Hestia the Invisible Page 9

A gasp of wonder went up from the crowd as they gazed upon the mural. Hestia craned her neck, but she could only see the very tops of the painted heads on it from where she stood. Too many people were blocking her view. Was that Aphrodite? And Athena? She couldn’t exactly tell.

  But suddenly those around her were congratulating her and pushing her forward toward the mural. Soon she was standing right in front of it.

  Colorful images of the eleven contest finalists ranged across the wall, each one shown with the student’s chosen symbol. Their names were carefully inscribed at the base of the painted figures. And guess what? Her likeness and name were part of the mural. She was a finalist! The crowd oohed and aahed over the magnificent painting and gave a cheer for the group of eleven. Each was asked to pose before their image so an artist from the Greekly Weekly News could draw them.

  Hestia could scarcely believe that she was a finalist! Not only that—she was right smack in the middle of the group! Her painted likeness was the only one that faced completely forward. The five figures on either side of her angled toward her, as if drawn to the flame she held, which seemed to cast its light over the entire group of eleven students. Aphrodite’s image (holding a heart-shaped mirror) stood directly next to hers, and Athena’s image (with an owl perched on her shoulder) was on Hestia’s other side.

  The other eight finalists included Iris, with a rainbow over her head; Persephone, with a bouquet of flowers clutched to her chest; Pandora, holding a box with a question mark on its lid; Poseidon, with his trident at his side; Ares, gripping a spear; Dionysus, with a grapevine threaded in his hair; Heracles, wielding a knobby club; and Apollo, strumming a lyre.

  The mural artists had given Hestia’s image a sweet expression that also looked . . . well . . . confident. Not meek at all! While she’d never thought of herself as confident before, she hoped with all her heart that it was really possible she could become that goddessgirl in the mural. She was trying to!

  “Squee!” Aphrodite exclaimed to Athena after the artist had finished his drawings for the Greekly Weekly News.

  “Hugs!” Athena replied, giving her BFF a congratulatory one. Then the two goddessgirls turned to all the other finalists and hugged them too, Hestia included.

  “Love your flame symbol,” Aphrodite told her. “As Mr. Phintias would say, it’s got pizzazz. Suits you way better than a cooking pot.”

  A warm feeling filled Hestia at her words.

  “Congrats, roomie!” Aglaia squealed, running up to hug her.

  “Yeah, props!” Asca said, coming over too. He was wearing his green jacket again. “And you got the center spot. Awesome!”

  “Thanks,” Hestia told them. After Aphrodite and Aglaia were called away by other friends, she darted a look at Asca. “Did you see Pheme’s article?”

  “I wasn’t going to bring it up unless you did,” he said. Then he teased her. “I never realized you ran the whole MOA kitchen operation. Wow! With such a heavy responsibility it’s amazing you can still find time to attend classes.”

  Hestia gave him a mock-punch on the arm. Joking back, she said, “Yeah, it’s a tough job. But I do my best. I just hope I don’t wind up with a nickname.”

  “Hmm. What nickname goes with a flame?” said Asca, tapping a finger on his chin. “I know. Sparky!”

  Hestia ducked her face into both hands, laughing. “Oh, please. Nooo!”

  When the students filed out of the temple to board chariots for the ride back to MOA, a group of earth-bound mortals came up to them. Hestia started to step aside, assuming they’d come to see Aphrodite to ask her advice about love problems, as they so often did. To Hestia’s surprise, however, some of them headed her way.

  “Will you autograph my Teen Scrollazine?” several of them asked her. They held out their copies, open to Pheme’s column.

  Bemused, Hestia shook her head. “Oh! Really? I’m sorry, but I didn’t bring a—”

  But before she could finish, Aphrodite, who had overheard, smiled and whipped out a pink feather pen. “You can return it later.” With a casual wave, she went off to join her friends already in the chariot.

  As Hestia signed her name in pink on one ’zine after another, one of her fans gushed admiringly, “Your public hearths have been such a gift to the towns and homes around here!”

  “Yeah,” said a man as several others nodded. “With a ready source of fire, we never have to worry anymore that we won’t be able to cook food for our families. Or that we won’t be able to create a fire for warmth when we need it. It was such an obvious idea. I can’t believe no one else ever thought of it before.”

  “That’s why immortals are so amazing,” gushed another fan. “Always helping us solve problems, big and small. Thank you!”

  “I don’t suppose you’d consider sharing some of your recipes with us, would you?” a young woman with a heart-shaped face and long black hair asked. “The dishes Pheme mentioned in her article about you sound so delicious!”

  Hestia had barely drawn breath to answer when Pheme fluttered up. “You’re not the only one asking!” the spiky-haired girl breathlessly told the group of fans. “Since my column came out this morning, Teen Scrollazine’s office has been flooded with requests for Hestia’s recipes!”

  Hestia drew back her head. “Really?”

  “So how about printing them in each issue? It could be a new column!” the young woman with the long black hair suggested. “You could call it Hestia’s Home-Cooking.” At this, a cheer went up from the group of mortals.

  “That’s an awesome idea,” Hestia said, her eyes shining with excitement. But then she glanced uncertainly at Pheme. “What do you think?” she asked. After all, none of this would have been happening if it hadn’t been for Pheme. Hestia wouldn’t want the gossipy girl to feel like she was stepping on her toes by starting her own column with Teen Scrollazine.

  But Pheme seemed totally on board with the idea. “Are you kidding? You’re my discovery. The ’zine editors are thrilled with me for finding you. And I know they’ll adore the idea, if you’re willing and have time.”

  “I’ll make time!” said Hestia. “I love writing recipes. I probably already have enough to fill columns for an entire year.”

  As they waved good-bye to the adoring mortals around them and made their way to where the chariots were parked, Hestia reached over and bumped Pheme’s arm with hers. “Thanks,” she said. “For noticing me and for . . . everything.” She’d finally forgiven Pheme the errors in her article and really meant it. In a way, Pheme had done her a favor.

  Pheme smiled back. “Anytime. Well, gotta go. See you back at school!” With that, her small orange wings began to flap, and she was zooming off, in a hurry as usual.

  On the way back to MOA, Hestia marveled that a day that had started out so badly could have turned out so well. The only thing that could make it better was if she could square things with Ms. Okto and Ms. Xena. It was cool to make new friends, but not if it meant she had to lose the ones she already had!

  11

  Cleaning Up

  SINCE IT WAS NEARING THE end of dinnertime, the students from the chariots were all starving when they finally got back to Mount Olympus Academy. The cafeteria was pretty full by then, the din of clattering dishes and chattering kids a dull roar. But when Hestia and the other students entered, a cheer went up for the award finalists.

  How did they know? wondered Hestia. Then she noticed Pheme flitting around the room. Aha! So that’s why Pheme had been in such a hurry earlier. The cloud-letters floating above her head showed that she was spreading the word about the mural. News always traveled fast when that orange-haired goddessgirl was around!

  Ms. Okto was in her usual dinnertime spot, handing out plates of food at the head of the line, but Hestia didn’t see Ms. Xena anywhere. Deciding to fortify herself with food before checking for her in the kitchen, Hestia grabbed a tray and got in line.

  Argh! She wound up behind Kydoimos and Makhai again. Did they know about the mural?
Probably, with Pheme around.

  Seeing her, the two boys nudged each other. “Hey, it’s Flame Brain, Queen of the Kitchen,” Makhai quipped, squinting at her. Kydoimos laughed in a mean way.

  Hestia felt herself pale. She’d never been a target of these boys’ teasing before, but the interview—and maybe the mural in the temple too—seemed to have changed all that. Automatically, she shrank away from the two meanies, reaching to pull her hood over her head. But as her hand pawed the air, she remembered again that the chiton she was wearing was hoodless now.

  Suddenly, her sweet but confident mural image flashed through her mind. Why not try to embody that image? she thought. Drawing herself up, she looked from one boy to the other. “Actually, my nickname’s Sparky,” she told them. Flipping her hair over one shoulder the way she’d seen Aphrodite do, she added, “And I prefer ‘empress’ to ‘queen.’ ”

  They gawked at her, appearing dumbfounded that meek little her was standing up to them. Taking courage, she smiled sweetly. “Also, you might be interested to know that I’m working on a new lunch meat recipe, and I’ve decided to name it after you two.” She paused. “It’ll be called bully-oney.”

  A few students nearby overheard and snickered, but Kydoimos and Makhai didn’t seem to have a comeback for once. Instead, they grabbed two of the eight plates of food that Ms. Okto was holding out to the next eight students in line, and slunk away.

  It popped into Hestia’s mind that by not letting Kydoimos and Makhai get the better of her, she’d accomplished one of her two remaining goals. She’d stood up for someone—herself! Check!

  Just one last thing on her recipe card list to accomplish. She reached into her pocket for the card, but realized it was in her other chiton. No biggie. She remembered what she’d written: Take a truly big, bold cooking risk. Well, that was something she hoped to do with her dessert for Saturday’s banquet. If only a big, bold, risky idea would come to her!

  Ms. Okto was grinning as she handed Hestia a plate. Because the cook had overheard what she’d said to the bullies, or because she was pleased to see her? Maybe the latter, since she said, “Word has it you made the finalist list. Congratulations, sweetie pie!”

  “Thanks,” said Hestia. “Everything okay?”

  Ms. Okto nodded. “Ms. Xena’s back, thank goodness.” Then she added, “Sorry about being in a bad mood earlier. I assure you it had nothing to do with Pheme’s column. Chef Soterides has been a thorn in my side all day. That man could annoy the skin right off a potato!”

  When Hestia laughed, Ms. Okto did too. Then the lunch lady returned to dishing up food and handing it out to the next bunch of kids.

  Buoyed up by Ms. Okto’s cheerfulness, Hestia changed her mind about sitting down to eat in the cafeteria. Instead, she took her plate and headed for the kitchen to see if Ms. Xena was there.

  She was! Hestia found her sucking up a nectaroni noodle that had fallen onto the kitchen floor. After setting her tray on the closest countertop, Hestia grabbed a dishcloth and began to wipe up a splatter of sauce she’d spotted nearby.

  “What are you doing?” Ms. Xena scolded. “That’s my job. Cleaning is suited to my abilities, as you may have heard.”

  Hestia winced. The phrase had come straight out of Pheme’s column. “I’m so sorry,” she said earnestly. “Pheme got a lot of things wrong in that column she wrote. And she left out the most important, nice stuff I told her about you. Like how you’re the kindest, most generous, most wonderful person ever. And how you’ve taught me so many things. And how you rescued me from loneliness when I first came to MOA!”

  “Hey, where’s all this coming from?” Ms. Xena asked in surprise. She stopped vacuuming to lean against the counter.

  Hestia straightened. “Aren’t you mad? About the column?”

  “No! Of course not! Everybody knows how Pheme is. It was obvious to me you hadn’t said most of that stuff. I took her words with a grain of salt. Or rather, pepper.”

  At that, a laugh burst from Hestia. Ms. Xena grinned. “Actually, I kind of like all the attention I’ve been getting since that column came out. All I have to do now to get kids to jump to it and obey the cafeteria rules is to pick up a pepper shaker like I mean business!”

  “I’m so relieved!” said Hestia. “When you weren’t around at lunch, I thought maybe you were mad at me over the column. Where’d you go, anyway?” She scooped up a forkful of nectaroni from her plate and took a bite. Mmm! Delish!

  Ms. Xena gave her a sideways look as she bent her head to suck up another stray noodle she’d found on the floor. Then she actually blushed! “I thought Ms. Okto might’ve told you. No? Well, I guess I will, then. I’m leaving the Academy at the end of next week.”

  “What? Why?” Hestia straightened again, suddenly losing interest in her dinner.

  “I went for a job interview today. And I got it! I’ll be working under Chef Soterides in a new restaurant in the Immortal Marketplace. It’ll be called King Nikomedes’ Fish and Fowl.”

  Ms. Xena looked so thrilled that Hestia couldn’t bear to burst her bubble. “I’m happy for you!” she managed to say. But really, she felt totally lost. She depended on Ms. Xena like a second mom. And now she was leaving?

  “And I heard your good news, too,” Ms. Xena said now. “Congratulations on making finalist in the Service to Humankind Award!” She gave Hestia a big hug.

  “Thanks,” said Hestia. She glanced around the kitchen. “Can I help you with anything?” No way could she eat any more dinner. There was too big a lump in her throat because of Ms. Xena’s news.

  To stop herself from tearing up, she grabbed a dish towel and began to dry some newly washed pots and pans in the countertop rack. While Ms. Xena continued to clean up spilled food, Hestia described the mural in the temple and her surprise and pleasure at getting the center spot.

  “So you are pretty much queen of the mural?” asked Ms. Xena.

  Reminded of the nickname Kydoimos and Makhai had tried to pin on her, Hestia made a face.

  “What?” asked Ms. Xena. That was all it took to prompt Hestia to spill the beans about what had happened in the cafeteria line.

  “Bully-oney?” Ms. Xena doubled over with laughter. But then she grew thoughtful. “I know those two can act mean sometimes, but deep down I’m sure they’re good boys.”

  Hestia considered this. “Maybe deep, deep, deep down. As deep as the Underworld, that is!”

  They both laughed again. Afterward, Hestia gave Ms. Xena a hug. “You’re the best,” she told her. “And I love that you always see the good in everyone. I’m going to miss you, though. Who am I going to tell all my life stuff to after you’re gone?”

  “To your new friends! Don’t think I haven’t noticed all the ones you’ve been making this week. And I’ll only be a short winged-sandal flight away, you know. Come visit me at the IM anytime,” Ms. Xena told her. “I’ll be disappointed if you don’t!”

  By the time Hestia left the kitchen a while later, she felt a tiny bit better than she had at first about Ms. Xena leaving MOA. At least she wouldn’t be too far away. And that lady was way excited about her new adventure. So Hestia would try to truly be happy for her as well.

  • • •

  On Thursday, Hestia continued her dessert experiments in third period and during her free time. And on Friday morning, remembering Ares’ half-joking remark about his willingness to serve as a taste tester, she felt emboldened to ask around for volunteers to do just that. She needed as much help as she could find to get things right before the banquet!

  By the end of classes she had five recruits total, including Ares. The other volunteers were Aphrodite, Asca, Aglaia, and Hephaestus. She didn’t tell them they’d be taste testing the dessert she was creating for the award banquet, however.

  As soon as her last class of the day ended, Hestia hit the kitchen to mix up the first of three test cakes and pop it into the oven. She was still planning to make some kind of cake dessert, though she hadn’t yet decided
on what shape it would take now that she’d abandoned the trophy idea. By the time her recruits arrived, cake number one was cooling on the counter. Unfortunately, she’d accidentally taken it out of the oven too soon.

  Ares was the first to sample a bite of the under-baked cake. “Mmm, this chocolate pudding is epic,” he declared.

  More like an epic fail, thought Hestia, gazing at the slumping gooey mixture. Aphrodite elbowed Ares in the side, sending Hestia a quick apologetic look at the same time.

  “Ow!” Ares protested. “What did you do that for?”

  “It’s okay,” Hestia told them quickly. “I want everyone’s honest feedback.” Glancing at Ares, she said, “I’m glad you like it. Only thing is, that was supposed to be a cake, not pudding.”

  “Oh, sorry.” Ares ducked his head sheepishly. Then he perked up again, waving his spoon. “But who cares. It’s good!”

  “Yeah!” Asca grinned as he licked the spoonful he’d scooped up.

  “On to taste test number two,” Hestia announced. While mixing up the batter for her second attempt, she cracked an egg with one hand.

  “Hey, that was awesome!” said Asca.

  “There’s a trick to it,” she told him. She placed a whole egg in the palm of her hand. “You have to strike it on the edge of the bowl with just enough force so that it cracks in the middle, and then you ease the cracked shell apart with your index and middle finger.” She demonstrated as she spoke. “Voilà!” she said as the goop inside her egg dropped neatly into the bowl.

  They seemed so interested that she continued the lessons while her second cake baked in the oven. She got a couple dozen more eggs from the larder and passed them and some small bowls around so the others could practice.

  “You made it look so easy, but . . .” Aglaia gave hers a whack. She stared in dismay when her egg yolk broke on her first try and pieces of shell landed in the bowl.

  The same thing happened to Aphrodite when she tried. The two girls fished out the shell bits with a spoon, which took some time because the pieces kept sliding back into the bowl.