Chapter 2 Family Favorite

Klaus was motionless. He wasn't sure what to do in that situation. He wasn't close to Athena, not even close.

In fact, he never understood why Marcel was dating her. Athena wasn't like the girls they used to date, she didn't even look like her half-sister. She was short, wore strange clothes and definitely didn't have the beauty, or the body, of Selena.

Selena was tall, beautiful, dressed well, her shoulder-length hair was always so straight and impeccable, apart from the qualities of her curvaceous body. Athena never wore clothes that showed off what her body really looked like, however.

Not that Klaus paid that much attention to her to notice anything like that, she was nobody to him.

But he couldn't help but feeling sorry for her in such a situation. He knew her friends, he knew Athena's sister, but he never expected the two of them to do something so dirty and cruel to her.

That must have hurt a lot.

He had never seen Athena cry once. Not even when Marcel made unnecessary jokes with her, cruel and dirty jokes. She always had a dull smile on her face.

So he just stood there, letting her cry and soak his shirt with her tears.

Athena couldn't understand. How long had this been going on?

How long had they been kissing, hidden from her? What else had happened between them?

Was Selena the reason why Marcel had always refused to kiss Athena? He always said it was something special and that he wasn't ready for it yet. Athena couldn't believe she had been so naive.

Feeling her heart hurt, she sniffled, trying to stop the tears. It was only then that she realized that Klaus had been holding her wrists gently the whole time, that she had been crying against his chest. She loosened the fabric slowly as she pulled away from him, letting him breathe.

With the last vestige of courage, she looked at him, hoping he wasn't angry with her.

His eyes were as cold as ice as he stared at her, as they always were. "I'm sorry," she said, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand. He really did look angry.

"What are you going to do now?" He asked firmly, putting his hands in his pockets; curious.

Athena looked at him without understanding his question. What did he mean by that? But she didn't give it much thought. "I have to go and find them."

"What?!" Klaus couldn't believe what he was hearing, was she serious? "Are you going to pretend that none of this happened?"

She looked at Klaus and, to her surprise, for the first time she saw something in his eyes besides the wall of ice he always carried with him: pity.

He was feeling sorry for her.

Why was he feeling sorry for her, anyway? Didn't he know all this time about the two of them? Wasn't it to protect them that he tried to stop her? "Isn't that what you were planning when you tried to stop me from not seeing them?" Athena's voice was full of hurt.

She knew that the anger she was feeling shouldn't be directed at Klaus. He wasn't the one who owed her allegiance.

"What are you implying?" He squinted.

Athena snorted. "Don't act like you don't know anything," she demanded. "Do you think I'm stupid? Doesn't pretending you don't know anything make you sick?" She took a step forward, fixing her eyes on his."You don't have to feel sorry for me."

"You're not going to break up with him?" Klaus was confused, and shocked, at how completely crazy she was. Why was she angry with him? He didn't know any of this, he never had!

Athena just left the room quickly, wanting to get home fast. All she wanted was to get under the covers and suffer her pain in peace. She didn't need Klaus to feel sorry for her, she didn't need anyone's pity.

Her phone started ringing inside her backpack, it was Marcel. Athena stared at the screen for a while, deciding whether or not to answer it. The fourth time her phone rang, she answered. "Hi" Her eyes began to sting, the tears returning.

"Where are you? We're waiting for you." It was ironic the concerned tone Marcel used with her at that moment. How could he act normally after kissing his girlfriend's sister? How could he pretend that none of this had happened?

Athena's fists clenched.

"I had a problem with my college paper, I won't be able to make it." Even though her heart was bruised and bleeding, she said those words sweetly. "You should go without me."

Klaus' footsteps passed by Athena, hard and firm, echoing. She looked in his direction but he pretended she wasn't there, just walked on with a firm countenance. He ignored her, as he always had.

*

Athena arrived home a few hours later, she had walked more than she needed to before finally deciding to leave, crying.

The lights were off and everything was quiet. Everyone was already asleep. She went upstairs, determined to confront Selena about what had happened, but with every step she climbed, she looked at the photos of her happy family.

Selena had always been loved by everyone, she was the family favorite, especially since her mother was her father's current wife. No one would believe that the perfect Sel had kissed her sister's boyfriend.

Thinking about it, Athena felt her heart grow fonder.