Writer in the Dark - J. HALE

17 - ʟɪɢʜᴛɴɪɴɢ

ATHENA SAT on her living room floor in front of the fire with her phone laying on the very edge of her coffee table. For the past twenty minutes, after coming back from refuelling her body, she had been contemplating calling up Billy. She had first thought she just thought it was her hungry mind acting up like it usually did. So once she ate and the forgiving feeling remained, she grew confused. It wasn't that she did not forgive him, she just couldn't figure out what told her to not make the call right now.

She sighed and reached for the phone, fighting the voice in her head as she searched for Billy's number in her contacts. Her finger hovered over the name and just as she was about to press it, another screen flashed onto her phone and a buzzing reached her ears. With an oddly relieved smile, she clicked accept on the keypad. "Good afternoon Jasper."

"Afternoon Athena," he chuckled softly, the sound sadly muffled by the awful quality of her phone. She really needed to get a new one before it broke. "Are you interested in playing baseball with us?"

"It's going to thunder?" she asked, raising a brow as she quickly moved over to the nearest window so she could check out the sky. The clouds hung heavier and darker than usual and certain electricity loomed in the air.

"And lightning, Alice said it's certain."

"I love lightning," she responded quickly, struggling not to grin out of happiness. Athena hadn't witnessed thunder for at least half a century, it just wasn't common in all the places she had called home during that time. It would be an understatement to say that she was looking forward to hearing the long low rumbles or sudden cracks that managed to surprise even the quickest of vampires upon occasion.

"I thought you would," he chuckled. Jasper smiled through the phone, just imagining the joyful look on her face. "I'll send you our location so you have it if you decide to join."

"I'm on my way," she laughed just as the smallest, relatively unnoticeable rumble echoed above her. Athena pulled on shoes that she didn't care if they got muddy (black boots) and sprant out of the house - darting into the forest and out of human view instantly. She headed straight towards where he had said they were and was rather surprised to find a clearing (that she hadn't realised existed) full of vampires that all greeted her with happy chatter.

Whilst Edward was picking up Bella, they decided upon teams. Rosalie, Carlisle, Jasper and Luna made up one team and Edward Alice, Emmett and Athena made up the other - that was until Luna wanted to switch with Athena so she could be on the same team as her wife. Athena happily made the swap, thinking that being on the same team as Jasper was just a benefit of doing something that would make Luna happier. "Nice hat," she joked, talking about the blue cap that Jasper had pressed onto his head - creating an odd shape with his curls. He chucked and jokingly tipped his hat as she took a bat from Emmett, turning it over in her hands a few times. Athena laughed as Bella and Edward pulled up, making everything in the near vicinity smell of mortals. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," he smiled reassuringly as Rosalie stepped up to the batting plate. Everyone got into their respective positions whereas Athena just looked to the sky, waiting for the strike of lightning she had been promised.

The thunderclap echoed overhead and her head snapped in its direction, admiring the tree-like pattern that flashed in the sky - sending shockwaves through the air. "It's time!" Alice called out, beginning the game at that very second.

Athena pulled her attention away from the sky and to the game just as Rosalie struck the first shot, sending the ball flying into the deeper parts of the rather sparse forest that surrounded them. When she reached about halfway on their slightly larger pitch, Jasper started to spin the bat around with one hand, keeping the other lazily resting in his pocket. Athena (who had sat on the ground to retie her shoelaces) looked up at him, just watching and admiring how effortless he made it look and how oddly attractive it made him look. And of course, Jasper managed to catch her staring and grew a smirk, adding a joking wink that made her body feel as if it was blushing.