DAPHNE"S POV

"Ooh!! Try this one!" Pauline was shoving a red dress at my face.

"I don't think Red suits me," I told her honestly.

"Oh, don't be such a woose. Red is definitely your color Just so you know," Alexa protected Pauline. "Just try it on."

"Fine," I said and took the dress. I went inside the "Fitting Room" and wore the dress. When I stepped out, they all looked at me and frowned. "What?"

Alexa stepped in and told me to wear the black stockings. She said it'll help. So, I took it and wore it. Turns out, red did suit me. I smiled at them.

"Here's another one!" Pauline gave Alexa, who handed me the dress. It was grey on top and on the very bottom was violet and blue. They say that I have to wear it with a belt, and finish it off with a 3nch heel.

Then they handed me another gray dress, but this time, it was only a plain gray dress. And they said that I have to wear black heels to complete the look.

"Well, I think we should continue this again some time but for now, I think we should all just get a pizza." Mrs. Dodds offered to all of us.

"Good idea Mrs. Dodds. I like how you think," Alexa pointed out.

"Well of course its a good idea. I mean, who doesn't love pizza?"

"My mother," Pauline said and everybody started laughing.

We went to a place called Lombardi's pizza. I didn't know what a pizza was until I saw it. It looked like a giant pancake but it tastes much better. I moaned in pleasure.

"This is delicious," I told them and they all nodded.

"Well, this is the best pizza around NYC," Pauline said.

"Also the most expensive," Alexa corrected Pauline. "Mrs. D, are you sure its alright that we're eating here? Maybe you would like someplace much more suitable to your budget."

"Its quite alright Alexa. And, this is actually around my price wage you know. I could afford almost everything in here."

"See, Mrs. D has money to burn. She uses her wealth for others. Unlike someone I know." Pauline rolled her eyes at Alexa.

"That's mean. You know I have no control of my money. Dad only gives me a few couple of hundreds a day."

"And that's alot more than we regular folks have. I always wondered why you're going on a public school when you could surely afford your way to Standford or Harvard."

"You do know those are universities. Not really a place for a High School student like me."

"Whatever. At least you get my point."

"Why don't we stop fighting and start eating again? I'm really, really hungry just so everyone knows," they all giggled at my unlaughable jokes.

After we ate, Mrs. Dodds dropped off Pauline and Alexa in front of their houses, Alexa lived in the Upper East side, which Pauline calls the part of the city where only rich people live. Apperently, she has issues agaisnt wealthy people and money. Pauline lived near our house. Just at Manhattan.

One month later.

I've been getting used to the way people around me talk. I started talking like them and acting like them. In short, I was becoming like them. In a way, it was sort of "cool".

It had been a long time since I've torn myself away from my past life. I had almost completely forgotten most of it. But I still do remember Apollo. How he would smother me with kisses when I was still a tree. Hug me until he felt tired. But the funny thing about the Olympians, they never get tired.

The Halloween ball was coming up and Bryce Brophy had volunteered his penthouse for the sophomores Halloween ball. Even though I'm studying my butt out to know everything about the modern world, one of the first things I've learned was that Halloween was the time of the year where you dress up as stupidly as you can.

The party would be 2 weeks from now and I'm still trying to figure out what to wear for it. I wasn't a big "Fashion" fan, but in this lifetime, looks are everything. I think I might go for my old look. I might try to be a Nymph again.

Or a fairy. Yes. A fairy sounds delightful, uh, I mean great. A fairy costume sounds great.

"There's a new hot student here!" Pauline squeeled. She came out of nowhere.

"What?" I asked confused.

"There's a new student who is really breathtaking," Alexa followed. Connor was by her side. They seem to be in good terms again. Ever since the whole commosion, Connor and I have agreed to be kind to each other for the sake of Alexa.

"Yeah, he's a senior," Connor said.

"Oh Connie, don't tell me you find him handsome too?" Pauline asked him in a rather flirty childish tone.

"If I were gay and into blond guys, I'd say yeah, I do find him handsome." Connor always had a sense of humor that made girls like us laugh.

"Look, what we're trying to tell you is that we think you two would look great together," Alexa said.

"No. I don't think I'd want to be in a relationship with anyone right now." I shook my head. It was true. I really didn't want to be in a relationship right now, maybe ever. It was because of Eros, I would never love again because of Eros. I'm quite alright with it, but my friends didn't seem to be fond of the idea.

"Great. Then I'll ask him!" Pauline giggled again.

"No!" Alexa took hold of Pauline's arm and shook her then she looked at me. "You will ask him whether you like it or not. Look, almost all of the guy at this school have the hots for you..."

"Yeah. All the hot guys may I add." Pauline added.

"Yeah. And you don't even give a damn in any of them. And so far, this new guy is the hottest of them all, and I want you to ask him to the dance. You don't need to hook up with him, just ask him out. You don't even need to be with him."

"But, if I'm not going to be with him the whole night, then what's the point of him being my date anyway?"

"You're the most hard headed person I have met in my entire life. Just come with me and then I'll show you how drop dead georgous he is." Alexa took me by my wrist and dragged me up to the accounting office. We tried not to be too suspicious.

I haven't gotten a chance to look at him yet. Alexa and Pauline forced me to look at the billboard and just sneak a couple of peeks at him. As I turned my head to look, I saw him.

He had blond hair, blue-green eyes, pink rosy lips, high cheekbones and tanned. He was about 5'11. I remember him somewhere.

Then he was looking around him when he saw me. I narrowed my eyes on him. He seemed to be intimidated by me. He was trying to avert his eyes away. He was somehow afraid of me to look at him, as if somehow I could tell who he was. Except, I do know who he is. He was Apollo.

"C'mon. We're going to be late again and I bet Mrs. Williams isn't going to be so forgiving this time." I pushed the two of them out as quickly as possible. The new kid, Apollo, was bad news. Not for them, but for me. I have to get away ASAP.

~

APOLLO'S POV

She was very eager to get away from me. But I'm going to make sure, she won't. She can run now, but she can't hide.

I went after her, but not like the way I used to. Not stalker like, but a gentle like move. She and her friends stopped to catch their breath. That was when I walked over towards them.

"Excuse me, but I saw the three of you earlier and is it alright if I ask why you ran off?" I asked them. The two other girls seemed to be charmed by me. I could tell, 'cause they were blushing like whoa.

"I don't know," The girl with the dimples answered then offered her hand. "Oh yeah, I'm Pauline. And this is Alexa," she was referring to the asian girl. "And Daphne."

I wanted to say, Yes, I do know her. But she seemed to be trying to keep a low profile just like me. So I opened my mouth and greeted all of them one by one.

"Hello Pauline, Alexa and Daphne." I nodded to them.

"I'm sorry, but we didn't seem to catch your name," Alexa asked me.

"Its Paul," I answered briefly.

"Paul?" Alexa asked me. I nodded. "Oh, okay. Hey, my friend Daphne wanted to ask you something." I quickly saw Daphne glare at Alexa. "So, we'll be on our way. C'mon Pauline." She tugged for her dimpled friend.

"Bye Paul." Pauline waved goodbye to me. I waved back. Then I faced her.

"Hello," I said to her. Then she turned her back on me and went on her way. I followed her.

"You must be lost. The senior's class is on the fourth floor. This is the sophomore floor."

"Can we not get off to a bad start." I finally caught up with her.

"No. But how about this, you keep your distance and I promise I won't run away. Is that a deal?" She offered her hand for me to shake. I took hold of her hand and shook it. It was warm and soft and sweaty. She must be just as nervous as I was.