Seeing You

Eight

Eight

           "Your sitting with us today,"

           Hunter looked up at me and shook his head. "No, thanks. I'd really rather be alone,"

           I watched him intently and I knew he really doesn't want to be alone. My mind kept telling me to just walk away, but my heart was telling me that he needs me and to not give up on him.

           Deciding to try another attempt to get him to open up, I placed my lunch tray at his table and slid into the seat across from him. "No one wants to be alone. Trust me, I am alone on the weekends when my parents work overtime and it sucks. One time, it was raining and storming and I was home all alone and I was so scared when I kept hearing all sorts of sounds. Turns out it was just the wind because all the windows were open in our house. So stupid, right?"

           Did I seriously just ramble again? Hunter  didn't look bothered though. He was just listening to me like always and with a blank face. I face palmed my self and cursed.

          "I keep rambling,"

           He moved my hand away from my forehead and I slowly looked up at him. "I like when you ramble. Maybe you can keep talking to me and I can listen. Tell me something. Tell me anything. Tell me nothing, I don't care. All I know is I like listening to you," there was no emotion on his face but you could hear it in his voice. He was desperate and he needed me. Maybe he didn't want to admit to it but I knew that I liked that I could talk to him and maybe make him feel better even.

           It wasn't until now that I saw our hands were intertwined. His large hand holding mine and it felt...nice? When he noticed our hands were held, he slowly let go and leaned back in his chair, gulping nervously.

Right now I knew that I wanted to help him and I was willing to do anything I can to let him drop his guard and open up more. My main goal was to get him and Luke talking again. That'll be the first thing that'll help. But how was I going to get them both in a room together? Then it hit me.

*

"How on earth do you expect him to agree to go? Did you forget he punched me less than 48 hours ago?"

"Luke, leave it to me okay? Just stick to the plan. You guys will drive up to my grandparents beach house and I'll follow you guys once I've convinced Hunter to come with me. Then when we get there, he'll see that your there and I'll force you both into a room and you will have to talk."

Luke shook his head. "Nope, nope, no way. No! I wanna live thank you very much. Locking me in a room with Hunter could be very dangerous. For me," he added quietly avoiding eye contact.

          I pinched the bridge of my nose and fell back onto my bed with a sigh. "For the hundredth time, I can assure you he won't. You guys have to talk so there's no more excuses or trying to avoid it."

           "I agree with her," Matt spoke up, earning Luke to glance towards him. 

           "Who's side are you on, dude?"

            "Hers," Matt said simply and I smiled victoriously. Luke sighed and ran his hands through his hair, pacing back and forth in my bedroom.

My bedroom door flew open and in sauntered Florence in shorts and a off shoulder tee. "Who's ready for a weekend of fun?"

"Not me," Luke mumbled I enthusiastically earning me to groan and roll my eyes.

"It's gonna be fine!"

"Oh it better be," he said.

An hour later and all four of them were in Kaiden's car after they had gotten all their bags packed and then they drove off out of my street. I sighed feeling nervous as I began walking over towards Hunter's house, suddenly questioning how things were going to pan out.

The first scenario would be that he would question why I was even here at his house and that talking to me was a mistake to begin with.

Or the second scenario would be that he would agree and by tonight, we'd be at my grandparents beach house after Luke and he had spoken and all is sorted out between them and we could all enjoy a great weekend.

I hoped for the second option of course. But who knew what I was going to get.

By now I had reached his front door and I took a deep breath in and mustered up the courage I had and rang the door bell. My chest was rising and falling heavily and I didn't know why. What was the worse thing that could happen? He says no?

            A few seconds passed before the big brown door of their two storey home creaked open slowly. A woman emerged from the dark room and into the sunlight, finally allowing me to see her. "Yes?" She spoke after a few seconds of us exchanging confused glances.

            "H-hi," I stuttered. "I'm Julie. I uh, live next door," I pointed to my white double storey house to the right and she followed my finger's direction and glanced towards my house before looking back at me, waiting for me to continue. "I'm a friend of Hunter's. Is he home please?"

            Her expression suddenly changed and her lips curved into a sad smile and her eyes lit up. "Hunter's friend? Oh," she looked so happy but shocked at the sound of him having a friend. "He's been very quiet these past few months and I never seen any of his friends that used to come around, come here anymore,"

           How could all his friends just cut ties with him like that after the accident? Sure he was pushing everyone away but that's normal and to be expected. Thinking about this angered me and I suddenly hated Luke at this moment. But I knew I was overreacting and Luke is definitely going to talk to Hunter and make things better. Hopefully.

           "I'm sorry to hear that." I said. "Maybe Hunter just needed some time alone to grief. I can't begin to imagine what he must be going through,"

          The woman nodded her head sadly with a distant look in her eyes. "I'm Hunter's aunt by the way. And he's not here at the moment, but I can tell him you stopped by?" She asked.

I nodded my head with a smile. "That'll be great. Thank you."

She returned the smile before walking back into her house and shutting the door right behind her. As I walked back to my house, I suddenly remembered that I never got Hunter's number. He only got mine so I couldn't text him. I was going to have to wait until he got back home and hope his aunt would tell him I came around to his house.