Tubes (narry) #Wattys2015

37. Athena

(Lincoln is played my Kian Lawley and Abraham is played by Zac Efron)

Cecils house was big. It wasn't a implicit thing that his family was successful, and though I knew I wouldn't get lost it felt like I some how would. I felt out of place, and that Niall should be here instead of me.

I've been standing in the corner of Cecils house in their den for this whole party. I felt weird "celebrating" Nialls death. I would rather be at a crying party. I know that they don't want this to be a sad thing, since Niall was such a good person, and that Niall wouldn't want it to be sad either, but still. It's death. A life lost. I don't believe in the man in the sky, no matter how much Niall believes it. The man in the sky wouldn't put people like him in this world just to see them suffer and struggle for a chance. That's immoral and not right.

"Before we eat, I want everyone to to gather in here for a moment, please." The small crowd fills up all the seating options, and the rest stand, which are few. I remain in the corner holding the glass of sparkling wine. I have no idea what Cecils dad started to say, I was staring at the floor off in space, my eyes tearing up from the air attacking my eyeballs. "Harry," I hear Cecils voice corrupt my train of blank thoughts. "Hm?" I look at him. "You were, his boyfriend, right?" Chard, Cecils dad, asks me. "Um," My mouth clamps closed, looking at everyone in the room whose eyes are all focused on me. "Kind of."

"Do you want contribute?" He asks. I don't know what he means, I wasn't listening. "Um," I look around again. "You say what you liked most about Niall." Cecil whispers to me. "Oh, uh, no. I'm okay." Chad nods his head and presses his lips together, looking to the next person. "How come?" Cecil asks, crossing his hands together. "How come what?" I ask. He says, "Why don't you wanna say anything?"

"Everything about him was the best."

There's a pause of silence, and then I ask, "What did you say?"

"His eyes." Cecil takes a moment before explaining. "Y'know, everything about him looked deceased, but his eyes. His eyes were still bright and full of the life he would've had."

"That's very true." I whisper to myself. Cecil doesn't hear me.

"Alright, then, if you all would join us in the dining room, serve yourselves. I know I'm starving." A few blokes politely chuckle and everyone walks to the dining room. I wait for everyone first before I follow, looking for a place to sit. Every seat was taken besides the kids table, which had two boys around twelve and thirteen, three little girls maybe six, five and four, Cecils little sister, and a baby that was being taken care of by one of the older boys. "Do you mind if I sit with you guys?" I ask the table, grinning a little. "There's a seat right there," one of the little girls point to a fold out chair. I smile at her and sit down at the head of the smaller table, saying, "Thanks for letting me invade the fun."

"We need more boys here anyway." One of the boys grumble, spooning a dip of applesauce into the baby's mouth. "What are all of your names?" I ask, seeing where the serving of food is at in being passed around the room. "Harry!" Cecil calls. I look up, searching for his colorful face. "You don't have to sit at the kids table, there's a seat right here for you." Cecil pulls the chair out. "Trey is suppose to sit there anyway." I look to my left and see a boy standing there, waiting. "Oh, i'm sorry." I stand up and offer him the seat. He says thank you as he sits down. I scoot his chair in for him, since I stole his spot, and sit down in the chair in between Cecil and Abraham. "Want some green beans?" Cecil offers the bowl, and I nod, taking it and scooping some onto my blank plate.

All the dishes were passed around..it was like Thanksgiving. Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Salad, Wine, Turkey, I'm guessing it's because Thanksgiving was always Nialls favourite holiday. "

~~~~~~~~

"If Athena were to be here, she would have loved him." Chad says to the table. "Dad," I snap my head to Cecil. "Don't." Cecil shakes his head at his father and Chad gives him a sorrow look. "Who's Athena?" I ask out loud. The whole room grows quiet, and I feel like I just broke a rule. "I'm, sorry.." Did I do something wrong? "Forget I asked that." I look down at my plate and fork my mashed potatoes around. "Athena is my little sister." I could feel Cecils eyes staring at the side of my head. I look over at him and can see the traumatization in his eyes. I'm hesitant to ask..."Where is she?" I felt pressure with all the grown up and kids staring at Cecil and I. "She was abducted when she was four." Abraham speaks up, leaning over Lincoln so he can see me.

My mouth drops open a bit and I turn to look at Cecil. "Yeah." He confirms. "When?" I felt bad for asking more personal questions, but I wanted to know. "When he was twelve." Abraham says again. Cecil stares down at his plate, and I look across the table to Atticus, Cecils fifteen year old brother, who's looking from his parents to his sibling. "I'm so sorry.." I shock myself when my hand reaches over and rests on top of Cecils, and I'm even more shocked when he holds it back. "This is about Niall." Cecil looks around and forces a grin. "Lets, keep eating and enjoying our night." I take my hand away and scan the people, taking a forkful of mashed potatoes and gravy and spooning it into my mouth. I didn't have an appetite anymore.

"Do you think your Mum would mind you spending the night?" Cecil asks me. It's a few hours after dinner, and we're all eating dessert; cake and multiple kinds of baked goods. "I don't think so." I say through my brownie. This felt like an orientation into their little group. It was just me, Cecil, Lincoln and Abraham downstairs, sitting in a comfortable silence with only the lamp illuminating the room. "Cool." Cecil nods his head. He's been off, or seems off, since dinner.

"He's just distracted about Athena." Abraham whispers to me. "He'll be fine." I nod my head, feeling terrible for questioning Athena further even after Cecil warned his own Dad not to say anything about it. "Anyone else done with their plate?" Abraham stands up with his and Lincolns paper plates. "Thanks." I hand him my plate and he gives me a 'welcome' grin.

Abraham disappears upstairs, and Lincoln stands up and turns on the telly. "Lets watch Family Guy." I could tell he's trying to lighten up the mood, and that if Cecil wasn't so upset he would be more hyper and crazed. At least I think. I pull out my phone and text Mum asking if she could pick me up on her way to work just as Cecil pushes his plate aside and standing up. "I'll be right back."

'please don't leave me alone with people I don't know' I plead in my head, but he's already on his way. Standing up from the floor, I sit down on the other end of the couch, opposite of Lincoln, and press my lips together. "He was with her when she was taken." I look over at Lincoln, and he looks over at me too. "They were walking home from school and he stopped to pet this stray cat, and he turned around and she was gone."

"Why are you telling me this?" I ask. "Because Cecil won't." I swallow and look down at my phone, feeling it vibrate with a text from Mum. She said yes.

"He ran up and down the street they were on and couldn't find her at all."

"Link, don't." We both look at Abraham, whose standing on the stairs and looking at us. "What? Do you really believe Cecil will tell him any of this?"

Abrahama sighs and looks at me, hands on his hips. "Harry, are you curious?" He asks as if I'm a child. I nod slowly. "I guess.." Abraham looks up to the top of the stairs and sighs again. He mutters choice words under his breath and looks to me again. "They looked for her a few years and then the police gave up. A while after that, his family gave up. Cecil didn't though and he still keeps his eye out for her. That picture there," Abrahams nods his head to the table next to me. I look at it and the three picture frames on it. "That's her." In the middle of the three, is a brunette little girl smiling and standing with her two brothers in the backyard in front of a trampoline. "I have one more question, but it's a little off topic." I ask, still looking at the picture.

"Why are all their names Greek?"

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I know this is a sucky chapter.