• "Well, I gotta leave." Ares said a few hours later, standing up and heading back downstairs. "See ya."
    "See ya." I said with a shrug.
    I heard the clomping of his boots as he strode out of the house. I also heard him slam the door closed on his way out. I rolled my eyes.
    Although he was my best friend, there was so much I didn't know about him. I didn't know his last name, the name of this off-and-on girlfriend he always had, the names of any of his family, or where he lived. In a way, I was a bit clueless.
    I sighed as I put the pictures of my mother's memories away. His girlfriend probably knew more about him than me, his own best friend. She probably knew nearly everything about him. I blushed with embarrassment.
    I glared and stomped my foot. "I. Do. Not. Like. Ares. Like. That." I snapped at myself.
    Ares was my best friend, not my boyfriend. While he did give off that attractive, bad boy vibe, I refused to be affected by it. Even if practically every other girl on the planet didn't. Though I did notice that when they looked at them, he'd mishievously glance back with a flirtatious look in his eyes. He never once gave that to me.
    Angrily, I gritted my teeth and stomped my foot again. I was not jealous! I was not jealous! Ares was bad for any girl! Therefore, he was bad for me! Besides, he liked pretty girls who didn't act like one of the guys. Girls who acted like me. I was also a plain jeans and t-shirt girl. My face was also child-like. Innocent and youthful looking. I hated it. I stubbornly shook my head to shrug off the thoughts.
    A relationship between me and Ares would never happen. It was impossible. We were good friends, and that was it. No use wrecking our friendship over some small idea.
    I stared outside. It was late afternoon. I had to cool off. It was getting too warm up here. Ares was gone. And Dad wouldn't be home from work for another few hours. With a sigh, I tromped downstairs and put on my tennis shoes. It was a ninety-three degree day, so it would be warm. I grabbed my green baseball cap and left my sweatshirt in the house as I stepped outside.

    Slowly and leisurely, I made my way to the park. No one was there because it was so hot out. I enjoyed the silence as I placed my headphones over my head. I laid down on one of the benches and started up my stupid, cheap, unreliable, out-of-date, really-want-an-Ipod, CD player. It took three tries before it actually started. I began to relax as I listened to Sky Sweetnam's voice blasting through the headphones.

    I had no idea how long I had been there listening to music in the park, but I think it was a rather long time, because the sky had begun to change from blue to purplish red. I yawned and sat up, pulling my headphones down to my neck.
    "Lovely day, isn't it?" a feminine voice suddenly questioned.
    I turned around to see a lady with a long, radiant red dress. Her long, honey colored hair was curled and flowed all the down to her well-curved waist. Her skin had a healthy, sun-kissed look to it. She was also tall and had a figure that probably any guy would dump their current girlfriend and kill for. She had bright red lipstick on her lips, the same shade as the mark Ares had on his face. Was she his girlfriend?
    "Excuse me, I was speaking to you , Elliot." the woman trilled with a sweet smile.
    "Uh...how do you know my name?" I asked curiously with raised eyebrows. Ares never mentioned my name to anyone if he was speaking to a girl.
    The woman frowned, her warm, chocolate brown eyes dimming with something like dread.
    "Because you're all Ares ever speaks about these days." she answered with clear restraint.
    Uh-oh. Not good. Evil eye. Restraint in her voice. Obvious signs of jealousy. But here was what baffled me. Ares had talked about me with her? Like I said before, he never mentioned my name around girls. Never.
    "Um....what's your name?" I asked, trying to be casual, but was actually really nervous.
    "Aphrodite." she answered, glaring at me.