REPLAY // bondi beach

✓Good Enough

Athea sat in the tower, Deano and Maxi either side of her as they ate their lunch as they were on their lunch break; Maxi was enjoying a bacon and egg sandwich, and Deano was tucking into his beef brisket salad. Athea had just finished her lunch, a Greek yoghurt and a small fruit salad consisting of kiwi, banana, strawberry, pomegranate seeds, and grapes - it was the same thing she had every day for lunch, but the portion size was less than half of what she usually had, which concerned the older two considering her normal portion size was still relatively small.

The girl's phone vibrated on the desk so she accepted the call and put it on speaker, "hello?" She sounded so down and depressed, it was really weird and out of character for her considering she was always so happy and excitable.
"Thea~"
She huffed, "get lost, Sara. I'm really not in the mood."
"But Thea, I miss you!"
"No you don't; you want something from me, and whatever it is, get it from someone else."
"Damn, someone's on her period," Sara laughed.
"Yeah, real funny," she rolled her eyes. "What do you want?"
"I want 500 dollars," Sara replied. "Mickey said he's taking me shopping."
"Michael is taking you shopping? What do you need 500 dollars for if you're going to the thrift store?"
Sara whined, "please just give me 500! I promise I'll pay you back!"
"Piss off, Sara; ask someone else." Athea hung up and threw her head back with a groan. "If he's taking her shopping, he can fucking pay. Oh my days."

The two boys watched as Athea shoved her phone into the pocket of her hoodie and walked out of the tower.

"500 dollars? Who does she think she is, asking for 500?" Deano asked in disbelief when the door shut.
Maxi shrugged and shook his head, "I don't know, mate."
"Who's asking for 500 what?" Harrison walked into the tower and sat where Athea previously was.
"Oh, some girl just called Thea asking for 500 dollars," Maxi informed with a frown.
"What did she say?" the New Zealander asked.
"She told her to piss off and ask someone else."
Harrison chuckled, "as she should- that doesn't sound like her, though; is she okay?"
Deano shrugged, "I don't know, mate. She didn't have much for lunch and she seemed really annoyed and aggravated. I was on tower duty with her earlier and she kept leaving. She walked in looking like she'd been crying at least three times."
"Any idea where she went?
"She's probably downstairs, sat in that broken buggy like she was earlier."

Immediately, Harrison stood from the seat and left the tower.

He found Athea exactly where Maxi said, staring at the floor with tear-stained cheeks.
"Hey, Bear.. Are you alright, love?"
Athea's head shot up as she wiped her tears, "hey, Kiwi," she smiled weakly. Harrison walked over and sat in the other seat, pulling the girl into him.
"What's wrong, Bear?" He asked, stroking her arm as means of comforting younger. She shook her head, letting him know it was nothing. "You can tell me, Bear. Even the smallest things aren't nothing."
Athea sighed, "it's nothing, really. It's just-" she stopped herself. She didn't really want to tell him what was wrong, did she? Wouldn't it make her sound like a Pick Me?
"Go on," he said softly. "I'm listening."

She took a deep breath, "am I good enough?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean am I good enough?" she whispered, that being all she could do.
Harrison shook his head, still not understanding, "I don't- why?"
"I just don't feel like.. lately I've been feeling like I'm just for others to use.. people want me for what I have and not for what I am. Everyone seems to think that because I have money, I have everything I want and more, and they can get whatever they want if they just ask. I'm too kind for my own good, and it's ruining me. And then, on top of that, I'm just totally insecure. I'm not pretty, I'm not skinny, I'm not smart, I'm too loud, I'm too annoying, I'm too clingy, I talk too much, I obsess over the smallest things, I dwell on the past." Athea sighed, "there's so many things wrong with me, Harrison. I just don't know what to do."

Harrison hugged the girl closer, "oh, Bear.. I didn't know you felt this way.. you know you're perfect, I know you're perfect, and I will remind you every single day if I have to. You are a beautiful, smart, amazing young lady, and nothing will ever change that. Do you understand that, Thea? You are loved, you are valued, you are appreciated. Don't you ever think like that again." To be completely honest, the boy was hurt. How could she ever possibly think like that? If there was any specific person that made her feel this way, he'd sort them out, no questions asked.
"I'm sorry.." Athea roughly wiped her tears from her cheeks.
"No, Bear, don't be sorry. Whoever makes you feel this way should be sorry." Harrison kissed the top of her head. "The boys upstairs seemed pretty concerned and worried about you, Bear. Am I allowed to just brief them on what's happened?" She nodded, moving the older's arms from around her and getting out of the buggy, Harrison following. She put her hand in Harrison's and they walked up to the tower.

"I love you, Bear. Never forget that. You are more than good enough."