Red and Silver

Chapter Nine - Windows To My Soul

"Please, whatever you do Hunter, don't do something stupid." I pleaded to him.

"That all depends on Alex here." He replied.

They had both moved closer now, their bodies fizzing with adrenaline and trembling with anticipation. The tension between the two was as thick as mud and yet somehow entrapping.

"Can't take a joke Alex? What's wrong with having a little fun?" Hunter taunted.

Alex's muscles were taut, coiled and ready to spring. Every part of his body had been consumed by this predatory stillness, aside from the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. He still hadn't spoke, as if some part of him was barely restraining the urge to punch him. It was like every part of his sanity was focused on not beating the shit out of Hunter, rendering him mute.

"What is it Alex? Cat got your tongue?"

The hallways were empty, silence filled the hallways aside from the sound of Alex's breathing huffing out and in like a man deprived of oxygen.

"Hunter," I whispered tensely, "What happened? What did you do?"

"What makes you think-"

"Don't lie to me again Hunter. What. Happened?!"

Alex's eyes were closed now, something that should of comforted me. But it didn't. He looked like he was about to snap.

"How exactly did you retaliate?"

His posture changed, his shoulders sagging and he lazily put his hands in his pockets. Arrogantly, slowly, he began to explain.

"When we came back to see our premises being broken into, I decided to get my own back."

"Your little friends," he was now directly speaking to Alex. "Had specifically broken into Quinn's room. Destroyed her stuff, damaged things that were given to her by her parents, who, thanks to you and your buddy Sam, hate her by the way. You targeted Quinn because you knew it would get to me. So why not return the favour?"

Alex's hands were clenched at his sides.

"Josh is Alex's brother. He gets lost real easy. We......distracted him. He was never in any harm, he just was scared and heartbroken and alone. The kind of feelings, except it turns out she was in harms way, that Quinn felt when your buddy Sam abandoned her, and yesterday, when you made her relive the whole thing."

"Hunter, that's fucked up. You don't get to use that as an excuse for what you did." I said, disgusted.

"So now you're siding with him huh?"

"He's not the one who's terrorising kids!"

"I don't know Scarlett." His eyes locked onto Alex, watching for a trigger, or a change. "I reckon our Alex over here might do some scary things behind our backs. Everyone knows his Daddy does it."

Alex started growling, a deep rumble that tore its way up his throat, and out of his bared teeth. His yellow eyes felt menacing and unnatural.

"Hunter, enough. Cool off!"

"Does your Dad hit you Alex? Does he hit your si-"

Hunter didn't even get time to finish his sentence. His goading and tormenting had finally gotten what he wanted. A fight.

Alex had punched him in the mouth before I could even move an inch. The next punch was from Hunter, aimed at Alex's jaw. Alex blocked Hunters punch, and dodged the knee to the ribs.

He had gotten Hunter on the ground and he was just squeezing the life out of him, all the while snarling like a wild animal.

Hunter was grinning all the while, like a demented maniac.