𝐢 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐢'𝐦 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 ˢᵒᵈᵃᵖᵒᵖ ᶜᵘʳᵗⁱˢ

𝟎𝟏𝟓. ( for the better )

❝ i know it's for the better. ❞

TWO WEEKS LATER, athena finds herself in a deep depression that she just can't fall out of, she doesn't visit her family anymore and doesn't bother with the curtis gang. they remind her of the times she had spent with sodapop, and if she thinks about sodapop then she'll buy more beer and drugs and cigarettes and become a drunk mess all over again.

lost and broken, the girl turned to the numbing comfort of drugs and alcohol, seeking solace in a haze of oblivion. but in the darkest depths of her sorrow, she found herself looking back to him, to the boy who had once believed in her dreams. his words echoed through her mind, the same words she had once pushed away. fulfill all your dreams, do that for me? those were his last words, he used his last breath on her. the girl realized, even in death, he was still urging her to find the strength to carry on, to fulfill the dreams she had buried deep within her. 

with a heavy heart and the weight of regret on her soul, athena resolved to honor his memory and to carry his love in her heart. she knew she had to overcome her demons and grasp the dreams she had left behind. 

and so, in the face of pain and despair, she found the resilience to rise again. she would stumble, but she would never falter. with every step, she held his memory close, drawing strength from the love they had shared. 

he would want her to pick up the pieces of her broken heart and carry them until they were fixed again. she knew that she might never be the same again, but one day she'll see him again, and the fight on earth would be worth it by then.

this is what he would've wanted, he's always wanted the best for her, even when she wasn'r sure what she wanted, he knew she deserved whatever the best could be. 

it's for the better. 

she knows it's for the better, her heart has been shattered so many times. dally was right, nobody could ever break her heart like soda can.

and nobody could break soda's heart like athena could.

i know it's for the better.

as she stands, she knows exactly where she wants to go, where she needs to go. she's going to the curtis house one last time as her last goodbye.

immediately, she spots johnny cade in the lot. he doesn't see her just yet but she can tell he senses someone near him. even though she doesn't want to, she approaches him.

"johnny." she says loud enough for him to hear her. he faces the girl with a sudden movement of his neck. his eyes dilated in surprise, convinced that their paths would never intertwine once more.

"athena." he retorts in shock, elevating quickly. athena observes him as he rises, pondering on how he can handle this. "i thought you left forever." he admits.

"i am leaving forever." athena musters a smile, johnny looks perplexed. "i'm not coming back to tulsa."

"oh." he nods, his big brown eyes growing sad. the girl realizes that she never hated tulsa one bit, in fact it's always been a huge part of her all her life. but she knew she had no choice, soda's gone and he'll never be back.

"i'll come back to see you, alright?" she pulls him in for a tight embrace. he nods his head as they pull away from one another.

now all she really needs to do is go back to the one house she stayed at more than her own. the house that will never be the same again.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
next chapter's the last chapter
-molly