The Quiet

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

*Athena's Point of View*

           Nathan continued to stare at me, unable to move like he was paralyzed. Skylar kept waving her hand in front of his face, trying to get his attention but fails tremendously. She finally gave and tried to find what he was looking at which was me. Her eyes widened when she saw me standing there, scared that I would hurt her again. The bruises on her face are still evident as well as the bandage on her nose.

          "Do you smoke?" I asked Damon, secretly hoping he does. The prisoner costume didn't come with pockets so I couldn't bring any smokes for the night. There is no way I could go one night with these idiots without a smoke.

          "Cigarettes? Of course, babe. Why? You want one?" He teased. I gave him a cold look, not wanting to joke about my need for a smoke. "I will give you one if I get a kiss." I knew he was serious so I gave up. There was no possibility of me kissing him for one cigarette. 

           "You know what? I can just ask someone else for one," I grumbled and tried to find someone else who smokes. 

           Damon softly grabbed my elbow, handing me a single cigarette. "I was only kidding." I realize his eyes were a soft hazel when I looked up at him. "Do you want company outside?" He asked and I replied with a shrug. I didn't give Nathan another look before going back outside. We stood at the corner of the deck so other students wouldn't have to deal with the heavy amount of smoke. 

           I jumped onto the railing of the deck, creating my own seat. I inhaled a little before blowing the fumes out of my system, "are you going to the high school?" I asked. He nodded with a sly smirk. I rolled my eyes, "wonderful."

           "Don't act like you are unhappy about it. We can have some fun while I'm around." He winked.

           I scoffed at Damon, "I make my own fun, by myself thank you very much."

           "Let me say, it would definitely be a different kind of fun." He pulled at his lip piercing with his teeth. I missed Nathan wearing his piercing, he stopped wearing it a couple of weeks after I met him. I don't know why he looked good with it. The boy took a step closer to me, standing between my legs. I could feel his breath on my face, a mix of nicotine and strong mint. His arms slithered around my waist, pulling me closer to his body. Damon's lips were dangerously close to mine, neither of us moved. The situation was intense and I didn't mind the sensation that was building up in my stomach, I was nervous for an unknown reason. 

           The moment was cut off when we heard someone shriek, "oh my god! The smoke! It's in my face, my eyes are burning!" Damon turned his head so I could see, it was Skylar. She was fanning her face, trying to get her eyes clear. The piercing covered boy started laughing at her, leaning his face against my neck as he continued to laugh. I started cracking up myself, she was so over dramatic. Yet, she wasn't alone. Nathan didn't do anything to help her, he was used to the smoke.

           Nathan looked over in our direction, his face scrunched up in anger as he stared at our position. Damon and I continued to laugh because the different drugs in our body made the situation so much more humorous. I held onto him so I wouldn't fall off the deck or drop my cigarette. Nathan finally had enough of Damon and I being so close since he yelled, "Athena, can we talk for a second?" Piercing Boy sat me back down on the ground and moved out of my way so I could walk to Nathan. The new boy decided himself that it was a good idea to smack my ass as I walked away. I giggled softly, being high made everything funny. 

           When I was close enough to Nathan, he grabbed my hand and pulled me to the other side of the deck, it was that big. "What is wrong with you? I thought we were going to try and make this work?!" He whisper-yelled at me. 

           "I was willing to try but not if Skylar is anywhere in the picture. I don't want to be that girl that makes you choose, but in this case, you have to. It's either Skylar or me," I said quietly. No one else needed to hear this argument between the two of us

           "Why don't you understand that I don't want her?! I don't like her like that! I like you and here you are, hanging all over the new freak!" Nathan yells. Everyone stops their conversation to watch ours, I felt very uncomfortable being watched as I spoke. 

           Anger rushed through my veins as he called Damon a freak, it will hit a soft spot for me. "He is not a freak, he simply chooses to live a different life than you. Damon is allowed to cover himself in tattoos and have as many piercings as he wants. You don't know him and neither do I which means neither of us has a right to criticize him. I do the same things as him, am I freak to you?" I lectured Nathan but still kept my voice low. I wanted everyone to stop staring at us, but Nathan's continuous yells aren't helping. 

           He throws his hands up in the air, "that doesn't mean you can just hang around him like a whore! There is no reason for you to be anywhere near him! He tried to run you over yesterday and you are making friends? Maybe you are a freak just like everyone says. The town's silent freak turns into a slut," Nathan breathed out. My blood ran cold as he finished what he was saying. I felt like I couldn't breathe anymore. I refused to cry in front of everyone even though that's exactly what I wanted to do. My legs wouldn't move, I stood there humiliated.

           Damon came over and pushed Nathan away, "that's enough, dude." The new boy's eyes were darkened with anger while Nathan's were unreadable. 

           "Oh, look here's the freak's boyfriend! The second freak came to save his new toy." Nathan spat at us and I wanted to scream at him. I couldn't move or say anything. Tears were welling up in my eyes but they weren't going to spill. 

           "Come on, let's go inside." It took me a few seconds to understand what he was saying. I pulled him towards the kitchen, hopefully where my brothers were. I wanted to go home and had no one else to drive me. It was too far to walk home.

           They were all laughing, drinking their asses off. Viktor looked over at the entrance where I was standing with Damon, his eyes widened with worry like many times before. He sat his cup down before rushing over to me, "what happened?" I didn't say anything as I hugged him tightly. He knew he wasn't going to get an answer out of me so he looked at Damon, "what happened?" Viktor snapped. My companion didn't say anything thank god, I knew my brothers would go crazy and I want them to have a good time. 

           I pulled away from my brother, his embrace made me feel slightly better. "Do you want to go home?" I nodded slowly. I didn't want to be here anymore, everyone knew what happened. The thought of people whispering about me as I walked by made me feel sick. He looked at Damon, "Do you want him to drive you home?" I nodded, it was my only way to go home. 

           Of course, Damon gave him a sly smile, "I would love to. Let's go."

           Viktor pointed his finger at him, "no funny business, okay?" Piercing Boy smiled and nodded before pulling me outside and towards his expensive truck. 

           "Thank you for not saying anything to my brother, he would have lost his mind." I thanked my new driver for the night. 

           "I knew he would, all brothers are like that. He's going to hear about it tomorrow anyway, gossip always travels fast," Damon confesses.

           I sighed and made a decision, "then can I stay at your place? So my brothers don't kill me?" He glanced over at me with a smirk, "no funny business."

           He raised one hand in surrender, "I wasn't planning anything but now, I definitely am. Good thing I live alone, we can be all by ourselves." I rolled my eyes for the hundredth time tonight but a smile played on my lips. 

           I didn't know how to feel about Nathan, he gets angry, calls me terrible things then tries to date me. He needs to understand that I don't have a good amount of time left, I am not going to be waiting around for him to come to his senses. 

           He seems to dig his grave a little deeper eat time he opens his mouth and he doesn't know it. One of these days, he's going to realize that I won't take him back and it's the end of whatever this is. I won't call him a boyfriend unless he asks and shows that he's capable of dating. 

           As for Damon, who knows, for right now, he's just the guy I smoke with.