Athena's povThe students in the chemistry club were energized with excitement, their eyes sparkling and gleaming as they climbed aboard the long white bus heading to Valley Pelt for the annual chemistry competition.Luckily, the death of that abuser was swept under the carpet, and they blamed it on natural causes. He was buried immediately, and I felt a bit sympathetic for his poor wife, who was going to bear the brunt of widowhood and raising kids all by herself. I went down the bus aisle and spotted Cameron, who had reserved a seat for me in the back. I couldn't stop smiling and felt a flutter in my heart. The social night was wild, and I still couldn't believe what I had brought myself to do and the huge risk I was taking. But it's been five days now, and Cameron was fine."Are you always so hyper when you see me?" I joked when we sat together, surrounded by the rustle of bags. The chemistry fair was going to last for three days."Yep, I love being with you," he said shamelessly,
I sat on the floor, surrounded by the familiar comfort of my dorm, while Mia sat on my bed, helping me stretch my hair with a wide-tooth comb and oil. We won the chemistry fair with a landslide victory and returned with joy. Mom had always been the one to take care of my hair, spoiling me with regular treatments and styling, so it would take some time for me to develop my hair care routine. I closed my eyes, loving the sensation of Mia's fingers on my scalp."So tell me, did you fuck Cameron?""Ew! Why would I answer such a personal question? And why would I even do that? That would kill him!" I retorted harshly at her, turning around to face her. She was laughing."It's not funny!""But you love him, and I can tell you've messed around with him. You're unexplainably happy these days." I sighed and turned away, knowing that she was right. “Of course, I love him. He's my mate.”"Ouuu! Love that for you!" Mia clapped."Stop being ironic. You know this is all a bubble that will burst on
CameronI felt light and relieved, and every tension was released from my body when Athena was declared innocent and Jennifer was made to look like the big bully she was. Athena didn’t seem as excited as I was, but I could see the release of all tension on her face and how she briefly closed her eyes and exhaled quietly."Seriously, Marcus, you claim to be my friend, yet you cannot even defend my daughter," Jennifer's father, King Thor, said to my dad with a menacing look on his face. His eyes were filled with hate and accusation. Sometimes, I don't understand why my parents could not call out this man's bullshit and cut him off from our lives; they treated him like he was God, and it irritated me so much.He and his silly wife kept on trying to gaslight my dad and kept hammering about all the good things they had done for us, yet we repaid them by stabbing them in the back. Dad remained calm and gentle, trying to reason with them."You're my friend, Thor, and I have no ill intent towa
AthenaPanic, like no other, took hold of my body. I cringed as the sound of the door banged shut, and my chest felt as if it would burst. I thought my dad would expose my secret when Cameron confronted him. I couldn't bear the thought of it, and I had never seen Cameron so mad. He barged out of the office, and I excused myself and began running after him."Wait up!" I called out, with my boots thumping on the pavement. He was walking fast and had left the administrative building, heading towards a tree. I finally caught up to him and turned him to face me."Cameron, please don't be angry."He threw his hands up in the air. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't be! Why are you and your dad making this more difficult than it should be?"I swallowed hard, and my eyes watered. Indeed, this was harder than I expected. It felt like I was hurting Cameron. Even when I tried to touch him, his body was unnaturally stiff, and he forced himself to maintain eye contact with me. He seemed betrayed.
AthenaI woke up in an unfamiliar room and looked around. Then, when I saw Cameron's hand resting on my body and his face serene and asleep, I smiled. I stared at him, taking in his handsome features. He seemed so calm, and I wished things would remain like this."Oh shit!" I exclaimed. It was 6:30, and I could not leave the boys' dormitory because the staff members would have resumed their duties, and the boys were outside. I didn't want to start any rumors or speculations."Watching me sleep is sexy and creepy," Cameron stirred in his sleep and opened one eye. "I love it.""Why didn't you wake me up to leave last night? How am I going to leave the hostel now?" His hand went over to the nightstand beside him, and he checked his watch, then started laughing."We're stuck. We'll have to wait until the dormitory clears out.""It's all your fault! I wanted to leave last night, but you didn't let me go, and now we can't leave until class begins.""I don't mind," he said, trying to cuddle
AthenaCameron's mom disliked me—no surprise there. I would feel the same way if I were in her shoes. I felt so stupid for coming here. What was I expecting? That she would accept me with open arms when I was her only solution, yet I stubbornly refused to help them. My eyes welled up, and my vision blurred when I saw his dad with an eye patch sitting on a chair while a doctor applied some ointment to his eye. Cameron had said his father's eye was getting worse because of the weakness of the stone. I never knew how severe the situation was until I got here.Surprisingly, his father remained kind to me, thanking me profusely for coming to his home. His mother seemed to be judging me for not sealing the bond and bringing their family out of this mess. She didn't seem generally bad, but I knew we wouldn't get along. There was something about her that I did not accept, and I had a solid, discerning spirit and could sense her resentment toward me. She would never accept me. To avoid disc
I stared at my mom's face. She looked physically stressed and rubbed her temple while taking periodic deep breaths. She had called me to speak with me about Athena, and all her fears and criticisms about Athena were unfounded. The other time, I caught her hiding behind a pillar, watching me and Athena, and even though I had seen her, I pretended not to notice. She had reservations about Athena. Athena didn't mention it, but I could tell there was an energy shift when she talked with my dad versus when she had to speak with my mom. "I don't have a good feeling about her," Mom told me in a serious tone. "She looks weird, and why would she not want to be marked? What lame excuse has she been feeding you and your father?"I found my mom's dramatics amusing and chuckled. "She's not comfortable with it yet. We should give her time."But Mom wouldn't let up. "I don't like her. She seems like a problematic person who is hiding something big. Wake up, see what's happening, and don't be blind
Athena Cramps and fever attacked my body, making me feel a dry and coppery taste in my mouth. I was glad I was alone; otherwise, I would have been highly short-tempered, all thanks to my time of the month. I wonder why females were punished with this curse of nature. I was glad I'd left Cameron's house, even though I missed him so much. I touched my neck, wincing at my rising fever and fidgeting nervously. I couldn't eat. I tried to get a burger, but it felt like wood in my mouth. I picked up my salad and threw it away because I felt nauseous. Everything was a chore, and I was irritated as hell. Perhaps I should yank out all my fallopian tubes? After all, I wouldn't need them since I would not have children. Maybe I should take them out and free myself from this plague.Needing fresh air to lift my mood, I locked the door and headed out for a run. I ran on the school premises, feeling lighter and loving it. After about 30 minutes of running, I sat on a wooden bench and decided to