Her Poison

Chapter 24~ Brat

"You sound like an utter brat right now, Athena," I spoke up, and even I was surprised at that fact.

All eyes shot to me and I couldn't help but tug my hair behind my ears. It was a habit I'd had since I'd let my hair grow out, and although I wanted to stop, I couldn't resort to the obvious solution that would be cutting it off. Apart from occasional trims, I loved the look and feel of it.

I was finally understanding why some girls refused to cut their own hair. I'd become attached to it, as ridiculous as I would have once found it.

It wasn't in my habit to interfere with things that had nothing to do with me or held no advantage to me. That was why even though I'd been dying to do something, to be helpful, I hadn't said anything to Athena at the concert. While I had some urges to be someone else, someone better or more caring, it conflicted with the part of me that had no remote understanding of what was going on.

The part of me that didn't understand why I couldn't stop looking, thinking, yearning, with all these actions directed at exactly one person. I hated being that guy. But it was even harder when I went for her without thinking twice about it.

Her grey eyes were stormy, as usual when she glanced at me. I was starting to ask myself if she liked being angry. It was the easiest thing for her to admit, all her other emotions always came out of her involuntarily.

That kiss in her room certainly hadn't seemed involuntary, though.

"I'm not!" She said defensively. So I'd hit home, huh?

"You are. Your brother got on his knees to apologize. He admitted he was wrong. You're being a bitch, and you know it." It was pretty surprising to see the man on his knees in front of his sister. He certainly felt remorseful enough to make amends in such a humiliating way.

I understood him, but I also didn't. For the sake of my family, I'd always imagined that I would do anything. I valued my family and friends more than anything in this world. Yet he was bending to one of Athena's multiple whims, and if it were only up to me, if I had been her brother, I would have never allowed it. It would have only been the case of course if that was up to me.

It was hard to judge him when it felt like Athena could bring me to my knees with one dark look. I was completely at ease with her having that power over me. What I despised was her trying to completely disregard the equal power I held over her.

"Aaron, you're crossing the line," Harmony's sweet voice made my eyes travel to her.

Since the concert, her makeup seemed much more normal than it usually did. I wondered why she was toning it down. She even wore less pink.

"You're her friend, right? Then you owe it to her to tell her when she's being shitty. That's what friends do. What she ends up doing is out of your control but if you don't call her out on her bull, you're not a good friend. Jon why aren't you saying anything, that's unlike you." I turned to Jon. He pulled off his glasses and wiped them on his white shirt.

"I've said too much once, I won't let it happen again."

I didn't really understand what he meant by that but looked at Athena again.

"Both of you are just awful brats. Your brother was shitty and you too. Both of you should apologize. Y'all are morons," I told them with a shake of my head.

Athena's brother stared at me for a bit, then burst out laughing. I raised my eyebrows, tucking my hair behind my ears. Both of them were a handsome lot. Deep caramel colored skin, expressive eyes and arched eyebrows.

Athena herself was something particular. She was beautiful yes, but what about beauty? I'd seen my fair share of beautiful women, of beautiful people, to the point where it seemed like beauty was a given. Anybody could be beautiful or even become beautiful. But no one could carry themselves the way she did.