Freedom Against Will

Chapter Two

Why the heck would Mom be worried about Hades? He's her brother! To think that he wants to court me is just plain gross. Gross, I tell you! I was jerked out of my thoughts when Helian took my arm and dragged me to the edges of a field, nearly dislocating my shoulder.

"Ow! Helian! That hurts." I whined to see what her reaction would be.

"So? You deserved it. You're too nice! And good!" she glared playfully. Well, that was unexpected. Normally she would have freaked and asked over and over if I was okay.

"Oh no!" Lark teased. "Persephone's mom will hear about this!" Meh. She'll panic and say I can't be friends with Helian anymore. I think I'll pass.

"You're going to be in trouble!" Paeonia joined in.

"Come on! Stop!" I protested. It's annoying.

"Ooh! Is Persephone afraid she's going to make her mummy mad?" Lark continued.

"Lark, stop it!" I shouted. She finally had the grace to finish her teasing.

"What was that?!" Paeonia shrieked. "Did you see that?" she whispered-shouted.

"See what?" I asked loudly.

"Shhh!" she hushed me. "See! There it is again!" We all looked over to hear rustling, and then saw a flash of orange. Orange...

"Did you see it? Did you see it?" Paeonia whispered excitedly.

"Sh...sh...show yo...yourself!" Helian stuttered.

Something stepped out of the field.

"Amaryllis! It's you!" Lark exclaimed.

"Indeed it is." the figure said, as it strode out into the bright sunshine. She was orange-skinned and black-haired, with light brown eyes that had flicks of amber in the center.

"Amaryllis? Amaryllis!" I shouted excitedly. "I haven't seen you in so long! Where have you been? What have you been doing?" I asked, hugging her tightly. I had been in a bit of a bad mood since she left.

"Uhh...Pers...Persephone...let go...of...me...I can't...breathe..." she wheezed. And I'll hug you to death for disappearing like that!

"Sorry." I said, letting go of her. "Disappear like that again and I'll hug you to death!" I said, making my earlier thought known.

"Well, I'm happy to see you too." she replied, sort of smiling.

"There are some people over here who want to say hello to our friend, too," Lark remarked.

"I know." I said, still not stepping away from Amaryllis.

Amaryllis rolled her eyes. "Don't mind Persephone. We all know she's a sarcastic little-"

"HEY!" I shouted, but not completely annoyed. "I'm still here!"

"I know." Amaryllis replied.

"Touché." I admitted. That was a nice one. Am's getting better.

"Back to the point..." Lark commented.

"Oh yeah." Amaryllis said.

"GROUP HUG!" Helian squealed, as we covered our ears. But we obliged anyway, and all squeezed each other. We're probably killing Am. I thought, in the midst of the hug.

I started coughing from being hugged so tight. Oh. Wrong person.

"Sorry." Amaryllis said sarcastically. No! She's getting too sarcastic. Must regain title! I thought, a smile on my lips.

"Whatcha thinkin?" Paeonia asked me, noticing how I was smiling.

"A thought. A random thought." I assured her, not letting her notice how I was plotting to overthrow Amaryllis as Sarcasm Queen. At least, I think I didn't let her notice.

"So, Am, where have you been?" Helian asked distractedly, picking at her nails. What is with the nail picking?! THEY ARE PERFECTLY FINE YOU GIRLY GIRL.

"Well, I uh..." she began, hesitantly. What? Am does not get hesitant.

"Is there something wrong?" Lark worriedly inquired.

Am said nothing.

"Are you okay? Did someone hurt you while you were gone? What happened? Who did it?" Helian asked abruptly, alarmed and jumping to conclusions. As always.

"What?" she cried. "Nothing happened to me." You're telling us that, but did nothing really happen?

Helian gave her an unsure look. My thoughts exactly!

"I promise nothing happened to me." she said again. Are you sure?

"Okay, I believe you." Helian answered. No, no, no! Keep interrogating her!

"What were you doing anyway?" Lark asked her, with a look on her face that said she was playing detective again. Whew. Someone understands me.

"I...I was running some errands for, uh, Zeus?" she responded, saying it like a question. Liar, liar, pants on fire!

"YOU GOT TO MEET ZEUS?!" Paeonia shrieked (again), buying Amaryllis' story. Which no normal person would.

"Yes, I did." Amaryllis answered her. We all knew Paeonia was going through a phase where she was obsessed with Zeus and everything relating to him. You mention the storm last night, and she goes on and on about how mighty Zeus is, and how great he handles his famed Lightning Bolt, and such, and such. It's a bit annoying, really. And a little awkward. I mean, Zeus is my dad. A crappy dad, no doubt. But still my dad.

Amaryllis then began telling Helian and Paeonia stories of the exciting adventures she had had. While Paeonia and Helian were engrossed into Amaryllis' storytelling, I glanced over to where Lark had been sitting, thinking. Obviously. Remember! Lark the Thinker.

"You don't think Amaryllis ran errands for Zeus, right?" I whispered to her. Because only Helian and Paeonia would believe her.

"Correct." she whispered back. "Zeus can do anything with a snap of his fingers; why would he need a random flora nymph-like Amaryllis?" Er...

"Am's not random, remember? Her mother used to work for Hera until Hera started getting jealous of her beauty and sent her away." I looked at Lark's thoughtful face. "You do remember, right?" I asked her. Well, I mean, who wouldn't?

"Of course I remember." she replied. "I just don't know why Zeus would need her. Even if she was telling the truth, why would she speak so hesitantly about what she was doing? And listen; Amaryllis telling the story of when she served Apollo. We heard that one a couple months ago."

I did as she said, and listened in on Amaryllis' talking. She was indeed telling about how she served Apollo and did his will.

I looked at Lark, and saw she had her favorite, "I told you so" look on her face.

As we walked closer and closer to the meadow, one question ran through my mind over and over: What could she be hiding from us? 

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