Page 11 (2/2)

"He is sooooo hot!" said another girl Her T-shirt read: MRS NARCISSUS

"Narcissus?" Leo asked

"Narcissus," Echo agreed sadly

Leo had forgotten Echo was there Apparently none of the nyain!" Mrs Narcissus tried to push Echo away, but sheseveral other nymphs

"You had your chance, Echo!" said the nyo! You are so not good enough for him"

"For him," Echo said bitterly

"Wait" Hazel clearly had trouble tearing her eyes away fro on here? Why did Echo bring us here?"

One nyraph pen and a cru ti, blah, blah, blah, all the time"

"I know!" another nymph shrieked "Like, who could stand that? Just the other day, I told Cleopeia--you know she lives in the boulder next toor you’ll end up like Echo Cleopeia is such a big mouth! Did you hear what she said about that cloud nymph and the satyr?"

"Totally!" said the ny, Hera cursed Echo so she could only repeat things, which was fine with us But then Echo fell in love with our gorgeous guy, Narcissus--as if he would ever notice her"

"As if!" said half a dozen others

"Now she’s got so," said Mrs Narcissus "She should just go away"

"Go away," Echo growled back

"I’ray dress She had the words NARCISSUS + LAIEA written up and down her arms in black marker "He’s like the best! And he’s in my territory"

"Oh, stop it, Laiea," her friend said "I’m the pond nyrass nymph," another protested

"No, he obviously came here because he likes the wildflowers!" another said "Those arewhile Narcissus stared at the lake, ignoring them

"Hold it!" Leo yelled "Ladies, hold it! I need to ask Narcissus so"

Slowly the ny pictures

Leo knelt next to the handsome dude "So, Narcissus What’s up?"

"Could youthe view"

Leo looked in the water His own reflection rippled next to Narcissus’s on the surface of the subed bronze Leo didn’t have any desire to stare at hirown troll But there was no doubt the hly circular, about five feet in dia in this pond, Leo wasn’t sure Celestial bronze fell to earth in odd places He’d heard that most pieces were cast off from his dad’s various workshops Hephaestus would lose his temper when projects didn’t work out, and he’d toss his scraps into the ht have been od, but it hadn’t turned out properly If Leo could get it back to the ship, it would be just enough bronze for his repairs

"Right, great view," Leo said "Happy toit, could I just take that sheet of bronze?"

"No," Narcissus said "I love hieous"

Leo looked around to see if the nye joke But they were swooning and nodding in agreement Only Hazel seemed appalled She wrinkled her nose as if she’d come to the conclusion that Narcissus smelled worse than he looked

"Man," Leo said to Narcissus "You do realize that you’re looking at yourself in the water, right?"

"I aly to touch the water, but held back "No, I can’t reat"

"Yeah," Leo muttered "But if I took the bronze, you could still see yourself in the water Or here…" He reached in his tool belt and pulled out a simple mirror the size of a monocle "I’ll trade you"

Narcissus took the mirror, reluctantly, and admired himself "Even you carry a picture of eous Thank you" He set the mirror down and returned his attention to the pond "But I already have a e The color flatters ods, yes!" a nymph screamed "Marry me, Narcissus!"

"No, n n n n my--"

"Stop it!" Hazel snapped

"Stop it," Echo agreed

Leo had lost sight of Echo again, but now he realized she was kneeling on the other side of Narcissus, waving her hand in front of his face as if trying to break his concentration Narcissus didn’t even blink

The nymph fan club tried to shove Hazel out of the way, but she drew her cavalry sword and forced them back "Snap out of it!" she yelled

"He won’t sign your sword," the poster nymph coirl "And you can’t take his bronze mirror! That’s what keeps him here!"

"You’re all ridiculous," Hazel said "He’s so full of himself! How can you possibly like hi her hand in front of his face

The others sighed along with her

"I am so hot," Narcissus said sympathetically