Saving Athena ✓

18) Soft

A t h e n a

(Tw: sexual assault, violence, alcohol)

"Miss Sheila, I have extraordinary news," I slide into the booth beside her, she smiles and sets down her fork.

"And what may that be?" She raises a happy eyebrow.

"I made a friend," I stir around my straw, sipping at my fruit punch.

"Did you now?" She chuckles and holds her heart like a proud mother. "What's this special person like?"

"The special person is- well," I scratch the back of my head. "Defiant, ill-tempered, and a bit rude, but he's warming up to me."

"Is he? Is this more than a friendship I'm hearing about? Have you finally met your knight in shining armor?"

I giggle and lay my head back. "Maybe I have, maybe he's my golden egg in the basket." I laugh again and catch Milo out of the corner of my eye, I wave to him as he runs over and slides next to me, throwing an arm around my shoulder and smiling at Miss Sheila.

"Hey, Miss Sheila!" He beams, she smiles. I lean into him as they blast into a conversation. Miss Sheila smiles at the sight of us and makes a heart with her hand. She gets up after a while and excuses herself to the bathroom, he turns to me and I yawn.

"Tired?" He asks and I chuckle, his hand reaches forward and ruffles my hair. "I love the color of your hair," he says, playing with the ends of it. I smile and watch as he twirls the end of my hair around his fingertips before letting it fall.

"Want me to shave it off and make you a wig?" I playfully mumble, he nods, drastically and I push his chest. "Can you move please, I have to go to the bathroom."

He shakes his head and yawns. "I'm tired, Athen, I can't move." He called me Athen sometimes, I smiled.

He eventually gets up, letting me go as I head to the back, I knock on the bathroom and no one answers, so I go for the handle only to feel someone press behind me as I get shoved inside, the door gets shut and my breath hitches in my throat when I see Vinnie's dirty blond hair.

"Let me out of here," I go to the handle, but he steps in front of it, I watch as his hand shoots up, wrapping around my neck as he slams my body against the wall, his grip gets tighter by the second, and I gasp for air, I

"You're screwing with my friend, Athena?" I feel his breath against my cheek. I feel tears streaming down my cheek as he steps closer, pressing his body against mine and I squirm. "What? You're playing with me, Milo, and now Ace?"

"I'm not- Vinnie I can't breath- please-" I try to lift my leg to push him off but he won't let me.

A knock on the door has him freezing. "Athena? You okay?" Milo asks, I recognize his voice.

"Milo!" I manage to yell but Vinnie slams his hand down on my mouth and nose. I try moving but his grip is too strong. He narrows his eyes at me.

"Athena?" Milo asks, Vinnie rubs his eyes before letting his hand drop.

"No, sorry Milo. It's just me," Vinnie says.

"You sure? I thought I heard-"

"Yeah, Milo we're busy." My heart drops.

"We're?" Milo asks, his voice a bit quieter.

"Me and Athena, we're busy, could you leave?" I shake my head but Vinnie clenches his hand harder tighter around my neck.

"O-Oh," Milo dejectedly mumbles. I hear his footsteps walk away, and a tear runs down my face. Vinnie lets the hand off of my mouth and neck, I push myself to the corner and hold my hand out, stopping him from getting closer.