Lost Hope

SEVENTEEN

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Athena left the house the next afternoon.

She needed to get her mind off everything and what was better than breaking a few windows, shoplifting and spraying walls?

Sebastian wasn't there so she felt free with only Jynx and Sawyer.

She finally finished a simple drawing, illuminated by the fire Sawyer lit up in a barrel on the side. Then grabbed the red spray can and started to write in a handwriting that wasn't hers.

She wrote the words that Chris must've felt when he went away. The same words that had haunted her for the past few weeks and the red spray was the blood flowing out of her wounded heart.

Then they abandoned the place, leaving the burning barrel to ignite the red blood on the wall.

The next place they stopped at was an abandoned company building in a semi deserted street. They went there often.

She let Sawyer light up the joint between her lips as she worked on the walls, splattering them with mindless doodles and words.

Sawyer was spraying swear words while Jynx threw rocks at the window, effectively shattering them.

Sawyer stepped back to admire their work, his spray can thrown away and Athena went next to him.

She laughed, enjoying the chaos as the police sirens sounded.

Jynx made a run for it. Sawyer had his headphones on and quickly made a dash when he saw the blue and red lights reflected on the walls but an officer grabbed the back of his hoodie and slapped a pair of handcuffs on his wrists.

He started blurting out excuses and lies for why they were there as Athena watched with cold amusement, being led to a different car than him.

It was always pointless to talk to them because, at the end of the day, even if the cops did find anything on them, Small was too good to do anything for something as petty as vandalism. He would pretend he didn't notice anything, that there was no proof and send them home in police cars.

She remembered one of the times she was actually dragged to the station.

Sixteen-year-old Athena sat on the desk, swinging her legs as she looked around the office.

Small strolled in, rolling his eyes at her.

She gave an amused grin. "Hi, Officer."

"This's, what, the sixth time you've been caught?" he grumbled, sitting across her on the leather couch.

"I think it's the eighth, if I recall correctly. But, yeah, keep my reputation cool." She shrugged at him.

He glared at her. "Do you seriously not care about your future, kid?"

"What's the future got to do with anything?" she asked, blinking.

"Your reputation," he pointed out. "You could get thrown behind bars one day."

"You haven't got anything against me, Small," she laughed. "Zero proof."

"Except this time, I do," he said in a grave tone. "You didn't see the camera by the exit. I could see you clearly spraying the damned wall."

"Oooh, I'm going to jail?" she said excitedly.

Small groaned, rubbing a hand down his face. "Athena, I don't understand why you're suddenly doing all this shit."