"How's school been?"

"It's okay," Athena tells Dr. Kim with a shrug.

Despite this not being her first visit since their initial one, Athena still sits held off, unsure of what to do or say in the room. Her second visit was good and Athena felt like Dr. Kim was someone she could trust, at least for now. But, she hadn't told anyone how she truly felt for months now. She wasn't sure she could just easily spill her mind to the woman in front of her, even if she appeared to be understanding.

Dr. Kim nods anyway. She jots down a note and then looks back at Athena.

"Has Hana bothered you again?"

Athena pulls her legs up in the chair and shrugs again.

"Kind of," she starts. "She talked to me about the trial coming up."

"Ah, I heard about that. For Hyunjin, right?" Dr. Kim adds.

"Yeah, for Hyunjin."

"How are you feeling about that, the trial I mean?" Dr. Kim asks.

"I don't really want to talk about today," Athena mutters.

Dr. Kim smiles. "Sure. Do you think we could discuss Hana today?"

Athena ponders it for a moment. There was nothing else for them to talk about really. She could mention Felix, and her ever-confusing feelings around him but the thought causes her to heat up and blush. Talking about Hana is a much better option.

"Okay, what are we gonna talk about?" 

"I just want to know your relationship with her," Dr. Kim states. "Were you two ever close?"

The girl shakes her head, a frown falling upon her lips. "We did start school together though. When I transferred, there were around five or six of us who were new to the school. Hana was the only other girl."

"Did you speak to her much when you first moved?"

"I tried to. I figured, since we both are new we could stick together. She wasn't evil when I first spoke to her but as time went on, she stopped talking to me fully. She became popular and her crowd wasn't my crowd so we just parted ways."

Dr. Kim hums in understanding and places a hand on her chin. "When did she start bothering you?"

"I think around when I started dating, um... Hyunjin," Athena recalls, pulling her eyebrows together. 

"She never approached me but I knew she was mad for some reason. She had her own boyfriend at the time so I really didn't understand it. Once the accident happened it was like all hell broke loose. Hana yelled at me the first day I was back after the situation. She's one of the reasons I stopped going to school for the end of last semester. She just bothered me constantly, yelling, screaming, and, she got a whole squad to follow her."

"Has she always been this way? Towards other students maybe?" Dr. Kim questions softly.

The question has Athena thinking more than she thought she would. Hana had appeared very sweet when they first met. She was quiet and seemed to be wary of everyone, one of the main reasons Athena wanted to befriend her. Hana joining the popular crowd had surprised her and her personality did a total one-eighty. She was cruel, mean, ruthless. She never let anyone get to her, even if it meant tearing everyone in her way down.

"I think, once she got into her friend group, she became a little more mean."

Dr. Kim would like to say that maybe Hana was a bit more than a 'little mean', but she holds back and simply gives Athena a nod. 

"I know this is going to sound weird but are you two similar in anyway?" Dr. Kim asks. "Do you perhaps share a hobby or something along those lines?"

"I mean, we're both mixed. Hana's less noticeable. She's Korean-American, her dad's white, I think."

"I see. Well, I think we're getting somewhere."

Athena raises an eyebrow. "How?"

"You, Athena, seemed to wait to find people who clicked with you when you moved. You were simply you, despite how people may judge you at face value. Hana on the other hand, didn't let take her time and made herself a threat, not a possible victim."

"But why would she do that? Because she's mixed? She hardly looks it!" Athena suddenly exclaims. 

"It's a funny way the world works Athena. What's easy for you to look over is not for others and though it shouldn't be this way, it is," Dr. Kim says drearily. "I don't say this to excuse anything Hana has done to you, because she's wrong to do so. I just want you to see it in a different way than you may have before."

Athena doesn't respond. She never thought to even factored that in as a variable for Hana and her actions. It feels odd but Athena doesn't dismiss it.

Their session ends and Athena leaves with much on her mind to think about.

a/n (updated)

HAPPY NEW YEAR LOVELIES!! we've made our way into another new year and i wish you all the best this 2022.

hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!!

also, i was thinking of making character aesthetics for the rest of the characters in this story (like her friends, hyunjin, etc). what do y'all think? lol I don't even think I have time.

anyways, i want to thank you all again for reading and loving this story. i'll say everyday, but i mean it! i truly appreciate all your comments, upvotes and reads! you guys are the best <3

~tallproud