Summers With Him

It was four years ago, when I met him...

I had gone to summer camp, with one of my close friends, Aphrodite McGee. We used to be just like sisters back then, her boyfriend at the time was showing up a little late. He was my childhood friend, I'd known him longer than I've ever known anyone. Henry Hephaestus.

Aphrodite went to the dining hall to save us all seats before dinner. The lake... man I remember that lake. I loved the lake, with the full silver moon shining over the deep blue water.

I stood there at the dock, I wanted to dive in, but I couldn't find a way to force myself to dive in. Instead I untied my shoes, and sat down putting my toes into the chilling water. It was calm and quiet, when I heard footsteps coming from behind me, I assumed it was Henry, or Aphrodite coming to tell me dinner was ready.

"Hello," he said as he sat down, his hair was deep brown, but his eyes. I don't think anyone could forget those chilling blue eyes, and ice blue that was nearly white. "My name's Jeremy. Who are you?"

I hid my porcelain skin under my jet black curls. I remember his perfect features made me wonder why he was talking to the quiet girl. It took my a minute to look back at him, he had a smirk, a playful one with hints of questions.

"Artemis!" Aphrodite called from behind me, "Dinner's ready!" her blonde hair was tied up, "Come..." she stopped as soon as Jeremy turned around. "Hi, I'm Aphrodite, who might you be?" Shock filled my head, Aphrodite knew everyone who lived in town. If she hadn't known Jeremy no one did.

"I'm Jeremy, I moved here last week. My dad thought it was a good idea for me to come here and meet some new people."

"And has my Artemis been good to you?" Aphrodite asked in her teasing voice.

"Well, she hasn't said a word yet," I stood up, and he followed, "She does have a voice, doesn't she?"

"Let's find out," my blonde friend smirked.

"Yes, I have a voice," I answered, quietly.

"So you do," Jeremy left, "Well, we better head to dinner. I'll see you guys around."

He started to walked away, and this pulsing feeling I should say something crept through my throat and out my mouth, "You should sit with us. Don't worry Aphrodite's boyfriend will be there too, so you won't be the only guy there!" Jeremy smiled that perfect smile with her perfect teeth, and my porcelain skin turn deep red.

That was the summer in which we met... but it wasn't the only summer I spent with him.

It was three years ago, he expressed his love for me...

My sophomore history class went on a trip to France over the summer. Jeremy, Henry, and Aphrodite were all there. We had all been color coded classes. I was navy blue, and Aphrodite was jealous because she had been assigned a puke green. Henry was in navy too, it complimented everything about him. His hazel eyes, and his dirty blonde hair. Henry... Aphrodite's boyfriend, and my long time crush.

I had liked Henry from the time I was eight, we met Aphrodite when we were ten, and he fell for her when we were twelve. It all happened so close, that had I said something now that they had been dating for two years, I would have lost them both.

Aphrodite knew me far too well, she knew that I had a crush on someone though I never told her who. She confronted me, on the plane where I couldn't leave. I had to answer her questions, "Artie! Who do you like? Why won't you tell me?" she whined.

"I... I like," I couldn't tell her I had feeling for her boyfriend. Our friendship would be ruined, and Aphrodite despite being my best friend, had never been able to keep a secret. If Henry knew I'd lose him too. "Jeremy." The lie slipped through my lips.

Aphrodite let out a loud gasp, and I covered her mouth before she could scream, and let the entire class know what I had said about Jeremy. She nodded signaling that she wouldn't scream, "I think you two would be so cute," she whispered.

I shrugged, I disagreed completely. Jeremy had proven to be incredibly similar to Henry. Both were athletic, in football, wrestling, and track. They both had coaches for fathers, extremely good looking, practically perfect, and on top of that everyone liked them. Not that Aphrodite was much different, she did cheer and track, had over twenty thousand followers on any and every social media platform, was part of Student council, and was impossibly gorgeous. See I was a dorky nerd, who did everything her best friend did, but was never truly seen as anything more than the side character.

Well, my parents were both chaperoning our trip to Paris. I can't remember what happened the next day, except for the end. I was sitting with the other students in navy, and the puke green students went back to the hotel. Aphrodite turned to me and winked, chills climbed my skin. Henry stood behind me, his now deep voice whispered, "She told him."

"What?!?" I screamed turning around, everyone around me turned to stare. I turned my voice into a harsh whisper, "Why would she do that?"

"I don't know. Aphrodite can be that way sometimes, but I highly doubt that she did it in a mean way," he held his breath, "Shouldn't you be with the other Oranges!" He called.

"I needed to talk to Artemis," Jeremy's now chilling voice said. "Am I gonna get killed Henry, you seem to look like you hate me right now."

Henry stood firm, "I'm gonna stay here, you say what you need to say here."

Jeremy got close enough to whisper in my ear, "Meet me by the desk in the lobby at eleven, I want to take you some where." I nodded, and he walked away. I turned to face Henry, who was clearly angry that I had agreed to sneak out. He would never tell any adults though.

I remember my dad turned to me as we headed back toward the hotel, "I like that Jeremy kid." My father had only like two guys my age ever, Henry and my brother... Apollo (Yes I know, my parents had a thing for mythology).

Well, I went to the Eiffel tower that night with Jeremy, and there he told me that he had feelings for me too. We started dating, though, it all started with a lie.

Now it was a year ago, when everything became just ashes...

I had been dating Jeremy for two years, but here's the thing, Jeremy Ares, Aphrodite McGee. If you know anything about Greek Mythology, you know Ares and Aphrodite tend to be cheaters.

How does someone survive finding out their best friend stole their boyfriend? They don't, they fall a part. Yes, our relationship started with a lie, but I told him the truth. I also told him that I fell for him, which I did.

Henry and I were broken, the only people we could even stand to talk to were each other. We avoided Aphrodite even after she was cheated on by Jeremy.

Now the present...

Henry and I eventually both forgave Aphrodite, and we're all friends again. Aphrodite realized she never truly love Henry, and is now dating... my twin bother, Apollo. All four of us actually attend the same school. Jeremy well, he went to prison after trying to rob a bank. Henry graduated valedictorian of our class, and is now studying to be a psychologist. Aphrodite is studying photography, and I'm studying astronomy.

Oh, I guess I left out one important thing, Henry and I we're dating. I think every now and then about what I had with Jeremy. It was Dangerous, wild, and got me in trouble. I think Henry was always the one I wanted, it just took a few broken hearts to get it. I guess this is the part of the story where I tell you I've never spoken to Jeremy since he broke my heart, but I have. In fact we're friends now, he just needed to learn things the hard way.

Well looking back, I think my favorite memory will favorite thing is Henry was there. Always in the back of my mind in every memory, and I'm so excited for the summers I'll spend with him.

The end. Happily ever after. Or maybe the best way to end this story is by simply saying, time for a new beginning instead.