“The principal needs to see Athena in her office,” he says. Annoyance masks Mr. Richard’s face. With a disgruntled sigh, he motions for me to leave, so I jump out of my seat and practically run out of the room. I turn towards the principal’s office but stop when I hear a laugh from behind me.
“What?” I ask, and Drake shakes his head. A grin stretches across his lips.
“I lied. She doesn’t need you,” he chuckles. He’s so bad, I muse. With a laugh of my own, I smack his arm. He shrugs, still striding down the almost empty hallway. I walk beside him as we head to the cafeteria.
“I thought that you’d be happy to be out of detention,” Drake says, his eyebrows furrowed and voice confused.
“I am, but I don’t want to get in more trouble,” I say. No matter how I spend my free time- my evenings- I don’t like to cause problems. Drake peers down at me, his eyes searching. I guess you could say I’m a good girl at heart.
“Don’t worry, Flower. I took care of it,” he says as we enter the cafeteria. I nod, trusting him, and tell him he can sit while I get my food. He eyes me uncertainly, which makes me glare.
“I can get my lunch. It’s not like I’ll steal one of the kitchen knives and hurt myself,” I tell Drake, and his eyes widen. As soon as the words are out, I regret them. I haven’t been thinking about self-harm, honest, but the look he sent me just tipped me over on the annoyance scale.
“What?” He growls, worry ringing in his voice. I roll my eyes, take his hand in mine, squeeze his hand, and kiss his cheek. I didn’t mean to worry him.
“I’ll be fine,” I murmur, instructing him to, “Go sit down.” I walk to the lunch line, grab a bowl of mystery soup, a piece of bread, and an apple. I’m not that hungry, so when someone hits my tray, sending my food to the ground, all I feel is anger that someone is bugging me. Luckily, none of the food got on me.
Before I can react, someone steals my glasses off my face.
“Lucas, give me my glasses back,” I say, my voice no longer timid but hard and angry. Lucas looks at me with wide, surprised eyes. I’m so tired of him pushing me around, especially after the last time.
“Oh, look who found her voice. What happened? You finally standing up for yourself, loser?” He taunts, and my hands curl into fists. Why shouldn’t I stop pretending? Why am I hiding?
“Give them back!” I order, but he just laughs. All eyes are on us, and I know this won’t end well for him or me.
Lucas steps forward and grabs my arm. “I’m surprised you’re still here. I’m surprised you didn’t kill yourself after your brother left when he found out what a whore you are,” he taunts, and that does it. Red fury bleeds into my vision. There’s no point in hiding when anymore. If they find me, they find me. I’m not a defenseless little girl anymore. I’m sick of this crap.
“You and your whore of a girlfriend are the ones who should leave,” I yell at him, and he smacks me. He made the first move, Athena, it’s self-defense. I jump forward, landing a punch to Lucas’s face, which causes him to stumble back. He’s going to get it now. I lunge and punch him again, sending him sprawling to the floor this time.
Lucas clearly doesn’t like that, so he jumps back up and throws a punch. I dodge, of course, and land a blow to his shoulder. I don’t need to kill him.
“What’s goin’ on here?” Coach yells, getting everyone’s attention, including mine. I turn to look at him, and when I do, pain in my jaw sends me flying to the floor. I hit the ground with a thud and groan. “Lucas, what in God’s name do you think you’re doin’?” Coach asks, and I curse myself for not following one of my own rules. Don’t take your eyes off your opponent.
Blinking several times to clear my vision, I notice my glasses in front of me. I grab them just as an arm wraps around me and pulls me up. “You okay?” Drake asks, and I nod. I slide my glasses on and notice that they’re cracked. Oh well.
“Who started this?” Coach asks, and Lucas immediately tells Coach that I started. Coach turns to me, and I glare.
“He threw the first hit,” I tell the truth, “I was just defending myself.” The guys, and several other students, take my side. They all recount how I stood up for myself and how Lucas was bullying me. I feel the other students just wanted to be in on the action because none of them cared enough to stop Lucas before this.
“Lucas, come with me. Miss Hale, go get some ice if you need it,” Coach instructs and drags Lucas away.
Sighing, I lean into Drake, relieved that it’s over. His hands skate over my body, checking me for fresh injuries before resting on my bandaged side. “I’m okay, really,” I say, knowing that he’s thinking it. He takes a second, but he finally smiles down at me and leads me over to our table.
Chapter 16
Athena
No more hiding. I don’t want to pretend to be someone I’m not anymore, especially if I can’t be with my brother. I brush my fingers through my newly dyed hair, admiring the way the dark gray to silver ombre shines. Then I turn to my bathroom mirror, take my contacts out, and place them in their holders. “Don’t need these anymore,” I mumble and head over to my closet.
I grab my black crop top that has a caged back- which means the material on the back criss-crosses- and slide it on, pulling the front zipper up. Next, I grab a black peach blossom printed skater skirt, and I pull it on.
Walking back to the bathroom, I style my hair in its natural curls. I apply some makeup. Not too much to give me a cake face, but just enough to be tasteful. Once I finish with my makeup, I hook my ‘A’ necklace around my neck. I complete my outfit with black lace-up boots.
Looking in the mirror, I smile. This is me. No more hiding.
“Athena! Get down here and make my breakfast!” Alisha screams, and I smirk. She’s in for a rude awakening. Grabbing my bag, my bike keys, and my phone, I run down the stairs. I compose myself and enter the kitchen. Alisha whips around and freezes when she sees me.
“Wh-who are you?!” She stutters, her eyes jumping back and forth between me and the door. It’s like she’s trying to figure out how I got in the house.
“Oh, dear step-mother, you don’t recognize me?” I ask sarcastically with a pout, feigning hurt.
A shocked expression flickers across her face as she stares at me, “Athena? What have you done to yourself?” She asks, and I smirk again, leaning up against the counter.
“I’ve been like this since my dad died. I’ve just hidden it while around you and your brat of a daughter,” I sneer at her, and she narrows her eyes.
“You watch your tongue!” She shrieks, making me roll my eyes.
“Oh, yeah, or what? You’ll take my brother away?” I mock her, “News flash! You can’t control me anymore. Once I turn eighteen, I’m gone,” I yell, grabbing my things and walking to the front door. I swing the door open and watch over my shoulder, “And make your own breakfast!” I yell before slamming the door. That felt incredible. Freeing.
Walking around the house, I sling my backpack on and stalk to the shed. I open the door and smile at my bike. However, my smile falls when I see the one next to it. I miss you, Mason. Sighing, I swing my leg over my bike and smile when it purrs to life.
When I look down at my outfit, I groan. I probably shouldn’t have worn a skirt. As I sit on my bike, I tuck my skirt under my legs as best I can. Note to self: wear shorts under a skirt when riding a motorcycle.
Once I’m sure I won’t flash everyone I pass, I pull away from the house and head to school. Taking the bike to school is so much quicker than walking. The familiar vibrations comfort me, and when I pull up to the school, everyone turns to look at me. As I pull up, I see Drake and the guys, so I drive over to them. Everyone’s eyes follow me as I park and hop off my bike.
“Hey, guys,” I greet, waving at the guys.
It’s a bit of a different stare than usual, more curious than judging. I can feel eyes on me as I walk into the school with Drake by my side. His hand curls around mine, waffling our fingers and send
ing a wave of warmth and comfort through me.
“Who’s the girl?” Some girl asks.
“She’s hot. I’d hit that,” a guy comments. Gross.
“Is that the Cinder Wolf?” Another guy asks.
“Why’s she with Drake and his guys?” Someone else asks. I ignore the comments, especially the dirty ones about me probably dating all four of the guys. Ew. Are they serious?
When I reach my locker, I put in my combination, and I grab my books.
“Hey, babe,” someone says from my right. Lucas leans his shoulder against the locker. I think he’s attempting to channel those cool guys from the movies who act nonchalant when he approaches the girl he has a crush on. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Drake glaring at him, so I squeeze his hand to tell him I’ll handle it. I smirk at Lucas.
“What do you want?”
He looks shocked for a second but quickly recovers.
“Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?” He asks, smirking down at me as he moves closer. Cliche much? Geez. I scoff, close my locker, and decide to play his game. He likes games that hurt others, so it’s time he got a taste of his own medicine. I lay back against the locker in a flirty gesture.
Lucas rakes his eyes over my body, and it takes everything in me not to puke. I bat my eyelashes at him like some bimbo, and I make my fingers crawl up his chest. I release Drake’s hand to grip the back of Lucas’s neck and pull him closer. “No, but I chipped a nail when I crawled out of hell,” I smirk, shoving him into the lockers before walking away.
I don’t look back as I walk away, but I stop when he calls out, “Babe!” and grabs my waist to pull me into his chest. Briefly, I compare his build to Drake’s much more muscular form. Then Lucas’s disgusting breath hits my cheek. “I can give you a private tour,” he hisses, touching his lips to my ear. That’s it.
Grabbing his wrists, I twist and pull them to his back and shove him face-first into the lockers.
“Don’t touch me again. I’d never do anything with you, even if you were the last thing on earth,” I growl, and he whimpers like the mewling pig he is when I tighten my grip. “Understand?”
“Y-yeah, I understand,” he gasps, and I let him go. Turning around, I find just about everyone staring.
I roll my eyes. Can’t anyone mind their own business anymore? I mean, seriously, it’s a problem. “Mind your own business!” I yell, and everyone rushes into movement, probably fearful I’ll turn my wrath on them, which I’d consider if they bother me enough.
Smiling, I turn to the guys and say, “Let’s go to class.” They nod. We reach class right before the bell rings, and I smirk when Lexi looks up from her desk and glares at me.
“Who are you?” She asks, just like her mother. She’d already left when I came downstairs this morning, and I can’t help but enjoy the annoyance and curiosity in her eyes.
I ignore her question and sit next to Drake in the back. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Richard’s eyes follow my every move, so I flip him off. He looks startled, then angry before looking down at the class roster. He goes through several names before he gets to mine.
“Athena Hale?” He questions, searching for me, his -gag- favorite student.
“Here,” I call out. Everyone’s jaws drop, including Mr. Richard and Lexi’s. Mr. Richard looks me up and down, and I roll my eyes. “If you don’t keep your tongue in your mouth, Mr. Richard, I will report you to the school board,” I threaten, and that immediately makes him pull his eyes away to finish calling roll. I have a feeling school will be much more bearable now. I may seem like a horrid witch to some, but if that’s how I have to act to show the bullies and pervy teachers I’m not fair game, so be it.
English went by slowly because Mr. Richard droned on and on about how our projects are due soon and that if we didn’t have them, we’d be getting a terrible grade. I already finished it, so I don’t bother listening.
~*~
“Finally,” I mutter when the lunch bell rings. I’m so ready for the whispering and the flirting to stop. I thought it’d stop when they figured out who I was, but it hasn’t. Several guys already came up to me to tell me how hot I am. Some asked why I didn’t look like this before. It’s like they’ve forgotten how they bullied me, and now all the guys want to give me ‘private tours.’ Gross. Instead of going to the cafeteria, I make my way to the courtyard and sit under a large tree.
I open my phone, pull up my camera roll, and open up a picture of Mason and me. It’s a picture we took a couple of weeks ago. He’s making a funny face by squishing his hands into his cheeks and crossing his eyes while I’m laughing at him. “Hey,” Drake murmurs, sitting next to me and pulling me into his arms. “How you holding up?”
Sighing, I run a hand through my hair and turn my phone off. “I miss him a lot. I don’t know where he lives. I don’t even have a way to contact him to see if he’s okay,” I tell him, leaning my head on his shoulder.
“I just- I really wanna see him,” I whisper as a tear slips out of my eye. I quickly wipe it away and close my eyes. He hums but says nothing as his arms snake around me, and he pulls me into his lap. I sit there for a minute, reveling in his strength, maybe trying to borrow some. I need it. I need him.
“Well, let’s go find him.” My head snaps up. Did he just… I search his eyes yet see no sign of hesitation.
“Are you serious?” I ask, and he nods. “You’ll help me find him?” He nods again. Could I ask for a better- do I call him my boyfriend now? I mean, we haven’t put a label on us since ‘us’ is pretty new. I tuck the thought aside and save it for later as I throw my arms around his neck and exclaim, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” In return, Drake wraps his arms around my waist.
“Can we go now?”
“What about your classes?”
“Family is more important, and I have straight A’s.” He chuckles when I wave my hand around like I’m swatting the idea away.
“Yeah, I hate it here anyway,” he says, standing up and bringing me up with him. I grab my bag, and we run to the parking lot.
“Wait! I need to get something from the house,” I call out, and he nods. Pulling my keys out of my bag, I climb on my bike- fixing my skirt again as I sit- and speed away.
When I reach the house, I park the bike in the shed, like usual, and run inside. Alisha is gone, probably out shopping or going to lunch with one of her posh friends, so I don’t have to worry about her. I hear the front door open and close, which signals Drake’s entrance. I rush to Alisha’s room, the forbidden zone, and throw the door open. If she put it anywhere, it’ll be in here. I scan the room, study the bedside table, and walk over to it.
“So, what are you doing?” Drake asks from behind me. I open the drawer and gag at the sight of her toys. Not here. I slam the drawer closed with another gag and make my way over to her dresser.
“I’m looking for Mason’s phone,” I tell him. If I can find it and find him, we’ll be able to talk or text. We can plan. “Alisha took it before he left, thinking that she was still paying his bill, but I’ve been paying his phone bill for the last year, so it technically belongs to me,” I fill him in before opening the top drawer.
Sifting through the bras and panties, I groan when I still find nothing. I never want to see Alisha’s undergarments again. I have enough trouble ignoring her, and now I’ve got to delete the gross images from my brain. Gag.
Shaking my head to rid myself of the thoughts, I lift my eyes. They land on an obnoxiously pink jewelry box. Please be in there. I open the jewelry box, and a smile comes to my face. Grabbing Mason’s phone, I run to my room and replace my skirt with shorts, where I tuck Mason’s phone in the back pocket, then I turn to Drake.
“Let’s go.”
He smiles, and we walk out, closing the door behind us. We make our way outside, and I jingle Mason’s bike keys in my hands. “I need to take his bike so that he can get around.”
“Okay, there’s an orphanage close to the high school you found. That’s
most likely where Mason will be, but we’ll stop by the school first if we get there before busses leave,” I tell Drake as I slip the helmet on. I don’t know if, since it’s so soon, Mason has been placed in a family yet. I’m hoping he’s still there.
I give him the address to the school that I’d gotten from the secretary at school, and we take off.
About an hour later, when we pull in the lot, students pour out of the school like ants out of a recently disturbed anthill. So, I park. Mayfield High. It sounds as plain and boring as our school. Drake parks his car beside me as I dismount, pull the helmet off, and make my way around to Drake’s car to his side. “I hope he’s here,” I mumble. Drake leans against the passenger side of his car, pulling me into his arms. His touch relaxes me as nothing else does.
I grip the keys to Mason’s bike as my eyes sweep over the crowds. Several guys check me out. I also notice several girls eyeing Drake, and uncharacteristically, that makes my blood boil. I want to scream like an angry cat that he’s mine and that they need to keep their eyes off of him. The crowd dwindles as students climb into their cars. My body slumps back against Drake as they disappear.
“I don’t see him. What if he’s not here?” I ask, tears blurring my vision of Drake. I can already feel the oncoming rage building up along with the sadness that’s twisting my stomach into knots. The lady at the front office in school said this was the place they sent his records. Did she lie? Did she tell someone I was asking, and they moved him?
“We’re gonna find him,” Drake whispers, pressing his lips to my forehead. “I promise,” He wraps me in a hug. I fold into him, letting him block out all the bad in the world. He’s my shield and my rock, I realize. I’ve only been away from Mason for a week, and if it weren’t for Drake, I’d be falling apart much more than I am.
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