Hunter

Chapter 5

-Mae-

   The party was more crowded than I expected it to be, the two-story house overflowing as people grinded on each other outside despite the cold. Plastic red cups are held on tightly, though the liquid contained in it--alcohol, I figure--spills out of it to coat the drinker's hand.

   Serenity snickers and hooks her arm around mine, pulling me inside with her. I'll never understand how she can stand even ten minutes in parties like these. Her personality is so sweet, I can't wrap my head around any of this. College frat-boy bashes that supported underaged drinking and dry sex in every bombarded room with loud music blasting would be the last thing I would expect her to enjoy.

   We push past the crowd of people, shuffling our way into the kitchen. She hands me the famous red cup with only a few cubes of ice in it. Spotting a bowl of red liquid, I grab the ladle in attempt to fill up the cup.

   "Wait!" Serenity yells, placing her hand on top of the cup to cover it. "Don't drink the punch."

   "Why?" I ask, looking at her with confusion written on my face.

   "It's spiked." She giggles.

   "Oh," I sigh, dropping the ladle and moving my cup away. "Thanks." I decide on filtered water that the refrigerator had to offer instead. I don't drink, only because I've never had a lick of alcohol in my whole life.

   "No problem. I know you, Mae." She smiles and grabs the ladle. I smile back and take a drink out of my water.

   The music shakes the house and my ear starts ringing. I feel so out of place here, watching as girls with miniskirts and croptops stumble their way into the kitchen to refill their cups. I find myself in an invisible pool of envy for both their bodies and levels of confidence. I wonder if Hunter likes girls like them.

   Hunter. I feel my blood spike, leaving the kitchen to search for the person I had hoped to see. My eyes scan every inch of every room, desperately looking for the brown-haired boy my heart has been beating so much for.

   Once I spot him, I can't stop the smile from spreading across my face.

   He was sitting on one of the couches, whispering to another guy next to him with hazel eyes and a chiseled jaw. He had curly brown hair that fanned over the top of his forehead. His smile grows as the both of them laugh and his white, straight teeth peek through.

   I can't stop myself from walking over to them and before I know it, I'm tapping on Hunter's shoulder. "Hey." I simply say and Hunter's eyes pry away from the figure next to him as he throws me a smile.

   "Hey." He breathes out and my smile grows. "What time did you get here? I couldn't find you a few minutes ago."

   "Serenity and I just got here." I say and he nods. He turns to the guy next to him only for a second before looking back up at me.

   "Uh, Jaime this is Mae. Mae, this is Jaime." His awkward introduction makes me giggle. Turning to Jaime, I hold out my hand.

   "It's nice to meet you, Jaime." I give him a smile and he smiles back. His hand wraps around mine and he gently shakes it.

   "It's nice to meet you too, Mae." He lets out a breath and gently pulls his hand away. "I finally get to meet the girl Hunter has been talking nonstop about." Blood flows through my cheeks and I see Hunter stiffen, throwing Jaime a small glare. He ignores it and continues. "He wasn't lying when he said you were really fucking pret-"