Democracy is Dead

Chapter Eighteen

Athena was sitting cross-legged on her sofa, a world vote textbook open on the wide screen on the living room wall. She was using her glasses to capture important notes for an essay due in a few weeks. It was dull work; unlike Cress, Athena saw little to get excited about in the complex procedures the world vote system was compromised of. They sounded like a logistical nightmare and it definitely wasn't the kind of environment Athena would thrive in. She was unsure exactly what she was going to specialise in next year, but it wouldn't be foreign affairs. World voting was an extremely competitive industry anyway. Even Cress's chances of success were slim.

Revising was at least better than the alternative; Castor had sent her another message that morning, asking for an update she couldn't give him. She still hadn't gone back to the group. She wasn't sure she could.

Athena was relieved when she heard a knock at the door. "I'll get it!" she called to Cress, abandoning the textbook and skipping to the door. The smile faded from her face when she opened it and found Dyo on the other side, leaning in her doorway.

There was an awkward pause. They both looked at each other, neither appearing to quite know what to say. Then Athena blurted out, "How do you know where I live?"

Dyo blinked. "Is that how you normally answer the door? I tend to go with 'hello' or, 'how are you' rather than an interrogation, but each to their own, I suppose." He smiled, but Athena wasn't letting herself get distracted.

"You didn't answer my question."

"No. I didn't." He was grinning now, clearly enjoying himself.

Athena could only sigh. "What do you want, Dyo?"

"You, actually." They looked at each other for a beat. Dyo's smile slipped; that had come out wrong. "Well, to take you out to dinner, more specifically. I want to apologise. I have been unfair and, as Sephy keeps pointing out to me in copious messages, I have given you a bad impression of the group. Let me make it up to you over dinner. It will give me a chance to explain."

Athena was too shocked to reply. Dyo straightened, looking uncomfortable for the first time. "Come on," he coaxed. "My treat. It will be worth it, I promise." He smiled at her again and, despite the little voice at the back of her head telling her that it was a really bad idea, Athena found herself nodding. Castor was pestering her for more information. At least she would feel less like she was betraying Sephy if she was only spending time with Dyo.

"Okay. Dinner." Maybe she would be able to find out what he'd been doing in the voting building. "When?"

"Well, now, of course. You're not busy, are you?"

The only thing waiting for her was the world textbook she'd left open on the screen. "No, not busy at all. Let me grab a coat." She shut the door on him abruptly and leant back against the wood, her heart hammering. Smooth, Athena. Way to not look flustered. What was she even doing saying yes to him? Castor or not, dinner with Dyo couldn't end well. Dyo was bad news.

Athena rushed to her room to grab her coat - not her white and pink ski jacket, but a light grey duffel one - and some shoes. She knocked on Cress' door on her way out.

"I'm going out for dinner with someone from that group you and Castor are so interested in. If I don't return, expect to find me brutally murdered in an alleyway and know that it was all your fault for talking me into this." She laughed, trying to convince herself that she was only joking. "Seriously though, I'm keeping Friend Finder turned on. Please keep an eye on me!"

"Athena, you'll be fine. Castor promised that nothing bad would happen to you." Cress was incapable of disbelieving anything that came out of Castor's mouth at the moment, but he didn't instil Athena with as much confidence.