Athena

Chapter 32

"Let me take your hand, I'll make it right"
-Chord Overstreet

On Tuesday we finally went back to school. There were no news from Volkov so we figured we must be safe for now. Or maybe not. Maybe that's what he wanted us to think. Let our guard down and make it easier for him to attack.

Either way, we couldn't just stop living our lives and wait for him to make a move. We had already taken all the measures we could to protect ourselves. We heightened the security of the mansion and prepared a safe house, just in case.

"Everything will be okay." Alex keeps saying, "We are ready for an attack, both at our house and the mafia's base"

I'm not that optimistic. I feel like we're missing something, it can't be that easy. You know that feeling, when you're leaving the house and you keep checking for your keys or your phone. Like there's something you forgot but you can't remember what. That's how I'm feeling right now. But, then again, almost every time it's just your paranoia playing games on you and you have everything with you. Maybe Alex is right. Maybe we truly are prepared.

"You're being awfully quiet today." Blake points his fork at me, accusingly.

"Mhm." I hum in response, "I'm a bit tired from the trip, that's all." I send him a small reassuring smile.

"Are you sure it's just that? You seem troubled. Did something happen with lover boy over there, because he hasn't stopped staring at you." Emery frowns, glancing at Grayson for a second and then back at me.

I turn around as well and find him at my brothers' table in the middle of the cafeteria, his burning gaze on me.

I smile at him but he frowns in return, seeming worried. He looks down, picks up his phone and then looks back up at me. Not a moment later I receive a text.

Are you okay?

I smile and reply.

Of course.

His frown deepens but he doesn't get a chance to reply because Apollo slaps the back of his head and takes his phone from him.

Gray looks at me with an apologetic expression after trying and failing to retrieve his phone, but I just shake my head, smiling.

I turn back around to my friends. "Everything's fine between me and Gray." The smile still intact.

Emery smirks, "More than fine, it seems..."

"Emery, we're just-"

"Don't even saying you're just friends," Blake interrupts me, "You might not use any labels but everyone at school knows that you're off limits."

I open my mouth to reply but then I close it again. Indeed, I can't say that we're just friends, I don't want to. I feel much more for Grayson for him to be just my friend, Blake is right. But then again, we're not official so what am I supposed to call him?

I huff out a breath, "Can we just drop the subject. Please." I plead and they nod in response.

The time passes by quickly after that. We finish our lunch and when the bell rings we start heading towards our classes. In my case, that was science.

My relationship with science is not ideal. I enjoy it but only when I understand what I'm doing. Thankfully that's most of the time but I still have my moments. Keep in mind that this is my first year at a school and all those missed years start showing. No matter how much I studied by myself, it's not the same as having a teacher.

Thankfully the class was over before I realized it. And so did the next one.

Finally, school was over and I was headed towards my locker to grab my stuff and leave. At least that was the plan before I saw Gray leaning against it. I slowly approached him and stopped in front of him, smiling sweetly.