The Ring

twenty-two

A/N: PLEASE COMMENT AND VOTE ON EVERY CHAPTER!!! ALSO PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT 'THE RING'!!!!! THANK YOUS :) xoxo

 You never know how much you need someone in your life until they are gone. That's exactly how I feel about my mom and Channing. I've never felt this loss, broken and incomplete in my life. It was insane. Channing has been attempting to contact me for a while but I continued to ignore him. I didn't know what to say to him. We had just confessed our love for each other and now I found out his secret. This secret was absolutely surprising and scary as shit. I do not want to be involved with anyone who is involved with drugs. As you see, I cut Sara off. I love her. She was my best friend but I had to. I tried to think of a way to cut him off, and I did, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. That night when he showed me that room, I wanted to end it right then and there but I was too scared but now that I had the time to convince myself that I should stay with him, I don't think I can do it.

School sucked today. In every class, my teachers would offer their condolences, bringing up the fragile subject that I was trying to forget.

"Mia, hey wait up." I turned around and saw Hunter jogging my way in the hallway. "Hi. I haven't seen you in a while. Are you okay?" He sincerely asked.

"Yeah." I lied. I shot him the best smile I could and walked off. I walked for a bit until I felt a tug on my arm. I turned around. Instead of saying anything, Hunter engulfed me in a big hug. Normally, I wouldn't hug him or anything but it was needed and much appreciated. We stood in the middle of the crowded hallway.

"Come here." He took my hand and led me to the gym. "No one has class in here next period." We walked over to the bleachers and sat down. "Talk to me." He demanded.

"About what?" I sniffed.

"What happened?"

"My mom passed. I- I found her in her bed." I started to cry. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder, allowing me to rest my head on his.

"I'm so sorry."

"Thank you." I mumbled.

"I've been wanting to talk to you lately but I haven't had the chance." Hunter bought up.

"What about?"

"Are you okay? I mean I know you're not but I mean with that boxer. I see that way he treats you." He said.

"Hunter, what are you talking about?" I asked, sitting up from his grip.

"Mia, I know that you guys are together. I see the way you look at him and the way he looks at you. Sometimes he looks at you with lust and then other times it looks like he wants to hurt you and everyone else around him. I care about your happiness, health, and well-being and I just want to make sure that he is treating you right." Hunter spoke. What the hell do I say to that? I mean I had a feeling that he liked me but not this much. Hunter, I thought, was the typical high school jock but after hearing him say this, I questioned myself.

"I'm fine, really. He wont hurt me." I said. He looked unconvinced. "I swear."

"I trust you, just not him. Be careful. You see what he's capable of."

"Okay." I squeaked just to shut him up. "Please just don't tell anyone, especially my dad." I pleaded. He looked me in the eye for a while before nodding.

"So how did this happen?" He asked.

"No, you already know a lot." I declined his question.

"I don't have a lot of friends. Everyone here, I think of them as colleagues. I don't have to like them but I do have to socialize and work with them. And Mia, no offense, but you have no friends." I chuckled at his light-hearted yet true comment. "It's good to talk to people, so tell me, please." His bright blue eyes stared into my brown ones like a dog begging for food so I told him some things, not everything. I trust him.