Chapter 1.
All Rights Reserved.
© 2020 Mele Toleafoa
"Why are you forcing me to come with you guys? You know how much I hate it! Just go and leave me be!" Thalia moaned, stomping her foot childishly. She knew that it was going to take a lot of work to convince Francis and James to let her stay home. Ever since they had started college, all they ever wanted to do was go out and explore the world. Thalia would be much like them, full of excitement and happiness, if it weren't for a certain someone who had broken up with her because he claimed he could not stay faithful due to the long distance that was put in between them.
The thing that Thalia could not seem to grasp, and was also the reason behind her anti-social behavior, was why Justin, the boy she had been in love with since the fifth grade, would leave her. She had loved him deeply. She showed him the real her. She told him about her fears and about her father and he had promised her that he would never leave her. What hurt her the most is that she no longer felt sure of the fact that everything they had, was real. Thalia had admitted to doing a lot of spying on him since their separation and saw that he had already gotten himself a new girlfriend. Was their whole love a lie? Was he cheating on her the whole time? She knew she should stop dwelling on it because thinking about it always made her shift into depression mode and bad things were to happen when she did.
"THAT! That is the reason why we are forcing you! That look on your face that expresses sorrow, is the reason why we want you to come with us, Lia." James sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and squeezing her tightly. Francis nodded in agreement.
"C'mon Lia. You can't spend your time weeping over an ignoramus like Justin. It's the very first semester of our freshman year! Be happy!" She sat on the other side of Thalia, taking her hand and caressing it.
"That's much easier said, than done, Fran." Thalia replied with a shaky voice. Oh why, did she have to be such a killjoy? Here she was, on the verge of tears for a boy who could not care any less for her feelings while her friends, the people who had stood by her since she was in diapers, were trying their hardest to make her smile. She felt guilt rise up inside of her and she lowered her head as both her friends stood up at the same time.
"I know but you just have to try. Be ready in five minutes! Then we're going to the beach and you're going to have fun!"
Woohoo. Fun.
**
As soon as the trio arrived at the beach, Francis and James took off in the direction of their loves and Thalia followed slowly in a less exuberant manner. They all set up their towels and beach chairs near the bar and then sat back and relaxed. Ricky, James' girlfriend was a curly haired blonde with stunning green eyes. Ricky and James had met at a birthday party of one of the girls from their old high school. She was beautiful and Thalia liked her with James.
"How have classes been?" Ricky wondered aloud, aiming the question to no one in particular. Parker, Francis' boyfriend answered.
"Absolutely dull. This is not how I pictured college to be like. Studying seems to always merge with my partying time." Francis raised an eyebrow. Parker had applied to NYU and had been accepted, whereas Thalia, Francis and James were attending F.I.U (Florida International University). Ricky was a nerd, despite her long legs and model build. She had applied at Harvard and none of them had doubted that she would be accepted. They were right in their assumptions. Ricky attended Harvard and only came down to visit James every second week.
"You mean your partying time is merging into your studying time." Francis thumped his chest and stared at him pointedly. Parker chuckled and planted a small kiss on her lips, distracting her from the lecture she was about to deliver. Meanwhile, Thalia was staring out at the beach. She felt suffocated in the presence of so many couples and she decided that she was going to buy a drink from the bar. A shot of tequila would definitely make her forget about all the feelings coursing through her.
As she slumped against the island bench of the bar, she ordered a shot of tequila. No one had even noticed her age and being as tall as she was, this was common. The bartender, not even asking her for her ID, placed the shot in front of her. Her mind wandered to her friends and how they didn't even notice she had left. Why did they drag her here if they were only going make her a fifth wheel? She had never felt so alone in her whole entire life, as she stood by and watched all the couples do lovey-dovey.
She immediately downed her shot. The liquid burned her throat and she grimaced, shaking her head slightly. She placed the shot glass back down on the bench, waving the bartender towards her so she could order another shot. Once the bartender had retreated away to retrieve more liquor, her phone blasted out a ringtone, alerting her that someone wanted to talk to her. She searched for it in her pockets and then held it to her ear, not even bothering to look at the Caller ID.
"Hello?"
"Thalia?" Her breath hitched in her throat. Why was he, of all people calling her so randomly, as if they were on good terms? He hadn't even bothered to be there for the first part of her life and just because he decided to stumble back into it, he thought he could just call her and expect her to be civil with him? No.
I need another shot, she thought to herself and signalled to the bartender for another one.
"Oh what the hell do you want?"
"Oh dear, c'mon Thalia, don't act so childish-"She could not believe it. He was going to start lecturing her? He was going to make her the bad guy?
"Oh, we're going to discuss being childish? Because not being there for the first 18 years of your daughter's life, gives you permission to talk so innocently about being childish?" Thalia was fuming, her blood boiling with anger. This 'man' was not going to make her feel like she was the one in the wrong. He could not just start acting like a father, 18 years late. She wouldn't allow that.
It seems as though her message was delivered because she got no response, only silence. She chuckled bitterly, not a trace of humor in the small laugh.
She hung up and downed the tequila shot that the bartender had left sitting in front of her. She was starting to feel a little edgy from the alcohol but she knew it would have to take at least a three more shots before she was tipsy.
"That was quite a heated phone call."
The voice was unfamiliar and made Thalia look up, with curiosity surging through her veins. A man with blue eyes stood beside her. He wore light-colored shorts and a Hawaiian shirt with palm trees decorating it.
"Have you never heard of privacy?" She raised an eyebrow, slightly irritated that he had been listening in on her conversation with her father. She gulped down her shot, slurping messily.
"Well, you're quite a charmer, aren't you?" She rolled her eyes. He took the seat next to hers and leaned against the bench. She did not like that at all, she'd much rather be left alone to wallow in her self-pity and sorrow.
"Are you lost? What do you want?"
He laughed. "Me? Hmm, I desire many things. A woman being one of them." He winked at her and she was taken aback. Was he flirting with her? Thalia was pretty but she wasn't the kind to have boys fighting for her attention. No, that was Francis. With her fiery red hair and beautiful green eyes, Francis always had boys lined up to date her. Unsure how to react, she immediately drew the attention away from herself.
"Well if you must know, you won't find what you want, over here. I suggest you continue your search over there." She pointed towards a table of curvy, gorgeous blondes in bikinis. She nodded as if to say he would enjoy himself more if he was away from her.
"None of them are really my kind of woman. I fancy blue eyes and beautiful brown hair." He bit his lip, knowing that he had just described her own features and that it would cause a tint of red to appear on her already warm cheeks. She scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"Well whatever. I don't care about your desires."
"You mortals, really should though." Her face scrunched up in confusion. Mortals? Why was he talking as if he was higher and mightier than her? "I am Poseidon, the God of the Sea, I really do not understand how you mortals cannot feel the shift in the atmosphere whenever we are around."
She stared at him blankly. He had definitely just taken being self-absorbed to a new level. God? Ha! What made him so damn special? He was not that great! Yes, she had to admit that he was very good looking but he was not a God.
He watched her facial expressions and knew instantly that she did not believe him. He couldn't help but think she was breathtakingly beautiful. He was supposed to be in Olympus at this moment, discussing with Zeus how they were going to approach the problem that Hades had caused but just as he was about to leave, she had caught his eye. Her full lips that were lifted up in a permanent scowl, the waves of brown hair that decorated her shoulders but the thing that drew him to her the most, were the deep blue eyes that were filled with such sadness.
"Oh my lord, you are such an egomaniac."
She scanned his face, trying to search for a reason as to why he was so obsessed with himself. As she got a better look at him, she found many reasons, not just one. His face structure was very defined with his jaw popping out and his cheek bones very prominent. His sandy blonde hair was messily pulled to the side. She couldn't help but think that he was very attractive and as her eyes fell on his hands, they widened a fraction. The things he could do with such big hands.
"You don't believe me? Okay mortal, let's make a deal. I prove to you, that I am a God, and you must come back with me, to my home in the sea." He knew that he would be in great trouble. Mortals and Gods were never a good mix. Their children resulted in Demi-Gods. Ever since the last time a Demi-God had attempted to overthrow Olympus, Poseidon, Zeus and Hades made a promise to never become romantically involved with a mortal again, not that Poseidon was thinking of having a romance with young Thalia, although she was beautifully sculpted, he had to admit she had curves in all the right places.
Thalia laughed. "Okay, then 'God', let me see the power you hold." She was not taking him seriously. She thought he was absolutely insane. A God? Really? If he was trying to impress her in some way, he was not successful. Just like how she was not a lightweight when it came to alcohol, she did not fall easily for smooth words.
"You swear to Zeus, that you will uphold your side of our deal?"
"I swear to Zeus that I will visit your home, if you show me your 'Godliness'. Thalia replied sarcastically.
Poseidon rose from his seat, taking a step back. He held out his hand as if waiting for something to drop from the sky and land in his grasp. Thalia stifled a laugh, he looked downright silly. He was trying to prove he was a God by standing like a statue in front of her? She couldn't help but notice his shirt lifted up slightly, exposing the bottom of his defined abs. Her eyes grew wider and she had to admit, he was hot. Her eyes traveled up his arm and she bit her lip as she stared at the bulging biceps, contained by the sleeve of his shirt. In the midst of her hungry stare, a sparkle caught her eye.
It was a blue spark of fire that appeared in his outstretched hand. Slowly, the spark started to take a larger form, stretching outwards until it turned into a stone blue three pointed trident. Poseidon was suddenly shirtless and Thalia watched him in awe. Was it possible, that he was really a God? There was no other explanation for the fiery blue flame that had turned into a stone trident. Her eyes raked over his body, taking in all of him and wanting nothing more than to have her hands everywhere. Once her eyes met his, she immediately stopped thinking so intimately of him. The smug smirk that tugged at his lips, was enough for her to want to crawl in a hole and die.
She had lost.
And where exactly did Poseidon dwell?
In the sea.
Thalia shook her head. "I'm not coming to your home."
Poseidon raised an eyebrow. "Yes, you are. You swore to my brother Zeus and let me tell you, he does not take false promises too lightly. You must uphold your side and face the consequences. You will come to my home in two days."
She shook her head. "Its not happening".
"Whats wrong? You frightened of water or something?" Poseidon snorted, flicking the liquid onto her heated skin. She looked down at her hands fidgeting in her lap and scowled.
"Do not mock me!" Thalia snapped at him, her eyes narrowing at the God in front of her. How did she end up in this mess? How did she manage to land herself in the presence of a God? It was bad enough that her ignorant friends had dragged her to the place she hated more than her absent father and now she was kicking herself for accepting such an absurd deal with the God of the Sea.
"You do not control me, Thalia. I will do as I please." She glared at him, wanting nothing more than to call it all off, but she had sworn to Zeus and he was going to hold her to that.
"I don't want to be here and I especially don't want your company, Poseidon."
"I'm the God of the sea." He grinned at her smugly. "Everyone wishes to be around me." Those were the last words he uttered before he disappeared, leaving Thalia to roll her eyes at his narcissistic comment.
Oh my, what have I gotten myself into?
**
"So...Lia...who was that guy you were chatting with at the beach today?" Fran's eyes sparkled with mischief as she watched Thalia squirm uncomfortably at the mention of Poseidon. He was going to come back in two days to collect her and she was definitely not ready. He was the God of the Sea for goodness sake! Just thinking about being surrounded by so much water made her stomach turn and her heart beat faster.
"Oh, he was just some drunk that tried to buy me a drink." Thalia waved her best friend off with a white lie. They had gotten back from the beach a few hours ago and she was waiting for Fran to bring up Poseidon. Thalia knew that if she told Francis that Poseidon was a Greek God and that he really existed, she would not believe her. Fran must've gotten the vibe that Thalia did not want to talk about it so she changed the subject.
"Are you going to visit your mum this week?"
Francis knew that this was a touchy subject to talk about. Thalia's mother had died, only two years ago. She always went with her to visit her mother's grave and it was just such a heart-breaking experience for Francis to see her best friend in a state of absolute grief.
"No, not this week. Maybe another time." Thalia had not been to see her mother's grave since last year. She did not want to be reminded that her mother was gone. Her mother was the last of her family, besides her deadbeat father. She'd lost her brother when she was 12 and she was tired of feeling the emptiness of loss and grief. Francis nodded and stood quickly.
"I'm going to head off to bed, Lia. Sweet dreams."
Thalia smiled weakly and nodded, replying with a good night and sweet dreams. Her head was the only thing keeping her awake, she began overanalysing the situation at hand. Poseidon? God? The Sea? How did she get into this mess? Thalia was never one who enjoyed drama. It felt as if in the next two days, drama would be right there by her side. Maybe if it weren't for the fact that Poseidon was such a cocky asshole, the trip to his home might be endurable, but she was so sure that he was going to rub it all in her face, reveling in the fact that he had won and she had lost. She did not like Poseidon one bit. Despite his good looks, she was not attracted to his personality, although she wasn't really in the right place to judge him, seeing as she didn't really know him well. Oh well, first impressions are everything, right? Poseidon had definitely NOT left a great first impression on Thalia.
As Thalia lay in her bed, she prayed that she receive peace and patience. She was going to need a lot of that for her trip to The God's home.