𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 || 𝐞.𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐟. 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

III

"you're right; we are hawkin's version of romeo and juliet."

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the days couldn't come faster for both athena and eddie; in a month, they'd be graduating from high school, eddie's final attempt since they'd force graduation for him this year anyway.

"athena," chrissy tapped on her friend's shoulder as she pulled her away from the busy hallway and into the girl's bathroom.

athena's already fake smile dropped as she noticed chrissy's solemn face. it looked like she hadn't been sleeping at all, as if she had paled in comparison to last week.

"chrissy, is everything alright?" the brunette placed a hand on chrissy's shoulder only for it to be shrugged off quickly.

chrissy closed her eyes and held onto her necklace, something she does when she's in trouble. "i've been seeing things, athena," she whispered timidly.

athena saw chrissy slightly shivering, becoming nervous herself: "what things.... chrissy?"

"just....things. okay? nightmares, i think," chrissy seemed stressed as she sighed deeply, walking over to a sink to lean on it and stare at herself in the mirror.

when chrissy looked at her friend through the mirror, she saw what she's been seeing lately: her mother.

"oh chrissy. i'm a nightmare to you?" the mother walked toward chrissy, her eyes pale and dull and her face scarred.

trembling, chrissy backed away slowly before running to the furthest stall and locking it shut. "....g-go away!" she managed to yell before sitting down beside the toilet and crunching into a ball.

the door began to bang loudly and the lights began to flicked, making chrissy close her eyes. the voice of her mother got louder and louder, the fat phobic insults shooting one after the other.

chrissy's breathing became ragged and quick as she locked her jaw and tightened her teeth together out of fear.

"CHRISSY? CHRIS? HELLO!" athena's voice was clearer than her mom's as chrissy opened her eyes again, only to find herself in front of the mirror again.

"holy shit!" athena looked pale, chrissy noticed. chrissy trembled as she held onto athena's cheer halter shirt, panting heavily. "chrissy? what happened?"

"another nightmare...." chrissy was in a daze as she stated back in the mirror, confused and scared.

"that was no nightmare chris," athena shakily turned on the water faucet and lightly patted some water on  her friend's forehead to cool her down.

there was silence between the two as athena recalled the moment when chrissy suddenly stood straight, her eyes fluttering as if she were in another world in her mind.

"i recommend you see the counselor chris," athena followed her scared friend back into the hallway, trying her best to convince her. "or a doctor....nightmares happen at NIGHT.....night-mares?"

chrissy nervously smiled at athena at her word play: "i'll check in with Ms. Kelley after the pep rally."

athena's eyes widened. they had a pep rally today, she knew that, but how much time had they wasted in the bathroom? chrissy watched as athena looked at her watch.

"we have ten minutes chrissy," athena pulled her friend along with her toward the locker room, glancing back at her sternly, "you better see the counselor after this."

both girls tumbled into the locker room, right on time as their coach had began to pull the girls to a hype circle, one where they discussed routines and encouraged each other.

during pep rally, jason carver dedicated an "i love you" to chrissy and athena watched as they publicly displayed their love for each other, sending kisses to each other.

athena could've never imagined eddie munson staring at her from the corner of the gym, watching as her eyes gleamed at the interaction between the cheerleader and the basketball player. he watched and noticed at the way her smile slightly faded, her face dropping as well as her pom poms.

"well well, aren't they cute?" gareth, a hellfire club member, commented with a scoff as he slapped eddie on the back playfully. "cheerleaders am i right?! they only go for the popular guys. dumb and dumber i say."

eddie didn't say anything, listening as his friends kept laughing beside him, keeping his eyes on a certain brunette cheerleader. his arms folded in front of him, he licked his bottom lip as he watched the girl stand for their final routine.

"who you lookin' at eddie?" jeff, another hellfire member, followed eddie's gaze and landed on a brunette cheerleader who smiled and waved at the crowd before running off to say goodbye to students as they exited the pep rally.

eddie looked at jeff who's eyes went wide: "eddie, don't tell me you like one of them girls."

eddie scoffed at his friend before jumping down four rows of bleachers. "of course not! they're all specifically assigned to an athlete or popular guy. i mean look at me jeff! who would want me."

athena watched from the corner of her eye as munson jumped off the bleachers and dramatically pointed to himself and to his friends. she wasn't paying attention to the conversation, but she chuckled to herself at her boyfriends antics.

"eddie, you think she heard you?" gareth's question made eddie arch an eyebrow as he followed his friend's gaze towards the brunette who laughed at nothing by herself, trying to hide her smile behind her pom poms.

eddie melted at the sight, but composed himself quickly, shrugging and walking toward the exit lined with cheerleaders: "nah. she's probably just crazy." the boys chuckled behind eddie as they made their way through the cheerleaders.

"boys, today," eddie spoke loudly as he left the gymnasium and his girlfriend behind, "we read this." he took out a newspaper titled: D and D - the game that has parents and psychologists concerned.

"ughhhh!" eddie smiled as he heard the guys angrily groan behind him; he knew he had to change the conversation and what better way than to their club's focus.

athena felt her cheeks hot as he walked past, she smelled his cologne that burned the room and her nostrils from afar. god that scent drove her crazy.

"hey, that was...eddie munson.... the freak who just passed, right?" chrissy whispered shakily to the brunette who slightly scrunched her nose at the label.

the girls walked back to their lockers since the pep rally had finished. athena threw her pom poms into the small metal box.

"yes, i believe it was," athena cleared her throat nervously; what could chrissy possibly want with him?

"he sells drugs, right?"

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