Sixty-Two

Athena

I genuinely enjoyed T’s company. Her full name was Titan, but she preferred the shorter, sharper nickname. She had another friend, Celia, who was the complete opposite of her—tall like a giant, quiet, and not one to make much noise. They were the only two people I spent time with in this new place, and for the most part, they kept me distracted. Today, we were sitting outside, eating homemade ice cream. Well, they were eating. Mine was melting in my hand as I stared into space, lost in thought again.

T waved her hand in front of my face; the metal rings on her fingers catching the light. "Why are you always lost in thought, honey?" she asked, snapping me back to the present. "Every time I look at you, your hand’s on your chin, thinking about God knows what. Look at your ice cream—a fucking puddle. And after I begged you to give it to me!"

I blinked, realizing how much it had melted. “Oh, you can have it,” I said, handing it to her.

“Hell no!” T scoffed, sucking her teeth. “It’s