Apocalypse Love

Cheater

I'm running fast, my bare feet moving against the dirt and leaves that feel like glass on the bottom of them. Was something chasing me? "Aaathenaaa" I hear the dark voice whisper. "Aaathenaaa." It doesn't sound like it's threatening but my feet keep running. My heart pounds in my chest like a drum. I feel my chest becoming tighter with each step I take. It's dark, pitch black as I take cover behind a tree to catch my breath. My breath is loud throughout the forest. It echos off the trees, bouncing from branch to branch. I hear the twig break under heavy foot steps, causing me to quickly out my hand over my mouth. "Aaathenaaa" the voice called out. I jump to my feet and try to run away but something grabbed onto my ankle, pulling me to the ground. "No!" I scream. "Athena!" I hear the familiar voice then yell.
"Athena! Wake up!" I hear. "No!" I shot up from my nightmare, my eyes scanning the room as my heart pounded hard and fast. I cling onto my blanket as my body is covered in sweat as my mother looked at me with concern. My room is thrown to bits, my lamp and little bottle scattered across the room The window outside is blowing hard. The tree outside my window dangles in front of my view, now and then lightly scraping the glass. A light breeze flows into my room from outside and I let out a puff of air realizing it had just been yet another nightmare. "It's okay..." My mother tells me. "You just had another nightmare" she added. I nodded "Just...another nightmare" I let out a puff. "I can't keep doing this Athena, you're 16 years old. You're almost 17 and these are childish" she begins to tell me. "I'm sorry..." I shake my head. "I have work in a few hours, I can't keep waking up by your screaming and finding your room trashed" she scowled me, like it had been my fault. "Maybe your father can call that school?" She suggested. My parents had threaten me just two years ago when the crazy lady from the news when viral for being a witch. To expecting new ladies into her academy every year. I shake my head "No, I'm not going to that school" I tell her. "We'll talk about it more when we get time" she stands from my bed and walked over to my door. "But you need to learn to control it, or we'll have no choice" she says before leaving my room.
"A school for exceptional young ladies! Like I don't have enough problems with being a freak?" I shake my head as I complain to Meads, sitting on her porch while she drinks ice tea. Michael is sitting on the front step, tying his shoes. "They don't understand you, they never will" Meads stated. "I know...Maybe some woman just shouldn't try to take care of kids" I scoffed. "You got that right" Meads smirked. "I don't think you're a freak" Michael turned his head to me with a warm smile. "Aw, thank you Mikey" I smile back, using the new fond nickname I keep calling him. "You're welcome, princess" He spoke back. My mouth fell open slightly at the fast reaction he had. Meads couldn't help herself to laugh at us "To be young..." She shakes her head before standing to her feet. "How about I head inside, Be a doll and help Michael mow the lawn?" Meads asked me. "Yeah..." I say to her. It had only been three weeks knowing Michael and reconnecting with Meads again, but I've gotten close to the both of them. Michael had told me about him being the son of Lucifer, the Antichrist but it didn't change my mind about him or Meads. I knew who he was, that's the only thing that mattered. Who was I to judge him? "After you two can run to the ice cream shop for a reward" Meads then says before going inside. "Ice cream?" I arched my brow at Michael. "Race you to the mower?" Michael asked me. "First one there is a Christian!" He shouted. Within that second he was up and running across the lawn. I chase after him and when he reaches the mower first. I run up to him "You're a dirty Christian!" He laughed. "Am not! Besides you so cheated!" I raise my voice. He smirked "You lost, now you must pay the price" he stated. "And what's that?" I arched my brow. He looked around before smirking. "You have to kiss me on the cheek" he stated. I was surprised by his words, this wasn't the same child acting Michael I had first met. "Fine..." I stretch on my tiptoes and place a soft kiss on his cheek. I quickly moved away "There, now get mowing if you want that ice cream" I stated, stepping a little away from him.
After finishing mowing the lawn, Michael and I taking turns as we tease each other we walked to the ice cream shop. We ordered ice cream and sit down next to each other at a table. "So, this Antichrist thing...what's the job description?" I asked him. He looked a little surprised by my question but shoving the spoon full of ice cream in his mouth. I nudged him with my elbow playfully "Come on Michael, I can keep a serect" I stated. He sallows the ice cream and turned his head to me. "Well, Meads said the message will come to me when my father wants me to know" he stated. I tilted my head to the side "So...you never did say if you believe in my father" he whispered lowly. I shrug "I believe there is a Lucifer, I believe there is whoever is up there" I glance at the sky. "But that's not what you want to ask me" I pointed. "No?" He knit his brows together. "You want to know if I would ever worship your father" I suggested. He slowly nodded "I think I would, I mean it sort of make sense and heaven was a dick to kick Lucifer out of it. Probably was the best part of heaven" I give him a slight joke, causing him to laugh. "Are you teasing me?" He asked. "A little..." I shrug. "Serious note" I reach my hand out and softly place it on his hand my heart felt like it could've jumped out of my chest. "If the time ever came and you asked me to stand by you Mikey, I would" I confessed. "Really?" He asked, arching a brow. "Willingly and unquestionably" I reassured him. "You're great, Princess" Michael tells me. I leaned my head on his arm "You know I'm not a Princess" I pointed out to him. "To me you are, but in a good way" he tells me. "Okay...Meads is gonna start to worry. Let's get back" I say to him as I stand to my feet. Michael is stumbling to follow, trying to take one last bite of his ice cream. "Last one there is a dirty Christian!" I shouted as I was ahead. "Cheater!" He called out behind me.