SSS(SS) - Part 13

Breakfast with Athena in her room means coffee and chocolate chip muffins, using the big, old-fashioned desk as the table. Sal has to admire the space; it’s as big as any three bedrooms in CGH House combined, and there’s something… empress-like about the huge canopy bed. Athena’s taste isn’t really on display; the old-fashioned furniture in the room has to come with the house. Athena isn’t big on decorations or knickknacks.

But the really interesting thing is that she doesn’t seem to be putting on a show. Sal expected power moves, but she’s not getting them.

“Nice of you to help my girls out,” Athena notes mildly.

“I need distractions from reality.” It’s a truthful statement. It feels good to say it, even if it may not be the best idea. It’s early morning and the coffee is kicking in, but there’s still a listless exhaustion inside her. Also known as depression.

“You’re in the right place for that,” Athena says with a hint of a smile. “I can think of a few girls who probably wouldn’t mind distracting your brains out.”

“Not quite what I meant,” Sal replies, thinking of Meri. Who is probably still waking up in bed with some other girl right now. Sal’s eyes fall on the smart bike in the corner of the room, and an image of Athena wearing bike shorts and peddling away, gleaming with sweat pops into her mind. Sal really is ****.

“You have a plan?”

“Of course not. But you do.”

Athena smiles. “That obvious?”

“You seem like the type.”

Athena snorts, then shoots Sal a look as she pulls another piece off her muffin and eats it.

“I didn’t start this,” she says, a little defensively.

“I didn’t either.”

“I know. Sal, I’m trying to think of a way for you to get back to status quo, and I don’t see it,” she says.

Sal nods. Does Athena think that Sal hasn’t considered this? The most viable move is to go crawling back. The committee will end up with even more leverage over CGH, but they’ll get their house back.

“I think if I do that, I probably end up having to promise to do even more shitty stuff to you,” Sal says.

“I can handle it.”

“Maybe. But that’s not what I want out of…” Sal rolls her eyes and groans. She was about to say Greek Life. “Life. I thought doing all this would help me network and it would be all parties and fun. Instead all my girls hate me for making them homeless.”

“Most of them will understand.”

“I appreciate the sweet act, but just get to it. How do you want to use me? I failed as a good person, then I failed as a… Game of Thrones character. Now I have nothing. Go ahead. Make the most of it,” Sal says, watching the steam rise from her mug.