Goddess of War

Goddess of War | 2

Athena POV

I honestly cannot believe how my life has turned out. It feels as if nothing I do can fix it. No matter how hard I work, I still have over sixty grand to pay back. Since James spends most of the money I earn on alcohol and coke every weekend, i'm stuck paying Timothy back with barely a thousand every time. Sometimes it's more depending on how much I make from fights.

I had to figure out a way to hide my money from James. He always takes and takes. Buying bottles of alcohol, or drugs. When it comes time to pay, I'm always left with big portions of my money gone. Uncle Kenji tried to give Timothy around twenty grand to help us out at the beginning. Instead the bastard, Timothy, laughed in his face and explained that only my family could pay him back, no help from others.

Luckily he doesn't care about the time frame, as long as he gets his money each week. I'm convinced he wants me right under his thumb for the rest of my life. At this point, I think that's exactly what is going to happen as well. I always get my work done, I even get sent on jobs outside of Jersey, and I can put whoever he needs in place right at his knees. He's ecstatic about me working for him, saying that I do a better job than most of his men.

If I can't come up with money each week, I have to pay in different ways. Wether it be a dangerous job that no one wants to take, or his favorite ways. Ways that I don't like talking about. I've experienced it twice, and will never be put in the position of doing it again. I haven't told anyone about it. James probably wouldn't care, and Uncle Kenji, well he would be convicted for murder if he found out.

When I was first pushed into this life I used to cry myself to sleep every night. The same way I did when I found out what James got himself into. I hated it. I wished Timothy would get caught, or that James would die. Slowly, as the years passed by, I realized that no one would  answer my prayers. I was stuck. And slowly but surely I became numb to this job, and to the shitty life I was living.

I finally make it to the entrance of Westwood High. I take a deep breath, raising my chin while straightening my posture, as I walk through the doors. I have a reputation in this town. Thanks to it, no one dares to look me in the eye or bother me. Rumors that I was involved with Timothy and his gang spread around the school at some point during my sophomore year.

Many kids, the smart ones, took that as their cue to stay the fuck away from me. The not so smart kids decided against that. It was a little funny at first. How they would shove me into a locker while walking in the halls, or throw juvenile pranks. It was nothing compared to what I had seen or had been doing. One day though, I got fed up with it.

The pranks didn't bother me that much, but I was getting thoroughly annoyed. While at lunch, Alexander, one of the "stars" of our schools wrestling team, decided to come up to me and suggest some things. He had been behind most of the treatment I was receiving up until that point. He went to grab my arm and in that moment I made my choice.

I decided to position myself with my back against his chest, grabbing his arm, flipping him over my shoulder. I heard his head hit the ground. Hard. While he was hunched over, panting, I went up beside him, twisting his arm until hearing the familiar pop of his shoulder. The cafeteria went silent. All that could be heard was Alexanders screaming as he held his arm. No one came up to us, scared to get involved. He got up, trying to lunge at me. I took that as an open invitation, punching him straight in the nose, hearing a crunch.

You could hear a pin drop. Some of the other kids on the wrestling team ran over to Alexander as blood dripped from his nose, trying to help him to the nurses office. Meanwhile I took my seat and began eating my lunch again. I made an example out of Alexander. Since that day no one bothered with me, all assuming the rumors surrounding my life were true, and scared of what would happen if they got too curious. They feared me. That was how I liked it though.