Athena

Chapter One

I came to the conclusion that I was surrounded by people who would never understand me by the time I turned twelve. My parents (who are on high alert every time I enter the room), my brother (who understands me on some level, but not completely), my educators (I'll call them that even though they taught me what I'd already learned by myself), and the range of scientists and shrinks that tried to pick and probe my brain since I spat out my first words.

Yes, it's true. I didn't spit out the usual 'mama' or 'dada' at eleven months. On the contrary, the first words that came out of my mouth formulated a complete sentence, a complaint to be specific. My anxious parents surrounded me, desperately trying to get my first word out. And it did, except it was multiple words, causing my parents to stand in shock for a good ten minutes before my mother fainted and took the baby food down with her. And if you're wondering what happened after that, well, let's just say our dog was satisfied with his evening meal while we took a trip to the emergency room.

My first sentence was completely comprehendible, of course. I had already grown twelve teeth by then, 'a remarkable scientific phenomenon,' a few newspapers called it. My parents first noticed the abnormality in my teeth when they started growing at three months. Being the overly paranoid and concerned parents back then, they took me to see a dentist, who fully took advantage of them and spat out complete bullshit about how I was going to have teeth growing out of my ears by the time I was ten if I wasn't taken in immediately for surgery.

My parents might've been paranoid, but they weren't stupid.

The news of my existence, however, spread around, and before my parents knew it, a line of news reporters and scientists were camping on our lawn. Long story short, my parents eventually gave into the whining of everyone else and let me become the world's newest guinea pig.

"I see," said Dr. Stanton, after I had taken the first fourteen minutes of our meeting to explain to her what I've explained to every other psychiatrist I've seen over the past six years, and this was the typical response. "And so? Do you plan on doing something about it? Your file says that you turn eighteen next month."

Her question had taken me by surprise, and I'd almost dropped the snow globe of hers that was in my hands. But of course, I'd managed to keep my calm and cool exterior. "I'm runnin' and gunnin', doc."

"Do you have the means of supporting yourself?" Dr. Stanton asked. She was carefully watching me as I replaced the snow globe back in its rightful place and plopped myself back down in the armchair in front of her, resting my legs on the corner of her desk.

"I get paid fifty grand every time I step foot in a scientific institution," I told her. "I think I've got the means to support myself."

"And your family?"

I gave Dr. Stanton a stare. It was quiet for a few minutes, as neither one of us spoke at all. "Do you really think they'll be disappointed if the world finally leaves them alone?"

Dr. Stanton just stared back at me. "Why are you here, Athena?"

I gave her a forced smile and a scripted line. "The parentals believe that I have or will go insane from all this invasion of privacy."

"And what do you think about that?" Dr. Stanton asked.

"Does my opinion matter?" My dead eyes stared at the face behind the glasses.

"I suppose in your world, it doesn't," Dr. Stanton agreed. "But you're in my office, and you leave your world at the door. Your everything matters here."

"Then, if you're asking for my opinion, I believe that you should take those fake glasses off. They aren't doing you much justice if you ask me. It looks like you're quite annoyed at the marks they leave behind."