~*~
The pain in my side pulls me from sleep when I try to roll over. The sharp pain explodes from my ribs, so I lay back down. “Mason!” Footsteps thundered up the stairs. A second later, he bursts into my room and looks around.
“What happened? What’s wrong? Are you okay?” He asks quickly, flipping on the light. I groan and wave him over.
“I can’t get up by myself,” I say softly when he bends down. His eyes zero in on my ribs, which are now purple and almost black. That can’t be good. I’ve had broken bones before, but nothing looked this bad.
“What do I do?” He asks, looking confused. Usually, I’m the strong one. Acting fragile is unusual for me, and I can tell he’s unsure how to handle it. I look at my phone. 11:22. My eyes widen when I remember Alisha and Lexi are coming back today. I push the pain aside.
“I’m hungry, and we need to figure out how to get me around the school,” I tell him, and he helps me up. When I’m on my feet, Mason holds onto my hips, making sure not to touch my ribs.
He nudges me, and I shuffle forward at a slow pace. “Just take it slow,” he tells me.
It takes forever to get to the stairs, but he gently picks me up when we do. Even though he’s trying to be careful, I gasp and try not to yell in pain. We reach the bottom of the stairs, and he sets me down. “Come on. I’ll make you something to eat.” I follow him, slowly, to the kitchen.
When we get there, I lower myself into a chair, wincing again. I watch Mason make me a burger and wonder about medical care. Should I get myself checked out? I mean, it’s been a while since I broke something, so my injuries are usually things I can take care of myself.
“Here you go, Thea. Eat up,” he tells me as he sits beside me and takes a bite of his burger. I eat, and thankfully, that doesn’t cause me any pain. I eat the burger with some chips, and once I’m done, I stand up. Mason watches my every move as I put my plate in the sink to make sure I’m alright.
“I think I’m okay, Mase. I need to attempt walking on my own.” He nods.
Slowly, I make my way to the stairs and try to keep my face neutral, not showing how much pain I’m in. And I am in pain. I’m almost to the stairs when the doorbell rings. Ugh. What now? I glance at the door, then at Mason, who’s standing in the kitchen. Mason shrugs, not expecting anyone, so I shuffle and drag myself to the door, pulling it open.
“Oh, hi,” I say, pushing my glasses up on my face. I’m not presentable enough to greet anyone, especially Alec. I look him over, from the neatly combed hair to his black glasses, down to his notebook in his hand, clean jeans, and sneakers. He looks so different from his friends, a bad boy who looks like a nerd. Interesting. Alec smiles and shifts his notebook from one hand to the other.
“Hey, Athena. I was wondering if I could ask you a question?” He asks, and I open the door wider, motioning for him to come in.
“Um, sure. What do you need?” I question, closing the door behind him. I try my best not to limp as I lead Alec to the living room. “You can sit anywhere,” I tell him, sitting on the couch. I can’t help but wince at the throbbing in my ribs. Alec watches me with interest before sitting on the couch beside me.
“I was looking through our English homework and found we have to pick a book to read and write a report on,” he says, and I nod, letting him continue. “And since you’ve lived here longer than we have, uh,” he pauses, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. I’m supposed to be staying away from them. However, this couldn’t hurt, right?
“What? You want help?” I ask, confused as to why he’s so awkward. He looks up and smiles.
“Sort of. Can you just explain it to me and point me in the right direction of a good book?” He asks, taking his glasses off and running his hand through his black hair. His green eyes stare back at me with hope, and I can’t help but nod in agreement.
“Sure.” His eyes light up, and he scoots closer.
“Okay, cool, so I brought the rubric over,” he says, taking a piece of paper out of his notebook. He hands it to me, and I skim it, already knowing about most of the requirements. I give him the form and lean back, lessening the pain in my ribs. It doesn’t hurt as much if I’m laying back. It pains me the most when I lean over.
“So, you need to find a literature story or book to read. The report should comprise different sections: why it’s considered Literature, the plot summary, the character analysis, and lastly, the way the story/book relates to either your life or the world,” I tell him, and he looks at the paper.
“Oh, okay. Usually, I understand since I’m the smart one of the group, but I’m more of a math person,” he admits, making me laugh. I immediately stop laughing because of the pain. I lay my hand over my ribs, mentally kicking myself to keep from laughing. Alec watches me, and when his hand gently lands on my shoulder, I jump a little. I look up at him and force a smile.
“You okay?” He questions and I try to ignore the concerned expression he gives me. I nod, straightening and sitting back again.
“So, you’re the smart one of the group, Ross is the funny one, Chase is the... serious and untrusting one?” He cocks an eyebrow, curious, and chuckles.
“That’s about pretty close, but you forgot one person,” he says, and I groan. I lay my head back and look at the ceiling. I didn’t forget about him. How could I forget about Drake? He’s been on my mind constantly, and I can’t rid him from my thoughts.
“Drake... he’s the annoying, cocky, anger-fueled jerk who can’t mind his own business,” I snipe, and Alec bursts with laughter. He bends over, face turning red from laughing so much.
“That’s spot on!”
After a few minutes of Alec laughing at his friend, I feel more comfortable around him. He stops laughing, sobers up, and wipes at his eyes. Alec grabs his papers and slides them back into the notebook. “So, what story/book would you suggest doing for this report?” He asks while sliding his glasses back on his face.
I think for a second before standing. “Follow me,” I instruct, walking to the stairs. I take a deep breath and slowly climb the stairs. Alec is right behind me. I know I’m going slow, but I can’t help it. At the top of the stairs, I turn toward my room.
“Uh, where are we going?” Alec asks from behind me. I peer back at him as I open my door. He looks a little nervous. I shrug it off and motion for him to follow.
“My room. I have a book for you,” I say, stepping into my room. I move to my bookshelf and look over the books. “Where is it?” I mutter. Finally, I spot it on the top shelf, but pain skirts through my side when I reach for it.
“Do you need help?” Alec asks, and I turn to him.
“Yeah.” I point at the dark red book on the top shelf, and he grabs it with the ease of someone who’s never had a problem reaching high shelves.
“Here.” He studies the small book.
I walk to my bed and sit down on it. “It’s not an enormous book, but I have to admit it’s one of my favorites,” I tell Alec when he comes to stand in front of me. He opens it, reading over the title.
“Hades and Persephone?” I nod sheepishly, thinking he’s going to make fun of me for liking a love story. “Cool, I’ll get this back to you as soon as I’m done,” he says, surprising me. He heads to the door, and I follow. Since I’m behind him this time, I allow myself to limp as I follow him. He goes down the stairs and only notices I’m way behind him just as he reaches the last step.
“Athena, are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, Alec.”
Leading him to the door, I pull it open and let him step out onto the porch. “Can I have your number?” He asks, and I look up at him, shocked. He wants my number? I don’t think I’ve ever had a guy ask for my number before. However, I don’t think he wants it for a romantic interest… probably just for homework tips.
“Um, I guess,” I say, grabbing a piece of paper off the table by the door. I snag a pen and scribble my number across the white space before passing it to Alec. When he takes the p
aper, I mentally slap myself. Why’d I do that?
He smiles and jogs away, calling over his shoulder, “See you later, Athena. Thanks for the help.”
Alec disappears into Drake’s- his- house, and I sigh, closing the door. When I turn around, Mason is standing there.
“So, does this mean you will give them a chance?” He asks. I shrug. “They’re not that bad; they’re not like Lucas and his friends.” I know he’s right. I’ve seen the proof.
I look up at him, though, “Maybe.” I make my way back to my room and lay on the bed. “Mom, Dad, I need help,” I whisper, looking over at a picture of my parents. “I- I don’t know if I should open myself up or keep myself from these guys.”
Their smiling faces stare back at me. “They seem nice, but what if they turn on me? Is it worth the risk?” Tears prick my eyes. I blink, forcing them away.
“I wish you were here- that we weren’t alone.”
Chapter 7
Athena
When I wake up Monday morning, the pain is still there.
As usual, I have to make Lexi and Alisha breakfast. For comfort, I dress in simple jeans and a loose t-shirt so I don’t hurt my ribs. Mason helps me walk to school, which takes longer than usual. He also offers me pain relievers several times, and every time, I turn them down. He seems worried, but I tell him I’m fine, and I push through the pain.
I walk into school, limping. The pain lessened over the weekend, but I can’t walk or laugh without my ribs screaming at me. I probably should’ve accepted the pain relievers. There are probably a lot of things I should do.
However, what matters is that I won’t be able to fight for a while, and it’s all Drake’s fault. No money for us. I stop at my locker and reach up to open it, wincing at the now-familiar pain.
“Why won’t you take the pain medicine?” Mason asks for the millionth time. I finally get my locker opened and panting, I turn to him.
“Already told you. I want to push through the pain on my own,” I say, nudging my glasses up on my nose. I don’t want to rely on drugs to take care of my problems. However, Mason just sighs and walks away, mumbling a ‘see you later.’
Quickly, I grab my books with my right arm and shove them in my bag. I feel bad for telling my brother no because he’s just trying to take care of me. I close my locker and lean my head against it, trying to force the pain away.
“Look at the little nerd,” a voice calls from behind me. Mentally, I groan. I turn around, and my contact-brown eyes meet his dull blue ones. “Why are you all alone?” Lucas asks, then his mouth drops open in mock-surprise. “Wait, that’s right, because you don’t have any friends and nobody likes you,” Lucas taunts, and as much as I want to punch him, I physically can’t. I stay quiet and move around him, but he grabs my arm and yanks me back, “I didn’t say you could leave.”
The force of his pulling causes me to gasp in pain. Lucas smirks, thinking that his grip is what’s hurting me, so he tightens it. My bag slips out of my hands and falls to the floor.
“Let me go,” I demand. I search the hallway to see if anyone could help, but we’re the only ones here, to my luck. Lucas doesn’t let go; he just keeps pulling, making me go faster than I probably should. My breaths come in pants and gasps as I try to pull away again. “Lucas, stop! You can’t do this,” I gasp. He doesn’t respond, just laughs.
He takes me out of the primary school building and into the deserted West Wing. It’s under construction because they’re renovating the classrooms, but there’s not even a sign of workers.
The pain grows to a sharp throbbing as Lucas drags me down the hallway. “Since you ain’t got any friends, nobody’s gonna care if you disappeared,” he tells me as he opens the door to an abandoned closet in the back of the building. I try to pull away from him, but he yanks my arm again, making me yelp in pain.
Now I wish I’d taken those pills.
With a laugh, Lucas pushes me into the closet. I stumble, falling forward. I try to catch myself on the wall, but I crumple to the floor because of the pain. “Have fun,” Lucas taunts and holds up the key to the door.
“Please don’t,” I plead because I know if he locks me in, I won’t be able to get out with my ribs broken. He laughs and slams the door shut with no remorse about leaving me here. Before I can even try to stand up, I hear the lock click, and I’m stuck. I dropped my bag back at my locker, which means I have no phone. I’m screwed if I can’t get out of here.
I push myself to my feet and stumble to the door. I lift my right arm, ignoring the slight pain. “Help! Someone let me out!” I scream and bang my hand on the solid wooden door.
Drake
Leave her alone.
Leave her alone.
Leave her alone.
Leave her alone.
Cinder Wolf’s words echo through my head as I walk into the school. Does Athena really see it as us bothering her? Cinder Wolf was intimidating with her ice blue, almost silver, eyes and killer right hook. Athena’s brother told us the same thing, so I told the guys we need to back off and let her come to us. I’ll stay away, but if I see that Lucas kid or anyone else messing with her, I make no promises.
“Hey, man. Come on,” Alec calls to me, and I look up to see the guys watching me. “We’re already late,” he tells me. Like I said, he’s the nerd of the group. I shake the thoughts out of my mind, and all four of us make our way to English. I walk in, expecting to see Athena sitting in her usual seat, but it’s empty.
Maybe she’s late, I think to myself while walking to my seat. When we sit, the teacher goes back to teaching. A buzz comes from Alec’s phone, and I look up to see him smiling. “What is it?” I ask, hoping it’s something to keep my mind off of the pretty little nerd that usually sits in the empty seat near me.
Alec slides his phone across the desk, and I read the text message.
Lightning: 9:00 pm against Ripper.
Tornado: 9:30 pm against Joker.
The Hunter: 10:00 pm against Quicksilver.
Lost Boy: 10:30 pm against Pound
“This is the perfect way for me to get outta my head.”
“Mr. Morgan, is there something you’d like to share with the class?” The teacher asks me. Immediately, the class looks back at me. I kick my feet up onto my desk and cross my arms over my chest.
“Nah.” He glares at me, and I scowl right back at him, something coming to mind. Is he the reason Athena isn’t here? I glare harder at him, narrowing my eyes to thin slits, but he just turns back to the board to keep teaching.
As I sit here, I can’t help but think about Athena. Why wouldn’t she be here? Is she sick? Did she skip? I shake my head. From what I’ve seen, she wouldn’t skip unless it’s something important. So where is she? I ignore all the questions running through my mind as Mr. Richards says something about picking our books for a project and bringing them in for him to approve.
After forty-five more agonizing minutes of listening to the teacher talk, the bell rings. Maybe she slept in, and she’ll be in History.
When I walk into History, confusion fills me as I once again find Athena’s desk empty. What worries me more is that Mason is staring confusedly, eyebrows pulled together and lips twisted to the side, at the open desk as well, like he doesn’t understand something. He looks up when we walk in, and he looks a little relieved.
“Hey, guys. Have you seen Athena? I left her at her locker this morning, and she’s usually in here before everyone else.”
My hands tighten into fists, worry building in me. “She wasn’t in first period. We thought she either skipped or was sick,” I answer, and Mason’s eyes widen. I sit down as calmly as I can and try to mask my worry.
This can’t be good.
Mason runs a hand through his hair. “Athena should be here. She never skips. She cares about her grades too much. Where the heck is she?” He whispers the last part. He glances at his phone before muttering, “I need to find her.” When he jumps out of his seat and rushes out of the
room, I follow. Something isn’t right.
“We’ll help,” I tell the guys as they follow me out of the class. Mason runs down the hallway and turns towards Athena’s locker. The guys and I follow him, the sound of our footsteps filling the hallway like thunder. My mind, as we run, races with possibilities, so I try to shove them away until we have actual proof of something wrong.
I turn the corner and nearly run into Mason, who is standing still and holding a backpack. The bag looks familiar. It has to be Athena’s.
“Is it hers?” Ross asks, and Mason looks up.
“Yeah,” Mason replies.
Ross glances at the floor where some papers are scattered about. “Why’s it on the floor?” He asks, but Mason doesn’t answer. Alec pulls his phone out and presses some buttons. A second later, a buzzing sound comes from the backpack.
Mason reaches into the bag and pulls out Athena’s cell phone. “She’s disappeared, and she doesn’t have her phone.”
Athena
“SOMEONE HELP! ANYONE!” I scream again, my throat burning and hoarse. My breath comes out in ragged gasps, and my side hurts so much.
If I’d just held onto my bag, then I would’ve been able to call someone. I can’t give up, though. If I don’t keep going, then no one will find me. Leaning against the door, I raise my hand again and pound my bloody fist. I’ve beaten this wood door so many times that I have scrapes on my hand. It’s also leaving blood marks on the door.
“MASON! SOMEONE HELP ME!” I scream, my voice cracking at the end. I don’t even know how long I’ve been in here because I think they disconnected the bells in this wing of the school, so I wouldn't hear them even if they went off. They closed the whole building down for construction, but there have been no workers for weeks.
If I’d stood up for myself, I wouldn’t be in this situation. I’m too scared to blow my cover. What did I do to deserve this? I’d rather be anywhere else instead of being locked in here where no one can help me. I’d even rather be with Drake than in here. I need to get out.
The longer I stay here, the smaller the room seems and the harder it gets to breathe. Whether that’s from my injury or the small space, I don’t know. I don’t enjoy being in small spaces for any amount of time, especially extended periods, because of my past. I push through the pain and the fear. “HEEEEEEEEEELP!” I scream, pushing through the dry and raw feeling in my throat.
Not So Cinderella Page 7