Hunter
“What the fuck did you do?” I snap at Rose. She looks down at the floor. She told her friend Jake about our animal DNA and fighting Nick, Joe and Matt and our entire plan. She and Jake came into Le Café and announced it to all of us. “I can’t believe you did that!” I yell. “Calm down!” B.B yells coming out from behind the Employee’s Only door. “Someone was bound to find out eventually. There’s nothing we can do now.” B.B says softly. I take a breath and nod still angry. “It’s not her fault. Joe was gonna shoot her. She had to do something.” Jake explains. “Yeah. Give her a break.” Krys insists. I sigh and nod, wishing she had at least given us some warning before she went and told Jake. Part of me is jealous. She gets to tell someone about our secret group and I don’t. I’ve been longing to tell Steve or Katy about my tiger powers but I know I can’t. I’ve been avoiding Steve since the day we went to buy the curly fries.
I decide on Monday I’m going to talk to Steve again. Slowly explain to him my secrets. I see him in the hallway talking to someone shorter. I look at him trying to see who he’s talking to. He shifts his weight to his left foot and I see who he’s talking to. He’s talking to Joe. I feel heat rush to my cheeks. What is Joe doing talking to Steve? When Joe leaves I run up to Steve. “Hey Steve,” I begin cheerfully. “Oh . . . hey Hunter.” He mumbles. I look at the ground. Did he see my transform into a tiger the day we went to get the curly fries? Does he think I’m weird? “So what were you talking to Joe about?” I ask casually. “Nothing much. Just the Yankee game last night.” I feel my heart drop to my feet. I’m not a huge Yankee fan but Steve and I would always watch the games and chat about them the next day. “Oh . . . you usually talk to me about the game.” I say quietly. I sound so pathetic and needy right now. Am I being replaced with my worst enemy? “Hunter, Joe says you’ve been a complete asshole to him and I believe him too,” Steve begins. “Wait! Me mean to him?” I ask shocked. Steve didn’t even bother to hear my side of the story. “Yeah. You’ve been acting shitty to me too you know. Are you too good for me now that you’ve got your stupid little job?” Steve’s words hurt. I look down at the ground and walk away.
At Le Café I don’t wrestle Krys and Jenny like I usually do. I just sit and think about what Steve said. I feel like crap for making him think I was better than him. I sit and wonder if he’d even believe him if I told him my secret. Maybe he’ll just think I’m lying and hate me even more. I’m also worried about him. What if Joe wants to hurt him because he’s my friend? Part of me hopes that he just wants to be Steve’s friend and that’s all. But what would a person in 10th grade want with a twelve year old? I sit in a neon orange chair and look out the window. We have a few customers. There are some kids from school. I keep hoping Katy will come one day. There are also a group of old ladies talking loudly and taking forever to leave. I wonder what sort of friendship problems they faced in middle school. Did they fight over whose record player was better? I sigh and look at my reflection in the table. My phone vibrates in my pocket. I pick it up. “Hello?” I ask. “Hunter? I need your help! Joe’s attacking me. He has a gun! I’m at the school’s parking lot.” Steve’s voice whispers. Before I can even respond the line goes dead. “Shit.” I mutter running out the doors.
I run to the school parking lot. There are few shiny cars that glisten n the sunlight. But I don’t see Steve or Joe. “Hunter?” a voice asks. Steve leaps out from between two cars parked next to each other. He runs over to me and gives me a hug. “I’m sorry.” He whispers. Surprised by the sudden heartfelt apology, I slowly hug him back. “No I’m sorry. I’ve treated you like shit since I got my job.” I insist. I open my mouth to explain to him about my tiger DNA when I see a portal open up and Joe walks out. “How cute.” He taunts. Steve quickly lets go of me and sidesteps away. “What do you want?” I demand angrily. Joe looks smug. He knows I don’t really want to transform and shock Steve. He pulls out his gun. I look at Steve. He looks pale and scared. I mutter the word sorry under my breath and raise my orange gem.
Steve gawks at me like I’ve turned to gold. “Wow! What happened?” he asks. I smile at him. He doesn’t think I’m a freak. “I’ll tell you later. But for now, look at this.” I say holding out my hand. I shoot Joe with my orange beam. He falls over but quickly leaps up. Steve’s eyes widen. Joe points his gun at me and shoots. He only hits my side but I fall over in pain. “Hunter!” Steve shrieks terrified. “I’m . . . okay. I’ve been shot way worse than this.” I wheeze. I’m lying. Steve glares at Joe. “Okay dick! We’ve had enough of you!” he yells angrily. I sit astonished by how quickly he got over the shock of me being a tiger and Joe glowing red. Joe shoots at Steve and misses by a lot. “Ha! That the best you got?” Steve runs at Joe and punches his stomach. Joe falls over. Steve kicks his head until Joe just teleports away. Steve turns back to me and helps me up. “You okay?” he asks nervously. “Walk me back to Le Café. They have medicine there.” I explain. “And me and my friends will explain all this to you.”
