Finding You

Chapter 11 - Close Enough to Touch

When this week started, I thought I knew exactly what to expect from it.

I mean, sure, I wasn't ready to see Sean yet, but I figured the worst of it would be that first day, and then things would pretty much go back to normal.

Believe me when I say, this week has been anything but normal.

I mean, don't get me wrong. I still go from class to class, practice to practice, just like I always do. Except now, there's this one thing that's kind of putting a huge dent in my normal routine.

Hunter Scott.

If I thought he was going to stop hanging around me after that first day, boy, was I wrong.

I have no idea why, but despite all the people wanting his attention, all the people trying to drag him into their cliques, I'm still the only one he seems to want to hang out with, and I have no idea why.

Every day when I walk into school, I expect that to be the day: the day Hunter finally comes to his senses, realizes that I'm only holding him back, and moves on to bigger and better things.

But it hasn't happened yet.

Consistency is something I've learned not to expect from the people in my life, especially from the guys. Sure, Zack and Jay try, but they definitely have their flaky moments. And Sean... Sean cancelled on me so many times, I was more surprised when our plans actually worked out than when they didn't.

But Hunter has been like clockwork. Every day, when I walk into school, he's at my locker waiting for me so we can walk to class together. It would almost be annoying if I didn't like talking to him so much.

I'm honestly surprised at how much I like talking to him.

Despite how open and easygoing he seemed at first, I've come to learn that Hunter can actually be kind of closed off.

There are people that are good at making the people around them feel like they're close to them without actually being close to them. They're good at making people think they know them without ever really revealing anything about themselves.

Hunter is one of those people.

He's really good at it too. I might not have noticed at all if I weren't so good at it myself.

So, mostly we talk about inconsequential things like school work and track practice, but in between, there are glimpses. Glimpses of who he is, glimpses of who I am, glimpses of something real. It's like a game almost. Trying to read between the lines of the things he says and does to see what's behind it.

On Wednesday, I learned that he's been playing basketball since he was six. His uncle took him to an NBA game when he was little, and ever since then, he's been obsessed. When he talks about it, I can see how much the game means to him. His eyes light up, and I find myself listening with every part of me.

On Thursday, I learned that he's actually pretty mature, a rare quality in a teenage boy. At practice, I was having problems with clearing the bar at high jump, and Hunter offered to help me. Naturally, I was scared that I would embarrass myself in front of him, but when I inevitably hit the bar, he didn't laugh once. He just told me what I was doing wrong and how to fix it.

That shouldn't mean so much, but for someone who struggles with social anxiety like myself, it meant everything. And by the end of practice, I was clearing the height, no problem.

Today, I learned that he's insanely perceptive.

And before you ask, yes, there's been subtle flirtation going on all week, and no, I can't figure out why he's doing it.