Piece By Piece.

Chapter One : A Mess Of A Dreamer

October 14, 2003

Hunter's P.O.V

"Just twenty-six more minutes," I say to myself. I stare at the clock in the corner of the classroom, praying for time to go faster, but also slower. In twenty-six more minutes, I'd be leaving but also I'd be all by myself in the hallways with no teachers around. With that thought, I become nauseous and feel like disappearing. "Think about the positives, just think about about the positives," I whisper quietly to myself. Okay, one, I can go home and write about this, two, I have a gig tonight, three, I don't have a lot of homework, four, mom's making her special gumbo tonight. I don't get past thought four but it's fine, the positives outweigh the negatives. I look up at the clock again with only fourteen minutes remaining. To ease my mind, I take out my blue composition book and start drawing in it. Drawing never fails to calm me down. I draw my dream tour bus and along with a design I have for a home made recording studio. Whenever I daydream about the future, I feel okay. I have hope that everything is all planned out and everything I do is getting me closer to where I'm supposed to be. My thoughts are interrupted by the last bell. I shove everything in my backpack and bolt for the door. I manage to make it to my locker without any run-ins with my very own torture patrol. I put in my locker combination, 11-41-17, and put all of my binders, folders, and notebooks in my locker. I grab my lunchbox and my coat and head for the double doors. I hear laughter coming from behind me and I know my day isn't done yet. I feel something tugging on my backpack handle, lightly, then so hard that it knocks me down to the floor. I hear laughter behind me as I attempt to hide my red face and teary eyes. I look up to see Jake Borman, the chief captain of the torture patrol staring at me. "Aww, is the wittle baby crying?" Jake says. I wipe my cheek with the back of my hand, ashamed that my eyes and sensitivity has failed me once again. I don't answer and I try to get myself off the ground. I feel more eyes burn into me and they more I feel their eyes, the more I feel like fading away. "The hell do you think you're doing? Did I say you could get up off the ground? I don't think I did. You get up when I let you get up. I went through all that work dragging your fat ass down, so you're gonna stay down. And quit crying like a little bitch." I stop trying to get myself off of the ground and quietly nod, trying not to draw any more attention to myself than I already am. And try not to let it look like he hurt my feelings, when in reality, every time he laughs or picks on me, he takes a little piece of me with him. "Where you going Hunter? Off with your boyfriend? Off to go play you accordion? Off to go cry to your mommy?" I hear a roar of laughter as Jake spits out his last word. I shake my head no, avoiding eye contact with him. "Then where are you going?" "H-h-home-e" I stuttered. "Why are you in a rush, then? It's not like your parents want you there." I feel embarrassed for not having a better reply and respond with a small shrug. "So wait, Hunter, do you even have any friends?" He makes me feel small. "No, not really." I keep my head down and try to block out the laughter. My arm is sore and I really hurt my leg when I fell. "You're such a loser. You know that right? You know how worthless you are, right? You know that your trash and that no one loves you, right?" I feel my chest grow tight and my eyes watery and shake my head yes. He along with the other members of the torture patrol laugh. "Well, guess I better go put the trash where it belongs." He smiles down at me and grabs me by the waist. I attempt to get out of his hold, but his fist against my stomach reminds me that I'm powerless in this situation. I hear kids laughing at me and taking out there phones so they can record me. Then, Jake takes me and tosses me into the trash. I don't what to do. I don't know if I stand up or just lay down until the crowd goes away. Tears stain my red cheeks as I hear the laughter. "Are you crying?" I hear from somewhere in the crowd. "You can't take a damn joke? You're pathetic, Hunter. You're such a baby." I hide my humiliation when all of a sudden I hear a voice. I recognize the sweet sound almost immediately. "Jake, what the hell is wrong with you?!" It's Kylie. Also my crush. Also Jake's popular cheerleader girlfriend. "Nothing! God Kylie, what're you? His mommy?" Jake replies. I don't know why she dates him. He treats her horribly. "No, I just think it's cruel to pick on someone who's weaker than you." He laughs along with the other students. "Kylie, who cares?" He spits at her. Then, Jake pokes his head in the trash and says to me in mocking baby voice, "Aww, Hunter, is that your mommy? You're gonna tell on me, right baby? But don't worry, mommy will protect you. She'll cuddle you and tell you that you're handsome, she'll feed you and play with you and dress you and change your wittle diapers. Right Hunter?" Again, I don't answer. "Oh, shut up Jake. C'mon Hunter. I'll walk you home." Jake turns red and says to me, "Hunter, you and I both know that I was just messing around, right? I didn't meant anything by it. Just joking with my good pal." I nod. I don't wanna disagree with him. Lord only knows what would happen if I made that decision. Kylie walks over to me and whispers quietly for my ears only, "Don't listen to him. He doesn't know the real you. Unlucky him." She gives me her hand and helps me out. She guides me through a crowd of laughing students with the phones in the air, recording my humiliation. No one follows me, thank God. I'm in a daze. I'm in shock of what just happened. And what's happening right now. Kylie has always been one of the only people nice to me. Whenever she sees me getting picked on, she defends me. And she's defended me a lot. Since I was six. My house is only two minutes walking away from the school, so I won't get to talk with her for long. When we get outside, Kylie pulls me in for a hug. She hugs me tight, and I don't wanna let go. "You okay buddy?", her sweet voice says to me. "Yeah, I'm all right." I answer back shyly. She lets go, and we start heading to my house. "Hunter, why do you let them treat you like that, you deserve to be treated so much better than that, you know. You're a great guy, and it's horrible that they pick on you like that." I wanna answer "The same reason you take Jake's abuse," but I decide to hold my tongue since I don't feel that we're close enough to do that yet. I respond, "If I fight back, nothing will change. Minds well just try to ignore it." Kylie frowns. I frown too, since we're at my house and our short walk is over. "Thanks for walking me home. And helping me out today. I really appreciate it." Kylie smiles her beautiful smile. "No problem. Let me know if you need anything." I blush. "Will do." She turns around to leave. And I watch her walk down my driveway to her house. "By the way, I love you," I say quietly, but she doesn't hear a thing.