• i.

    I entered my activation code. There my name typed itself across the tiny screen. Taylor, Jeremy. But I wasn’t Jeremy to them, only a number. Not that it mattered much. We were all numbers, nobodies wandering the corridors amongst groups of people who could care less about us. I filed into my class room, my own personal purgatory, and sat down.

    I simply began my daily routine staring off into space, not really concentrating on anything. Condoleezza Rice was just another public school in a whole line of them. Concrete walls, plain white tile, the teacher behind a sheet of bulletproof glass, not even bothering to try teaching the mass of fifty kids who weren’t even paying her any attention, just talking and rough-housing, texting or talking through their headsets with their friends. A few even had their VR gear on, or virtual reality, with the wires on their hands and odd looking white glasses on. But I only sat, staring straight ahead. My family didn’t have the money to get me a headset or VR gear or even a cellphone, as old as they were. No, I could only sit here, bored as ever until the bell eventually rang and the kids let out.

    A small shard of sunlight shone through a boarded up window, striking a head of fiery red hair. And I looked over and saw her. Her striking green eyes were delving into a book, an actual printed book which was incredibly rare nowadays, and she wore a plain black sweater and blue jeans. But my heart had already gone out to her. I reached out and touched her shoulder, and she turned and looked at me with those gorgeous eyes. “What’s your name?” I asked over the commodity. “Athena.” She spoke simply and returned to her book. “Athena…” I whispered to myself.

    Through-out that entire day, even when I left class, I could only think about her, those beautiful eyes, that fiery hair. “Athena…” Upon arriving home, I simply walked in the door, walked right past my mom passed out on the couch with beer cans littering the living room, and headed up to my room and onto my computer. Instantly, I logged onto the internet and looked up her name on the instant messaging system. It was ancient, but that only proved to my advantage, for there was only one person under the name Athena. With a smile, my heart began to beat faster and I clicked on her name and typed a one word message.
    “Hey…”

    ii.

    Her last name was Pierce. Her favorite animal was the hyena. Her favorite color was black. She had only been going to Condoleezza Rice for a week, which explained why I hadn’t seen her. Her mom had died when she was nine and she lived with her aunt on O’Reilly Drive, not too far from my own house. And she said she loved my hair, naturally black and straight. We had a long conversation that lasted most of the night until I heard my mom begin to rouse downstairs and told her I had to go.

    I couldn’t sleep for a very long time that night, thinking about her. Those eyes. Her hair. And she said she loved my hair.
    When I finally slept, I dreamt of an ancient goddess with hair as brilliant as fire and beautiful green eyes, reaching out and stroking my hair.

    iii.

    We ditched class the next day. They never noticed we were gone. Of course they didn’t. They had enough trouble makers to worry about that two quiet kids at the back of class wouldn’t mean much to them. Athena was wearing her basic black sweater and blue jeans. She said she had tons of them in her closet. I smiled. My own clothing assortment was of jeans and various different shirts and hoodies. My wardrobe was boring. Incredibly so.

    We simply walked about the school grounds and talked. And talking was easy with Athena. She wasn’t bothered by anything and somehow I had spilled most of life to her in the span of about an hour. How my Dad had died in a construction accident, one of the thousands that happened. How my Mom had taken up drinking afterwards and not paying any attention to me or my older sister. How my older sister, Elizabeth, had gotten married as soon as she was able and left suddenly one day. And how I had never seen her again. Athena only looked at me, and when I was afraid she would call me a weirdo and walk off, she only gave me the softest look and said, “I’m sorry that happened to you.” And then I knew that I could tell her anything. And of course she could tell me anything. But she didn’t talk much. Athena didn’t mind, though, as she told me. She loved listening to people as she didn’t have that much to say herself. And then, all too soon, the bell rung and with on last parting smile, she turned and walked towards her bus.

    When I got home, my mom was sober, but that wasn’t much better than her being drunk. She sat at the couch, looking at the TV with empty eyes and didn’t even glance over when I walked in. I had an idea I had been thinking about for awhile now, but I didn’t want to drive off in the car without her permission first. “Mom.” I said, and she glanced at me, her blank eyes staring right through me. It was so eerie but I didn’t falter. “There’s a girl I really like. I want to take her to dinner, but I need the car.” With speed I didn’t think her limbs could possess, she threw a half full beer can at me and I barely dodged it.

    “Stupid idiot! Don’t you realize what happens when you like someone? They die and then you’re left with nothing! A broken heart, that’s all! It’s not even worth it!” I looked at her with pleading eyes. “Please Mom, please, I really like her…” “NO!” She screamed and stood up, throwing a full beer can at me, and although she missed, she shattered a window. I fled upstairs and into my room, slamming the door shut and locking it. I looked forward, cold rage settling in the pit of my stomach.

    No, I was taking Athena to dinner. And Mom wasn’t going to stop me.

    iv.

    I stopped outside of Athena’s house. It wasn’t different than any other on the block. Tall, concrete, plain. But Athena looked anything but plain, walking out in a black sweater dress and heels. I caught my breath. She walked around and got in the passenger side of the car. I gave her a warm smile and she returned it. “You look gorgeous.” It was the truth. I looked plain next to her, in only a black t-shirt and slacks. But it was only to be expected. Everything paled in comparison next to her. I started up the car and started forward.

    Technology hadn’t advanced much in terms of transportation. We still had cars on wheels and roads winding about the country. But cops were lazy. I didn’t even think there were cops anywhere but the cities to control riots that happened so often. I was just glad I had my permit.

    There weren’t that many people on the road tonight and so we had a nice quiet ride to look forward to. “Feel free to turn it to whatever music you like.” I said and wondered what that would have been. I hadn’t asked her yet. She reached forward and pushed the power button, turning it to a station playing one of my favorite songs. I bit my tongue to keep myself from asking her to leave it there. She was the guest. It was her decision. But she leaned back and enjoyed the music and eventually started singing along with her clear, beautiful voice and eventually my own somewhat gravelly singing voice joined in and we made a good team along with the lead singer’s voice blaring from the speakers. I almost missed our turn and with a quick jerk of the steering wheel, got onto our street and saw Athena stiffen. “I’m sorry.” I said quickly. “I was so caught up in the singing…” I gave an apologetic grin, but Athena only looked nervous. “I was in a car wreck when I was little.” She whispered and I looked at her. I started to say something but she reached for her sleeve and pulled it up. A framework of scars crisscrossed up and down her arms, silver and bright in the moonlight against her pale skin. I was shocked and had to remember to keep my eyes on the road. Now I understood why she always wore sweaters or long sleeves. Anyone who saw them would think she was a cutter, as they were called today, and send her to the school psyche.

    “I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t mean to…” She shook her head. “It’s fine. I just figured… you told me about your life, I figured I would tell you about mine. That’s how my mom died. In that wreck.” I didn’t have anything else to say. “I’m sorry.” I only kept my eyes on the road but I saw Athena take a deep breath and then look up as a new song started. “I love this song.” She whispered, and turned it up.

    v.

    There were a lot of people there, but the atmosphere was warm and Athena seemed to like it. It was an old Mom and Pops restaurant called ‘The Wren’s Nest’. We both got ordered while a bunch of guys at the bar watched some sort of sport and cheered or moaned at various intervals. All the while, I watched Athena. She looked like a queen in a tavern, shining out brilliantly and getting more than just a few glances from various guys in the audience. Her eyes looked out the window, that shocking green nearly glowing in the moonlight that shone through.

    “You’re beautiful.” I whispered suddenly, and she turned to look at me, her eyes wide. My face started to burn and I looked down. And suddenly she stood up and I had a moment of fear that she was going to walk out. But instead, she walked to sit beside me and touched her soft lips to mine. In that moment, I felt pure bliss.

    “Athena…” I whispered, for the hundredth time of my life. The most beautiful name in the world.

    vi.

    We walked out to the car and I opened the door for her, positively soaring. My first kiss with my first love. It was too perfect. She gave me a warm smile before I closed the door. Briefly the thought crossed my mind that I was going to get it from my Mom when I got home. But it didn’t matter. This evening was worth it. I would do it a thousand times over. I couldn’t wait to take her out to dinner again.

    There was no denying it. I was in love with Athena.

    We got on the road and she put her head on my shoulder. “That was one of the greatest nights I’ve ever had. Thank you.” She kissed my cheek lightly and then sat up and turned on the radio, flipping through the stations until she found a good song. And I was lost in those striking green eyes. She looked up suddenly and screamed, “Look out!” I turned and saw the headlights of a red car in front of me, heard the blaring horn, but before I could stop, the cars collided. And everything went black.

    I came to hearing Athena screaming my name. “Jeremy! Jeremy Taylor! Wake up! Please wake up…” Her voice was choked off by a sob, but I could see her pale hand reaching for me. I reached my own out towards her and grabbed it. There was a woman screaming in the background, but I couldn’t focus on that. Athena was near me. And now she leaned forward, sobbing. “Jeremy, I love you… Please hold on. Jeremy… please…” I would hold on for her. Death couldn’t hold me from Athena. I whispered, hoarse, “I love you too…” She smiled, a weak smile, but she was sobbing. “Help is on the way. Please hold on…” And then I blacked out again, still clinging to her hand.

    I woke up, surrounded by white. Nothing but white. I knew it was a hospital. I had been in one for a long time while my dad fought to survive. I saw Athena’s green eyes looking into mine and I smiled. Her face was smeared with dirt and she had cuts and scrapes on her knees and face. Her sweater was also torn in a few places. “How did you get out?” I whispered, my throat on fire. I winced and she handed me a bottle of water. “I opened the door and started to unbuckle my seatbelt. The collision sent me flying out.” She touched a particularly nasty scrape on her cheek.

    I could feel my vision fading. I was so tired. For a moment I looked down at myself. My right leg was in a cast and I was covered in cuts and dirt. “I’m glad you’re okay.” She smiled but shook her head and I saw more tears in her eyes. “I’m a coward. I shouldn’t have abandoned you.” I grabbed her hand fiercely. “No! I would rather die than have you hurt!” Her eyes looked into mine and she again gave a watery smile. “I know. I love you, Jeremy.” I squeezed her hand again. “I love you more.” I was fading to sleep. “Athena?” “Yes?” “Could you tell my mom… I’m sorry?” She nodded and gave a sob. “Yes, Jeremy. I will.” I gave a weak smile. “Thank you.” And then I was asleep.

    vii.
    From the viewpoint of Athena…
    Unbeknownst to Jeremy, asleep on the bed, a nurse stood watching the encounter, and I looked down at my love, brushing a red lock of hair from my eyes. Tears ran down my face. “Are you going to tell her?” The nurse asked, startling me. I turned and looked at her. She was short, her hair was black and bob cut. She looked a lot like Jeremy. And suddenly I understood why she was here. Why she stood beside my love.
    She stood beside her brother.
    For years and years afterward I would remember the dying screams of the woman in the other car, see the red car alight with flames. Forever would that scream appear in my nightmares, ring through my head every time I closed my eyes, haunt me forever and ever afterwards.
    But she hadn’t heard them and even more tears ran down my face as I tried to bring the words forth. After a few attempts, they finally came.
    “How could I, Elizabeth…” My head slumped forward, the weight of my burden so hard to bear. “… when his mother was driving the car we struck?”