A/N Hey guys! So sorry it took me two weeks to update! I know I said that I'd try to update every week, but you know how life gets in the way. So here we are, getting on to chapter four! Wooo! Enjoy!

Hermes was exactly where I thought he'd be: the park. We'd been there so many times together, it had become our sort of meeting place over the years. Sometimes we did homework, other times, just talked and joked and laughed. He was sitting on the edge of a fountain sprinkled with water and coins, a couple yards away from the stone path that wound around the park.

I sat next to him, but he continued to stare off into space, his head resting on his hands.

"Hey," I managed to say.

"Oh, hi," he muttered.

"Sorry about yesterday. That was kind of a disaster..." I apologize, even though really, he and Eros should be apologizing to me. I just didn't want him to think that I was still loopy and lovesick and, well, gross.

"It's not your fault," he said finally. He looked at me and smiled and I was reminded of why I'd fallen for him in the first place. "And you were pretty funny yesterday," he added, and we laughed for a moment before falling back into silence.

"So, we still on for the movies?" I asked, grinning.

"Of course," he answered, and we set out for the movies for a second time.

Monday came around soon enough, and I once again found myself on my way to school, my sisters far ahead of me. I hadn't slept very well the night before, but I tried not to think of my exhaustion, for fear I'd fall asleep on my rainbow again. The only other time it'd happened, I had accidentally drunken a sleeping draught instead of nectar, for they looked quite similar, and Dad liked to brew these things in his free time. To keep his mind sharp, he liked to say.

But I figured it was best not to dwell on those thoughts.

By second period, Earth Science, I had managed to stay awake with the help of Eos, who'd given me her granola bar to eat. She was annoyingly cheerful in the mornings. I suppose that's what I get for being friends with the goddess of dawn.

"Morning, everyone!" Mrs. Gaia chirped happily, her long gray braid swaying as she sat down.

"Morning," a couple people murmured.

It was a dull beginning to what seemed to be a dull day. I had barely been able to pay attention in Art class with Mr. Euphronios, who was actually a mortal, but a very talented one at that. During class, he would let us work on projects while he spent the time chiseling our images on vases. He was a very relaxed guy, and had an affinity for wearing socks with his sandals.

"Heyyy, Irma!" chirped Aphrodite, sitting down next to me at a scratched up table dotted with paint stains. I lifted my colored pencil from a sketch of a landscape that looked like it could have been drawn by a four year old.

"Um, hey, Aphrodite. It's Iris, by the way," I added, a bit confused why she insisted on sitting next to me all the time, lately. For such a lively girl, she always made me feel weary.

A couple people turned to look at us. I self consciously tucked a curl of hair behind my ear. Aphrodite didn't seem to mind the attention; in fact, I could have sworn she smirked as she noticed the curious onlookers.

"Wow, Iris, you're, like, such a good artist! Could you help me with something?" she asked innocently. I was a little suspicious, though I tried to look calm.

"Yeah, sure. I thought Hermes was going to help you with art, though?"

"Oh. Yeah. But, um... he couldn't do it this week, so I thought maybe you could help?" This made me even more suspicious, because I knew for a fact Hermes didn't have anything going on after school- track didn't start until spring and we were even going to go to a big party on Friday with Eos and Eros at Poseidon's house.

"Sure," I replied, faking a smile.

"Oh, you're just, like, super sweet! We should hang out sometime. Are you doing anything this afternoon? We should totally go shopping! Hera could come too!" I stared at her for a bit. Where in the universe did that come from? I barely knew her! But maybe she just wanted to get to know me better. And who was I to turn down an invitation from the prettiest girl in school?

"Yeah, that sounds cool," I answered, smiling something awful and receiving a disbelieving look from Eos.

"Great! You're the best." Aphrodite giggled before flitting back to her seat in time for the bell to ring. I sat in my seat a couple moments longer, still dazed. Eos dragged me out of the room to the cafeteria with a groan.

"So, what was that all about?" she asked as we got our gray plastic trays and headed into the long lunch line.

"What was what all about?" I asked, grabbing a bottle of nectar from under the sneeze guard.

"You know. With Aphrodite and everything."

"I don't know. She asked me to go to the mall with her and Hera after school is all," I said, watching Eos glare at me while handing over a couple gold coins to a lunch lady. I did the same and followed her a bit uneasily back to our table.

"Don't you remember? You were supposed to help me study for that Latin quiz today." This is why I didn't do Latin- the teacher was crazy enough to give tests on the second week of school! But I did remember, vaguely, promising her to help and all. I bit my lip.

"Well, can't we study tomorrow?"

"Iris! My test is tomorrow!" Eos sighed exasperatedly before standing up from the table and walking away, a warm roll of bread in her hand.

"Eos! Wait!" I called, standing up.

Hermes and Eros came to sit down at the table.

"Whoa, what's going on with you two?" Eros asked.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just... girl problems, you know," I answered quickly, before hurrying to catch up to Eos, who had seemed to have disappeared already.

Eos avoided me for the rest of the day, and as the last bell rang, I quickly packed up my things into my messenger bag and slammed my locker shut. I wasn't exactly sure if Aphrodite and would come and find me, but soon enough, she and Hera were standing at the top of the stairs, as though waiting for me.

"Oh, hey, Iris! Cute bag," Aphrodite complimented, smiling in that sickly sweet way of hers that made you feel as though you were looking at the sun. Hera, in comparison, was equally gorgeous, with honey colored hair and legs that seemed impossibly long in her miniskirt. She looked utterly bored and when Aphrodite glanced at her, one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows arching slightly.

"Hi, guys," I said, smiling awkward.

"Are we going to the mall or not?" Hera criticized.

Aphrodite shot her a look. "Of course, Hera!"

We got outside of the building and got into Aphrodite's pink car. The radio blasted stupid love songs that Hermes and I often made fun of. The lyrics were pointless, the songs all sounded the same, and the singers who sang them all had digitalized voices. I got into the backseat, feeling like a third wheel to two girls I didn't know very well; who'd I'd made fun of only the other day. But by now, it was too late to get out of the car, and I was flattered to be invited to the intimate moment that is shopping.

A/N So what will happen next? Join us next time on... IRIS!

Hahaha. I make funny... So did you like it? Love it? Hate it? Tell me in a review!

Love always,

Ali