The first week of my senior year went by in the blink of an eye. All my classes and teachers were boring. It was the same thing in every class. Learn the rules, do some sort of get to know each other activities. Every year was the same thing. On a good note, Via hasn't fought with her brother all week, but I on the other hand still ignored him. There's no way I could find it in my heart to forgive him. He tortured and bullied me for years.

What he doesn't understand is all that pain and suffering just doesn't go away with an ' I'm sorry.' Years of being bullied and teased caused my self-esteem and confidence to plummet. It takes time to learn to love yourself, and I was almost there. I still had my bad days, but so does everybody. One bad day won't destroy your life, you will if you let it drag you down.

Luckily, it was Saturday so I wouldn't have to see his face for a whole weekend. Thank god. I needed a break from Leo.

In the 4 classes we shared together he was always bugging me or doing something to annoy. I was seconds away from punching him in the face when the bell rang signalling that we could go home for the weekend.

I didn't have school and I didn't really know what I wanted to do today. Maybe I'll go shopping at the mall today. Via would definitely want to go with me. She loves shopping. It's one of her favorite hobbies.

After her mother died, shopping and clothes were one of the few things that actually took her mind off all the sorrow and grief. Via is like my own personal stylist. If we ever go out or have some sort of occasion that requires us to dress up, Via's my girl.

She always helps me pick out my outfits and do my makeup and hair. Via is the best.

Of course, when I say shopping, I mean looking at books and buying some lotion or perfume, not clothes. My taste isn't the best. It never has been.

Oh well, maybe I won't go shopping after all. There wasn't a whole lot to do in our city. It was relatively small, so if you wanted to do anything super fun, you had to go to the next city over. It was a lot bigger than ours.

Skyscrapers dominated the sky, people crowded the sidewalks, but there was more museums, malls, movie theaters, etc. It was a giant tourist trap. Tourists flocked there from all over the country like flies to a pile of trash. The city was fun, if you were willing to deal with all the crowded streets, heat, and people bumping into you anywhere you go. Even though Malibu was crowded at times, it was still one of my favorite places.

That's what I could do today! I could go into the city. I hadn't been in the city since the beginning of summer. If I went into the city with Via, it would make us both happy. I could go off and do what I want and she could do what she wants.

I made my way down the stairs into the kitchen. My dad was sitting on the counter, drinking coffee from a mug. "Morning, Dad," I yawned as I entered the kitchen. We made up a couple of days ago.

We had a long talk, and in the end I agreed to meet my mother at the end of September. She wouldn't be back until then so I would have to wait. As much as I didn't want to meet her, I had to do it for my dad. He still loved my mother, even though she left us.

Part of me hopes that she doesn't blame me for that night anymore and that she will come back and we can be a family again, but I know that's not possible. She's had 4 years to get over it and stop blaming me, but if she hasn't come back by now I doubt she ever will.

"Morning, sweetie. I have to go into work for a little bit today, so you will have the house to yourself for a couple of hours."

"That's okay. I was planning on going into the city with Via anyway. There's this one book I've been eyeing and I know there's a pair of shoes or a shirt that Via wants."

Sitting across from my dad was an empty bowl and spoon. He knew me too well. Unless someone made breakfast for me, I will almost always eat cereal. I guess he's leaving for work soon then.

"Well," my dad grunted as he got up, "I have to get ready for work. Be good and keep your phone on you at all times. Be careful while you drive. You never know what idiots may be driving around you." I could tell that he was joking, but there was also a sense of worry in his voice.

"Don't worry Dad. I know how to drive. I promise I will be careful. Now go get ready for work otherwise you'll be late. I love you," I replied as I ushered him out of the kitchen. "I love you too."

Once my dad went upstairs, I walked over to the pantry and pulled out my all time favorite cereal, Reese's Puffs. I don't care what anyone says, chocolate and peanut butter belong together. I took a bite and it was like heaven in my mouth.

A few minutes later, Via came bounding down the steps. "Hey, Athena." She walked over to the fridge an pulled out a thing of yogurt before grabbing a spoon out of the drawer next to the dishwasher.

"Hey, Via. I was thinking that we should go into the city today. It's not like we have anything better to do."

"Oh, yes," Via exclaimed, "There's this knew pair of shoes I've been wanting. They will go great with that one purple top I have." We ate the rest of our food while figuring out what we wanted to do when we went to Malibu and where we would meet up when we're done.

After we both finished our breakfast I headed back up to my room to get ready. There was a slight breeze in the air, even though technically it's still summer. So, I grabbed a pair of black leggings, a pair of white and black Adidas, and put on an oversized red hoodie.

Then, I threw my hair up in a messy bun. It's not like I'm trying to impress anyone, so I felt no need to dress up. After I brushed my teeth and washed my face, I put on my too-big-for-my-face glasses and grabbed my phone, keys, and wallet.

Via was already standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking beautiful as always. "Really, Athena. The least you could do is put on a little bit of make-up." I stuck my tongue out at Via and walked past her, outside, and to my car.

Via was always getting on me about what I was wearing. She kept telling me that I should wear clothes that fit me better or wear more make-up, but I've never felt the need to do that. Plus, I'm not that pretty so wearing clothes that fit better would make me feel uncomfortable.

Judging by the sound of footsteps that were behind me, I could tell that Via decided to follow me.

Once we were both in the car and buckled, I started the engine. The ride to the city was about an hour away, and the whole way there Via and I filled the silence of the car with chatter and singing. Sometimes if my dad came with us, we would drive all the way to LA. It was a little over 2 hours away so we didn't go that often but it was one of my favorite cities besides Malibu.

Right now, we were listening to my Disney playlist. Don't judge. Now matter how old I get I will always love Disney. My favorite Disney movie is Mulan. It's a funny movie, and it has good songs to.

A couple seconds later, the beginning drum beats to "Make A Man Out Of You" sounded.

"Let's get down to business. To defeat the Huns."

"Did they send me daughters, when I asked for sons?"

"You're the saddest bunch I ever met, but you can bet before we're through."

"Mister I'll make a man out of you!"

I belted out the beginning of the song. It was one of the first Disney songs I memorized by heart. Via sang along with me but only on the parts she knew.

"Be a man."

"You must be swift as a coursing river."

"Be a man."

"With all the force of a great typhoon."

"Be a man."

"With all the strength of a raging fire."

"Mysterious as the dark side of the moon!"

Via and I fell back against our seats in a fit of laughter. By the time I had gone through 3 playlists we arrived in the city. Even though it was still fairly early in the day, the city was already crawling with commuters.

Cars lined the streets as their owners went about their day working, shopping, having fun. The atmosphere in the city was always one to be rivaled. Through all the shouts and honks was a sense of excitement no matter what time you came into the city.

I made my way through the streets, towards the bookstore. When I found the one I was looking for, I pulled into one of the last available parking spots and cut the engine.

"I'll be in here while you shop. Meet me back here in an hour so we can go to The Bean," I stated as Via and I got out of the car. She shot me a thumbs up and headed in the opposite direction. The clothing store that Via adored was only a block or two from where we were at.

The bell above the door jingled as I came in, signaling to the lady behind the counter that someone had walked in. "Hello. Is there anything specific that I can help you find?" She asked me.

The lady behind the counter looked to be in her late forties. Her dark brown hair was pulled away from her face in a bun. From this angle, I could see small streaks of grey in her hair and wrinkles near her eyes. Her name tag read 'Wilma.'

"No thank you," I replied in as nice of a voice as I could muster. Talking to strangers always made me nervous.

She just nodded her head and went back to typing something on her computer. The bookstore smelled like coffee and brand new books. I wish the smell of this place came in a candle. If it did, I would buy a hundred. There was something about a bookstore that always made me feel at home.

This one was my favorite because it was small and cozy and had little areas that you could sit and read at. They also had outlets near the bay window at the front of the store and they had free Wifi. They even sold some coffee at the front counter.

There were rows upon rows of bookshelves with books waiting to be taken home to their new owner. The section that I wanted was towards the back of the bookstore. As I made my way to the Young Adult section, a history book caught my eye. It was about World War 2.

The cover depicted fighter planes, pictures of random cities getting bombed, and the biggest picture in the middle was the most famous photograph of World War 2, the men putting up the flag.

This book immediately peaked my interest. I had a soft spot for World War 2. It was my favorite thing to learn about.

No, I can't get distracted. I only brought enough money for one book and one cup of coffee. Maybe I can put it on a list. Sighing, I walked away from the book stand and over to the section I came to look at.

I turned a corner and saw what I was looking for. Right at the end of a row were plastic shelves that had a couple of books on display. The book I wanted was sitting on the second shelf from the top in the middle.

"Yes," I whispered to myself. The book I came here for, The Thing With Feathers, was super hard to find anywhere. This was one of the few book stores that I called that told me they had a couple in stores. It must not be the most popular book.

I grabbed the copy and made my way back to the front of the store. The lady, Wilma was still typing at her desk when I approached her. "Hi, I would like to buy this book." Wilma peered at me over her glasses and gestured to an area a couple feet to the left.

I followed her over and handed her the book. "Would you like to buy a bookmark? They are on sale right now," Wilma asked as she rang up my book. I glanced over at the bookmarks. I can't believe I had forgotten about getting a bookmark.

Every time I buy a new book I buy a bookmark to go along with it.

"Sure."

The rack of bookmarks sitting on the counter was small, but there was still some selection. The one that caught my eye, however, was on the bottom rack. It was a plain white book mark with a light pink tassel on the end.

The design was a feather pen that was writing courage. It was a light pink on the top, and faded into a light orange, before the orange faded into a light pink on the word courage. It was perfect.

I grabbed the bookmark and set it on the counter.

Once I paid, I walked outside the door with my book in hand. There was a small wooden bench right outside the book store, big enough to fit two people.

I sat down and opened my book. It's only been half an hour, and knowing Via she was going to be running a little late. Her mind will probably get distracted by other clothing items besides the ones she came for. It happens all the time.

About 20 pages in, I felt someone sit down next to me. "Well, you finished early than I thought you would."

"I only had one thing to do."

My heart stopped as I looked over at the person sitting next to me.

Leo.

My mouth turned into a frown when I saw the familiar raven haired boy. "What do you want?" I sneered at him. "I saw you sitting down reading and I wanted to come talk to you. What's wrong with that?" He glanced down at my book and then brought his eyes back up to my face.

"So, what are you reading?" Leo questioned. Why can't he just go away?

"A book."

Leo snorted.

That caught my attention. "Why are you laughing? That wasn't a joke." He put a hand over his mouth to make sure he didn't laugh anymore. "I'm sorry. It's just, when we were little you were never sarcastic with me. In fact, if I remember correctly, you were always too shy to say anything to me when I pranked or bullied you. You've grown up a lot since then."

"Yeah, I know I have," I retorted. The next few minutes dragged by in agonizing silence. His presence was making it hard to focus on the book in front of me. After a while I couldn't take it anymore so I stood up to leave. I put my bookmark in the page I left of on then put the book back in the bag that it was put in when I purchased it and made my way to my car.

I unlocked my car, knowing that Leo wouldn't come in there with me. As soon as I opened the door, I was being spun around and pushed against it. "Where do you think you're going?"

The way he said that made me a tiny bit afraid. I tried to escape, but he put both his arms on either side of my head. There was no where I could go. His head was leaning dangerously close to my face and I could smell his minty fresh breath and forest cologne. His warm breath tickled the top of my head.

"Athena? What's going on here?"

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What's your favorite Disney movie? Who is the person that called out to Athena?

Tell me if you guys liked this chapter.
Comment what your favorite Disney movie/ character is.

Mine personally is Mulan, if you couldn't tell.

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