CHAPTER TWO: ATHENA

Without thinking, I took off running, but it was pointless because they caught up to me. Dylan pulled me by my hair into the closest empty classroom, followed by Tom and James, and no matter how loud I screamed, no one came to help.

I was knocked to the ground by Dylan, who then pulled up my hood and tank top while James and Tom held me down. However, because I was screaming, he first stuffed my face towel in my mouth. Unable to move, I watched in horror as he removed the lit cigarette from Tom's mouth and drew it dangerously close to my skin, where I could feel the stub's heat.

I tried to get free but they held on even tighter, pushing me to the ground. Dylan then placed the cigarette stub against my skin; I screamed but my screams were muffled by the towel in my mouth. He moved the stub from one spot to another on my abdomen; I cried because that was all I could do. This torture continued for another ten minutes before they finally released me.

The boys just laughed their asses off at the expense of my pain as they towered over me watching me cry, my abdomen was burning, and my hood was rubbing against the burns making them hurt more.

Then, as he and his friends walked out the door, Dylan yelled, "This is a welcome gift little mouse, this year will be the year you finally give up and end your miserable life, little mouse, and no one, I repeat no one, is going to stop you this time." I lay there sobbing as I watched them leave. Tom, who was the last one out, gave me a wink before slamming the door shut.

I wiped away my tears and got up off the ground once I was certain they had left. I then collected my belongings and headed back home because I didn't deserve this at all, and nobody else did either.

I sneaked past Sophia's room when I got home because I didn't want her to see what they'd done to me. She wasn't going to take it well.

I wasn't always terrified of them; when it first started in my junior year, I filed a report with the local precinct, but it was swept under the rug because the boys' parents were important people in our small town, and when the boys found out about the report I filed, the bullying escalated, and I've never gone against them since.

When I got to my room, I went straight to my mirror and removed my hood. I stood there staring at what they had done to me, cigarette burns covering my abdomen, I couldn't hold back the tears, and I crumpled to the ground weeping.

I'd always wondered what made them hate me so much that they'd go to such lengths to make me suffer; I'd never done anything to provoke them. I was always minding my own business, and then all of a sudden I was their target.

I sat in front of the mirror for a while before getting up to clean the burns, which still hurt like hell, before going to bed dreading tomorrow.

The next day.....

I walked through the crowded hall trying to get to my locker, I finally got a few feet to my locker without being pushed to the ground, when I saw them standing in front of my locker, their gazes searching through the crowd. I didn't even care about the book I needed; instead, I used the crowd to slip away undetected.

I walked into the homeroom and took my usual seat. Students entered the classroom either individually or in groups. Dylan and the clique were the last to enter the class.

Dylan's gaze darted around the room, probably looking for me, but before he could, Nr Hunter entered the room, followed by a guy I'd never seen before,

He had deep, intense eyes with hints of emerald and forest green that seemed to shift and change with the light. They are framed by thick lashes that curl upwards, highlighting their eye-catching color.

His hair is jet black, glossy, and lustrous, resembling the wing of a raven. It falls in loose waves around his face, framing his features and emphasizing his angular jawline and sharp cheekbones. When Mr Hunter was about to introduce him, he pulled it back into a sleek ponytail, and believe me, if you could call a man beautiful, he was.

"Hello class this is Leo Smith he will be joining us for senior year, let all welcome him because he is also new to our school and town," Mr Hunter said before continuing to speak Leo would you like to introduce yourself"

"No" He mumbled

"I see, so have you a seat then, you can take the empty chair beside Miss Marcos" Mr Hunter said in an annoyed tone as he pointed at the empty chair beside me.

"Are you deaf or do you simply choose not to speak?" Dylan asked mockingly, causing his friends to laugh, but Leo didn't even acknowledge him, let alone answer his question; instead, he pulled out pride and prejudice and began reading, ignoring everyone around him.

Mr Hunter had left us alone after his announcement. Then I heard footsteps beside me, I turned to see Dylan, James, and Tom standing in front of Leo's table. "You know it's rude to ignore people, new kid," Dylan explained, trying to get Leo's attention, but he still didn't look up to acknowledge them which pissed Dylan off. He despises being ignored, as I discovered the hard way.

Dylan snatched Leo's book, ripping it slightly before tossing it to the ground. Leo raised his eyes to the men in front of him, then to the book. With a soft sigh, he reached into his bag and pulled out an old iPod.

He put on his earphones (he's listening to the X-ambassadors-unsteady) and leaned against the table. Dylan was irritated, but before he could say anything else the bell went off, and Leo walked away, not paying them any attention, which was a first for Dylan.

Dylan then turned to face me and yelled for everyone to leave the classroom. They all went along with it, leaving me at the mercy of Dylan, James, and Tom.

"When that jerk disrespected me, I saw a smile on your face, little mouse. Did you, uh, smile?" Dylan inquired, his face enraged.

"Dylan, I swear I didn't smile, please…"I begged him, hoping that he would let me go, but boy was I mistaken. He drew nearer and grabbed my neck, shoving my head against the wall.

'What's up with this guy slamming me into things', I wondered as I grunted in discomfort. 'Fuck that hurt, I hate those guys, I'm basically their human punching bag', i thought as I watched them leave the room without a word.

I sat upright, my head aching badly and stuffed my belongings into my bag. When I saw Leo's ripped book on the ground, I picked it up with the intent of repairing it and returning it to him.

The next class passed without incident with the guys. I had a free period after that, so I went up to the library to look at Leo's book. I knew it was strange to pick up something that belonged to someone I didn't know, but I felt compelled to repair it and return it to him - call it empathy or instilled morals but it just felt right.

I worked at the community library over the summer, and Mrs. Williams, the kind librarian, had shown me a few tips for fixing torn books, so I knew exactly how to put this one back together. After an hour had passed and I was finally satisfied with the outcome. I returned the book to my bag and proceeded to the next class which was physics.

After the longest hour of my life in physics learning about atoms my next class was English, and this time the teacher brought a documentary for us to watch. I sort of dozed through the entire thing; don't judge me; it was boring, and you would have done the same thing if you had been in my position. When the lunch bell rang, I packed up and went to my safe haven to eat.

After lunch, I went to my next class, which was history. Leo sat with his earphones in. So I took the empty seat next to him, but before I could return the book, the teacher walked in.

When the teacher was explaining the reading assignment he gave us yesterday in class, I placed the book on his table and looked away quickly so I wouldn't see his reaction. I felt a pair of eyes on me, but I didn't turn around. Then I heard a faint "thank you," and I smiled. I'm not sure why I did what I did, or why his thank you made me smile, but it felt good to be thanked by him.

I left school right after the bell rang because I worked part-time at Rudy's diner and wanted to avoid another classroom accident involving Dylan and his friends. I've worked at Rudy's since I was fourteen years old; the owner, Rudy, is a strict but generous woman who I adored. After I got to dinner, I changed into my work clothes, and began my shift.

Everything was normal until Rider Blackwell walked into the diner. He was the leader of the Eastwood gang and the owner of a club called 'the blue gypsy,' where Sophia works as a manager/waitress, so I see him once in a while when I go see Sophia after she finishes working at the club.

People avoid him because of rumors that go around, one time I heard he killed a man who sold him out to a rival gang with a fork. Even without the rumors he scares the living daylights out of me at times, but Rudy adores him for some reason, so I can't avoid him at Rudys.

I was about to take his order when Roger, the town pervert, grabbed my arm and sat me on his lap "Athena, you shouldn't be working in a place like this as pretty as you are. Why don't you leave your job and come work for me? Don't you think we'll have a great time together? "he inquired, shifting me so my ass could graze his crutch.

I struggled against him, trying to break free. I was so focused on breaking free that I didn't notice when Rider approached Roger's table, holding a gun.

Rider pointed the gun at Rogers' head, saying, "You should let the girl go, Roger, if you don't want your brains scattered all over this table," his fingers on the trigger, ready to shoot him.

Roger let me go right away, pushing me off his leg so I feel on my ass, "no hard feelings man, I was just joking, so no harm done," he said, terrified.

"I'm not your man, and the next time I see you in this diner, you'll be six feet under, do you understand?" Rider continued to point the gun at Roger's head.

"Yes, rid..... I mean yes sir," Roger said as he scrambled out of the booth and dashed for the door.

"Thank you Joey," I mumbled, taking his hand as I rose to my feet before following behind Rider and Joey to take their order, "thanks for your help with Roger, Mr Blackwell," I said quickly, bringing out a pen and notepad, he just shrugged and told me what he wanted to eat. I'm not sure who in their right mind would want to cross a man like Rider Blackwell, and I'm never going to try because I'm too young to die.