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The wind blew violently as Athena held her coat tightly around her small body frame. It was winter and she had gone to the town's nearest mall to buy a sweater and a raincoat.

Athena stopped at the bus stop, then looked at her watch on her left arm as she red the time, she frowned deeply, it was now 5:30 pm and the bus wouldn't arrive until the next thirty minutes.

A snow storm was said to be passing through town at six and she wanted to get home to her tiny but homey apartment to snuggle and sip on hot chocolate.

A few minutes passed and a taxi went by, Athena had tried to stop it by holding her hand out to the road yelling 'Taxi' multiple times but failed because the driver was going too fast.

Another taxi came to view and she wasn't going to let the opportunity of getting home earlier miss her, so she went in the middle of the road and sprawled her hands in the air yelling at the driver for him to stop the car.

The taxi came to an immediate pause in front of her, Athena sighed feeling her mouth go dry from all the yelling she had been doing.

The driver came out wondering what a young woman would be doing in the middle of the road minutes before a storm would occur.

'She must be mad' he thought.

"Driver" Athena acknowledged dryly. "Would you mind driving me to my apartment? I would like to get there before the storm starts." She said.

The taxi man became relieved of his thoughts and nodded at her entering the car.

Athena went inside, closing the door behind her.

The man asked her address, which she kindly gave to him.

Ten minutes passed and Athena's apartment came into view, she thanked the taxi man, paid her fare then went inside the old building.

Athena cringed as the foul smell of liquor and ganja hit her nose. It was her landlord Rick, a drunk and worthless man who abused drugs and used young girls who had no money and nowhere to go for his advantage in exchange for a room.

She quickly made her way to her apartment door opening and closing it behind her.

She sighed, then went to her small kitchen, boiling water to make her hot chocolate. She then went to her room changing into a pair of baggy yoga pants and a huge winter hoodie that belonged to her deceased father.

She went back to the kitchen turning off the stove and removing the kettle, pouring the hot water into one of her favourite mugs, then adding the chocolate goodness along with sugar into it.

Athena then went to her couch, laid down and sipped at her mug of hot chocolate while watching a movie she chose seconds before.

One hour into watching the movie she soon drifted off to sleep.

Athena awoke on the couch silently cursing herself for not turning off the television the night before.

"More bills to pay." She grumbled.

She did her normal morning routines then dressed for work after.

Athena had worked as a waitress at a small café for four years near her apartment since she became eighteen, when her mother kicked her out.

Ever since her father's death she had been closed up and silent, no longer the sassy, sarcastic little girl she once was.

Her father died from cancer when she was just twelve years old.

Her mother had blamed her for his death, why? Athena did not know.

Shortly after her father's funeral her mother started drinking, smoking and clubbing all night which soon led them broke.

Athena had to bake cookies and brownies to sell at the town's small bakery to make money so she could pay the bills.

Her mother was never grateful.

She cursed Athena and started beating her when she tried talking her out of her bad ways.

Her mother would call her slut, gold digger and whore every time. Athena usually cried herself to sleep.

She exited her apartment and went down the stairs leaving the building.

It only took five minutes for Athena to walk to the café.

"Hi dear" Rose Ann said, with a small smile and wave.

"Hello" Athena replied, with a genuine smile.

Rose Ann was the owner of the cafe, she was a kind and humble old woman who treated Athena like her own daughter.

Athena went to the kitchen and started doing what she did best,

she baked.

'One more hour' Athena thought as she put the last touches on the cupcake. After work she would head to the airport to pick up her highschool bestfriend Remi.

She was excited to see her again. Remi had gone to London to visit her mom for four months and she missed her jolly and kind friend.

Athena's shift just ended and she didn't waste a second as she told her boss goodbye and jumped in a taxi to the airport.

"It's time to take home the beast." Athena giggled as the car drove off.