I'll Reach For You, page 5
"It’s almost summer vacation." My heart fills with the joy of her words.
"I know, I’m so looking forward to it, and all the partying." We cheer.
"Yeah, I know. The first ones at Matt's house." I nod. Taylor's eyes peer behind me.
"Is that Hunter?" I turn around finding Hunter cornered at her locker by Amy and her friends.
"What's going on?"
"I don't know." Taylor answers. I start walking, but before I could reach Hunter, Amy pushed her into the locker.
"HEY!" I yell, grabbing their attention. Taylor follows me as I step between Amy and Hunter.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Fuck off, Skylar!" Amy yells. I look at Hunter, who looks down at the floor. Then I turn back to Amy.
"What the hell did she do to you, Amy?" I snap. Hunter may be a year older than some of us, but she’s smaller than Amy and me.
"I want her to stay away from Ryan." Her eyes drift to Hunter. I turn my head to the left to see Hunter in my peripheral vision; I don’t want to lose sight of Amy in case she plans to do more harm.
"She can talk to whoever she wants, Amy. Leave her alone," she pushes her blond hair back.
"I guess you're the one who gave her the bruised cheek she had weeks ago?" She has a sly smile on her face. It takes all the power in me not to hit her in the face.
"Get the fuck away, Amy." She has this evil smile on her face and I know this isn’t the end. She’s been a curse since we started high school. She and her friends walk away, and I turn to Hunter.
"I-I didn't talk to him." I know she’s telling the truth. She was uncomfortable when he stood so close to her. The bell rings.
"I really have to go, Skylar," Taylor tells me.
"Yeah, see you later." Then she’s gone.
"You okay?" Hunter’s avoiding my eyes.
"Yeah." She’s lying and that’s why she can't look at me.
"Hunter, what hurts?" I ask strictly.
"Nothing." Her eyes are still staring at the ground. Why does she have to be so goddamn stubborn? I sigh and take her hand.
"Come." I start walking out to the parking lot with her, it’s only last period so I don’t care.
"Where are we going?" She asks.
"Wherever you want." I guide us to my car.
"But we have class." She says.
"I don't care..."
"But your dad..."
"I'll explain if we get into trouble, okay?" I stop in front of her next to the car. She nods uncertainly.
"So, what do you want to do?" She shrugs, I sigh. She’s always so unsure about things, especially herself.
"I know, get into the car." She does as she’s told, and I start driving.
"Where are we going?" She looks curious.
"Home," I answer.
"Okay?" We sit in silence for the rest of the ride. I stop the car in the parking lot next to our house, then turn to look at her with a sly grin.
"What?" She asks a little irritated with flaming red cheeks.
"What do you say to a little football game?" A smile creeps up on her face.
"One against one?" She asks.
"Yep," I answer with confidence. She has a playful smile on her face I’ve never seen before, and it makes me wonder what I’ve gotten myself into.
✽ ✽ ✽
"Come on Skylar," Hunter yells. I fall on the grass, exhausted. Goddammit, this girl is fast and good. She’s leading 5-3 and I can't even stand on my legs anymore. I’m breathing so hard I think my lungs are about to explode and my heart’s going to burst out of my chest. I hear Hunter's footsteps coming closer. The sweat on my forehead is running down my face.
"Skyler, come on." She laughs.
"No-no, I'm literally dying here." I take a deep breath.
"I think you underestimated me." She says and sits down next to me.
"Not really, I knew you were good, but I never thought you’d destroy me like that," I tell her and take a new big breath. She chuckles.
"You should join the team."
"No, I don't want to." She says.
"Why?" My breathing has calmed down. The sun is beaming and it’s so goddamn hot. Before we started playing, we changed into shorts and T-shirts. I swear I’ve never sweat so much before, my shirt’s soaked. I hear Hunter laugh.
"I simply don't want to take your spot."
"Ha-ha," I laugh and throw some grass on her. Dad comes out the porch door.
"Hey, girls, you’re home early." There’s a suspicious tone in his voice. He walks over and stands next to us.
"Um, yeah, we skipped the last hour."
"Why?" He asks. It feels like the air around me has disappeared. I don’t like lying to Dad, but I’m not sure if I should tell him the truth or not. I look at Hunter searching for words or anything to help clear my mind, but she looks as lost as me.
"Um..." but before I could even start my first word, Hunter jumps in.
"I kind of got into a fight today and Skylar helped me."
"A fight?" He looks concerned for her. Then I start to talk.
"No, she didn't fight, someone pushed her against her locker and I jumped in before something worse could happen."
"Okay, do I need to talk to the school about it?"
"No," Hunter said before I could even open my mouth. It wasn’t a surprise she’d say that. If she saw the look in Amy's eyes, she’d have been worried. I haven't told her about it and I’m not sure if I should. I don't want her to be even more afraid of walking around school. I guess I need to keep my eyes on Hunter until summer vacation. It's just a couple of weeks anyway, so I hope it’ll turn out fine.
"Okay. If it happens again, I’m going to do something about it." Hunter and I nod, and he walks back in.
"I was going lie to him," I tell her as she gives me a shy smile.
"You don't need to help me all the time, you know."
"I know," I answer. She takes the ball and throws it at me.
"Ouch. What’s that for?" I ask yelling, she laughs.
"The day you made me fall out of bed."
"Remind me again why you’re sleep in my bed?" I tease, and she smirks. If my cheeks could look any redder than they already are, I’d look like a fucking tomato.
"And who’s the one begging me?" She teases. God, she’s good at this game. I’m glad she’s found her confidence around me, it's fun and sometimes, like now, she makes me feel embarrassed, but it’s so worth it.
"You didn't disagree"
"Well, I didn’t really have a choice. You’re so stubborn." I give her the death glare. She keeps that teasing smile on her face.
"You better run." I turn around to take the ball and run after her. Why are small people always so fast? I throw the ball at her but miss. She stops running and takes the ball with her.
"I suggest you not be a goalkeeper if that thought ever comes to mind." She says laughing. I smile and shake my head.
"You’re unbelievable," I say chuckling and she smirks. I shake my head again and start walking to the door when I feel the ball hit the back of my head.
"Hunter!" I yell and turn around. She sees I’m angry but still burst out in laughter. She points at me and says.
"That’s how you do it." I take a deep, deep breath. But there’s not enough air to calm me down and I start running after her.
"You're so dead, Hunter!"
"Yeah, well to have such long legs you’re very slow." Her teasing makes me laugh. Finally, I reach her and grab her shirt. She falls on her back laughing and looks up at me.
"Your eyes get really dark when you’re angry."
"You're not going to stop, are you?"
"Stop what?" She asks with a huge smile.
"Annoying me," I tell while rolling my eyes, and she laughs.
"You don't look irritated; you look more amused."
"DINNER!" Both of us look towards dad.
"YEAH!" I yell back at him.
"I’ll race you!" I say and start running, but Hunter's hand is on my ankle and I fall. She laughs hysterically.
"I'm sorry." She says, standing up reaching out her hand. I take it and drag her down. She lands on me and chuckles. Placing her hands on my stomach she pushes herself up. Her touch sends shivers through my body, this happens every time.
"If we don't stop, dinner will get cold," I tell her chuckling
"Yeah, we better get going before Luke comes out again." We stand up and start walking.
Chapter 17
Even she could not climb Them
Ifind Hunter laying spread like an eagle on my bed.
"Hunter?" She doesn't answer. If this is one of her pranks or something, I’m going to punch her arm. But the closer I get, I hear her slow breathing which means she’s sleeping. We had a fun day today, so no wonder she’s exhausted, I feel the tiredness in my body as well. I push Hunter further in; she’s so petite and light I could easily carry her. I lay down and pull the duvet over us both. She turns around to face me with some of her hair across her face. I brush it away, feeling her soft, warm skin under my fingertips. My touch causes her to move closer to me.
She wraps her arm around me and buries her face in my chest. Hunter’s been sleeping in my bed for over two weeks now and is sleeping through the night without any problem. She looks so much better and said she feels better when I asked. She looks happier, like a weight on her shoulders has been lifted. Hunter has opened up more, she’s more fun and confident, but usually only around me. At school, she’s still shy and scared. When we’re out buying food, she avoids eye contact with other people. She hates being around people she doesn't know, it makes her nervous.
Even mom and dad noticed the change in her. She’s going out more playing football with me. We do that a lot and dad said I was good with her. He’d never seen her like this before. It’s a small improvement, but huge her for considering she had such high walls up, even she couldn’t climb them. I’m happy she’s my friend and she that wants to be mine even though I was a complete ass to her at the beginning. I’ve learned my lesson, there’s more to a person than you see on the surface. Sometimes you need to look underneath and dig deeper to see the real person.
Hunter’s not the only one changing, I guess. She’s taught me so much, I’m more patient and calm. Not just that, she’s made me better at football. She taught me a few tricks I’m so grateful for, I even used them in our last game, which we won. It’ll be Friday tomorrow and then it’s summer vacation. I’m looking forward to it so much, even though dad ruined my party plans. We’ll be going to visit grandma for a while. It's not the worst thing in the world, she lives next to a beautiful beach and makes the best food you’ll ever taste, but I really wanted to stay here and go to parties with Taylor and Brook.
Of course, Hunter’s coming along so it won’t be boring. We can play football on the beach and swim, it’ll be fun. Hunter didn’t protest when dad talked about the place and grandma, she looked excited. Hunter had a small incident when I mention bathing, she froze. She hasn't done that for weeks, and it terrified me. She’s stiff sometimes when we’re out shopping, but not frozen. Hunter didn't tell me what was wrong, so I hope it’s nothing.
She’s so close to me it should be awkward, but it isn't. I like having her close to me even though her touches send odd chills through my body. It also feels like the most natural thing in the world when her hands or feet are touching me. Only one time did I wake up because her feet touched mine, and they were cold. I yawn and close my eyes listening to the sound of Hunter's breathing and feeling her warm skin on mine. I give in to the tiredness, and it’s the easiest thing in the world when Hunter’s lying next to me.
Chapter 18
Lost
"Taylor, have you seen Hunter?" I ask worried on the phone.
"Not since lunch, why?"
"I can't find her." I’ve been waiting next to my car since I said bye to Taylor and Brook. I thought Hunter had some things to do before we left. I waited twenty minutes next to my car, but then the worry started to come. I walked the hallways up and down for what felt like a thousand times. I even looked in the bathroom, but nothing.
"I’ve looked everywhere, Taylor." I sigh, so does she.
"Maybe the field?" God, why didn’t I think about that? I’m so stupid when I’m worried.
"On my way, talk to you later." I hang up, run down the hallway and out the door. Finally, after what feels like a lifetime, I reach the field, but it’s empty.
"Goddammit!" I yell. I can feel my heart in my throat right now, closing all my airways. I stand there trying to catch my breath again when I hear laughing. I walk to the bleachers and the voices become clearer. I go to the back to find Amy and her friends and feel the anger in my veins as I see Hunter, sitting on the ground with her face hidden in her knees and her hands over her head.
"What a coward." I hear Amy say.
"What the hell Amy!" I yell, making them jump and turn around.
"Ah, Hunter, your savior’s here." She mocks. I push my way through and bend down to Hunter.
"Hunter, you okay?" She doesn't answer or even move to look at me. That means something bad has happened because that’s the only reason she’d not look at me. I clench my teeth and can feel myself shaking with anger. It's like everything is black right now. The sound of laughter fills my ears and it pushes my buttons. I turn and walk fast towards Amy and grab her shirt. I pull her to me, so she can see the darkness in my eyes that I feel in my blood and veins. No one hurts Hunter; she means the world to me. She’s the last person on earth I thought I’d ever care for, but I do. I’m not going to let someone like Amy and her friends hurt her.
"WHAT. DID. YOU. DO?" I say slow and clear, so she can hear me through the beating sound of her heart in her ears. She swallows hard, she better be scared.
"I-I'm sorry." She apologizes.
"You didn't answer me." My hold on her white shirt tightens even more. I know my knuckles are turning white as snow.
"I hit..." I push her away before she can even finish the sentence.
"Get the fuck out of here." Amy and her friends walk away, ashamed. I go back to Hunter and sit on my knees.
"Hey," I say softly, placing my hands on her wrists and pull her arms away from her head.
"Hunter, look at me." She shakes her head in her knees.
"It's okay, it's just me." Hunter shakes her head again.
"Hunter, please. We need to go home, we’re driving to my grandmas tonight, remember?" She sighs, nods, then looks at me, and all the darkness I had in me comes back again. I want to punch Amy more than anything right now. It hurts to look at her like this, it’s as if my heart has broken in two. My hands are shaking with anger and sadness. Hunter's lip’s cracked, she’s bleeding, and her skin looks red and sore. I can't believe I let this happen again. I’m supposed to take care of her; I promised dad, I promised myself. I cup her face with my left hand on the good side and turn her face, so I can take a better look. I push her hair behind her ear with my free hand. She looks like someone's punching bag, Amy's punching bag.
"I'm sorry," I tell her sincerely.
"Can we just go home?" I give her a small smile and take her hand in mine.
By the time we got home, Hunter rushed up the stairs, avoiding all of us. Dad asked me what happened, and I told him everything. He wanted to call the principal, but there’s no use, it's summer vacation. I told him Amy wouldn’t touch Hunter again.
"I can't believe all the awful things that girl’s been through," Mom says. I’m sitting next to her on the couch in my own thoughts. Hunter disappeared a half an hour ago. I thought she needed some time for herself since she didn’t talk to me in the car. The look she had in her eyes scared me. It wasn’t just the abuse she got today that bothered her, it was something much worse.
"Where's dad?"
"He's packing and checking the car before we leave tonight." Mom answers.
"I should go and check on Hunter," I tell her and stand up.
"Yeah, I think that's a good idea. I’ll start making dinner." I nod and walk upstairs. I knock on Hunter's door, but no response. I open the door, finding no one, then I look in the bathroom, nothing. I feel the panic rising in my chest; she can't have jumped out the window it's too high.
I open my door and breathe out relieved. She’s laying on my bed curled up in the duvet. I’ve seen her sleep so many times now, but it never gets old. She’s fascinating in the way she moves, not just in her sleep. The way she shifts and turns when we play football. She has good reflexes and every time I move past her, she’s right next to me in just seconds. It's annoying and amazing at the same time. She’s so light on her feet and moves so smoothly. It's like she’s meant to play football, I hope she joins me on the team next year. It’d be more fun to play with her than against her. Sometimes we use dirty tricks, dragging each other's shirts and arms. It makes it more fun, well, I guess I’m the one getting the most since I always lose. I don't care about losing, it’s fun to play with her that winning’s the last thing I think about when we play. I shake the thoughts out of my head and move over to Hunter. She looks up at me so quickly it makes me jump.
"Jesus, Hunter." I hold my hand over my heart. She’s washed the blood on her face away but still looks bad.
"You scared me." She says.
"And you scared me." I sit next to her on the bed.
"I'm sorry about what happened today." She didn’t deserve it.
"It's not your fault, Skylar." I turn to look at her. I was going to place my hand on her thigh, but Hunter grabbed my wrist before I could reach her, and she’s on holding tightly.
"Hunter, your hand. It hurts." She lets my hand go.
"Sorry, I just want to be alone."
"I don’t really believe that." Hunter gives me the pleading face and there’s nothing I can do than give in.
"Okay." I leave disappointed and go down to mom.
"How is she?" She asks.
"She wants to be alone." Mom nods and goes back to making dinner. I walk out into the sun and sit in the grass, waiting. Hunter's reaction to my hand frightens me, lately, she’s accepted all my touches without any problem. When we were sleeping and playing football, she opened up a lot, and now I’m afraid she’ll close herself off again. All because Amy and her friends couldn't leave her alone. I shake my head and walk over to dad at the car.
