OCEAN VILLAGE

8. loner✨

—Kairi—
-avoidance never heals but this sure feels good-
-maggie lindemann-

"He's walked in, yeah." I lean against a tree, holding my phone up to my ear.

The arsonist just walked into the hut. I need to hurry up and catch the motherfucker so I can go back home.

"Need backup?" Ace asks.

"Does it look like I need fucking backup?" I raise my voice slightly.

"Calm you moody bitch. Hurry up and get him so I can get drunk." He groans.

"Radio's on, don't talk to me unless you need to." I hang up the phone, turning my Radio on as I start approaching the hut.

When I peer inside, I feel my frustration take over. Why the fuck is Athena always in here? It's just more paperwork I need to do, more protection I need for her.

And why the fuck is she chatting away to a fucking arsonist?

I listen in on their conversation, they were talking loud enough for me to hear from where I was standing.

"It's like a reward." She tucks her hair behind her ears, "It just makes me feel better."

"I used to cut." The guy rolls his sleeves up.

"I... Why did I need to know that?" Her whole face scrunches up.

"Because. You starve yourself to make you feel something, I did the same thing. They're both self-destructive, same things basically." He shrugs his shoulders.

He's a clever guy, sucks he has to light things on fire to get the release he needs. And Athena starving herself comes as a surprise to me, she doesn't seem like the type, nor does her body look the part.

"Mine stems from daddy issues." She looks down, "How about yours?"

Is she friends with this guy?

"Growing up in the system." He chuckles, "Mommy and daddy issues."

"What's taking you so long, sure you don't need backup?" Ace comes on through the radio.

"Shut the fuck up." I say quickly, muting it.

"So... What's your name?" He leans back, sitting right beside her.

"Athena." She replies quietly, "What's yours?"

"Brandon." His names Brandon, I should have guessed that. There's been a metal B left at every scene.

"Do you go to North High?" She asks.

"No. I'm twenty-one."

"You don't look it." She smiles a little.

"You look tired." He speaks up, she looks exhausted.

"I am tired." She closes her eyes.

"When will you go?" He pokes her arm gently.

"Not till morning time." She's fucking crazy and never listens to anything i say.

He tuts, "Why so long?"

This is his next location.

"Because I don't want to go home, I don't want to bother my friends, I don't want to get a hotel room and I like it here." She closes her eyes again, "Why?"

"I want to do something." He pulls the lighter from his pocket, flicking it on. That's when I interrupt and walk into the hut.

Athena looks at me and I look back at her, i'm blocking the entrance so he can't run. "Not you again." She rolls her eyes.