Hayden & Hunter©

THREE

I bite my nail nervously as I walk into my form class.

There's still a few minutes until the bell goes, so I immediately rush over to Lia as I spot her sitting on her desk, staring down furiously at her phone.

"Hey," I greet casually, sitting on the desk beside her.

"This damn thing keeps freezing. I swear to God if my mum doesn't buy me a new phone soon, I'll kill someone!"

"Whoa, Lia. You PMSing again?" I joke.

She finally looks up from her phone, peering up at me through her lashes. Her blood red lips curl downwards and her eyebrows furrow inwards as she glares harshly at me.

I quickly sober up, noting that she's actually on her period.

"Lia..." I trail off. This is the moment I've been dreading. But she's my best friend and has been for the past three and a half years. She deserves to know. "I have something to tell you."

Instantly, she senses that whatever I'm about to tell her isn't pleasing and slips her phone into her pocket, looking at me expectantly.

I sigh inwardly and then proceed to tell her all the events that took place yesterday— from me bolting out of class and going to my mum's grave, to me kissing Hunter. Or Hunter kissing me. Whatever.

"Wow," Is all she says, her mouth agape and her eyes wide in shock.

I raise my eyebrows, waiting for her to elaborate.

"Do you like him?"

Her question catches me off guard and I think about it for a minute or two before coming up with a conclusion.

"I don't know."

And that's the truth. Because in all honesty, I don't know. Yes, we've been in the same school for over two years, but other than a snarky remark or petty insult here and there, we've never actually spoken properly.

But the kiss yesterday... it was really really good. The way his lips felt against his mine. The way his body molded against me. The butterflies that buzzed around in my stomach at his touch. It's like my skin was on fire. He made me feel... good.

"It's okay if you like him Hayden," Lia says softly, snapping me out of my thoughts as she places her hand gently on my arm in a comforting manner.

I give her a weak smile. "It can never be. I'm a slut. I sleep around and hook up with random guys whenever. So does he."

She looks at my sympathetically.

A wave of reality rushes over me and I quickly pull my lips upwards showing off my pearly whites, and do the one thing I'm actually good at besides ruining myself.

I fake a smile and say I'm fine.

*~*

As I'm munching on a packet of ready salted crisps, I decide I've had enough.

All day, all throughout my lessons, all I've been thinking about is Hunter. Hunter this, Hunter that.

I lie to Lia and tell her I'm going to the toilet but go to the deserted garden at the back of the school, instead.

Immediately, I spot Hunter, sitting underneath a huge oak tree, staring at the ground as if he's hypnotized.

Come on, Hayden. You can do this, I tell myself.

Exhaling deeply, I make my way over to him and plop down beside him as silently and gracefully as I can.

"Hunter?" I say hesitantly, testing the waters.

"Yeah?"

"About the kiss..." I trail off, pausing to take a glance at him. His expression is blank and emotionless. "It was a mistake. We're both players and we sleep around with people. I get it. I just want you to know that I know it was a mistake, so you don't have to worry about me being upset when you sleep with someone else."

For a moment, Hunter's jaw hardens, his features soften, his eyes glaze over and his mouth and eyebrows quirk downwards. For a moment, he looks like he's hurt about what I've said, but I know it's only my imagination.

He clears his throat and looks straight into my eyes. "It's cool."

Giving him one last smile —that probably turned out like a grimace— I get up and walk away.

As I'm on my way back into the canteen, I still can't get my mind off Hunter.

There's an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I have a desire to go back, jump Hunter, and kiss him senseless.

I know what it is, I think. I need to get laid.