Day 0001

"Hurry up, Hypnos, we have to get to Saint Louis in the United States."

"I'm tired, do we have to go," the god of sleep said to Nyx, his father. "I just did a double at the soup factory."

"Yeah, we do. And we have to leave right now. There is only one puddle jumper a day flying from Lemnos to Melbourne. We can't miss it or we miss our connection."

***

"Hey, look who's here," Dionysus said to Pothos as he opened the bedroom door. "Hypnos, our birthday girl over here is ready for you to do your magic."

"She looks green. What in the hell happened?" Said Nyx, as he and his son Hypnos entered Olive Ann's incredibly crowded bedroom.

"Leave me out of this," said Hades, "it was the brothers again. Poor girl turns eighteen today and they dump it all on her at once. She was enjoying some Champagne, the real stuff - Comité de Champagne la-de-da - with her family at and after her birthday dinner. Talking with Janus about all the changes she is going through. Of course that two-faced S.O.B. gets into -"

"Who invited Janus?" interrupted Hypnos.

"Nobody ever invites him. He just shows up claiming 'ejusdem generis'," said Hades.

"Of the same class, my ass," said Hypnos. "Man, Hades, can't you call up your boy Pluto and have him explain it to Janus. We's Greek, he's Roman, motherfucker."

"Yeah, like the Roman gods take kindly to my bein' up in their business. So ... " continued Hades, "it's the poor girl's last year of high school. All the shit she is dealin' with, and it ain't like it's as easy as it was last year with Walter there -"

"What, I can't believe it. Walter not pullin' his weight?" asked Nyx.

"Ole Walter doin' what he can," said Dionysus. "But he ain't in the building this year. And he don't hear things like he did when he was in there. Shit, it's like ninth grade all over again. Add to the mix that her parents are moving to Puerto Rico. Now Aphrodite climbs all up into Walter, and he comes over and tries to reassure his sister. And then after a drink or two Aphrodite is talking to the girl on her own. But Aprhrodite's brother and her sons ... Man-o-man, those four boys come out and start talkin' and arguin'. When they do that they confuse all of the young-uns somethin' fierce."

"Eros is all up and talkin' to the girl about love, and Brother Himeros is talking about desire. Then, of course Pothos has to bring up passion ... And, well I do throw some wicked parties ... Then, Antheros has to show off. You know how important family is to the gods. Antheros goes and whacks ole Olive on the head with the golden club for Walter and ..."

"Oh my," said Nyx. "I should'a seen that. But I didn't."

"You know Antheros," said Dionysus. "Him and Eros, kissy face and all. They think that is, or that it should be the norm. Your perfect counterpart, brother and brother, or brother and sister, or sister and sister. And 'course he just hates unrequited love. So, who's better than someone who already knows you and because of that loves you. And of course ole Walt tells the parental units - I mean he was polite but unequivocable - 'no way is Olive Ann goin' to Puerto Rico. She's stayin' with me, finishin' school and graduatin' right here in The Loo.'"

"Antheros and Eros dumped all that, all them emotions on her? All at once," asked Hypnos, "on the evening of her eighteenth birthday. After what, two glasses of the real bubbly?"

"Three before, and another two after his rhetoric. She started looking at ole Walter as being, or supposed to bein' hers." said Hades. "And Olive's first time to really imbibe in the grape. Thus the overall green color that you two see displayed before you right now."

"Well at least Vomitus hasn't shown up," said Nyx.

"That is something positive," Hypnos agreed.

"But guys, we can work with that," Eros said. "Walter always do be lookin' after the girl. He always sticks up for her. He wouldn't let 'em label her, ignore her, stick her in 'dummy' classes, or 'stupid school'. They can't flunk her out now without lookin' incompetent -"

"Which they is," said Hypnos, "grossly incompetent."

"Yeah, true that." said Dionysus. "But you know ... She could do just a whole lot worse. Even if it's just for a little while. And she loves ole Walt. She ain't gonna hurt him."

"Yeah," said Nyx, "I've seen it a billion times."

"So, Hypnos, you are up," said Dionysus. "Send our girl off on her way to dreamland."

But Walter walked into the room and interrupted the proceeding.

"I love you Olive," Walt said, walking to her bedside.

"See, he really cares," Antheros said. "I didn't summon him back."

"Happy birthday sis. You made it, you survived childhood. Well, I guess we both did," Walt continued, after kissing his sister atop her head.

"Thanks, bro," Olive said, "Gimme another kiss to grow on?"

Walter bent down to kiss her again. But as he did she quickly turned and looked up at him. Her intent was for his lips to meet hers in a sweet romantic gesture. But she was drunk, and his lips landed on the side of her nose instead.

"I love you Walt," she said unphased.

"I love you too Olive," he said.

"No, I love, love you."

"I know, me too."

No, you don't. But I'll explain it all to you later, what Eros, and Antheros, Himeros and Pothos, Janus, Dionysus and Aphrodite said. I'll explain it, Olive thought to herself as Walt left the room and Hypnos softly touched her brow.