Don't Ghost Me

I

ATHENA DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT when her friends asked her to hang out with them. They usually weren't this eager to have her come, and they were oddly secretive about the location of the gathering. Perhaps it was McKayla looking over at Kenzie in the rearview mirror while not-so-subtly snickering to herself, or perhaps it was the way Becky had side-eyed Rebecca while pursing her lips that didn't sit well with her. Athena couldn't shake this ominous feeling off her chest.

Now all Athena wanted to do was go home.

"Athena, I swear you are going to have so much fun!" McKayla claimed, while excessively dragging out the "so." All the girls obnoxiously cheered in agreement.

When Athena first started school that year, she didn't expect much. Knowing her personality, Athena wanted to stay on the sidelines and succumb to her own personal bubble. In New York, she could mind her own business. No one in her musty Brooklyn public school would care about what anyone else was doing. She could read her books in peace without someone coming up to her and asking what she was reading. No one. Cared. In Los Angeles, however, everyone gave a shit about everyone. Not in the way a mother would care for her child, but in the way that would ruin your life if you didn't fit the characteristics of what people thought the modern teenager should be.

When the popular girls first came up to her in the lunchroom, Athena had just assumed it was just another spike of L.A. quirkiness that subtly carried throughout every conversation she had. She had opened her mouth to say some generic answer about her book being some bland, white cracker love story when the girls surprised her with a different question.

"Where are you from?" They had asked. 

Athena should have noticed how those girls looked at each other when She couldn't make direct eye contact with them while talking. Soon, Athena found herself a part of their friend group. She was welcomed and showered with the status of "popular." Nothing had felt more invigorating.

Not long after, the fantasy she had built up within a day had come to a screeching halt once Athena overheard them talk about her dad's expensive-looking car and how they could exploit her for her money. She didn't have the courage or the confidence to leave, and now she spends her days walking one step behind them in the hallways like a servant would be to their masters.

Before she knew it, a loud bass vibrated throughout Athena's body, indicating their arrival.

"A club? You guys know I don't like those," Athena said in the loudest voice she could muster, which somehow still sounded like small and squeaky.

"This one's different, okay?" McKayla claimed, turning around. "It's a rooftop party, not a club!"

"As long as there is alcohol and weed, it's the same thing," is what Athena wanted to say.

Instead, she kept quiet.

"Listen 'Thena, you never hang out with us anymore!"

Probably because you never invite me to anything...

"You're so boring. All you do is sit around and study all day!" Kenzie exclaimed.

"Or read those stupid books!"

Everyone except Athena broke out into fits of laughter as if that was the funniest joke they heard all day. Athena couldn't tell who was saying what anymore; all she could hear was the evil cackling of her bullies. She couldn't shake the thought that they weren't wrong.

Athena chuckled to keep the mood light and reluctantly unbuckled her seat, which ensued plenty of shouts of glee. McKayla found a parking spot far away from the party, most likely to avoid projectile vomit from the staggering drunks right outside the entrance. Everyone exited the car one by one and began to group off into conversations, leaving her to walk behind them as usual. It was never fun hanging out with her friends because she was always the fifth wheel. The only time the girls really talked to Athena was when they wanted her to hang out with them so they could use her for her money or if they wanted an emotional punching bag. Athena would have left them by now if she wasn't worried they would spread awful rumors about her for revenge like they did with poor Olivia Richards. Olivia used to be like Athena, another used and ragged punching bag, but when she publicly dropped these bitches, she instantly became Athena's biggest role model. And sadly, the biggest outcast as well. Athena looked up to her almost as much as she looked up to Sai Baba; after all, Olivia did the one thing Athena could never muster up the courage to do. Athena had realized then that she was anything but courageous, even though she wishes she could be more.

The unpleasant odor of alcohol and sweaty bodies filled Athena's nostrils, bringing her out of her thoughts. The music was so loud it made her head pound and skin tingle. The bass thumped in time with her quickening heartbeat as she took in her surroundings. It was as she expected. There were drunk idiots sloppily grinding on each other, more passed out near the walls, and some stumbling around the room with disorientation clear on their faces.

As her friends led her to the roof, she maneuvered around 5 different couples making out on the stairs. It was straight out of some cliche high school chick flick. God, this could not be real.

Finally, they reached the roof, which instantly relieved Athena from the putrid smell coming from downstairs. She didn't know how anyone could handle it, but she figured they were too drunk to care.

Over the rumble of music, a distant sound of chatter could be heard. Rebecca grabbed Athena's wrist, pulling her towards the drinks despite her reluctance.

"Loosen up!" She exclaimed while pouring Athena's drink. Rebecca was already acting drunk even though she hadn't had a single sip of alcohol. Typical.

Suddenly, Becky sprang towards them and pulled Rebecca and Athena towards a large group of people sitting around a couch. It seemed like every single one of them was staring at Athena with captious looks on their faces. They knew she didn't belong. Even though she hung out with McKayla, Kenzie, Rebecca, and Becky, none of the popular crowd actually liked her. Athena had a hard time connecting with them, they didn't understand her, and she didn't understand them. She didn't enjoy alcohol or smoking or partying, and they didn't enjoy comics or books or stocks. She was an introvert that couldn't handle big social gatherings, unlike everyone else here.

"Sit down! We're playing Truth or Dare!"

She resisted the urge to groan.

Athena watched as everyone fulfilled immature dares, almost all of them being related to eating each other's faces. No one had picked the truth option yet.

"Athena, you haven't gone yet!" Kenzie screeched. "Truth or Dare?"

Athena gulped as she folded her legs to take a seat within the circle.

She stuttered. "Truth?"

Everyone snickered, making Athena feel small again. She glanced around as no one said anything next. Of course, she wasn't cool enough to ask interesting questions to.

"I mean dare." Athena muttered out after what felt like ages of everyone staring into her soul.

Everybody cheered and hollered as Kenzie whispered in the ear of another party-goer, and Athena shyly smiled. As the chanting died down, a shoe unexpectedly flew through the air, falling on a piece of scaffolding hanging from the edge of the roof. The shrill sound of cackling could be heard from not far.

"I've got a dare!" Kenzie declared as she triumphantly posed, and the rest of the group stared at her expectantly. "I dare you, Athena, to get my shoe!"

Athena gawked at her in disbelief. "But I could die?"

"What's that? I can't hear you?" Kenzie deridingly put a hand to her ear and bent to her level.

Athena swallowed the lump in her throat as she looked away in embarrassment.

"I said, isn't it... dangerous?"

"Why don't we offer something more then?" McKayla suddenly spoke up.

Athena shifted her attention towards her and slowly muttered, "Like what?"

"If you get Kenzie's shoe, we will pay you back everything we owe right now!" Becky excitedly exclaimed.

Rebecca gasped and hit her shoulder, "What the hell, Becky!"

"It's okay she won't actually do it!"

Athena couldn't help but look over at the dangling shoe that barely hung onto that metal rod. She could feel it staring at her. Urging her to come closer. During this very moment, Athena couldn't help but remember what her father had screamed at her a couple of nights ago.

"What the hell is this, Athena?" He had said while yelling.

Athena had looked everywhere but at him.

"Nannu choodu! Where did your thousands of emergency money go?"

Athena could only stutter in response as she watched her dad check the credit report from her card.

"You spent it all on makeup, clothes, and..." He gasped. "And dildos?!"

"Wait, no–"

"Unacceptable! I can't believe this, my own daughter!" Her dad wailed.

"Nanna, it wasn't for me! My friends begged me to buy them some at the mall. I swear!"

He stopped crying and sniffled. "Your friends? YOUR FRIENDS? I knew those girls were a bad influence! I knew my daughter was good! Oh, thank God!" Dad dramatically dropped into his chair.

He suddenly stopped his theatrics and stared at her dead in the eyes. "You better get that money back, Athena."

Athena stopped fiddling her fingers and looked at him.

"Or I will send you back to India to live with your grandparents."

"On the farm?"

"On the farm."

Oh, God.
–––

Athena was brought back to the present as Kenzie repeated her question.

"So, will you do it? Or are you too afraid?"

Athena slowly pushed herself off of the ground and turned towards the girls.

"You promise you'll pay me back for everything?"

"Yes!" They chorused with a few scoffs and rolled eyes thrown in.

"Okay." Athena stuttered.

Athena staggered towards the roof, chanting a prayer as she climbed onto the edge and held onto the side of the scaffolding for support. As she reached for the shoe, she extended her other hand out, unintentionally placing all of her weight on the shaky platform. The unwelcome wind blew with a powerful intensity as it declared its presence and made a flag out of her unruly hair. The scaffolding abruptly shifted, and the shoe began to slip away from the metal rod that stuck out the edge of the roof.

Athena desperately grabbed at the shoe.

Behind her, a loud boom.

Metal rods and wooden planks clattered onto the concrete.

Amidst the chaos, a piece of scaffolding slammed into Athena's back, eliciting a deadly scream from her lips that almost masked the loud crack that resounded from her back.

And just like that, she could no longer feel the solid ground beneath her feet.

She was weightless. If it wasn't for the loud cries she could hear from the roof, it would have been peaceful.

Athena finally forced her eyes open. She could make out human-shaped blobs leaning over the edge of the roof as tears blurred her vision. In her final moments, she could only reminisce about the bad.

Falling off her bike and breaking her leg at the age of five.

Failing her violin auditions at the age of ten.

Being hit on by creepy old men in the subway at the age of 15.

Her dad, screaming at her for one bad grade.

Her mom berating her for knocking over her favorite antique vase.

Her friends in high school mocking her behind her back.

Why couldn't she remember anything else? Come on! Think, Athena.

Were you ever happy?

A final sharp flash of pain echoed throughout her body, rattling her bones and knocking her out in one fell swoop.