S'Agapo

It looked like Cupid had thrown up. Everything-from the girls to the bleachers to the lockers to the ceiling and the school's wrestling and weight lifting room-was covered in pink or red or white or flowers and I was about to puke; the green messy kind.What the hell was so amazing about Valentine s Day I'd always wondered. Even Kevin and I didn't celebrate it. It was extremely corny, and a waste of money.

Apollo came to school, obviously festive. He wore a pink polo (like every other guy) and jeans. And of course over half of the girls came in wearing pink too. It was enough to make me choke and die.

I sighed and ripped open my locker. If I was strong, I probably would have ripped it off its hinges. I noticed a few Valentine's Day cards piled in my locker. I counted five actual Valentines Day cards, five you suck cards, three prank cards and two business cards. I glanced at the valentines. Two were from some skinny, scrawny pale kids in my math class, one was from a football star that I absolutely loathed, and the fourth wasn't even for me.

The last card was blue, with a neon green smiley face. On the back, were two hearts. One had a single arrow through it. Below was written In love. The second heart was massacred with arrows. Below it said, 'really in love.' A large red arrow was pointed at the really in love heart, and underneath was written 'me'.

I laughed and tucked the other two valentines in my back pocket.

In math class, I walked up to Tom and Jake. "Thanks for the valentines you scrawny geeks." I threw two jawbreakers at them.

"Frick woman, that could have hit us in the head! We might have gotten brain damage!"

I snickered. "You're already damaged, Tom."

Apollo came into the classroom, all smiles. I cocked an eyebrow. "What are you so jolly about? This is the most nauseating day of the year."

He opened his messenger bag to reveal what looked like hundreds of valentines.

I rolled my eyes and went to my seat. "What a surprise; the hot single God gets thousands of valentines."

"Aw, are you jealous?" Jake cooed.

"I am not jealous!" I snapped, glaring at Jake. "Why on earth would I be jealous? I don't even like Apollo; he's a self-pitying, egotistical bag of love and narcissism. Guh, I couldn't hate him more if I tried."

Tom and Jake looked at each other and smiled. I glared harder. "What are you doing that for?"

They smiled. "Oh, nothing really."

I shuffled out of class and went to my locker. My thoughts were distracting me from noticing anything. "I can't believe those guys! And since when has everyone thought I actually liked Apollo? I mean he's a fine friend and all, but geesh, come on...besides, even if I did love him, it's obvious I would turn into a tragic love story kind of a thing; I would probably become a modern-day Greek- Ouch!" I had pricked my finger on something.

I blinked at the Laurels slipped neatly through the little vent slits in my locker door. They were pretty. I blushed, not really sure what to do. I took out the flowers and opened my locker. A few laurel petals fell out, and a wave of their scent washed over me. 'Mmm.'

I smiled to myself and pulled out the few books I needed. A little blue card fell out of my locker. I bent down and picked it up. 'I hope you liked part two! Unfortunately, Valentine's Day is over. Just know I'll be watching over you from afar, so don't look so cold, okay?'

I blushed and hid a smile. "I am not cold...anymore."

I got into the car, and handed Apollo the laurels. He sniffed them. "Who gave you these?"

I was feeling strangely gooey and mushy love-lovey. "An admirer. I wonder who it is..."

At home, I went upstairs and took a shower. When I came back downstairs, I was no longer lovey-dovey.

"Come on Apollo, dinners ready! Where'd you put my laurels?"

"I threw them out."

"What? Why? What's wrong with you, those were so pretty!"

"They were making you all wonky, so I thought maybe they weren't good for you."

I harrumphed and sat down. "I really liked those, too." I couldn't help but smile a little.

Apollo looked at me incredulously. "You look love-struck."

"I do not!"

"You don't even know who this guy is, and didn't that letter say that he wouldn't tell you who he was?"

"Hey! You have no right to rummage through my stuff!" Apollo looked down at his food, a little red, and muttered something.

"What are you saying?"

"Laurel, I think you should just stay focused on your studies for now. I mean, I'm the one who's supposed to be looking for a true love, right? So just calm down for now."

"Hey! Just because I'm helping you find this girl, doesn't mean I can't have a boy-" I stopped, eyes wide. "I-I-I mean, I should be able to have someone who likes me, too!"

Apollo grinned. "I can't believe this. You've stopped believing in true love, and suddenly you're fighting me about how you actually want to find love? I thought you were tougher than that! Come on!"

I was pissed. "You guys are all so stupid! I'm still a girl! I have a right to want a knight in shining armor, ya know! God, why can't guys just figure things out like that?" I was bright red, but I wasn't backing down, "It's not fair to critique me like this! I'm very strange, okay? I have weird ideas in my head that aren't exactly all sorted out right now, and I just...I have no idea where this is going!"

I threw my empty plate in the sink and sat down again, trying to arrange my thoughts. "I just...I'm confused right now; I don't know what it is I really want. I'll figure it out eventually though. I know that much. So, stop grinning like that." I stuck my tongue out at him.

"You're..." Apollo stood up and threw his plate in the sink. He was still smiling. He didn't finish his sentence.

Apollo POV

It was Friday, and Laurel looked exhausted. I was afraid she might crash the car on the way home. When we got into the house, she dropped her bag on the floor and collapsed on the couch. Her converses were still on.

I still hadn't found out who that damn admirer was. "When I do find him, I'll massacre him." I muttered to myself. I realized what I was saying and smiled, scratched my head. I slipped off my sneakers and dropped my bag next to Laurel's. She was nearly fast asleep. I rested one hand on her ankle and pulled off her sneaker. It had silver wings on the sides. Converse high-tops. I threw it behind me and pulled off the other shoe. She wiggled her toes and turned over, pressing her face into the couch's pillows. I pulled off my socks, then hers and tried to find room to sit on the couch.

There was none. "Laurel, sit up." She muttered something and sat up. I think she was still sleeping. I sat down. I thought she might turn and fall asleep on the arm of the chair, like she usually would do. Laurel collapsed without turning. Her head fell on my lap. I went a little red. She muttered something again and turned, nuzzling my stomach. I went bright red. "What are you doing?"

I sighed and she giggled. I smiled and brushed her hair out of her face. If I told her she was the one I loved, she wouldn't have spoken to me ever again. Besides, as long as she didn't love me, everything would be all right. Even if she did love me, she wouldn't say anything. And the point of this whole love story was to admit that we loved each other. As long as that part was avoided, we would be safe. I leaned down, a bit awkwardly, and kissed her forehead. "I'll never tell you that I want to be with you forever."

Laurel POV

I dreamed of a grassland. I was standing in the middle of it, wearing old clothes, a long white robe. I was waiting for someone. Someone dear to me.

There was a rustling in the trees. I turned and saw him come out. I waved. He didn't come any closer to me; he stared, tears falling freely. He whispered something. I didn't hear him.
"What?"

"I'm Sorry!" He shouted it, and turned and ran away.

"Wait! A-"

Suddenly I was coughing, hacking on my knees. I was in the middle of the Acropolis. Everyone was dead; disease was thick in the air. I cried; I couldn't breathe...My throat closed and I started to cry. I wanted to say his name, but I couldn't, I looked for him, but he was no longer there. Everything went black.

Suddenly, I saw a light. Someone; a woman with a beautiful voice was saying something. "You will be reborn, and he will find you again. Hopefully this time, you'll be able to make it work." She smiled and winked, and I delved into darkness once more.

"I'll name her Laurel. Isn't she beautiful?" My eyes snapped open and I sat up, sweating. At least, I tried to. Apollo was lying next to me. He must have pulled out the couch bed and was sleeping next to me. I went bright red and pulled away. He pulled me closer, his face distorting in obvious stubborn refusal. I sighed and lay down.

"You smell nice. Like...grass and trees..." I mutter. "What was that name I was trying to say in my dream though? This is getting too confusing for me. But...I think it was..." I sighed and moved closer to Apollo. His breath was steady. I pressed my hand against his heart. It wasn't really his heart; Gods didn't have beating hearts, at least I didn't think so. But, I liked this heart. It matched mine, for some reason. I felt a small pang in my stomach. But, there wasn't any way we could actually be together; Zeus wouldn't allow it, would he? 'And besides; I'm a human; I'm not allowed to go up to Mount Olympus.'

I blinked away the brief tears that filled my eyes and moved closer still, clutching his soft white shirt. "Apollo, I wish we could be...more..." I buried my head in his chest, sniffling. "I want to tell you that I...but, I'm so afraid you'll go away! I don't want to lose you- not again!" I
stopped.

'Again?'

I had never lost Apollo before; how could I lose him again?