Don't Believe What You See

Chapter Ten

*dedicated to them because they're amazing*

Delilah ran to the tree she loved. It wanted to start losing its leaves, but it wasn't the right time. She sat at the trunk and started reading. She was really liking the book Drake bought her. It was a dystopian love story mystery, just like everything is these days, but with a twist. She didn't even know what that twist was, she just knew it wasn't like any other book she's read. She was over halfway done with it when tears starting falling on the pages. She tried to hold them back, but then put the book down and let them fall freely.

"What do you want me to do?" She screamed. Luckily, nobody was around to hear her scream and cry. She wanted Hunter to be okay, she needed Hunter to be okay, but he refused to talk to her. She wants to help, why can't he see that?

'Okay, Delilah, you need to think about something else, he obviously doesn't want your help' she thought. She got up, dusted off her pants, and walked away. As she was walking she got a call from the last person she would ever expect to call her, Jack.

"You never call me," she said.

"What did you do to Hunter?"

"I've been wondering what's going on with him too so what makes you think-"

"Oh don"t be stupid! I know you did something to him! So why don't you cut the innocent act for five seconds and tell me how you screwed up this time!"

"Okay look, I didn't do anything so why don't you actually figure out what's up with him without accusing me first!"

"Okay, whatever," then Jack hung up. Why did he think she did something to him? She didn't do anything wrong.

***

On Monday, Delilah tried to find Hunter. She was going to find out what was wrong with him, now.

"Hey Delilah," Drake said. She just shrugged him off and kept walking down the hallway. When she saw him he was putting books in his locker wearing a hooded sweatshirt with the hood up. Delilah has never seen Hunter without his Nike T-shirt.

"What's wrong, I'm not leaving this spot until you tell me why you're so upset."

"Delilah-"

"No! Don't tell me to go away because I won't!" He slammed his locker shut and started walking away with his hood still up. Delilah grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back, it didn't do much damage but it got him to stop walking.

"You need to stop pushing me away, I'm trying to help!" Hunter slowly turned around to face her, but still never lifted his head up. He balled his fists at his sides. Then, the bell rang and everybody left the hallway. Everybody except Delilah and Hunter. Hunter tried to walk away but Delilah stepped in his way.

"You're not leaving."

"Delilah, move," he finally said.

"No."

"Delilah-"

"No!"

"Delilah! I will push you out of the way! Don't act like you're tough."

'Who is this kid?" Delilah thought to herself, 'Because it isn't Hunter.'

"You won't hurt me,"

"I will if you don't move!"

"No you won't," Delilah laughed but soon was pushed up against a locker with Hunter squeezing too tight around her elbow. She could feel the locks digging into her back. He was tough, he was even hurting her, but she was determined. She was determined, but she was still surprised. The best friend she knew would never hurt her, now he's doing exactly that. As he pushed her up against the locker with force, his hood fell off. His face was bruised everywhere. He has a black eye and blood around cuts that were getting infected. But even though he had all that, what really made Delilah worry were his eyes. His usual chocolate brown eyes were filled with nothing but fright. He was scared of something. But at the same time, they were filled with hatred.

"Does this make you feel better? Because if it does I will let you punch me in the face, right here, right now. I will tell everybody that I ran into a door, or that I fell on my bike, or-"

"I'm not going to punch you."

"Then hit me, or slam my head into the locker because pushing me up against the locker and cutting off circulation to my arm is obviously helping you," Hunter looked down to where he was still grabbing her elbows. He noticed how close he was to her, and how much she didn't know who this person was. He finally let go and she let out a deep breath while rubbing her arms. Then she stepped closer to him.

"Don't," he warned.

"Hunter, hurt me if it will make you feel better. I don't care about the pain, it will go away, but I need to know you're okay."

"I can't hurt you!"

"Do it!"

"No! I won't."

"Fine, will it make you feel better if I hurt myself?"

"No, it-" he was cut off by Delilah scratching off her skin and letting out a yelp.

"Stop! Are you crazy?" He went up to her and grabbed both her wrists.

"If you won't hurt me and watching pain makes me feel better than I will do it to myself," she tries to wiggle out of his grib but he won't let go.

"Watching you hurt yourself doesn't help me, it hurts me more!"

"What is going on?" They both turn their heads to see Drake standing in the hallway. Delilah could feel Hunter flinch. Then Drake sees the blood on Delilahs' cheek.

"Did you hurt her?"

"No I-" Drake tackles Hunter to the ground and started punching his already beat up face. Delilah pulls Drake off of him and Hunter runs away.

"Hunter wait!"

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"No he didn't hurt me! The only one hurting is you!" She screams.

"I'm sorry," Drake says, but Delilah didn't hear it because she was sprinting after Hunter.

***

Delilah finally caught up with Hunter when he ran into the fort in the forest. She had to lean up against the door to keep from passing out.

"Hunter!" She screamed really breathy because she was still panting. She sat down on the couch and started to relax a little bit. Finally, she got up and started searching for Hunter. It's not like this is a house and there's only one door, so he can't be far. She walked into the bathroom and saw him getting rags, band-aids, and rubbing alcohol.

"Sit," Hunter said not even facing Delilah. She walked over to the toilet and sat down facing him. He put the rag in the bottle of rubbing alcohol and tipped it upside down. He then started dabbing her scratches with it. Delilah sucked in a sharp breath from pain.

"Sorry," he said. He started to clean up the wounds.

"Hunter-"

"Don't talk," Hunter said. Delilah wanted to say, 'You need to be cleaned up more than I do,' but she didn't want to make him mad after what just happen. After he put the band-aids over the cuts and put away everything, he walked out of the fort and walked to the big tree. He just dropped to his knees, flipped up his hood, and rested his back against the tree. Delilah follow him and sat down right next to him.

"You know you're going to have to tell me about why you're all scratched up eventually, right?" He put his arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to him, like he always does.

"I know, just not today," he said keeping his eyes forward.

A/N Hey! Sorry this is longer (maybe it isn't to you. I don't know) but I just... I don't know, needed to write. And some people have been telling me they're confused *cough cough Bella and Nothing* but IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE CONFUSING RIGHT NOW! IT WILL CLEAR UP EVENTUALLY SO CALM DOWN!!

Love you and remember, Newt (from The Maze Runner) and Thomas Sangster (from life) are mine ;)

~ Runner