[JULIAN]

I'm finally finished. I thought as I stared at the image of Zeus from my easel. My face softened in pure emotion. I could feel the paint dripping on me from my leaking paintbrush that was dangling between my fingers. I couldn't care less because Zeus was so gorgeous — so beautiful.

Zeus. I thought, smiling as I dropped the paintbrush on a nearby stool before proceeding to search for my phone in my pant pockets. I finally found it. I took a while just looking at the phone. It looked so fragile — so cute.

It reminded me of you.

My face warmed up when I remembered Zeus' text. We had been calling and texting each other for a week now. Zeus eventually suggested we download an app called 'WhatsApp' in other not to endanger our phone bills. I smiled at that. Things with Zeus were refreshingly comfortable and understanding. It was as if we were slowly digesting the reality of our relationship. What is it exactly? I don't know but what I do know is I want it anyway, whatever it is.

I was thinking of you. the message said. I blinked as a blush started to color my cheeks. No matter how comfortable I was beginning to become with Zeus, I still had butterfly parties from things like this.

I was thinking of you too. I texted him before I could think twice about it.

What about me were you thinking of? Zeus sent back. My face was becoming redder. How dare he declare me a pervert! Okay, he didn't say that, but still.

Things. I sent still blushing. I was thinking about a lot of things, lots of things — embarrassing things.

What type of things? Zeus sent and I groaned. Why in the world did he want to know?

You're so persistent! I texted back. My face is probably the shade of a tomato now.

Naughty things? Zeus texted, obviously ignoring my previous message.

Maybe. I replied, giving up. Zeus didn't reply immediately. The word 'typing' was written on the lower right side of the chatbox. I rolled my eyes. What in the world was he typing that was taking so long?

Me too...^_^ I'm glad you share my feelings if only a little. We have a match against each other next Friday don't be mad when I beat you, okay? Zeus finally sent. I rolled my eyes and chuckled. Yes, I chuckled. Zeus is making me do weird things.

Not just girly things. I thought as my face warmed up again. I could feel my lips quivering with embarrassment. I started shaking my head as I moved my shaky fingers over the screen of my phone. I will not let the stupid thoughts of Zeus intimidate me.

How is Spots? I quickly typed and texted. I needed a topic that did not revolve around my 'thoughts.'

Okay, he's edgy about taking his new set of prescribed medicine but he'll pull through. Zeus sent me after a while.

Hmm. I texted him, not really knowing what to type.

You don't want this conversation, do you? Zeus sent. I smiled at that. Zeus knew me and I liked that.

Later then. Zeus sent.

Okay. I texted back before locking my phone. Putting it back into my pocket, I sighed in frustration. After a few minutes of putting the finishing touches on the painting, I let out another sigh. It had been childish of me to think he'd text back. I shook my head blushing. I'd been doing that recently, blushing. I thought

Looking up at my easel again my face softened in compassion. Zeus really was beautiful. I don't know it was as if the word handsome didn't do him justice. I looked around the room wondering where in the world I was going to hide this painting before Linda saw it. She didn't come here much but there was a possibility.

"Julian!" I heard Linda scream from downstairs. Crap. I panicked, taking the canvas off the easel before running around the room hectically. Where in the world am I supposed to put this thing?

"Julian!" I heard her voice come closer —  from the corridor.

"Julian! Why aren't you answering me?" I heard Linda complain as the doorknob creaked as it turned. Looking around I quickly placed the painting backward against the wall.

"Julian, I was — what were you...?" Linda screamed, leaving her sentence unfinished as she busted into the room, her right eye twitching in suspicion.

"Julian, what are you hiding?" Linda asked, in a surprisingly calm tone.

"Nothing..." I lied, looking down at my feet. I heard Linda sigh. I soon heard the sound of her taking slow steps towards me.

"Don't lie to me. I hate it when you lie to me!" Linda yelled, gripping my shoulders

"I'm not lying—"

"Stop lying!" Linda screamed shaking me. My eyes widened in surprise. She's hurting me, she's actually hurting me. I gripped her hands firmly. She looked up at me questioning.

"You're hurting me," I commented before I pushed her away. Linda stumbled backward in surprise.

"Julian, I didn't mean to..." Linda said, moving closer to me. I walked further away with quick steps, keeping my distance. I groaned, realizing that I had backed up against the wall.

"Julian," Linda said, reaching out to touch me. I didn't want anyone touching me now, I didn't want her touching me.

"Get away from me!" I screamed at her. Widening my eyes in realizing what I'd just said. Staring at her face, I saw a lot of things go through it. Anger, surprise — hurt?

"Fine, keep things from me, like that's fair! I just came back for my car keys so you don't have to see me too!" Linda screamed, shoving me and walking off to the door. Minutes later I could hear the slam of the front door.

I slide down the wall tears freely flowing down my eyes. I don't like Linda, I've already established that. I don't feel about Linda the same way I feel about Zeus.

I covered my mouth as I began to choke on my tears. Then why, why do I feel guilty about all this?

[ZEUS]

I'm happy, I'm so happy. I smiled sipping some yogurt from a small paper cup. I was in my office ignoring calls and smiling at the not-so-frequent texts from Julian. I couldn't believe how happy I was, how scared I was.

Yes, being this happy made me scared. Because he might leave me like everyone else. I was scared because he might just use me and get rid of me. Scared, because he may not truly have any sort of feelings for me.

I remember how Kattalis had regretted me, had left me.

It had been the end of the second semester when some of the kids had caught on that I was a Parthoropeons.

"His family's the one that is terrorizing ours," one of the boys that hung around Kattalis said to him as I walked towards the small group.

"How are you so sure?" Kattalis had asked in a firm tone. My heart fluttered in guilt. He was defending me.

"I have to clean out their stables. I saw Zeus ride down the part in one of the horses," the boy had said as two others nodded in agreement.

"Kattalis?" I called, reaching them. Had they been ignoring me or hadn't just heard me coming, I'll never know.

"Zeus," Kattalis called, tearing up. Crying? Why was he crying I hadn't done anything.

"Is it true? Is it true you're a Parthoropeons?" Kattalis asked. His eyes glittering with unshed tears were searching mine for the truth that He didn't want to know, begging me to say no.

I nodded slowly averting my gaze to the floor. I didn't want to look at Kattalis; I didn't want to see his big brown eyes glittering with tears threatening to fall.

"It doesn't mean his like them." I heard one of his friends offer. I shut my eyes in a silent prayer. A prayer mostly begging whoever it was up there to make Kattalis want me, want me enough to overlook my background.

"But he's going to be like them," Kattalis said, tears choking his voice.

"I...I can't, God I can't believe you!" Kattalis screamed turning away sharply. He ran away leaving me and his friends staring at him. What had I done? Why was he crying? I didn't really know at the time, understood. But I had made Kattalis cry and it made my heart heavy with regret.

He refused to look at me for the rest of the day. Moving anytime I took a seat beside him. He kept on avoiding me, pretending as if I didn't exist. I admit I went to the courtyard or toilets in between periods to cry, to try and put one and two together, to come to a reasonable reason why he was ignoring me. The whole class had started looking at me differently too as if I was the reincarnation of their worst nightmare.

Kattalis continued to avoid me for three more days. I couldn't take it anymore my heart was breaking in want, worry, and fear.

I finally cornered him one random day after school, and finally had him alone with me. We were standing not too far away from each other in the courtyard; the place where we first kissed. My ears got pink from the memory before gathering the courage to look him straight in the eyes. He looked like a shell of himself with his dry-looking hair and tired eyes. He averted his gaze from me, staring at the floor. My heart fell. Why didn't he want to look at me?

"Kattalis please look at me," I begged, coming closer to him.

"So you can look at me like a vermin, huh?" Kattalis asked. My eyes widened in confusion. What in the world was he talking about?

"You know I think you're beautiful," I said, flushing a light red,

"Why did it have to be this way?" Kattalis asked out of the blue.

"I don't still know what you're talking about," I answered sincerely. I wanted to hold him, tell him I was sorry for whatever he was mad at me for. But I just stared at him wondering if he even wanted me to lay my hands on him.

"Why did you have to be rich? A Parthoropeons? Why do you have to be so — so beautiful? Why did I have to fall in love with you?" Kattalis started crying freely rubbing his tears with the back of his hands. I reached out to touch him but he stopped me.

"Don't touch me!" He warned, stepping back a bit. My heart was beginning to hurt — weighed down with sadness. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't make him happy again, but I didn't want to leave him. So, I watched him cry. My heart broke a bit with every tear he shed. His cries soon turned to faint sniffs.

"You know when I first saw you I thought you didn't talk to anyone because you were shy but that's not it, isn't it? You just feel you were better than us, that you couldn't possibly associate with us," Kattalis said, giving me an accusing look.

"That's not true!" I screamed balling my fists.

"Is that why you never invited me to your place? Is that why you never kiss me there back?" Kattalis asked beginning to cry again. I blushed. Why did he have to mention that now? It's not that I hadn't wanted to do it back — kiss him there. I had just been afraid that I probably wouldn't know what to do. I blushed again remembering how he had taken me into his mouth. How he'd made me cry in pleasure.

"I can't believe I did that — kept doing that," Kattalis said his face becoming a deep red too.

"You probably thought I was just some whoring peasant and I probably am because even though I'm trying to hate you, I —I can't regret ever doing it. It felt so good knowing I made you happy, made you writhe in pleasure. I thought I was making you love me the more when the fact—" Kattalis paused, his voice choking up.

"—when the fact is you never loved me," Kattalis finished as he started to cry again.

"I loved you —I love you," I choked out, crying too. How could he say that? How could he say I wasn't in love with him?

"I was going to ask you to make love to me. Make me yours, my first  — our firsts but you've probably done all that, probably have heaps of village and elite girls fawning over you," Kattalis choked halfway as he started crying again. Why was he saying all this? He knew I'd kissed him first — loved him first.

"Why are you saying all this...? I — I love you, you know I do!" I choked in between sobs.

"I'm not so sure anymore and it doesn't matter. It's not as if I could ever be with you. You're the heir, right? You're going to marry some girl and I'm going to be just some memory. Just some quick fuck and no matter how much I want to touch or be touched by you I'll never ever become anything other than just some fuck buddy," Kattalis said, sniffling.

"Your parents intimidate a lot of families including mine. Threatening to or evicting us from our homes or buying off our homes and property. Mama's always crying about it  — about how many times we have to move," Kattalis said in a calm tone, hugging the wooly oversized sweater he had on to himself. I think it was the first time I ever looked at Kattalis from a class point of view. I had gone to his house a couple of times. It was a small cottage with two small rooms, one bathroom, and a kitchen. I had never thought of it that way — never thought of Kattalis beyond how much I liked him romantically. Was it so wrong that I only saw him as him?

"I can talk to my parents about it I'm sure I could make them reconsider." I sounded so daft. I hadn't even believed myself.

"You know, forget it. I don't need your pity," Kattalis said turning away and running. He ran away from me, my life, and the fact that I was a Parthoropeons.

I didn't talk to him throughout the year. I just watched him from a distance. I didn't care if it made my heart ache. I didn't care that I was supposed to be getting over him.

It didn't take long before Kattalis moved again, but it hadn't been to somewhere close by, it had been far enough to make him change schools. On his last day of school, I waited at the stairs at the main entrance. Everybody had left the school building, and it had taken him so much time to pack his books.

My ears perked up at the sound of the doors creaking open. I felt a huge lump form in my throat as I watched him step out through the door. I gasped and he turned towards me. I hadn't seen him up close since I confronted him, and hadn't gotten the opportunity to watch him become so much more beautiful. His brown eyes had become a darker shade. They were also wider and brighter now. He'd started filling out at the right places, his lips were fuller, his skin tone more healthy, and his hair was even longer. I wondered whether it had anything to do with the Andrew boy I saw hanging around him. I scolded myself in my head for the creeping feeling of jealousy.

Kattalis just stared at me and I just stared back. I lifted my fingers to my trembling lips wondering if he could remember all the kisses we shared. He just narrowed his eyes at me and continued down the stairs with the large sack he was carrying over his shoulder. I watched him leave. I felt like crying — like dying, but I had to get over Kattalis. I had to get over all the time we spent together because judging from his behavior he had probably forgotten all about me.