First Love

Thirty Eight

Unnatural

She made her way out of the high school gates and crossed the pavement making her way to her house.

She was about half way there when someone grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"What is your problem?!"

"Excuse me?!"

"You heard me. What the hell is your problem?!" He said again.

"I don't have a problem."

"Oh really? Cause then what's with the running out of my house one Sunday morning and never talking to me again?"

"I-"

"What's with the ignoring me, and the dodging my calls, and the just being overalls exasperating!"

"Hey! I didn't-"

"And what," he almost yelled sounding on the point of insanity, "what is with that jock senior following you around like a lost puppy?!"

She was taken back for a second. Jayden?

"Jayden?" She voiced out loud, "Is that what this is about? Jayden?"

"No, Hunter; it's not about that lost puppy senior, this is about you screwing with my head. Did you ever even like me?"

"Of course I did!"

"Really? Cause you seemed to have moved on rather quickly."

She shook her head in disbelief.

"Just tell me Hunter, just tell me. How hard is it to be freaking honest with me."

She didn't say anything, just stared.

"Tell me! What is your freaking problem?!"

"My problem? My problem?! You're the problem! You!" She yelled venomously.

"You're my problem. You and you're always being around and saying things. And sometimes they were good things. And other times they weren't.

You with your kissing me and distracting me and pulling me back into your arms.

You and your stupid new blonde girlfriend! A new girlfriend that you have because you couldn't be bothered to fight for me!"

"I couldn't be bothered to fight for you?! Me?! You're the one that walked out, that walked away! Not me!"

"Yeah, well you didn't go after me!"

"How was I supposed to know?!" He yelled at her, "How am I ever supposed to know what you're thinking when you never tell me anything."

"What am I supposed to tell you?!"

"Oh I don't know." He pulled his hair in frustration, "Your parents. Your mom. Your dad. Where are they? What about why everyone at school hates you? What about how you became you?!"

"How I became me?!" She spat out disgusted with him.

"Yeah. You know, cold, distant, cut off from the world. Unnatural."

"Unnatural?" She scoffed. "Look, I don't have to tell you anything I don't want to. And not everyone at school hates me!" She denied.

"Oh yeah?" He yelled at her.

"Yeah!" She yelled back. "Jayden doesn't hate me!"

"Only because you're whoring yourself out to him!"

She immediately felt tears swell in her eyes. How could he say something like that.
Something so hurtful.

"How dare you! You don't get to call me a whore. You broke me! You! And what I do with my time now is none of your business!" She spat out. "And I'm not whoring myself out! I like Jayden! And he likes me!"

"Oh I'm sure he does." She heard him mutter  sarcastically under his breath.

"You jackass!"

"Fine I'm a jackass. But you're a whore."

"No, Liam. You're a jackass, and I'm an idiot for believing you could be different."

She stomped away from him, barely containing the tears trying to escape her eyes.

She stopped walking.

She couldn't breathe.

Air. She needed air. And help. Serious help.

She pulled a ratty napkin out from the pocket of her jumper and dialled the number on her phone, both her hands shaking.

"Hello?" The person on the other end spoke. "Who is this?"

Hunter took deep breaths trying to calm her breathing before speaking.

"Hey." She whispered. "Can we talk or something."