three
To say Daniel was excited when he would finally be meeting Paige was not even close to how describe him, he was arguably more excited than Athena. When he picked up Athena from school after that first day, she mentioned Paige, and of course her dad wanted to know all about her immediately. He was over the moon that on her first day at a new school, she made a friend.
Opening the door to the car, Athena got in with a smile on her face, her dad being nosy, "What's got you all happy?"
"Nothing, just had a good dayI guess." Athena brushed off the question, she wanted to say that Paige was a friend but was she? Paige did all the talking and Athena was just....there. That's not what friendships are supposed to be like, at least that's not what the ones in the movies are like. Paige was more of anacquaintance than anything, but maybe as they spent more time together aka Paige annoying Athena during class for answers andtalking about basketball, they would classify as friends.
"That's great! AlthoughI did notice that you left your glasses on the kitchen table, were you able to get to class and everything?" Her dad asked, pulling out of the carpool line.
"Yeah....this nice girl helped me get around, she's my grade and age." Athena answered, playing with her fingers, she didn't know why she was cautious to tell her dad about Paige, there was nothing wrong, she's just being weird. "She's kind of a friend,I guess. I don't know her that well, actuallyI kind of do, she talks a lot, butI don't like know her know her, you know?"
"Uh, yeahdefinitely,I'm all caught up with the...phrases you use. AnywayI'm glad you had a good day and didn't spend it in another reality." Her father answered, side-eyeing Athena at some points.
"Hey! I spend just the appropriate amount of time in the real world,I just prefer the one on paper." Athena claimed, crossing her arms and looking at her father. Athena then did the unexpected, which was reaching out to turn up the radio to sing along to the song playing, her dad joining her seconds later. The drive home was nothing like the drive to school, all because of Paige.
Daniel was grateful for Paige and he's just heard stories, the first time Athena mentioned Paige by name was the 3rd week of school. Paige had bought Athena another pair of her glasses to keep in her backpack, because for the first 3 weeks Athena had forgotten her glasses 4 times.
"Did you seriously forget them again?" Paige laughed as she noticed Athenawith her head close to the desk, looking like she was napping but really she was just trying to see the words on her paper.
"No,I just...misplaced them...again" Athena felt guilty,because then she had to use Paige as her walking stick again. Paige sighed, acting annoyed when really she didn't care, she got to spend more time with Athena then.
The next day, Paige was sitting at her desk inhomeroom, waiting for Athena to walk through the door, she had a little box in her sweatshirt pocket.When she walked through the door wearing her glasses, Paige lit up, eagerly waiting for her to sit down. Athena looked at her weirdly while pulling out her book. She was about to open it when Paige snatched it away, earning a "hey!" from Athena, but she placed the box on her desk andgestured for her to open it. Athena was curious as she slowly opened the box, for her to see the same pair of glasses she was currently wearing was a surprise for sure, "What are these for,I already have glasses."
"I know you have glasses, dummy, but these are specific glasses just for your backpack since you seem to forget to put them in there a lot. You put this in your bag and for the days you forgetI can remind you about the pair in your bag and you can read in your little corner all day long." Paigesmiled at Athena, while Athenadidn't know what to think, no one had ever done something like this, at least not someone outside her family. To think that Paige had done this, the same Paige she met 3 weeks ago, the same Paige she was still one edge about calling a friend, the same Paige she heard whispers about being a quote "egotistical bitch," yeah Paige was definitely more than anacquaintance.
The reason Daniel was actually meeting Paige now was because both her and Athena were paired together for a science project, something to do with electricity or physics, he didn't care he just wanted to meet the girl who turned her daughter into the sunshine he once knew again.
Paige on the other hand was a nervous wreck, she was meeting Athena's dad today, she knew that her mom was gone, and felt horrible about it but that also made the pressure on her dad liking her even heavier. If her dad didn't like her then she doesn't know what she'll do, possibly never show her face to Athena again.
It was early November when they got the project and Athena being the goddess of wisdom she is, suggested meeting up after school to get it done faster. Paige told her the schedule she has for the next week and Athena decided that on Thursday afternoon, November 9th she would come over to her house after school and before basketball practice to work on their project.
Now standing in front of a flower shop she begged her mom to drive her to before going to Athena's, she had no idea what to get, or if she should get something at all. Her dad wasn't a girl, he didn't like flowers...unless he does which means if she gets him the flowers and he likes them, he'll like her, which means she'll be able to come over again, which means more time with Athena and thats the endgame. Paige picked out the white roses, they were pretty and reminded her of Athena because she was pretty, in a friend type way of course.
Paige thanked her mom when she got out of the car, making sure she has her bag and the flowers for Mr. Booker. She walked up the driveway, hyping herself up, this was her friend's father and she's met all her other friends family but Athena is different. When she made it to the front door, she rung the doorbell then looked down at her feet, shuffling them slightly, then the sudden thought of her clothes came into mind "amI underdressed, it is just a study session but-"her thoughts were cut off when Mr. Booker opened the door with a bright smile, "Hi, you must be Paige."
"Yes sir, that's me." Paige responded with an equal smile on her face. "Oh, uh, these are for you." She hesitated before handing over the flowers to Athena's dad.
"White roses," he chuckled, "those were my wife's favorite." A silence came over the two before he continued "and Athena's of course. Thank you Paige these are beautiful." Paige just smiled at his words, making a mental note of the family's favorite flower. Athena heard the voices from her room and walked downstairs, seeing Paige and her father talking about basketball, she rolled her eyes, her whole life is basketball.
"Oh great now there can be two of you annoying me about basketball." Athena says, causing the two to look over at her.
"Hey don't hate because it's more interesting than kicking a ball around a football field for 90 minutes." Paige shot back, she loved to push Athena's nerves about soccer. Athena tolerated it, knowing that Paige's attention span could never sit through a game.
"Better than throwing a ball into a hoop for only 40 minutes, and basically running suicides all game." Athena could play this game too, she did it all the time with her dad, arguing which sport was better, he dad choosing basketball and her choosing soccer.
"But ours is more interesting." Her dad this time adding to the conversation, Paige nodding her head in agreement.
"Is it?" Athena questioned, they could go for hours at this but Paige was here for school after all. "There's games on later and that's when we can get into this, but for now me and Paige need to work." Athena states, walking over towards the two and grabbing Paige's wrist, dragging her towards her room.
"Nice to meet you Mr. Booker!" Paige called out as she was being dragged up the stairs, and once the door was closed she looks at Athena, "I think he likes me. Also hi, good to see you, how are you?"
"He just likes you because you play his sport" Athena says grumpily, huffing before continuing "Hi to you too, I'm good, how are you?"
Paige smiled before answering, feeling good knowing Anthea couldn't resist answering her, "Doing better now that the meet and greet is out of the way, I was a little nervous. I stood in front of that flower shop for 10 minutes before I made a decision on what to give him."
Athena perked up at that, "You brought flowers? What kind?"
"Yeah I brought some white roses, really beautiful ones." Paige answers, pulling out her notebook from her backpack.
"Those were my mom's favorite....those are my favorite." Athena whispered, Paige could barely hear it, but she could still hear it.
"Yeah, your dad said that, I'll have to make a note that any time you're mad at me to get you white roses and you'll like me again." Paige joked.
"Don't push your luck, Bueckers."
Most of the time spent at Athena's house was working on the science project, but once the clock hit 7:00, Paige was begging to go downstairs and turn on the basketball game. Apparently her team was playing and if she missed it, she would die a slow death. Reluctantly, Athena gave in, agreeing to go watch the game downstairs, they were already ahead in the project so why not. When they walked downstairs, they were greeted with her dad already having the game on, it hasn't even started just the pre-game show and statistics. Athena knew this would be a long night, with not one basketball nerd but two in her house.
Her dad was on one end of the L shaped couch, leaving the rest open, and Paige being the gentlewomen she is let Athena pick her seat first, but Athena told her to sit down and she was going to get snacks. Paige offered to help her, and they both walked into the kitchen to find snacks for the night.
Athena ended up laying on the long, open end of the couch with Paige sitting up to her right. She loved this couch, but it wasn't the best to lie on, she kept shifting and when Paige noticed she moved her leg and gently guided Athena's head to rest on it, then continuing her conversation with Mr. Booker.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now it was time for Athena to be a nervous wreck, it was the same situation except at the Bueckers' household. Athena had no idea what to bring, then she got the grand idea of making her famous chocolate chip cookies, they were everyone's favorite back home and she wanted to spread the joy to Paige's family, and hopefully make them like her.
As she walked away from her dad's car, thanking him for driving, she walked the driveway with shaky hands holding the container of cookies. When she knocked on the door, her nerves increased. An older version of Paige opens the door with a polite smile, "Hi, you must be Athena, Paige never shuts up about you."
Athena smiles and briefly looks at her shoes before looking up again, "Yes ma'am, that's me." A floorboard creaking pulled her attention award from Paige's mom and towards the noise, she saw a little boy instead of her blonde friend, before she could say hi, Paige appeared. Athena smiled at her and Paige gestured down to the container in her hands, "Oh right! I made these for you guys, chocolate chip cookies, famous recipe."
Ms. Bueckers thanked Athena for the cookies then told Paige to go up to her room and work. This time though, Paige didn't beg to watch a basketball game or anything, just wanting to get the work done so she could play her video games again. Once they were done she did just that, ignoring Athena and putting on her headset but keeping one ear open and playing her game. Athena had gotten more comfortable around Paige by now, so she just ranted about anything and Paige listened, even if she didn't look like it, she was listening. She would always listen.