It's Athena's first day of sophomore year. "How are you feeling honey?" Athena's dad asks with a smile on his face. Athena looks out the window, her attention on the huge buildings which she's not used to seeing, coming from a tropical area like Orlando. "Fine," Athena says, just going along with the usual first day of school car ride conversation. "You're going to be fine, your beautiful soul is going to attract many friends." Athena rolls her eyes. She's never had many friends in the past. She was always looking at others, chatting their lives away, while she imagined being a part of the conversation. One day she wanted to come to school and have everyone turn and want to talk to her. "Wow, such an amazing building," Athena's dad says as he slowly stops in front of the school. "Love you thena, have a great day." Athena closes the door to the passenger seat and smiles at her dad. "Love you too."
Athena is overwhelmed the minute she walks into the huge school. All she can hear in the hallways is chattering between students. Then there is Athena. No one to talk to. No idea where her first class is. "Another year being an outcast," Athena thought.
As Athena starts to slowly get her things together so she can go hide in a bathroom stall for the rest of lunch, a girl sits right across from her and smiles. Athena never introduces herself to people first. However, she felt like this was a sign. "Those are the best," Athena says, pointing at the girl's package of double stuffed Oreos. "They sure are," the girl says with a smile on her face as she nods enjoying the Oreo. "You want one?" The girl puts her hand out to Athena, who grabs the Oreo. "I'm Melanie." Athena mumbles her name back still trying to finish eating the Oreo. "So, how is this school?" Melanie asks. Athena is confused, but then it clicks. Melanie is new to the school as well. Athena immediately becomes cheery and says, "I have no clue, I'm new here." "Well that makes two of us," Melanie says.
Melanie and Athena quickly become inseparable. They go to the local pizza place after school, do homework in the park, and have sleepovers every other weekend. Athena has never had a friend like this: a best friend. Two months go by and the duo becomes a trio. Jaelyn is way more popular than Melanie and Athena. She's known to be trouble — skipping class and talking disrespectfully to teachers — but Athena never noticed, because all she saw was how people started to wave at her in the hallway and sit next to her at lunch.
After spending winter break apart, Athena was so excited to see Jaelyn and Melanie at school on Monday. Athena sat down at their usual table alone, surprised that her two best friends weren't there yet. Then, looking around the room she saw that Melanie and Jaelyn were sitting with some juniors. She made eye contact with them and they gave her a dirty look. After being ignored by Melanie and Jaelyn all day, Athena decided to Facetime them at home. "Sooo... guys, what's up?" Athena asked. "Melanie told me that you were talking about my appearance," Jaelyn says as she puts her face into the camera. She looked mad. "Yeah and then Jaelyn said that you were talking about my sister," Melanie quickly joins in. Athena started to shake. She was confused, angry, and sad at the same time. These were her closest friends. She trusted them. They betrayed her. "These are lies. You guys are lying. Why would I even talk about you? You guys are my closest friends, the only friends I've ever had," she said, her voice cracking as tears streamed down her face. Athena couldn't sleep that night. All she was thinking about was Jaelyn and Melanie. She was especially angry about Melanie. She lied to Jaelyn for what? To increase her popularity? This wasn't the same girl that Athena had shared Oreos with at the beginning of the school year.
The next day at lunch Athena was back to sitting by herself. She still had attention but this time it was disgusted looks from the upperclassman, who'd been told by Jaelyn and Melanie that she was a fake phony. By the end of the week Athena's eyes were swollen and baggy from crying every night.
One day Athena was in her room watching Netflix. Her dad knocked on the door and came in. "What's up with Jaelyn and Melanie," he asked, sitting down at the edge of her bed. "Nothing actually, we're not friends anymore, turns out the teachers and everyone were right, they were a bad influence. They betra —" Athena starts to tear up. Her dad comes closer to her and gives her a hug. "Don't worry thena, you'll find the right group for you. Don't try and fit in. Be yourself and the right group will come to you." Athena wished that was true. But for her it wasn't. Pretty much the whole school hated her.
The next year, Athena found a new friend group. They sit at lunch together and enjoy each other's company without worrying about the popular crowd. The heat from last year's situation eventually disappeared and no one cared about what happened. Melanie and Jaelyn continued to get in trouble and gain popularity. They even tried to enter Athena's life again and become her friends. But Athena learned her lesson. She knows what true friends are: the ones right in front of her. Athena is so comfortable telling these girls her secrets and opinions without worrying about them turning on her. As Athena laughs with them at lunch about a new comedy show on Netflix she thinks to herself; "this is what real friends are."