𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐘 ― r. bowen ¹ ✓

008

"No," Carlos responded. "Now she thinks he's in her gym locker."

"Why the screaming?"

"That was me. She stepped on my toe." Carlos looked at the crowd. "We're ready to begin, people."

Athena frowned as she heard Carlos say to Nini and EJ that Ricky was running late and that EJ would have to fill in for him. Concern swirled through her mind again. He was only coming from his house to rehearsal, but his house wasn't far from school. Ricky wouldn't usually be late . . . unless something happened at home.

"Nini," Athena called, rushing up to the girl quickly as everyone else entered the bomb shelter, including EJ. "Did you get the voicemail back?"

Nini nodded. "Yeah. Are you sure you want to listen to it? It might, um . . . change everything."

Her eyebrows knit in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Nini sighed and held her phone out to her. "You'll see."

Athena took her phone and walked to a secluded part of the hallway as Nini went into the bomb shelter. She pressed play on the voicemail and raised the phone to her ear.

"Hey, it's me," Ricky's voice spoke, making her smile slightly. "I know you always say that you prefer for us to talk face-to-face, but I really have to get this off my chest and I know that if I try to do it in person I won't be able to get the words out. So . . . here it goes. I saw you playing the piano and singing that song with Ashlyn and Nini today, and I felt as if we shared a moment for a second. Maybe you don't feel the same or maybe it's all in my head, but I could've sworn the world stopped turning. Everything about you was just so . . . mesmerizing. If you ever listen to this voicemail, please just don't forget I'm still your best friend and whatever you take out of this I will respect. And if you decide it's too much, we can forget like this never happened and go back to normal. Love you always. Okay, bye."

The line went silent. Athena, her eyes wide and her heart racing, slowly lowered the phone from her ear. She definitely felt the same. The world had in fact stopped turning in her eyes too. And he had described her as mesmerizing. All of this was just so new, especially coming from him.

Now she was just more confused.

"Athena," Carlos voiced, peeking his head out the door. "We need our Kelsi — hey, are you all right?"

She shook herself out of her trance and turned to look at him. "Oh, uh, yeah, I'm fine. I'm coming."

Athena quickly rushed into the bomb shelter, where Nini and EJ were waiting on the platform. She put Nini's phone down by the girl's backpack and hastily put her backpack down on the floor next to Violetta's. Athena sat down at the piano and looked at Miss Jenn with an innocent smile on her face.

"Okay," Miss Jenn muttered before she looked back to Nini and EJ. "Can I get you to move a little closer to each other?"

Nini took the tiniest of steps to the right to get closer to EJ.

"Little more."

EJ looked to Nini pleadingly and moved closer to her. Athena glanced over and couldn't help but notice Gina smirking from her place on the floor. It seemed like part one of her plan was working, but Athena knew she wouldn't let herself get knocked out by her. Not a chance.