June pulled a compact out of her purse, adjusted her eye-liner, and set towards her car with purpose.

  “Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.”

  -Aristotle

  xiii.

  He always knew just where to find his sister.

  While he preferred to live, surrounded by clouds,

  she found her solace in the forests of earth.

  They were night and day.

  This day, when Apollo crossed the lush tree line

  and entered the clearing where she kept her cave,

  there was a mortal sitting with the huntress.

  He was Orion.

  Apollo hoped that he was much mistaken

  when he sighted the look of love in her eyes.

  He knew of Orion's past with Merope.

  He had to act fast.

  “Anybody can become angry — that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way — that is not within everybody's power and is not easy.”

  -Aristotle

  XIII.

  Astin Hill tapped on the microphone at Thompson's Grill. It was a local family place that had live music on weekends and was one of the only places that kids under twenty-one could go to hear bands. His band stood behind him, ready to play at his cue.

  “Good evening, Miami. This is Astin Hill.”

  At a wave of Astin's finger, the drummer began a driving beat, but the audience paid more attention to their burgers than the music. That was until Astin let loose with a guitar riff that made everyone freeze and look up at the stage. Astin Hill rocked, and he was glad to finally be able to show it. Now that he was the front man for the band, he took every opportunity to show off. Thompson's Grill had never hosted such a magnetic performer.

  When the set was finished, Astin took a break. One of the waitresses brought him a soda, on the house, and he asked for a basket of chicken fingers. Away from the stage and the run-down, over-bright spotlight, Astin was able to see his audience clearly. A girl he had never met before waved and flashed him a smile. He was about to go pull up a chair at her table when he heard his name called from across the room.

  Peter Hadley was sitting at a booth, eating dinner with Devon's mysterious neighbor Adam. He must have been the first on the list to get to know him. Astin decided that Pantheon business had to come before cute girls and headed over to meet them. He knew that he was likely to strike out with that girl, anyway. He was never as charismatic in conversation as he was on stage.

  “Hey guys, what's up?”

  “Devon asked Peter to show me around, let me get out of the house,” Adam said. He was still sporting butterfly bandages from the attack a few nights before. “You're really talented, man.”

  “Thanks,” Astin said, shrugging. He knew he was good. He sat down at the booth and stole a french fry from Peter's basket. “I don't usually see you around town, Pete.”

  “Peter,” Peter corrected. “I don't usually have money to go around town. I'm a wage earner now.”

  “Right. Retail. How's that working out for you?” Astin didn't care how desperate he got, he refused to work that kind of job. He would be homeless on the street playing for tips before he would subject himself to putting up with the ignorance of the masses.

  “Well, this morning I had this woman chewing me out because I knew we were out of stock on something and she insisted that I go look. I'd had literally six people ask me already. So she told me I was lazy and ungrateful and implied I was stoned,” he shook his head. Peter was used to people assuming that he was a druggie because he wore a lot of dark colors and listened to Black Sabbath. He went on, “I went out back and I sat down and I just waited for three minutes. I didn't do anything. I just waited. I know as far as rebellion goes, that's not much, but that's three minutes she can't ever have back. At the end of her life when she's on her death-bed, that's three minutes I stole from her that she could have spent doing something she loved, hugging her children, or petting a dog. And I took it because she deserved it.”

  “Wow, Peter, that's dark,” Adam said. He sipped his cola.

  “That's what retail does to you. It shows you the worst in people and makes you want to enact justice for it. It's disgusting how people treat minimum wage employees. Like they're better or something. If she only knew what—” Peter looked at Adam and then changed track. “Some day nobody will talk to me like that.”

  “Like I said, that's dark.”

  The waitress brought Astin his chicken fingers and a cup of ranch dressing. Astin thanked her and she touched his shoulder in a flirty way.

  “Man,” Adam said, “The perks of being a rock star.”

  “Not a star yet, but I will be.” Astin was still working on that humility part.

  “Hey, where's Diana? Doesn't she come to your gigs?” Peter asked.

  “She's on a date,” Astin spat. “With Ryan Bear.”

  “Ryan? That's the kid with the peanut allergy, right? The reason we can't have PB&J at school?”

  Astin shrugged, “Tall, African-American, on the track team?”

  “Yeah, that's him.” Peter seemed relaxed tonight. Despite his obvious rage at his working situation, hanging out with Adam brought him out of his shell. He stole a fry off of Astin's basket as fair trade, and sat back in his seat.

  “Diana's your sister?” Adam asked.

  “Yeah. She's my twin, actually. She started dating this Bear kid, though, so now I hardly ever see her. She's spent every waking moment over the last three weeks with him.”

  “Dude, she'd better slow down,” Adam said. “Sounds like she's falling in love.”

  Astin glared at Adam, “I'm aware. It's not right, spending that much time with one guy. She's sixteen. She's not supposed to be that serious about someone.”

  Adam shook his head, “If he's taking her out that often, he's trying to get somewhere fast.”

  Astin put his food down. His appetite was gone.

  “How's Diana doing after that whole... migraine thing?” Peter asked.

  “Fine. She bounced back quick. But Ryan stayed at the hospital all night. I mean... know your place, dude. That was their first date and he was acting like they were engaged.”

  “Trying too hard,” Adam suggested.

  “Or he's really into her,” Peter said. “I know that might blow your minds, but maybe he's actually in love with her.”

  “Shut up, Peter,” Astin said.

  “You shut up! They've been on the track team together. It's not like he's a stranger. Maybe, God forbid, he's into Diana for more than just her body.”

  “Shut up, Peter,” Astin growled.

  “Peter, some guy is trying to seduce his sister, have a little sympathy.” Adam waved for the waitress to refill his soda. “When do you go back on?” he asked Astin.

  Astin stood up and grabbed a piece of chicken. “Right now.” He marched up to the stage, finishing his snack, and picked up his guitar to play. A minute later the music started back up. The sound from his guitar was a musical translation of the snarls of an angry wolf.

  Ryan's uncle owned a boat docked just south of Miami. He had loaned Ryan the boat
for the day. He and Diana had spent the afternoon tubing and swimming. Now they were sitting back on the deck, eating a picnic of ham and cheese sandwiches and enjoying the sunset. They would have to drive back soon to make it in time for Diana's curfew, but they didn't feel too rushed.

  “I always get the feeling that there's more to you than you're telling me,” Ryan said. “The good kind of more. Like a surprise.”

  Diana looked down at her fingers. She had thrown a red and white striped cover-up on over her swim suit and was twisting the draw string of the hood around her thumb. “You wouldn't believe me if I told you.”

  As the sun set, it cast a golden light down on Ryan and Diana. Even in the warm sunlight her fair skin seemed as cool as the night. Ryan touched her cheek. “Try me.”

  Her time with Ryan had been a fairytale romance. He was playful and well-mannered and he didn't seem to get embarrassed when Diana did awkward things in public. He was the one person she knew in the whole city who could spend a day outside with her, talking and playing, and never once check his cell phone. She just didn't think he could wrap his mind around what she was actually hiding.

  Diana shook her head. “It's really out there.”

  “Diana,” he said, locking his big brown eyes on her silver-blue ones. “When the summer is over... I don't want this to be. Okay?”

  She nodded, “Of course.”

  “You don't have to tell me now,” he said. “But some day I hope you'll let me in.”

  Diana took a deep breath. She reached across their empty paper plates and took his hand. “Like I said, you won't believe me.”

  Ryan curled his fingers around hers. He stayed silent, encouraging her to go on.

  “That night, our first date, when I blacked out. That wasn't a migraine.”

  “Are you sick?”

  She shook her head. “That night, my senses went out of control. See, for the past few weeks I've had stronger senses than most people. I can see perfectly in the dark. I can smell like a bloodhound. I hear things that humans shouldn't be able to hear.”

  Ryan's brow furrowed, but he didn't interrupt her.

  “But that's not really the first time something like that has happened. This past fall I started talking to animals.”

  His eyebrow went up. Diana dropped his hand. “I told you, you won't believe me.”

  “No,” he said. “I mean... it's weird but, I don't think you'd lie to me.”

  “You think I'm crazy. But, you see, it's not just me. There are others. Astin can cast sunlight from his hands. I wasn't stabbed in February because of some schizophrenic brothers. I was stabbed because of what I am.”

  She couldn't read Ryan's expression anymore. There were too many conflicting emotions passing over his face.

  “So... what are you, then?”

  “A Greek Goddess.”

  “What?”

  “Astin and I are Apollo and Artemis, except we don't remember most of it and we're not sure why we're here.”

  Diana could tell that Ryan's willingness to listen was being tested. She thought he might spring up and dive overboard at any moment. To her good fortune, a little sanderling landed on the bow of the speedboat. Diana sat up and called it over. Ryan heard a sharp kip, a chattering, coming from the blonde girl. The bird perked up and flew to land on her finger. She chattered with it some more and it looked at Ryan, cocking its head.

  “You're serious,” he said, eyes wide. It was hard to deny the evidence. A wild bird had willingly perched on her finger with very little coaxing.

  “Those bears that attacked us that night,” Diana said, slipping easily back into human speech, “They weren't normal bears. We're not really sure what they are, yet, but they're likely related to The Pantheon.”

  “Pantheon?”

  “The group of us, the Greek Gods here in Olympia Heights.”

  Diana kipped at the sanderling again, and it flew away. “So you believe me?”

  Ryan nodded. “I... I've been making out with a Greek Goddess.”

  “Ryan,” Diana said. “You can't tell anyone. I mean... I told you because I trust you, because I want this to be a relationship and I know that I have to be honest.”

  Ryan stared off into space.

  “Ryan?” She sighed. “The only reason I told you this was because I think I'm in love with you.”

  He looked back into her eyes. His smile was faint, but it was genuine. “Diana, I love you, too. I just didn't think what you had to tell me was going to be so big.”

  “You'd rather I had an inoperable brain tumor.”

  “Don't be ridiculous.” He brought his hand back to her pale cheek. “I always thought you were too beautiful to be human,” he whispered. “Your skin always looks like moonlight, even in the brightest sun.”

  Diana shrugged, “Yeah, moon goddess. It explains a lot.”

  Ryan's smile grew wider at that comment. “Like why you aren't a morning person?”

  Diana grabbed the back of his head and pulled him close to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around her and she rolled until she was laying in his lap.

  They kissed for a long time before he broke the kiss. The cover-up had slipped down off her shoulder and Ryan stroked the soft exposed skin. “I'm sorry if I gave you a scare before. It's a lot to take in.”

  Diana pressed her finger across his lips, silencing him. “No more talking,” she said. “There's time for that on the ride back.”

  Their health class videos of a woman giving birth had done well to scare Diana away from intimacy for quite some time. With Ryan it was different, though. Every time he held her in his arms she just wanted to feel as close to him as she could possibly be. She had seen enough of how he interacted with his mother to know that he respected women, and she had seen enough of his heart to know that they were kindred souls.

  She took a deep breath. “I love you,” she said. Diana took his hand and placed it on her thigh. She pulled him down and kissed him again, allowing herself to be serenaded by the sound of water lapping against the side of the boat and her own heart pounding within her chest.

  Teddy Wexler walked into Thompson's Grill to pick up takeout. The hostess went back to the kitchen to find his order and Teddy leaned against the counter and watched Astin's angry guitar riffs. They took him over, making him feel like an action star ready to turn and walk away as the place exploded in the background.

  He cast his eyes around the restaurant and saw Peter and Adam sitting at a corner booth. Teddy abandoned the counter and crossed the room. He held his fist out for a bump with Peter. Peter looked skeptical but met him in the youthful gesture of manly comradeship.

  “Teddy, this is Adam Montagna. Adam, Theodore Wexler.”

  “Junior. But Teddy is fine.”

  “Are you staying?” Adam asked.

  “Just picking up takeout. My girlfriend is getting dropped off at the house, so I gotta head back and watch a movie with her.”

  Peter scowled. Adam looked between Teddy and Peter. “Dropped off? She doesn't drive?”

  “Naw, she's fifteen. She's babysitting until nine, so her mom is going to drop her by and then I'll drive her home.”

  “What do you drive?”

  “Purple Jaguar.”

  “Nice.” Adam looked genuinely impressed, “I bet you get a lot of action with a car like that.”

  “Trying to. Penny's the innocent type, though.” Teddy shrugged.

  “Penny? Same Penny you told me about, Peter?”

  Peter was slouched in the booth with his arms folded across his chest. He grunted.

  “Yeah, same girl,” Teddy answered. “Peter's her best friend. I should probably head back. It'll be awkward if she gets to my house and she has to talk to my parents or something. My mom might scare her away.”

  “Well, good luck man. It was nice meeting you.”

  “Yeah, thanks.” Teddy pushed his dark hair off his forehead, “I think I'll do a bit better
tonight. Last date was at her babysitting gig and the kids' Dad came home and acted all protective. Just when things were getting good, too. You know?” Teddy winked, “Good.”

  Peter seemed to fly over the table. Teddy didn't see him until he was being toppled over on the wood floor of the restaurant. Astin's music came to a sudden halt. He leaped off the stage. Adam sprung up from his seat and shouted in surprise as Peter grabbed Teddy's face and started squeezing.

  Teddy and Peter began to roll on the floor, taking control of the grapple in turns and exchanging punches. Nearby Patrons sprang up from their seats and moved out of the way. Teddy took a swing at Peter's face, but Peter squirmed and dodged so that Teddy punched the floor. He yelped, holding up his hand, and Peter used the momentary advantage to shove Teddy off of him and get back on his feet.

  Peter reared back to kick Teddy, but Teddy grabbed his knees and held on so that he couldn't get the momentum to kick. They stumbled around for a few minutes before Peter kicked Teddy off. Teddy whacked the back of his head on a chair and hit the ground. Adam grabbed Peter and stopped him from lunging forward.

  “Easy there, buddy,” he said. “You've done enough.”

  Teddy didn't get up. Astin crouched down and touched the back of Teddy’s head. His fingers came up red. “Oh man, Peter, what the hell did you do?”

  “I'm calling the police!” the manager shouted. Astin pulled Teddy up in his arms. He had no idea what he was doing, but he was functioning on autopilot now. He pressed his palm to the wound on Teddy's head and focused on light. No heat, just light. Slowly his hand began to glow as if sunshine was pushing through it, before it flickered out and Astin collapsed on the floor.