• Athena Spring has spent her entire life carefully curating the perfect image. Perfect grades, a proud family, and the Plinth Prize nearly within her grasp, Athena has it all. However, when her plans are derailed by an unexpected twist of events, s...
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Athena's steps are light on the cobblestone as she makes her way to the zoo, her mind buzzing with the day's success as she carries the bag of food from the market earlier. The trapeze is up in the auditorium (after an extensive effort where Athena had nearly fallen off the ladder at least five times), and she can't wait to see Treech's reaction and tell him all about her plans. She hasn't been in such a good mood in a long time, she hopes that this time it's her spritely attitude that cheers him up.
The zoo gates loom ahead, and she quickens her pace, eager to deliver the good news. As she enters, the cacophony of the city melts away, replaced by the serene sounds of nature and the distant laughter of children. She spots Treech at the back of the cage with the rest of the pack, leaning against the tree and animatedly chatting away to Mizzen.
With a smile playing on her lips, Athena lifts her fingers to her mouth and lets out a sharp whistle to catch their attention. It's Mizzen who reacts first, his face lighting up.
"Athena!" Mizzen's voice rings out, slicing through the quietude.
He rushes to the bars, his eyes wide with excitement as he practically launches himself at them.
"Did you bring food?" he asks, his voice tinged with hope.
Athena's laugh is a melody as she holds out the bag, she can't help but smile at the younger boy's joy.
"For all of you," she says, her heart swelling at the sight of his eager expression. Mizzen's hands dive into the bag, picking out four sandwiches for him and the others as Treech also approaches, a bright yet noticeably more tired smile on his face.
"Oi, little man, stop tryin' to steal my mentor," Treech reprimands with a teasing tone, lightly shoving Mizzen away by his head, "Go on, get".
With a laugh, Mizzen scurries back to Coral and Tanner, leaving Treech by the bars with Athena.
"You took your time," he teases, the twinkle in his eye softening the jest, "I was beginnin' to think you forgot about me".
"Why, d'you miss me?" Athena counters, raising an eyebrow with newfound confidence.
Treech's smile falters into a bashful grin as his cheeks tinge pink. He glances at his feet for a moment, placing his hands on the bars to try to hide his blush.
"Maybe a little," he admits, and Athena also feels a flush creeping up her cheeks.
She hastily thrusts the bag at him, a diversion from her flustered state.
"Here, take some food. I forgot to give it to you earlier," she adds quickly, her composure slipping.
Treech accepts the bag with a gentle nod, his gratitude evident as he quickly jogs back to the pack (partly to give them the bag, partly to give him some time to fight off the blush on his face) before returning to Athena, unable to keep the wide smile at bay.
