Learning from Athena

Elisha rode the bus towards home, trying to peer through the glass at the dark world outside; instead she saw only the reflection of what was in her proximity - her face, the face of the guy that sat next to her, along with all the other nameless strangers.

That guy had been causing her problems for at least twenty minutes. First he was standing with his phone out, probably taking pictures or something. Then, as soon as the lady that had the seat next to Elisha got up, the ass quickly rushed to sit next to her.

Fucking creep.

Elisha had drawn the hood around her face, but she still felt exposed. And angry too.

Why did I go out so late? And for such a distance...

On most days she would circle her neighborhood for an hour. A mere excuse to go outside, so that her muscles wouldn't atrophy from sitting inside all the time doing jack all. But today she had decided to walk towards the mall, and walk she did, until the soles of her feet started to burn and blisters formed, making any further journeying impossible.

The phone was dead so there was no calling her dad either. So she went to take the bus back.

Other people at her age were out partying and making careers and she couldn't even walk for too long without getting damaged somehow.

Useless.

In the end Elisha was a tiny thing even if she was eighteen - just barely over five feet and a little over a hundred pounds, with waves of blonde hair that came down to her neck, framing a pretty blue-eyed face with a delicately upturned and slightly freckled nose.

Elisha was two stations away from home when she felt the creep put a hand on her thigh. At first she hoped it was an accident, that he couldn't be that openly repulsive...

But she was clueless as to what to do next, surprised by the new situation, and sat frozen.

At that point he started moving his gnarled and hairy hand up and down her thigh, slowly, as if he was rewarding her obedience with a loving caress.

Elisha was so frightened that as soon as the next station came, she stood up, murmuring curses from trembling lips, nearly shoving him out of the seat, jumped out of the bus, and walked the rest of the way home, going on her heels to avoid stepping on her blisters, like some cartoon character.

It was quiet when she walked into the apartment, and the light in the hallway was out. Elisha figured she was alone, until she saw the chink of light escaping Dad's study.

You better not be dead, thought Elisha, only half-joking. The old guy was nearing seventy, and much of her general stress level was owed to his potential demise. Not only would it be traumatic, but it would practically leave her homeless.

"I'm home!" She tried to hook her coat at the entry, and when it came falling down, she was so frustrated and tired that she left it there, pooled by the entrance.

She started shuffling towards his door. "Dad, are you alive?"

But instead of her father, Elisha found his girlfriend in the study, sitting on his great marmoreal desk with crossed legs, swapping left and right on her phone with a deep frown.

Not on Tinder, I hope...

For the most part Elisha got along rather well with her father, but she had never come to terms with the fact that he dated girls her age - nor forgiven him for it. Even her mother, God rest her soul, was only in her early twenties when she had conceived. And Elisha was not looking forward to any sibling.

Dad's latest girl, Athena, was a black girl that her father had seen for long enough for her to start showing up around the apartment. But beyond a few greetings here and there, Elisha avoided her, and couldn't say a thing about her as a person.

And this was the first time Elisha found her in the apartment alone. "Sorry, I thought Dad was in."

Athena swapped her finger over the phone two more times, once to the right, once to the left, then looked up at Elisha with a warm smile, her red lips all glossed up. "He's out for a bit. Sorry, he said I should wait for him. I hope it's not a bother."

"None at all," she nearly stammered. "I just wanted to tell I'm back. My phone died."

Athena swept a hand through her long, rich hair and smiled, bobbing her head in understanding. It glistened in the light, the soft waves and curls looking nearly liquid. "Well. I should get ready and clear out."

Elisha said goodbye and headed to the living room.

There she crashed on the couch and turned on the TV, curling up with her head on the armrest. She knew that she should get up and shower at the very least, but she was so tired that she couldn't even bother to close her mouth. Spit was oozing out and even that seemed like a nonissue.

Life was just so shitty now. It felt like there was no point to anything.

Two years prior her mother had passed away - a tragedy - at which point she quit school - a retarded mistake - in order to pursue acting - a failed delusion - so she could now spend her days wasting away not only in obscurity, but heart-wrenching loneliness that was quickly building up into despair.

She heard a door opening and the tap! tap! tap! of heels. Then Athena walked in, looking over-prepared even for a fashion show. She wore a dress of pristine white, tight all the way down to her navel and cut down the middle; there was no bra and the breasts were left mostly visible, but looked to be held in place without any hope of slipping out. But below that the dress became loose and pleated, coming down only to her brown thighs. Combined with the heels, it made her legs look super long - not only stunning, but tall and physically powerful as well.

Like the most expensive chocolate wrapped in the most desirable wrapper. I could be an ad girl.

"Sorry," said Athena. "Bothering you again. No free sockets in our room. He's got like three goddamned laptops plugged in, for whatever reason. Anyway I don't want to break anything."

Our room? As in it's also yours? That sounded bad.

Realizing her own situation, Elisha quickly sat up and rubbed the spit from her cheek, ashamed of how she must have looked. And smelled.

Athena bent down to plug in her charger, then rose and dusted her hands. A smile. "There. Mind if I sit with you for while? Us girls have to keep each other company in such desperate no-phone times."

Elisha smiled back. "Please."

Athena sat down next to her, careful to keep her exquisite dress from crumpling up.

The black girl smelled intoxicatingly sweet, and from the sideview Elisha could see the dramatic curvature of her soft-looking breasts.

Though she had never been into girls, Elisha found it hot just to think about what a guy in her position would be doing. Likely he would tear up Athena's little white dress and ravage her until all that was left was a wet and shuddering mess.

Elisha was no lesbian, but thinking of that was hot. Even if she wasn't a guy. It was like watching a porn in your head, sort of.

At length she noticed the golden chain dangling around Athena's neck, and her heart sank, expecting the worst. "Anything hanging from there?"

Athena was confused for a moment, then smiled and drew the chain around and fixed it up, till a heavy diamond hung between her breasts, all asparkle. "Do you like it? It was a gift."

It was my mother's, thought Elisha sourly.Mine. "It's nice."

"Yeah, your dad's good to me like that."

"Is that why you like him? I mean, I'm not saying you're a gold-digger or anything; but why are you with him? He's the most annoying person alive. And the most boring."

Athena gave her a wicked look. "Not always."

Elisha felt so disarmed and discomforted that she cringed and looked away. "You have sex?" she asked at length.

Athena laughed. "You really want to know?"

"I don't know."

"We do stuff, yeah.We do what we do," she said in a stereotypical black way, then giggled.

Elisha remained quiet, trying to get the horrible image out of her head. How did they even fuck? How did it not kill him?

Athena pulled on the diamond and crossed her legs, staring at Elisha with devious eyes. "Do you want to know if he's got a big dick?"

Elisha laughed out loud and buried her face in her palms. "No! God, God, no. Please!"

"I'm just playing with you. You're too easy."

Cringing, she asked: "But does he? Is that why you're with him?"

Athena bumped into her playfully. "Look who's naughty after all!"

"I'm not - I just want to understand. I hate him," she said, her voice dripping venom.

"I know. He told me."

Elisha's eyes narrowed all of a sudden. "What did he say?" she snapped.

Athena clicked her tongue. "Nothing bad, okay! Just that you're having a rough patch. It's no different with me and my dad. You hate yours for being with girls after your mom died. Try having it when she's still alive and he's counting on you to cover for him - because, you know, your mom will kill herself is she finds out. Fucking asshole."

"I'm sorry."

"Nah. It's - whatever. Fuck him, you know? But your dad isn't so bad." She paused for a moment and smiled deviously. "Also yes, his ancient dick is fucking great."

Elisha stuck her fingers in her ear like a child. "Aaaaaaaaaa."

They both laughed, and though Elisha had every reason to hate her, she felt a kind of friendship had budded between the two of them.

"What about you?" asked Athena. "You got a boyfriend?"

"Nope."

"Why the hell not? You're so pretty."

"I don't meet anyone. I don't really have a life."

Athena brushed that aside with a gesture. "Hell, I can introduce you to tons of people. Come out with me one night and you'll have a boyfriend before you've properly entered the club."

Elisha shook her head. "I don't know about that..."

"You're a prude."

She bobbed her head and laughed grimly. "I am."

Athena turned towards her suddenly. "I'm willing to bet you've never even had sex."

"Not with another person."

Athena cackled at that and Elisha didn't know if she laughing with her or at her. "That's insane. You've never done anything with a guy?"

"Nope."

"Not even kissing?"

"Nope."

"Wow!" cried Athena. "You're crazy. Then it was a girl?"

"Nope. I'm not into girls."

"Oh, please! Everyone's bi. They just don't admit it. That's why I hate all this gay rights bullshit. I guarantee you most faggots and dykes would be fucking the opposite sex if they weren't all about being special snowflakes."

The sudden vitriol took Elisha by surprise, and she saw Athena genuinely flare up with rage.

"I mean you know the thing guys find most attractive is cocks? I read that in some study once. I mean straight guys. Crazy, right? And girls love boobs. You go to a pool or the beach and you'll see, if there's a girl with huge cans, most of the people staring at her will be other chicks."

"They must stare at you a lot," said Elisha awkwardly.

Athena seemed pleased by the comment. She appraised her own breasts and jiggled them a little happily. "What can you do. I'm blessed that way. Yours don't look too small either."

"Well, they're not as big as yours."

"Yet! The key word. I think mine grow a little every month since I turned sixteen." She paused and leaned towards Elisha even more. "Show them to me."

"You're kidding. That's embarrassing."

"Come on, I'm a girl, you're a girl. Nothing embarrassing about it."

"And you're bi - you just said that."

"I said everyone's a little bi. What - you think I'm going to rape you or something?"

"No... But I'm shy."

Athena clicked her tongue and set out to take off Elisha's shirt by force. The latter cried and pushed her away. "Stop! I said stop!"

Athena pulled back, smiling humorlessly. "You really are a prude. You know you're not going to get anywhere in life that way?"

"And where the hell would I get to the other way?" snapped Elisha, insecurity turning into anger now. "Going steady with guys one date away from the grave?"

Athena scoffed lightly and leaned back. "Wow. Okay." Her gaze switched to the TV.

An awkward silence settled in and Elisha felt bad. Was this her fault? Did she overreact? But who the hell made demands like that?

Elisha looked over to Athena whose face had taken a typical bitch expression. Her eyes wandered down to Athena's legs, and she could see her worked calves and thick, muscular thighs.

It took her a few moments to work up the courage but then she asked: "You go to the gym?"

"Yep," drawled Athena in an annoyed tone.

"I don't. I wanted to but- Yeah."

Athena sighed deeply and rolled her eyes. She looked at Elisha again. "But what?"

"But I'm shy."

"So don't be shy."

"That's not how it works."

"Yeah, okay. Because I'm not shy, right? Like I don't have a thousand things to worry about wherever I go. How people look and think about me especially. At least you're fucking white. What exactly are you complaining about? Getting too many people being nice to you at once, or what?"

Elisha remained quiet and it was Athena's turn to soften up. She sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I just hate it when people victimize themselves and use all this self-loathing crap. It's bullshit. Men and women of every age and every color have the same problems.Ain't nobody special, baby girl. My grandma said that to me. Wise words, you know.

"Anyway, you want to go to the gym, I can set you up. I've got a friend who's a trainer and everything. Chick got a degree in nutrition or something like that - I dunno. Butshieeet - she's a god. Her instructions are my Bible."

"Maybe," said Elisha.

"Maybe? Do you ever do anything daring? I bet you'd shit yourself even if I put you on Chat-roulette or something."

Elisha shook her head in desperation, but laughing all the same. "I'm shy, okay! I'm your typical white girl - except friendless and socially retarded."

Athena studied her for a few more uncomfortable moments. "Kiss me," she said.

"What?"

"You said you've never kissed anyone. Well, here's your chance. Your dare. Your fucking order, actually. Kiss me."

Elisha felt like her head and heart were both about to explode. Going in for a kiss? Was she crazy? At the same time she didn't want to seem like acomplete pussy. And it wasn't unlikely that it was the only chance for a kiss with proper human being before she ended up homeless on the streets.

'It's just a kiss, isn't it? And she is hot... Not that that matters, but she's hot...'

"How do I do it?" she asked, trembling all over.

"Come on. You've seen the movies. Just go for it. I'll help you as you go."

Elisha leaned in towards her and immediately a far more intense smell hit her nostrils, as sweet as could be, so sweet... she could almost taste it; it lulled her in closer, till she felt the heat of Athena's body, or maybe her own body going melting hot - going supernova.

She looked into Athena's face from up close, into the dark pools of her eyes, the silky brown skin, the shiny lip that opened up to reveal perfect white teeth and a wet mouth.

Elisha's head went in sideways, and she pressed her lips against Athena's, the following warmth sending shivers through her body, a minty breath filling her mouth and head like a chilly wind, contrasted by the sparks of their blazing tongues, and then she felt it...

Athena's tongue probing against her lips, making its way inside her mouth, so hot, and so warm. And she let it through, till her tongue met it and they swirled against each other, awkwardly on her part, finding it difficult to breathe.

Then she felt Athena's hand going down her back to her ass and squeezing it and she jerked away, confused. She snapped out of Athena's spell, and only looked at her, afraid.

"What's wrong?" asked Athena. She smiled. "You were doing well, grasshopper. I like the way you taste."

Elisha cringed. "How do I taste?"

"Pure... Innocent... Virginal..." Athena savored every word. "Get on top of me."

The words were spoken with such authority that Elisha felt she had no choice but to obey. She mounted Athena, still too afraid to make eye contact. Instead she found herself staring down at the big breasts caught in the dress, wondering what they felt like...

Her entire body was tingling with... something. She wasn't attracted to girls, at least not before this. Yet this felt good -right somehow.

Or I'm just desperate. God, I'm so desperate.

Athena's hands gripped her waist tightly. "Your dad told me you wanted to be a star."

"When I was little."

"So like a month ago?"

Elisha laughed in spite of herself. "Yeah. Something like that." She felt calm again.

Athena grabbed her chin and forced the contact of their eyes. "You could be. You've got the looks. You only need the attitude. Confidence, baby, confidence. That's how the broke fat guy with the hairy back gets the hot piece of ass. Confidence. Say it with me."

"Confidence..." repeated Elisha slowly, mantra-like. "I want to be confident."

"Then be confident."

Athena pulled her lower, and began to kiss her neck, nibbling on it lovingly, each bite sending waves of hot energy down Elisha's body, making her back arch uncontrollably and her whole body shake.

Athena made her way up to Elisha's ear, and in a voice so hot it nearly scorched the flesh, said: "I could break you down and put you back together into something better."

The softest of moans escaped Elisha's mouth. "What?"

She felt Athena's hand closing around her neck. "Sure, but you have to want it. Do you want it, little girl? Do you want to be my star?"

"Yes."

The hand squeezed tighter and brought pain this time. "How much?"

"A lot."

Tighter. She could barely breathe now. "How much do you want to be mine?"

Elisha struggled to spit out words. Tears glimmered in her eyes.

Athena let her go, then grabbed her ass with both hands and pulled her in close. Elisha yelped. "Are you going to be my bitch?"

Elisha looked down at her hesitantly. "I don't know."

Athena gave her a weird look. She slapped her face. "I asked you, are you going to be my bitch?" She lowered her eyes, as if to indicate the precariousness of Elisha's position should she give the wrong answer.

But this was too much for Elisha to take up all at once. She went from never having done anything, to discovering she might be attracted to girls, to being asked a question that seemed very harsh and degrading, the complications of which she didn't understand - by her father's girlfriend, no less. Her face stung too.

"I don't know. I don't think so..."

Suddenly Athena looked up at her in disgust. Her hands dropped away. The fun and playful mood dissipated entirely. "Are you serious?"

"I mean-"

"Look, get off."

Elisha panicked now. "I'm sorry. I didn't-"

"Elisha, please." She lifted her hands up defensively. "I said get off of me."

A deep feeling of worthlessness came over Elisha as she dismounted, and the warmth she had experienced up to that point being ripped away from her nearly brought her to tears. It was like all life had been drained out of her in a crippling instant.

She sat at the edge of couch, wondering if she should apologize, or what...

Before she could make up her mind the cell rang and Athena jumped up to get it.

"Yeah?" she said, all smiling now. "Yes, I'll come down right now. No, she's here. Yeah, she came back before. No, we just hung out. Yeah. Yes. Okay. See you in a bit."

She ended the call, then turned to Elisha, the glacial aura restored. "Your dad said there's money on the fridge if you want to order in."

And with that marched out of the room and down the hall, heels going tap! tap! tap! again, each footfall feeling like a personal spurn. The door was slammed so hard that Elisha jumped.