Writer in the Dark - J. HALE

9- ɢᴀᴍᴇꜱ

THE DAY following the school trip, Athena and Luna had skipped school for their little shopping trip that ended up lasting an entire thirty-six hours. Honestly, Athena had no idea how they had gotten so lost in time. Luna just kept suggesting places that they should go and they went, laughing together. They started the day shopping, at two different malls then went to get food - a mountain lion had been on the menu for that particular evening. Then they decided to go to a club without any reason other than it was something they both wanted to do. Athena had the slight problem of a lacking ID but that problem quickly found itself solved - thanks to Luna. She charmed the bouncer and he let them both in, as long as she promised not to drink anything. If she were human that rule would have been broken as soon as she got in the doors. They danced to loud music, laughing most of the time and scared off creepy guys with a single threatening glare. They exited the club after a few hours, eventually getting bored and instead settled for wandering around the town - walking drunk women home to make sure they got back okay. At around three pm the following day, they returned to Forks and Luna dropped her off before speeding down the road. Athena hadn't had that much fun in a long time.

The following day, after a surprise visit from Jasper, Alice and Luna both appeared at her doorstep to hang out as they had planned on their group chat just ten minutes ago. Rosalie had been invited but chose to stay at home, most likely with Emmett. They talked for hours, laughing about various movies that they managed to watch at two times speed. Another perk of the vampire lifestyle.

"I miss alcohol," Luna muttered as she stared up at the ceiling, laying down on Athena's sofa.

"Me too," Athena sighed as she listened to the dull music that played during the credits of the movie they just watched.

Alice turned towards Athena, brow raised in curiosity. "Did you even drink it?"

"I got to see many intoxicated people, It looked so fun and free," she sighed, wishing she could have experienced it once. They could drink alcohol but it would just have to come back up in a not so glamorous way, plus it had very little effect.

"Well I do," Luna replied softly as she reminisced about her human days. "What I would give to be able to drink beer again," she sighed and silence befell the group for a few moments. "I also miss crying," Luna continued out of the blue, catching both the other vampires' attention as they both sat up to look directly at her.

"That took a dark turn," Alice replied softly, eyes full of concern yet a slightly amused ring to her voice rang clear.

"I'm serious. There's nothing like letting all your emotions out through tears," Luna responded, keeping her gaze fixed on the ceiling as she sighed deeply.

Athena raised a brow in confusion. "So they don't just simmer somewhere in your head forever as a human?"

"No," she chuckled. "Crying's therapeutic."

"I just throw rocks at trees or down hills, sometimes boulders if they're around," she shrugged, thinking that's what most people did to resolve the type of pain where she just urged to scream. Alice and Luna both laughed, imagining the scene. "It's really cathartic!"

Silence overwhelmed them as the laughter died down, Athena listened to the leaves brushing up against the windows on the second floor. The sound bugged her immensely and she half wanted to climb up the tree right now and sort the situation out. Then, as her gaze passed a closed brown cupboard that she hadn't thought about since moving, an idea popped into her head. "Does anyone want to play monopoly?"

"Yes!" Luna exclaimed instantaneously, grinning widely. Athena laughed and opened the small cupboard games that she had collected over the years - having played them with the children she used to babysit in Scotland.

-

"Never thought I'd see the day where Alice Cullen was in jail!" Athena gasped as Alice moved her token to the orange jail in the corner of the board.

"You're going bankrupt," Alice replied with a glare, squinting her eyes at her.

Athena grimaced, sighing gently as she looked at the very few blue papers that she still had in her possession. "Low blow."

"And I'm just swimming in the money!" Luna exclaimed in happiness, throwing her papers of every colour around as she flicked them from her hands. She laughed and Athena and Alice looked at each other, having a conversation through the squinting and relaxation of their eyes. Within seconds, they scooped up Luna's entire collection of money, mixing it back in with the very few notes that still remained in the bank. "Thieves!"

"Sorry?" Alice asked, looking at Luna in fake concern.

"You thieves!" she echoed, gesturing to her lacking sum of money that used to line her side of the board.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Athena replied, keeping her need to laugh locked away. She turned to Alice, eyes full of fake puzzlement. "Alice? Any idea?"

"No, not at all," Alice replied, softly laughing as Luna got more vexed by the second.

"I dislike you both," she muttered, pure venom laced between the words. Seconds later, she flipped the board with so much force that it sent the eight hotels and twenty houses -that they had all spent the past hour earning- flying in every direction. Some crashed against the windows, landing so hard that Athena worried the glass would break, some in the kitchen and others littered the sofa and two chairs that surrounded her coffee table in the living room. Soon laughter erupted amongst the three of them lasting while Luna picked the small houses from the top of Alice's hair.

"I was going to suggest we do Jenga next but with that reaction, I don't think it's wise," she chuckled, picking up the broken pieces of a shattered plant pot. "I would like to keep my house intact," she continued, tapping the glass of the nearest window to make sure it wouldn't break due to the rain. Water damage was about the worst thing that could occur to her home, given all the paperbacks that she held so dearly. Just as they began to pack the board away, making sure to get every piece, Athena's phone began to ring. Within seconds she had found it buried underneath the pillow and immediately grew concerned as she read who was calling. Billy didn't tend to use the phone. She answered it and quickly pressed it to her ear. "What's going on?"

"Jacob's not home yet." She could hear the worry in his voice and his thoughts through the phone.

"When's curfew?"

"Eleven since it's a school night."

"What time is it?" she frowned, wondering why she didn't have a clock in her living room.

"One in the morning."

"I'll go look for him."

"Thank you."

"I'll let you know when I find him."

"I owe you."

She chuckled softly. "No, you don't."

And with that, she ran out into the forest - trying to catch a scent of what she recognised to be Jacob as she sped through the town. At ten past one, she found him passed out in one of his friends' basements. She made sure he was safe enough, gave the house a quick check over for any immediate signs of danger and left, calling Billy soon after so he knew where he was and would stop worrying that something awful had happened.