back on track

ATHENA HUNT USED TO ENJOY SCHOOL. She had friends, she was on the cheerleading team with all of her best friends and her girlfriend, and she was happily gunning for valedictorian, even though they were still just juniors.

All of that changed, after the accident. She lost her girlfriend, all of her friends, and every bit of her self-esteem that summer. And it was only because of sheer spite, and a brand new Mercedes from her dad that he swore wasn't a bribe, that she was returning back to school. It really wasn't her choice, at the end of the day. Because if it was, she would've died before she chose to go back to Mystic Falls High School. Home to the Timberwolves, and everything she once held dear.

She was trying not to resent her father for making her go back. He had her best interests in mind, and it was a losing argument. Most arguments in their household were moot points because her dad had no qualms about using his fancy, framed law degree to win against his teenage daughter.

Raphael was a successful man, who was very book-smart but lacked a lot of common sense. He was a bit of a control freak, and he always had the air of someone with their head in the clouds, but also never missed a beat. He was also as stubborn as a mule, and if nothing else, Athena knew she'd inherited that trait from him.

It was just them, it always had been. Her mother died during childbirth, and her father never remarried, or even really spoke about the woman, so Athena was used to it being just the two of them. She couldn't be sad over a woman she'd never met, let alone never even seen a picture of, after all.

She'd grown used to a certain kind of solitude, especially this past summer with most of her time spent in a doctor's office, learning how to smile without creating scar tissue, and how not to sleep on her side anymore, since her injuries were so severe.

She hadn't talked to anyone besides her father and her doctors for the past three and a half months, and she was aware of the fact the more her father spoke as she half-heartedly ate her bowl of cereal.

He was asking her questions that always came off as slightly interrogative, a habitual of his career. Asking if she was trying out for the varsity cheer squad this year, or perhaps trying volleyball again instead. He sprinkled in a few mentions of Caroline and the girls, who she hadn't seen since a particularly nasty visit to her hospital room in May, but she couldn't fault him for that. He had no idea about anything that had happened in the aftermath of the accident outside of her physical well-being.

Letting out a slightly frustrated sigh, she spooned a bite of cereal into her mouth and chewed, using a crumpled napkin to pat at the milk drops in the corners of her mouth. "I don't know what they're doing, Dad. I, uh, I haven't talked to them in a few days."

Months, more like it, but he didn't need to know that. He'd just start interrogating her about that, and she really didn't want to talk about it. She'd done more than enough thinking.

Briefly, Raphael frowns. "They're probably just nervous about school. That's the thing I hated about school, you feel the need to impress people you won't even talk to in five years."

Athena glanced down at her outfit, a matching top and skirt whose green shade made her dark eyes pop. Small, white flowers adorned the ensemble, and she knew she'd spend a ridiculous amount of time today counting out the petals on each one, just to avoid conversation. Subconsciously, she shuffles her stark white sneakers and frowns at her dad's observation.

She finishes her cereal quickly, feeling far too exhausted to make any more excuses for her old friends' absence. She clears her mind of her drifting thoughts as she rinses the dish out and sets it in the sink. Athena grabs her bag from the bar and kisses her dad's cheek in a silent goodbye, rushing towards the front door so she doesn't have to fake interest in what he says anymore.

The drive to school is the same as it always was. The same trees, starting to turn orange, losing their leaves little by little. A strong breeze whips through her hair as she ducks into the homey cafe, the bell above the door singing its familiar melody.

She became somewhat of a regular in eighth grade when she started cheering and learned that she was far more productive with caffeine buzzing in her veins. The owner was a sweet old woman named Rosie who opened the cafe in the 70s with her husband, Charlie.

"Back to school again, sweetheart?"

Sweetheart. It was a familiar term of endearment from Rosie, whose sweet smile and warm eyes warmed even Athena's brisk demeanor. However, the little devil on her shoulder didn't like being silenced by such a simple interaction. Athena still managed to find a way to make herself feel bad over it– like the fact that she was so disgustingly lonely that she relied on an old woman to offer her comfort.

The cafe was filled with a few people doing last-minute things before school just like her, and a few suited businessmen grabbed their quick fixes before they attended boring 9-5 jobs. Even though he'd been a lawyer her whole life, Athena couldn't picture her dad as one of those men. He was much less stuck up than any of them appeared, at least.

Offering a wry smile, Athena shrugged. "Getting closer and closer to my last year in hell, Rosie. I can almost taste freedom."

"Ah," Rosie waved her hand at Athena's pessimism and started making her latte as she always did. "You'll be grateful for it one day."

I'll be dead before I'm grateful for high school, Rosie, her brain supplies silently. Instead of saying that out loud and concerning the woman, she just lets out a short sigh and her tense shoulders relax at the comforting smell of the fresh brew.

"How are you doing? I haven't seen you all summer, last I heard you were bedridden."

It seemed that these days, Rosie was the only person at all who could talk to Athena without having her mostly underserved wrath provoked. No one even asked her about the accident anymore, but she didn't know if it was because they didn't want to push her fragile state, or because they simply forgot she was involved at all. She wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter.

"I'm okay, really. It's nice to be in the clear, though, having people touch my face all the time was getting old."

For months, she had been poked and prodded at because the doctors were concerned about the possible nerve damage she received from the injury on her face. It happened so frequently that when they finally cleared her, she barely knew what to do with her suddenly free schedule.

"They're just doing their jobs." Rosie scolds and adds in the caramel flavoring, adding extra just for Athena. "You're alive because of them, sweetheart."

Athena says nothing as she takes the coffee cup from Rosie, giving her a tight, forced smile as she drops a few loose bills into the tip jar. "I'll see you after school."

The older woman furrows her brows. "What for? Don't you have friends that wanna see your pretty face after vacation?"

Athena scoffs lightly, looking over her shoulder as she heads for the door. "Come on, Rosie, what could be more fun than hanging out with you?"

──────

Call her high maintenance, but Athena didn't like certain things.

She didn't like it when her food touched on her plate, because she saw a kid at school mix his whole tray of food together, and he ended up puking it all up, and she'd never been able to get the image out of her mind.

She didn't like when guys bathed themselves in cologne and then walked around like they were something worthwhile. She liked a guy who had a subtle, clean scent to him and wore his confidence with refinement. Hence she never bothered giving a boy from Mystic Falls the time of day.

She didn't like when girls purposefully embarrassed their friends around cute guys to seem cool, and she didn't really trust redheads after an old friend of hers had a bad experience with one.

But if she thought about what she hated most, she would probably think about Elena Gilbert.

Now, there were a multitude of reasons for her deep dislike for the simple girl. For whatever reason, people worshiped the ground she walked on. Athena could understand on a surface level that she was cute in a girl-next-door kind of way, but when she opened her mouth, all of it went out the window.

She had this tone to her voice that made her sound like all she did was complain, and it made Athena want to blow her brains out. Her big brown eyes always sought out something– pity, more than anything. She liked attention but acted oblivious if anyone even alluded to the fact.

Athena had been deemed nothing short of a pariah by certain people in Mystic Falls because of her disdain for the girl, but nothing would stop her from feeling how she did.

Instinctively, her eyes fall to the trio standing before Bonnie Bennett's locker. Caroline hugs Elena and Athena feels a longing ache in her heart until she reminds herself that ⅓ of that group is the reason why she is the way she is, and the other two have long since proven that they aren't going to go against Elena Gilbert's holy word. Not after she survived such a tragic accident.

People seemed to forget that Athena survived it as well, despite actually having physical proof she was involved in it at all. No one seemed to acknowledge the fact she'd been in the same accident that killed Elena's parents, simply because Elena was orphaned.

And now, the bitter thoughts that ran through her head when she saw her ex-girlfriend coddling the girl as if she was still in her god-forsaken hospital bed, without a scratch on her. Poor little Elena. Orphaned as a teenager, now her poor aunt has to come home from college and take care of her.

Athena yanks her locker open with a snarl rising on her lips, and her bitter thoughts are cut off when the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She peeks through the curtain of hair that had fallen over her shoulder and rolls her eyes at the brunette standing beside her locker, rocking back and forth anxiously on her feet.

"What do you want?" She snaps, carelessly throwing her books in her locker.

She misses Elena's flinch at her harsh tone but turns fully to face the girl head-on and see her in all of her healed glory. "I haven't heard from you all summer, and I just figured I'd stop and say hi."

Athena examines her up and down, a clearly calculating look that makes Elena fidget. "You said it. Now you can go."

Elena sighs and steps closer, making Athena lean backward with a grimace. "Athena, listen–"

"Don't." Athena cuts her off through gritted teeth, her eyes darting across the hall where Bonnie and Caroline are watching intently at their interaction. "Don't act like everything can go back to normal, Elena. We're not friends anymore. The three of you can continue pretending like I don't exist, and move on with your lives."

Athena slams her locker and shoves past Elena, stalking down the hallway with a glare that clears a path for her.

She grunts as she rams into someone else, not sparing them a look as she shoves past them harshly. "Watch it, speed bump." She snarls, flicking her hair over her shoulder.

She stops outside of the history classroom and grabs the door handle with a heavy sigh. No Mercedes could possibly make this torture worth her time.

──────

"Once our home state of Virginia joined the Confederacy in 1861, it created a tremendous amount of tension within the state."

Athena slumped in her seat, her eyes rolling back in her head out of sheer boredom. Mr. Tanner's voice was like Charlie Brown's teacher to her– annoying and drone-like.

"People in Virginia's northwest region had different ideals than those from the traditional deep south. Then Virginia divided in 1863, with the northwest region joining the Union."

U.S. History never made sense to her, and it was rarely ever as unbiased as it was supposed to be in this environment, which is one of hundreds of reasons it was her least favorite subject.

She scoffed, unknowingly loud enough to catch Mr. Tanner's attention.

The adult frowned at his student, pointing at her and drawing all attention her way. "Athena, care to inform the class of your input?"

She rolled her eyes at his attempt to catch her off guard and humiliate her. The man was nothing short of an egotistical douche, even on a good day. "The implications that Confederate support and opinions were traditional take away from the fact that those people were just racist. Just because it was so common back then doesn't mean it wasn't fucked up."

Mr. Tanner's jaw snapped closed, clenching at her crassness, but he quickly recovered. "Language, please, Ms. Hunt. Let's continue," He sighed exasperatedly, and continued speaking, and Athena crossed her arms over her chest with a quiet huff.

She slumped down in her seat and rolled her eyes once again, contemplating how much trouble she'd get in if she left before the first period was even over.

Feeling eyes on the back of her head, Athena furrowed her dark eyebrows. Tilting her head back slightly, she made eye contact with a pair of forest green eyes watching her with an intent look she couldn't decipher.

She quirked a brow at the guy's lingering stare and turned her attention back to the front of the class. She didn't want to engage with some guy who undoubtedly fell into the same category every guy in this town did; unbearable and infuriating.

As she tuned out the rest of Mr. Tanner's lesson, she silently reminded herself that she still had six hours left in the day and had to stifle an audible groan. She'd never been more positive that she actually died and this was her hell– living through high school for all of eternity.

What bullshit.

──────

"Latte for Melanie?" Athena called out into the bustling shop, smiling politely when the woman came for her drink.

Charlie's was infamous for seemingly never having actual employees, just Rosie and a few random college students sprinkled in at odd hours. Athena supposed she was one of those not-employees, but she never got paid for the minimal work she did here, and she only ever actually did it out of sheer boredom.

Rosie never said no to extra help, and almost every time Athena happened to be in the cafe, there was someone else who could do the job just as well, so there wasn't ever any pressure. Even though it was technically labor, Athena never felt more relaxed than she did when she was mindlessly making coffee for strangers. She'd been at least lucky enough that no one from her school ever came in here, so it was an oasis from the practical prison she inhabited for most of the day.

The bell above the door rang, and Athena swiped a hand over the front of her skirt, removing nonexistent wrinkles. Already plastering a small, customer-approved smile on her face, she lifted her head to watch the man approach the counter.

"What can I get started for you?"

"What's your opinion on the chocolate chip muffins?" The dark-haired man looks down at her, his question seemingly genuine despite the smirk on his face. His eyes were bright blue, and she shifted uncomfortably when his attention lingered on the curve of her scarred face. Turning her head slightly, she angled the right side of her face away from him, sniffing pointedly.

"Rosie makes them fresh every morning, they're very popular." She answers, shrugging a shoulder.

The man nodded, eyeing her with something she might call curiosity in his gaze. "I'll take one, then."

"Can I get a name, please?"

"Damon."

She grabbed the marker from the pen holder beside the register, not making any move to grab the money he'd sat on the counter just yet. "It'll be right out."

"Thanks," His eyes dart down to the makeshift nametag she'd slapped on her shirt and he quickly flicks his gaze back up to hers. "Athena."

She smiles forcibly, a half-grimace as she quickly turns away to get his pastry from the display case. The bell on the door rings once more and her eyes dart upwards, a sigh of relief leaving her lips when she sees one of those college kids who falls under the 'not-employee' employee title.

She nods at the boy as he jumps over the counter, snatching the apron she had in her hand like she wasn't offering it to him. "It's about time, Josh, god. I know you don't care about school enough to be this late."

"Oh, you missed me, I can tell," He smiles at her and she ignores it, grabbing the muffin off the counter where she'd put it down upon his arrival.

"Whatever. I'm taking this one, and then I'm leaving. Unlike some people, some of us actually turn in homework on time."

"Whatever you say, Your Highness," He smirks when she glares, and she turns away silently, happy to ignore him.

Stepping out from behind the counter, she walks the muffin over to the man who had taken a window seat in his short wait. "Enjoy." She says briefly, darting away from the table to take her corner booth where her school stuff had been sitting.

Athena lets the noises of the cafe play as background music as she meticulously packs her backpack up again, sliding in the heavy textbooks before anything else so she can situate them well enough they won't destroy any of her notebooks.

She's half-sitting in the seat, kneeling on the bench with her knees digging into the cushion in a way that's getting uncomfortable quickly. Lost in a quiet daze, she misses the sound of the approaching figure until the shadow is blocking the evening sun shining through the windows.

Frowning she looks up from her backpack, hands stilling as she reaches to zip it closed. "I don't actually work here, so I can't help you if you need anything. Josh would be more than happy to, though."

"You don't work here? Did you give me a poisonous muffin?"

"I'm thinking I should've."

Damon holds a hand to his heart. "That hurts me. I thought we were becoming friends. Best friends, even."

She raises an eyebrow at him incredulously. "Are you on drugs?"

"Not at the moment, no," He denies her question with a smirk, and she rolls her eyes at his response.

Athena somehow knows he's not going to leave her alone unless he gets what he wants– she just doesn't know what that is, exactly. "Look, buddy," She leans towards him, still propped on the bench. "I don't know what part of your life is so boring that you want to be friends with a teenage girl, but if this is some washed-up, frat guy mission, I promise that anything you get from me will not be worth the damage to your ego. So, how about you just leave me alone, alright?"

"Comparing me to a desperate frat guy is possibly the most insulting thing you could've said," He says in a deadpan, shocking her at his lack of hostility. She tries to hide it on her face. "That hurts my ego more than anything."

Grimacing, she turns away from him, yanking her bag out of the seat as she goes to stand on both feet again. "I'm sure I could think of worse."

Damon sighs, narrowing his eyes accusingly at her. "I have a question for you, that's why I came over here."

Letting out a tired sigh, Athena gestures for him to go ahead, one hand wrapped around the strap of her bag where it sat heavily on her shoulder.

Damon leans forward and his pupils dilate, and Athena feels her face fall blank before her mind hazes over in a way that makes her feel tired, but also aware that something is weird all of a sudden. "I need you to get to know someone for me. His name is Stefan Salvatore, and he's a bit of a loser so you'll have to get him out of his shell, alright? And I need you to tell me everything he knows about Elena Gilbert."

Athena blinks, squeezing her eyes harshly as she looks at him for a bit longer. Her face twists in a frown, and she shakes her head to rid herself of the fog that had momentarily settled over her mind.

Though she still has warning bells going off in her head, her mouth moves without permission. "I'll tell you everything he knows about Elena Gilbert," She repeats, drone-like, earning a wicked smile from him.

"You and I are going to be great friends, Athena."

────── 

author's note; lets get it I guess

originally posted: 10.17.20. 

edited: 11.20.23. 

- liz