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"ATHENA PIERCE AND Steve Harrington, please make your way to Principal Coleman's office." The school's receptionist's droning voice crackled over the loud and grainy speaker, the two teenagers frowning as they questionably glanced up at it from their respective seats in their separate classrooms.
Steve thought it was for something Carol and Tommy did, which he automatically assumed he got the blame for, whereas Athena genuinely had no clue why she was suddenly being called into the office. She racked her brain, and all she could think of was the principal possibly asking her to write a speech, or something of that nature.
She wasn't a teacher's pet by no means, although she had consciously made an effort to stay out of trouble at school—more-so for her future, and it had served her well thus far, expectedly so.
Slowly standing up from her chair and avoiding the blank stares she received from her peers as she left the classroom, Athena began to walk towards Principal Coleman's office, Steve reluctantly doing the same from the other classroom he was in.
•
As Athena entered the receptionist's office—which was very neat; there wasn't a single paper out of place and not an eraser burdened with the smears of metallic-grey lead—, her eyes immediately reverted to Steve, who was sitting in one of the chairs against the wall, the boy slowly meeting her gaze with an equally irritated expression.
Athena blew out an exasperated breath as she slightly shook her head in disgust and shifted her gaze, defensively crossing her arms over her chest as she did so.
If Athena was in a genuinely dangerous situation, she could swear her fight or flight response would reflect the same sensation and experience that she was in and feeling at this very moment.
Steve's eyes quickly flickered away from her as she looked away, the boy not wanting to look at her for longer than he should.
"Take a seat, Athena." The meek receptionist spoke up quietly as she gestured to the seat next to Steve.
At the words, Athena glanced between the seat and the woman, shaking her head as she plastered on a polite, tight-lipped smile, and refused the offer. "No thanks."
A moment of awkward silence fell between the three, Athena and Steve looking anywhere but at each other, as the receptionist loudly cleared her throat from her chair, shuffling some papers on her desk to try and mask the sound.
After what felt like several, agonisingly long hours, Principal Coleman eventually opened his office door and looked between Athena and Steve, gesturing to the inside of his office as he spoke and, consequently, caught their attention. "Ah, Athena and Steve, I apologise for the delay. Please, come in."
