The door unlocked with a small click before Athena crept inside her own home like a thief. She was secretly wishing that Daniel or her Aunt Heather weren't home. She closed the door softly behind her and made her way to the stairs.
I hate working evening shifts, she told herself for the hundreth time.
Her job at Macy's Supermarket wasn't bad, but evening shifts tired her out. She hadn't quit yet, because that was one place she didn't have to interact with anyone. Just stack shelves and sort out delivery.
Her legs hadn't even made it past the third step when someone cleared their throat behind her.
"Did you f***ing steal money from my wallet this morning?" Daniel's voice boomed in the whole house. Athena whipped around to find her cousin in a dirty white shirt and baggy trousers.
"Wasn't me." She replied matter-of-factly. She tried to uphold her bored expression. This wasn't the first time she was being accused of theft in her own home. Athena continued to walk up the steps.
Daniel charged towards her, his blue eyes consumed with anger, as he pulled her down to the foot of the stairs. He raised his hand and slapped her across her cheek. Hard.
"You lying piece of sh*t!" He grabbed her collar, as her bag fell at the foot of the stairs.
He spoke through gritted teeth, "If I ever find anything of mine missing again, I swear on your dead mother, I'll f***ing kill you!" He pushed her one last time, but not before Athena grabbed his hand and sunk her teeth into his flesh.
Daniel let out a painful scream.
This was her chance.
Athena grabbed her bag and raced up the stairs to her room. Her heavy footsteps made the floorboards creak.
She burst through the doorway and locked the door behind her. A stray tear fell across her cheek.
As she threw her bag and phone onto the bed, she heard Daniel pounding his fist at the door. "You bi***! I'll kill you!"
Heard that before, Athena thought to herself.
This was nothing new to her. She was treated like this too many times to actually let the pain set in. Now it was just a routine. Her cheek stung from the slap, but she learnt to keep the pain in. Her heart was slowly turning as strong as a rock, day by day.
She just hoped it wasn't a rock that made her sink someday.
YOU ARE READING
The Boy With The Rose Tattoo. (I'M BACK!!)
Teen FictionRoman Darwin Coleman. An 18 year-old, son of a millionaire, who thought money could buy him everything. Clothes. Cars. Shoes. You name it, he had it. But there was one thing money could not buy him. Athena Matthews. A girl with too many scars on...
