Looks That Kill [on hold]

10. Seeing Red

HUNTER CADWELL stared at his reflection in his bathroom mirror, spitting out the mouthwash he had swished around his mouth. He watched the blue liquid disappear down the drain and looked back up at himself.

He could only feel one emotion: hatred. He wasn't quite sure if it was towards anyone but deep down he knew it was towards himself. He aggressively punched the sink then yelped, the only damage being done was to his hand. 

"Fuck," He muttered.

Hunter couldn't put together a coherent thought after last night. The mission his friends had gone on had uncovered more than he would have wanted to know. His dead girlfriend was pregnant and it wasn't his baby. However, he also felt confused.

Did he clearly remember the events of that night? For some reason, the fact that she was pregnant came as a shock but he felt like he had almost heard it before. He replayed the last conversation he had with her in the woods but every time the conversation ended, it would start again. The only thing was that each conversation that replayed in his mind was different. What was the truth? How did he not remember clearly?

He watched as the blood from his fists dripped into the sink, mixing with the leftover blue, creating an ugly purple. He rinsed his new injury and opened the cabinet under the sink, wrapping his fist with a bandage dressing. Injuries weren't uncommon in the Cadwell household.

The boy exited his bathroom and walked through the narrow hallway to his room where he pulled on his favorite dark green shirt, covering his chiseled chest girls fawned over. He then pulled over his football varsity letterman jacket and tied the shoelaces to his Vans.

"Mom, I'm going out!" Hunter yelled as he walked to the front door located next to the kitchen.

Before his mom could answer he was already out of the house and opening the door to Julien's black Porsche.

"Hey man," Julien said greeting his best friend with a grin.

"You really didn't have to pick me up," Hunter told him, "I could have taken the truck."

"Nah man, it's fine. Plus I figured we have a bit of catching up to do," Julien told him as he started driving towards Sadie's cabin. 

The early Sunday sun hit Hunter's eyes and he groaned looking away. His best friend laughed at him and he thought about the early morning he had yesterday getting ready for the funeral and the late-night he had driving to Sadie's and then back home after learning about the autopsy results. 

"What's with the grin? I've never seen you in such a joyful mood so early before," Hunter asked Julien, trying to avoid the elephant in the room.

"Ah, its nothing. Becks just made me some coffee before I left so I guess I'm just more alert," Julien said rolling his eyes.

Hunter raised his eyebrows suggestively, "Rebekah huh?"

"No man, not like that," Julien said dismissively but the smile on his face never disappeared, "I just stayed the night at her place. She was in pretty bad shape so I stayed to comfort her."

"How is she?" Hunter asked. Rebekah looked almost as destroyed last night as he felt he looked when he caught a glimpse of her between all the cries. 

"She's better. I was going to try to sneak out because she was still sleeping but Sadie's text woke her up so she ended up making me coffee and went to get ready to meet us there. The real question is how are you?" Julien said putting an emphasis on the 'you.'

"I don't know." He said. He didn't lie. He really didn't know.

Julien nodded and accepted his answer and changed to the topic about their football coach making them have practice later this Sunday morning. Hunter was grateful for Julien, he had been his first best friend since preschool and he knew Julien was just trying to take his mind off Scarlett.