The First Steps (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 1 of the Hardships Saga)

Chapter Five

❝confused (pronounced kənˈfjuːzd or kuh n-fyoozd)
(of a person) unable to think clearly; bewildered
eg. She was confused about how she felt about him.❞

It had been almost two weeks since the day at the bridge. Hunter was downright furious with Lilly for not telling him what Colin had meant, and he hadn't talked to her since. Finally, Lilly snapped at him. She was done trying to apologise. "Will you stop acting all wounded and just look at me?!" said Lilly angrily.

"Why? Is there something else you've been keeping from me?" asked Hunter stiffly.

"I said stop acting wounded."

Hunter looked at her. "How am I meant to not be wounded, Ana? You lied to me."

"What, and you've never lied to me?"

He stayed silent.

"Exactly, so shut the hell up and listen to me. I've said I'm sorry so many times. What more do you want from me?"

"I want you to tell me the truth. How long have you known?"

"About three years now, when we were thirteen. Is this twenty questions?"

"It could be less, depending on how willing you are to answer me truthfully. So it probably will be twenty. Probably even more."

"Oh, you think you're funny. Well, do you see me laughing?"

"I wasn't being funny, I was being honest. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"Will you two quit it?!"

Hunter and Lilly looked around to see Lexi, George and Parker staring at them. They were sitting together at lunch, like they always did, but the three were fed up with the other two bickering.

Both looked down, muttering "sorry," but George just shook his head.

"Honestly, I understand that you're pissed at each other, but this is just ridiculous! We don't even know what you two are arguing about!"

"You don't need to know what we're arguing about!"

"I reckon that you two need to talk. Alone." Lexi, who hardly ever spoke up, looked at the two.

"You know what? Thank you, guys. You're right."

"Just come back when you're done fighting, okay?" said Parker, sounding annoyed.

"Sorry," said Hunter again, before he and Lilly walked out of the lunch room and into an empty classroom.

Hunter sighed. "I'm just hurt you kept this from me, petal. I'm sorry."

"What was I meant to say? 'Oh, Hunt, I'm marrying someone against my will.' I mean, since when did you care?"

"Since I met you, Lilly."

"Hunter, look. We're best friends. We're gonna fall in love with each other, okay? It's destiny, it's fate, call it whatever the heck you want. We are going to fall in love."

Hunter's heart swelled with happiness. "Really?" he asked with a little too much enthusiasm.

"Yeah, but not right now," she said, popping Hunter's sudden happiness and letting it deflate.

"Oh."

"Except you're moving away... oh my God. You're moving away the day after tomorrow."

"Yeah," he said. "Graduation is tomorrow."

Lilly stopped over-thinking things and took the time to just observe Hunter. His skinny arms and legs were all gangly thanks to his recent growth spurt (which hadn't lasted very long). His blonde hair was slightly wavy, and he had a fringe. He had lost his contact lenses for the fiftieth time, so he was wearing his glasses, which Lilly had to admit, made him look pretty cute. She had always been a sucker for glasses.