Disclaimers: This is a work of fiction. Any similarities to real people are coincidental. If you are under the legal age in your area to read erotic literature, please stop reading this and go somewhere age appropriate. If you are offended by homosexual material, please stop reading this and go somewhere your bigoted little mind can handle. If you're looking for pure sex and plot/character development only get in your way, this story is definitely not for you. The rest of you, please enjoy chapter five of this tale.
----------------------- Godsend Chapter 5: A Rose Garden
I awoke with a slight headache. Sunlight was streaming through the windows of my room, the dust motes like a golden mist inside. I looked over to my clock, which showed it to be ten in the morning. As any teenager would, I went through the brief `I'm late for school' panic before I realized that it was Saturday. Saturday, named after the Roman god Saturn, I recalled - and figured that, if the human genealogies were correct, was my Great-grandfather. It was a little too much for me to fathom.
I left the bed, pulled on a pair of jeans and a polo shirt, and headed downstairs for some breakfast. Angie was in there. Mom...Aphrodite, the frickin goddess of love, had told me that Angie and Hektor weren't quite what I thought they were. I couldn't begin to imagine what they could be. Angie still seemed like my sixteen year old sister.
"What are you staring at?" she said between bites of cereal. She still sounded like my sister, too.
"What are you?" I asked.
She looked up at me, confused, and then saw my expression. Her look changed to understanding. "You came into your powers and mom talked to you," she said.
I nodded. "She said that you and Hektor aren't exactly my brother and sister, but it's complicated." I pulled a bowl from the cupboard and sat down next to Angie.
"Not to us," she said. "But I've been living with the knowledge of what I am for sixteen years. I am Aphrodite."
"Wait, what? I thought Mom was Aphrodite. Now I'm totally lost."
Angie laughed and looked at me with compassion. "She is, and so is Grandma.
We are the past, present and future of the goddess Aphrodite. As the present incarnation, Mom has all of the power. The same is true for Dad, Hektor, and Grandpa. Hektor and I are in training to take over the power when we come of age. Mom and Dad handle the present duties of their godhood."
"And Grandma and Grandpa?" I asked, pouring my cereal, then milk.
"You know all those senior retreats they go on?" she asked. "Well, the only other seniors there are the past incarnations of the other gods. They meet to discuss and share and everything. They handle what are called the Olympian Affairs - anything that involves just the gods and not mortals. They have no godlike powers left, other than immortality, so there's no clashing like there used to be, and they're forced to talk like adults. When they come back from the retreats, Grandma takes Mom aside and Grandpa takes Dad aside, and each of them tell the present incarnations what has been decided upon. When they started this system, all the petty crap from mythology stopped happening and the world started to return to human dominance, as it should have been. God, the Creator of all, was pleased that we had stopped interfering in His work, and let us know as much."
"If he's so powerful, why didn't he stop you?" I asked.
"Because it would spoil his work," she said. "When He told us of His pleasure at our maturity, He then explained to us that we had to come into it on our own or we would always be children in His eyes. Now He sees us as His grown children and trusted servants. Yet, we are still part of His master work."
"God doesn't put his hand into the matters of man at all, does he?" I asked.
"It's part of the whole free will thing," Angie said. "He's made the universe so that it requires little of His touch. The only times when He intercedes are when he knows that utter destruction is imminent on the path we, or mortals, have taken. As has happened with you. Humankind is on a collision course with extinction, and it isn't time for that in the master plan yet, so you were created."
"I've seen what my powers do," I told her. "How could that possibly save the human race?"
She giggled. "Part of the decree in your creation was to keep your purpose a secret. He said that it would make things worse if you knew, not better. The only thing I can tell you is: have faith. When the time comes, you will understand. Just remember, everything you do, every decision you make, is acceptable in the master plan. You will not destroy existence, you can only save it."
"Do you know what will threaten humankind?" I asked.
"No," Angie said. "God has only told Zeus and Hera, so they could make the appropriate arrangements." Angie's expression dropped. "I have a bad feeling, though. If Zeus and Hera aren't telling us what's coming, it must be bad for the gods, too."
At that moment, Ben, the doorman cleared his throat. How much had he heard?
"Master Stefan," he announced, "a Mister Marriott is at the door to see you. Shall I let him in?"
Angie looked at me with bright eyes. "Yes, Ben, please do," I told him and he left the room. "You have a crush on Cade," I said softly once Ben was out of earshot.
"Damn right I do," she said with a grin, "don't you?"
"No," I said, confused. "Why would I have a crush on Cade? He's a guy, remember?"
Angie's jaw dropped and she stared at me like I'd just grown a second head. "You're supposed to be gay," she said. "Mom told me."
I should have been shocked at this news. Too much had happened recently for me to react how a typical teenage boy would. I laughed instead. "Guess they screwed up, didn't they? Do I have to be gay for their plans to work?"
She paused for a moment. "I don't think it matters, really," she said. Then she smiled again. "Well, in that case, can I date Cade?"
"Don't you think you should ask Cade that?" Cade asked from the door to the kitchen. He had an amused smile on his face. Angie turned bright red and darted out of the room, past Cade. She'd probably be going upstairs. She really didn't seem like a goddess to me, but maybe that demeanor came when the power was actually passed on.
I shared a small laugh with Cade. "Cereal?" I asked.
He smiled and shook his head. "No thanks, man. I ate before I came over. I came to talk to you."
"Sure thing," I said, picking up my bowl that only had milk left inside, along with Angie's half eaten bowl, and taking them both to the sink. I dumped both into the garbage disposal and turned it on so I could think for a moment. What could Cade want? He'd never come to my house before. I'd have to play it cool and not let on that anything strange was going on. "OK," I said. "I'm ready now, you wanna walk outside?"
"Sure," he said. There was an exterior door in the kitchen for deliveries, but directly across the service drive were the gardens. We stepped through the opening in the privacy hedge and into a miniature Eden. The gardens were in full bloom, and vibrant colors stretched out for acres ahead. Brick paths wound through beds in an intricate Celtic knot, and the whole design was built into a circular valley, so that, as one moved to the center, one walked at a slight downhill angle. The center of the knot had a relaxation pool and glade. I liked it out here because it was so beautiful and peaceful. Cade looked awestruck. "This is unreal," he said.
"A little bit at first," I admitted. "One you get used to it, it's just beautiful and relaxing." We started walking slowly around the upper path. Along the inner wall of the privacy hedge grew lilac bushes. The scent was wonderful. "You've never come here before," I said. "I mean, to my house."
"I guess I haven't," he said distantly. "You've never been to mine either, though," he added, a little bit of guard coming up in his voice. "I guess we're even."
"It's not a competition, Cade," I told him. "I don't live like you and your friends do, trying to be on an even level or ahead of everyone. It seems like it would be stressful. Darren seems downright paranoid about owing anyone anything, and Mike's always trying to be bigger and stronger."
"That's sort of what I wanted to talk to you about," he said. "I want to know what's going on."
"What do you mean?" I took a turn to go down a level, into the phlox paths, and Cade instinctively turned as well.
"Well, for starters, Jacob invited you to the thing at Mike's yesterday, when I'm pretty sure you two hadn't ever spoken," he started. I held up my hand.
"There was a rumor started about me and Rona the day before. Jacob came after me, but we worked it out. That's how we met," I said. No reason to make things more difficult than they were. "Darren was there, too, just in case you were wondering how I knew him. They're both cool guys and we got along. In my world, that's enough for friendship."
"But you never told me," Cade said. "We spend half the day together, and not only don't I hear that you've met my friends, but also that you'll be at one of their houses."
"We had to finish our paper," I protested.
"To top it all off, when I get to the party, they're all talking about what they can do for you, and you've already left. No one will tell me what's going on, and I found out that Kelly had also been there and left with James to go to the hospital and get something checked out."
"She did?" I asked. It made sense, though. I had sensed something odd about James and he went to get it checked out, Kelly had to have been immensely curious about it. "Anyway, I still don't see a problem." We turned another corner and entered an area of tall rose bushes that were a few feet taller than either of us.
"You're not telling me things, that's the problem," he said. "I thought we were friends, and you're living this whole double life without telling me."
"Really?" I asked. "Why weren't you interested in the life I was living with my old friends? Why is it just the things that happen with your friends that makes you upset? Are you getting jealous? Do you think I'm trying to replace you in your group of friends? What is it?" My temper was starting to rise.
He grabbed my arm forcefully to stop me. "I knew what was going on with your old friends. I knew from what you told me and how you acted. Also, I know you're not trying to replace me - it doesn't work like that. And the jealous thing..." he trailed off and his grip loosened.
"What, what is it?" I asked, suddenly concerned for him.
He laughed softly, almost to himself. "I think I am jealous. I think that's why I'm so upset."
I put my hand on his arm. "There's nothing to be jealous of, Cade. I don't want to take anything of yours, including your friends or your territory." He snorted. "What?" I asked.
"I'm not jealous of you," he said, coming closer, the scent of the roses mixing with the scent of the light cologne he was wearing. "I'm jealous of them for getting more of you than me." With that, he closed the distance and pressed his lips to mine. His arms wrapped around my body in a tight embrace. I was in complete shock and confusion. Here was the star quarterback, the guy every girl in the school wanted to go out with, and he was kissing me. I did a quick power check, but everything seemed in place. I wasn't making this happen - it was real. The kiss ended and he lifted his arms to rest on my shoulders, his forehead pressed to mine. "I've been wanting to do that for months now," he said softly. "I love you, Stef."
My heart broke. I couldn't think of any words that wouldn't do the same to him. I didn't want to hurt him, but I didn't know how not to. "I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I'm so, so sorry."
"About what?" His voice was a shaking whisper.
"I'm not gay," I said to him. "I never was. I don't know what signs I was giving off, but they weren't real. Cade, I'm so...so...sorry."
"You're really straight?" he asked.
"Completely, as far as I know," I said. "A few people have been thinking what you did lately, though. I think I'm sending out a signal or something."
"I'm sorry," he said. "I have to go." He turned around and started walking quickly back the way we had come.
I ran to catch up with him and stopped him by grabbing his arm. It wasn't a forceful one like he'd done to me, just enough pressure to let him know I didn't want him to keep walking. "Cade," I said. "Don't go. I didn't mean to or want to hurt you. I can't help that I'm not what you want me to be, but I'm still here." I did what felt right and came in close behind him, wrapping my arms around him and putting my chin on his shoulder. "We are what we are, Cade. I'm still your friend. You're safe here."
At that point, I could feel his body shake with small sobs. I held him tighter and laid my forehead on his shoulder. I didn't speak for the next hour of holding him like that. Words weren't necessary.