All I Want

CHAPTER 7: Take All Your Faithlessness with You

Apart from being one of the prettiest and most charismatic girls in school, Athena Ninis was a star. Her voice was nothing short of angelic prompting an indie rock label to hook her up with a deal. But Athena, being a rock geek, included a few friends in that deal. First, obviously, was her best friend, Beyoncé, whose talent was just as good, if not better than hers. Then, there was a drummer and a couple of guitarists.

The only problem was that the last three band members were already committed to another group. They were Dan’s boys, and he wasn’t too happy that they had abandoned him for the lures of a record label. What made it worse was that Athena didn’t even consider him in her little ensemble.

Dan and the band were rehearsing for the play when Athena butted into the auditorium with her shadow, Beyoncé, in tow, demanding a meeting with her drummer and guitarists. ‘Screw you,’ Dan said boldly without even considering it.

‘What!’ Athena shot back. No one ever talked to her like that; especially considering her boyfriend might as well have been a body builder. ‘This isn’t even about you, Dan!’

‘Oh, I think it is,’ he replied hotly, ‘and in case you’re huge ego is in the way, you can see we’re busy.’

‘For a play?’ she teased, oblivious to all the attention that was now very much on her. ‘Come on, guys, we have a deadline.’

Silence. The three band members looked at each other. Their eyes said they wanted to leave with Athena, but their body language suggested otherwise. ‘Well,’ Athena said surprisingly patiently, ‘are you coming or what?’

Again, silence. This time, however, Dan looked at his friends and he noticed their eyes instead of their body language. Dejected, he sat back looking from the guys to Athena and Beyoncé. ‘Go, then,’ he sighed at them.

‘You’re kidding, aren’t you?’ came a voice from behind them. It was Heather, the newest member of Dan’s band and the forgotten member of this conversation. Suddenly Athena’s gaze shifted from Dan to her, allowing an ugly scowl to stretch across her face. Heather got to her feet as she squared up to Athena. ‘We’re busy,’ she said almost arrogantly, ‘so like Dan said, go screw yourself till we’re done.’

With what was running through her mind, Athena could only stare back at Heather and sneer some more. She was suddenly unable to speak, and thank goodness, because if she did, she would let it all out. Not such a bad idea, she thought, but Lily wouldn’t have wanted that; not when they had come this far.

Like it had become a mere last-laugh ritual for them, Athena swung a heated slap across Heather’s face which echoed across the whole auditorium. Heather had dropped to the floor but Dan had got to his feet and was prepared to fight back. However, there was already a crowd around them and a teacher right in the middle parting them.

‘What is wrong with you?!’ she demanded, glancing from Athena to Dan and to Heather. ‘What’s going on here?’

‘Nothing,’ Athena replied. She was still looking down at Heather, who again, was clutching her cheek but was unable to take away the sting. ‘We were just leaving,’ she added.

The teacher pushed her back and reiterated that she and Beyoncé leave. When they had gone, she turned to the center of attention, Heather, but wasn’t able to say anything since she and Dan were already walking to the backstage area.

When the door slammed shut, Heather pulled as far away from Dan as she could, making the best effort to hide her now very red face from his. At first Dan let her find what solace she could but then realized that it was a stupid idea. He could see that she was practically begging for his undivided attention. Dan had never been a kiss-up, but something about Heather was destined his whole personality, and slowly, he made his way to her and gently held her shoulder.