chapter ten
normal

The next day the group found themselves back at the Chateau, everyone celebrating Big John's fabulous return. Athena watched with a small smile on her face as JJ as he jumped on Big John happily, glad to have his only good father figure back in his life after so long. After the niceties were out of the way, the group sat around as they listened to where John B was the day before.

"Yeah, yeah, so we, um... we went to the archives in Charleston, and uh..." John B trailed off for a moment. "It was, uh... it was a dead end. A dry hole. So..."

"So that's the gold, the cross and now El Dorado. We're three-for-three, guys." Pope turned and launched the small rock he was holding out into the marsh. "The streak continues. That's great."

Kie followed after Pope, "See ya John B."

"I'm going fishing. Thanks for the beer." JJ stood up, placing the beer on the tree stump next to him before leaving.

"Bye John B." Sage was next to get up.

Athena sat in silence for a moment, watching Big John, who was watching John B. She knew the boy, he was basically her brother after all and Athena was a people watcher, she saw things people didn't. And John B was not himself, and Big John was watching him carefully as if waiting for him to trip up and say something wrong.

She let out a small sigh, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder as she stood up. "Ima head out but I'm here if you ever wanna talk."

The girl waved goodbye, sending Sarah a small smile before she grabbed her bike from where it was stood and got on it. She rode towards Figure Eight, stopping outside the lodge that Dorota was staying in. She walked up to the door, opening it and walking inside.

"Dorota, I'm home." She called.

"Miss Athena." Dorota smiled, walking into the hallway from the kitchen.

"I think we've gotten to the point in our relationship where you can just call me Athena." Athena stated, walking over to the woman.

"It would be strange." Dorota commented.

"But strange it good, and so is change." Athena told her, holding her hands.

"Did you find the cross?" Dorota asked, not having a chance to speak to Athena since she got back to OBX.

"No, we didn't." Athena sighed. "But we keep our head high and go on with our lives I guess. Being sad and angry about everything isn't going to get us anywhere."

She began to walk backward, making her way back to the guest bedroom that Dorota had given to the girl to stay in. Dorota didn't say anything, simply watching the girl with narrowed eyes, slightly suspicious. After everything the girl and her friends had been through, she couldn't believe Athena would be the first to give up, Dorota couldn't believe Athena would ever give up.

Athena walked into her bedroom, closing the door behind her and grabbing the bag of clothes Dorota had stolen for her. She opened it, pulling out a light blue bikini and a white flowy summer dress. She let her hair flow down her back, sick of putting it up all the time before putting on some of Dorota's rings she had given to the blonde. A knock was heard at the front door before footsteps were heard throughout the house.

Her bedroom door swung open, Sage stood on the other side. A large smile was plastered on her face as she wore a black summer dress, her red bikini clear underneath it, the mesh dress material making it see through. And suddenly Athena had an overwhelming sense of deja-vu. She felt thrusted back in time, only by a few years, where this exact moment had happened, in clothes exactly like the ones they had on.

"Hey." Athena greeted the girl.

"Party at the Mase." Sage stated. "You in?"

Athena thought for a moment before letting a smirk spread across her lips, "Definitely."

Sage held her hand out and Athena immediately took it, the two walking out of the house, waving goodbye to Dorota as they did. Sage led the girl down the dock to where her boat was waiting. Athena stopped in slight shock at the sight of the boat she hadn't seen in years.

"I stole my parents boat." Sage shrugged.

Athena let out the laugh as she climbed into the boat next to Sage and the two were off down towards the Mase, just as they had done so many times before.

The party was in full swing by the time the two friends arrived. Kooks filled the beach, laughing as they drank beers and bottles of whatever alcohol they had stolen from their parents. Boats filled the shore as that was the way everyone got there and kooks were wind surfing on the water. Athena looked around as they hopped of the boat with a smile, this was just what she needed.

The two girls walked up the beach, noticing some of their old girl friends sat on towels further up. Athena paused when they got closer, a familiar blonde catching her attention.

"Sarah!" Athena called. Her twin sister turned to her, her face as shocked as Athena's. Athena walked over and hugged the girl. "What are you doing here?"

"Um... long story." Sarah shook her head.

"I have all night, Sar, what happened?" Athena wondered.

"John B and I argued and Kie's parents didn't let me stay there and JJ nor Sage were home. I bumped into Topper and then Kelce and that and they invited me here. I have no else so..." Sarah trailed off. "Where we you? What are you doing here?"

"I'm staying with Dorota, at the lodge by Figure Eight. Bluebell lodge or whatever it's called. You're welcome to come and stay with us." Athena smiled. "And I'm here because Sage said there was a party and I need to be a normal teen for just one day. After everything."

"I get it." They laughed softly together before making their way over and sitting with Sage and the kook girls. Sage handed Athena a canned beer, one that was received happily. They all watched Topper for a moment before Elena, one of the girls turned to Sage, Athena and Sarah.

"I don't mean to pry, but were you guys really on a deserted island?" She asked.

"Yeah, for a month." Sarah nodded.

"Holy shit." Another girl breathed. "The only plus side is no parents, right?"

"No school?"

"Okay, but you were with your boyfriends, so it makes up for this." She said looking at Sarah and Athena.

"My god, y'all, come on, relax." Topper spoke as he and Kelce walked over to them. "You're just drilling them with questions. Like the gestapo over here. Just maybe give her a little room to breathe? Okay? Hey, Sarah, I, uh, really wanna show you something."

"Right now?" Sarah wondered.

"Yeah, if that's cool. I think you'll like it." Topper answered.

"Yeah. I'll be right back." Sarah told the girls, getting up.

"No you're good, have fun." One of the girls smiled, turning to look at Sage and Athena. "How did you guys survive on the island anyway?"

"On Poguelandia you mean?" Athena asked. The two girls stared at her weirdly as Sage laughed. "It's what we called it, what JJ called it. It was awesome."

"Hmm." Sage hummed in agreement. "Once they got there it was awesome for me. Far less lonely."

"We surfed all the times, played games, speared fish for dinner every night. It was a place I will never forget." Athena told them with a smile.

"Cute." One commented.

"So Athena, I heard through the grape vine that you and your boyfriend JJ Maybank broke up." The other stated. "Is it true?"

"Um yeah." Athena nodded awkwardly.

"Does that mean like I can hook up with him?" She asked.

Athena turned to her, running her tongue past her teeth before downing the rest of her drink. "Sure, go for it." She stood up, leaning down to whisper to her. "I know what you've heard about him but he isn't actually that great in bed, um, but he does have this spot on his neck. Right here, if you kiss, it makes it go wild." She winked at the girl. "Have fun."

Athena then spun on her heels, walking off up the beach to find another drink. She made her way over to Kelce, who had a bottle of what she assumed was vodka in his hand. The blonde picked a red cup off the stack on top of one of the coolers someone had brought.

"Yo Kelce, fill me up." Athena held her cup out to the boy, who poured the alcohol in it with a happy smile.

"Kook Princess back in the game." Kelce practically cheered. "Welcome back blondie, we've missed party Athena dearly."

Party Athena. Two words some people could never picture in the same sentence, especially not next to each other. But freshman year Athena was a menace to society. She was a sweetheart on the outside, she was smiley and sunshine in human form. But on the inside, she wasn't such a good girl. She drank with her kook friends behind the bleachers and sometimes even in class, flasks passed under the desks and parties full of alcohol and weed and sex.

Athena Cameron was a nightmare dressed like a daydream.

She was fourteen turning fifteen though and it wasn't the best thing for her to be doing but her brother's friend had forced him onto her and she needed an out from so many overwhelming thoughts that plagued her mind. The kooks were fun, they knew how to party and Sage would always and forever be a party whore which meant that she easily enabled Athena's behaviour.

It all stopped though. When Sage went missing, everything ceased. Athena stayed in her bedroom and didn't go to a party. She rarely touched alcohol and when she did she knew her limit and she didn't smoke again... until now.

Athena needed to get her mind of everything, and she was a teenager. She didn't have any money anymore, she had no idea where her sister or step-mum were, her boyfriend broke up with her, they lost the cross and she couldn't go back to school. Athena had practically hit rock bottom and she needed to act like a reckless teen, the stupid senior she was supposed to be.

So she drank the alcohol in her red cup and she danced with some of her old kook buddies and laughed with Kelce around the bonfire as the sunset, the boy refilling her cup ever chance he got.

And that was only the first hour.

It wasn't long until Sage walked up to the girl, grabbing the cup from her hand and pulling her a bit away from the large crowd.

"Thena, you need to slow down." Sage told her. "And I have something to tell you."

"Sage, baby, give me back my drink." Athena stated with a sarcastic smile.

"Athena, you need to slow down. I have to tell you something." Sage spoke as Athena turned to walk away.

"Sage! Let me be a teenager. I have seventeen now it is more socially acceptable for me to get shit-faced compared to when we were in freshman year so let me do it." Athena practically begged. "We lost the cross. I have no money. John B is practically to all of us and the love of my life left me. You said, you and Kie promised one night of normality so let me have it. Please. I want to drink whatever alcohol Kelce keeps giving me and smoke the weed that Luca brought and scream the one direction that is currently playing with Caroline and maybe even make out with some random kook, okay? I want to drown my sorrows and pretend I'm fine when I am quite clearly not without having some helicopter friend stopping me."

"Okay." Sage shrugged, handing Athena her cup back. Athena nodded, turning to walk away. "But I need to tell you something. It's about the cross!"

"Don't care! Tell me tomorrow!" Athena exclaimed.

"Athena, it's important! The cross is—Rafe m—"

"Sage, tell me tomorrow! I can't hear you!" Athena called over her shoulder as she got closer to the speaker that was blasting out midnight memories by one direction.

Sage stopped, huffing angrily as she let her friend wander off through the crowd and back towards Kelce. Sage couldn't stop her and to be honest she wasn't going to try to, Athena needed to let off some steam.

Kelce smiled as Athena reached him, Caroline squealing happily at the reappearing of the girl. Athena spent the entire night drinking, she sung songs at the top of her lungs and danced around. She went into the ocean with an entire group and they splashed around, laughter filling the night air, mixed with squeals of girls being lifted by some of the guys. The blonde smoked with Luca and she even made out with some kook called Alex.

By the end of the night, not only was Athena stoned but she was also very drunk. She made her way back over to Sage, who had done nothing but text on her phone and have a chat with Maxwell, an old kook friend of her. Sage immediately noticed the blonde hair, standing up as Athena tripped over her own feet.

"Sage." Athena whispered loudly, holding the word out. "What's up baby girl?"

"Not a lot but Thena, we've got Mike and Anna's anniversary party tomorrow." Sage looked at her phone. "Well later today so let's go home."

Athena giggled. "Home is where the heart." She let out a content sigh. "But God, do I love the English, hmm-mm-mm."

Sage laughed at the girl, wrapping her arm around her waist before they walked back towards the shore and onto Sage's boat. The curly haired girl turned to Athena. "You're not gonna be sick right? I so don't wanna clean it up."

"Nah, this is not my first rodeo, Sagey." Athena smiled, sitting on one of the seats while Sage stood behind the wheel, starting the engine and driving back towards the dock near Dorota's lodge. "Hey, I swear you said you have something to tell me."

"It's okay, it can wait." Sage told her. "Let's just get you home and in bed before you start puking everywhere."

Athena gave her a thumbs up, a smile on her face that turned to a small pout. "Sage, do you think JJ still loves me?"

"Of course he does, love doesn't just go away." Sage stated.

Athena sighed. "It feels like he's messing with me. Like he took my paper ring, I placed it in his hand and instead of throwing it back at me, he took it. And he still wears my A necklace I gave him, like a stupid taylor swift song but he left, a-and I know he pushes people away but he hurt me but I miss him so much. Nothing happened in the way I wanted and I still love him, what if he doesn't love me?"

"He does." Sage reassured. "I just know."

Athena sighed once more. "I hope so."

She laid down on the bench, staring up at the stars as they drove along the water. Athena smiled softly, she liked complaining about boys on a boat, drunk out of her mind instead of running for her life as she searched for treasure. It was different. Nice. Normal.

And for once in her life Athena liked normal.

( 💌 ) isobel's notes
i like to put song references in each chapter
so while reading try and guess
in this chapter we've got i miss you,i'm sorry by
gracie abrams, blank space by t swift and delicate
by taylor swift
just badass party kook athena this chapter