Body, Mind and God

Chapter 13: Athelia

Chapter 13: Athelia

Athelia was a bit apprehensive at Isibel's plan to hitchhike them over to the lake. She would rather have flown, but Athena agreed with Isis. They should save their energy. Still, Athelia would miss the feeling of wind beneath her wings while she stuck on the ground. Her head raised wearily as she heard the approach of another vehicle, and she watched Isibel stick her thumb out.
'Please stop. Please stop.' This had been her mantra for the last fifteen minutes. They were wasting time, and the thought of Diana in a potentially dangerous situation had her stomach churning. The car which both Izzy and herself were fixated on turned out to be a disappointment, and they watched dully as it drove past with purpose. 

"So just when is this miracle ride going to be here?" Athelia asked Isibel teasingly. Izzy just rolled her eyes, before giving Athelia what was, in her opinion, the most convoluted answer she could.
"It will be here when it gets here." It was Athelia's turn to roll her eyes. They had being waiting too long, wasting time and possibly lives. "I'm starting to regret this dumb idea." Izzy confessed.
"But it will save our energy." Athelia reminded her gently. But she wasn't sure whether she was reminding herself as well or not.
"And when will that be? Before Di is killed? Before Shay? When they're all dead?" Isibel raged. Her mood had darkened quickly in the last twenty minutes, but even while Athelia wasn't as wound up, she could see her point. Even she was getting a bit antsy, and she was the level-headed one. The one with answers and infinite wisdom. But apparently when her friends were in danger, it all went out the window. She could only imagine Isibel's anguish. Athena caught it as well.
'Athelia, please tell Isibel to calm down. We simply have to save our strength for any trouble we have when we get there, otherwise we will just join the others in whatever fate they may suffer.' Athena reminded her. Athelia acknowledged this and relayed the message to an increasingly irritable Isibel, who just muttered under her breath in response.

It was well after lunch - a good two hours after they had left the school - that a car finally pulled over. Admittedly they had only been standing there for 45 minutes, but it was more than long enough for Izibel obviously, who was itching to get on the road half an hour ago. The driver let the car roll to a stop, and then hopped out of the car, and headed in their direction. Athelia was surprised to find that it was Jason, the guy who sat beside her in English. She couldn't believe their luck.
"I assume you two lovely ladies are wanting a ride?" He asked. Athelia nodded her confirmation, and Isibel smiled sweetly at him.
"You wouldn't mind, would you?" She simpered, turning up the feminine charm.
'Urgh.' Athelia thought. 
"I wouldn't mind in the least, actually, except I'm not sure where you're headed. And why you're out of school for that matter." He glanced at them curiously and Athelia realized that they were probably the oddest pairing he had ever seen. The popular girl and the geek. "Or why you're hanging out with her." The way he said it, without looking at either of them, implied that the question was for both of them. Athelia was about to answer all of his questions - there wasn't anything worse than unsatisfied curiosity - but Isibel interrupted.
"We could ask you pretty much the same thing." She said, in a tone leagues different from her previous flirtatious simpering. "Why are you here?"

In Jason's defense, he did have a good excuse for being out here. His family was pulling the kids out of school for the rest of the week and going on a camping trip up at the lake. It was seriously one of the best strokes of luck that Athelia had ever had, except that if his family was already at the lake, they were all in danger as well. She sighed, which was barely distinguishable from the rattle of the engine, and added it to her list of worries. They weren't going to get there in time. Her friends would be hurt. Jason's family would be hurt. The rattletrap car they were currently in would break down. They would lose.
'Don't be so negative.' Athena scolded. 'You realize, I hope, that the risk of this car breaking down is practically non-existent. And the mere thought of losing is often enough to make you lose. Positive visualization, Little Guarder. That is all you can do for now.' Athelia sighed again at this advice, and Jason heard. He tore his eyes away from the windscreen - he really was a good driver, she noted - for a second, and gave her an inquisitive look.