SHATTERED/Andy Fowler

Chapter 2: This Is Me

"Harley, c-could you g-get me a drink please?" I ask looking up at my date. He smiles down at me. 

"Of course." He replies kissing my cheek and walking over towards the open bar where my parents sit talking. I look straight ahead where those eyes I fell in love stay fixated on me as if I was a stranger. 

I mean of course I am. Andy doesn't know me. Not the new me. The me that he created. 

He doesn't know the monster that he made, when he decided that he wanted to cheat again. When he chose to leave the girl who could have gave him the whole universe and then some. 

I keep contact for another minute or so, and before peeling my eyes away, I give him something he probably never expected, something I never thought I would do again. 

I smiled. I smiled at the person who broke my heart, and it hurt to do so. But the meaning behind it was to not give him the satisfaction that my heart is breaking over and over again, at the fact that he is just a few feet away from me, looking at me as if he never knew me.

Harley returns giving me my drink. "Andy's here." I say looking at him.

"Oh I know. So how about we get drunk and say fuck him. He shouldn't ruin your night. You're here to have fun." He replies. I smile at him and down my drink, eager to forget my pain for the night. 

I want to forget Andy. I make my way over to the open bar, and sit next to my parents.

"Happy Anniversary you guys. I really hope that you enjoy this party." I say to them. 

"Thanks love. How you holding up?" Dad asks.

"Considering my ex is standing right over there, eyeing me as if he never met me, but wants to, I'm holding up fucking fantastically." I say downing a bunch of shots.

"The sarcasm is just dripping with venom. That's the Athena I wouldn't have expected to run across tonight." I hear from behind me. There stands my brother Ares. I hug him tightly.

"Your sarcasm is just as bad Ares." I say giggling at my brother. 

"You right." He replies downing some shots with me.

-Andy's POV-

"You sure you really want to be here man? Brook and Michelle would understand if you don't want to stay." Rye says to me. I look at him.

"I'm sure about this. I need to see her. I have to see that she's okay." I tell him seriously. He nods.

"Alright, well if at any moment you're uncomfortable, let me know. I'll get an Uber to take you home straight away." He says. I nod and thank him. I stand talking to Mikey and Jack when it becomes extremely quiet. 

I look at Jack who turns his head, and is staring at something. Mikey too, so I follow their gaze to the door. There stands the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, and she is attached to a tall tattooed guy. That would be Harley. 

The girl looks extremely familiar. "Is that-" 

"Yes, that's her. And boy does that dress Harley picked for her look stunning." Mikey replies. 

"She looks so amazing now. Can you get me up to speed on her?" I ask. 

"She got her company up successfully after you left, but that little girl isn't little anymore. She just turned twenty. And she has to stay here with her parents." He replies.

"She has to or chose to?" 

"Has to mate, she almost died Andy. She almost drowned herself in her swimming pool Brooklyn's old house, in which she moved in to. Rye saved her life that day. Athena has self-sabotaged for awhile now. She didn't deserve what she got, but let me tell you, she is not the Athena you once knew. She is a true stranger to you now." Jack says. 

"She tried committing suicide? All because of me." I ask. 

"Yes, but I wouldn't say it was all you." Mikey says. 

"I feel bad for hurting her. Is it bad that I still love her?" 

"She still loves you too Andy, and she always will because you were her first love, but I know one thing for sure. She won't be the same girl anymore. She's a cold hearted bitch, I love her to death, but anyone that gets in her way, feels her wrath, and believe me, it doesn't feel great. I've been through it more than once." Jack says. 

I look back over at her, watching her scan the crowd, when all of a sudden her gaze locks with mine. They're right. She isn't the same. The rage in her eyes is clear, but she quickly covers it with her pretty smile. 

Then her gazes turns away from me as she moves to the bar with her parents. 

I watch her like she's a stranger I have never met before, but I have seen many times, and I'm working up the courage to finally talk to them. 

-Athena's POV-

"I think I should sing a song guys." I say to my parents. 

"You should. Sing something, I haven't heard you sing in awhile." Mom says. I smile a real smile for once, and make my way over to the stage. A random burst of happiness explodes inside of me, and for once I feel like myself again.

I begin singing the song This Is Me. I sing the cover of it, by Roadtrip from when they were still a band. 

I am not a stranger to the dark

Hide away they say, cause we don't want your broken parts.

 I've learned to be ashamed of all my scars
Run away, they say
No one'll love you as you are  

But I won't let them break me down to dust
I know that there's a place for us
For we are gloriousWhen the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
I am brave, I am bruised
I am who I'm meant to be, this is me
Look out 'cause here I come
And I'm marching on to the beat I drum
I'm not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is meOh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, ohAnother round of bullets hits my skin
Well, fire away 'cause today, I won't let the shame sink in
We are bursting through the barricades and
Reaching for the sun (we are warriors)
Yeah, that's what we've become (yeah, that's what we've become)

I stand up and step down off the stage walking towards uncle Mikey, Uncle Jack, and Him. 

When the sharpest words wanna cut me down

I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
I'm gonna send a flood
Gonna drown them out
Oh
This is me.

I stand in front of Andy while finishing out the rest. 

"This is Me." I finish then walk back to the stage while everyone claps. I put the mic away then walk back to the bar. 

"It felt good to sing, I haven't felt this good in awhile." I say honestly.

"Then maybe you should sing more often. It might help." Dad suggests.

"Nah, I like the way I am now. This is me now dad, and that's something everyone needs to accept."