Hunting the Fairy Tale

Chapter 10 - Riding in a Car with Boys

Hunter is being weird. More than usual. He's always had some strange quirks and impulses, but I've never seen him act quite like this before. He's glaring at Tanner. That in itself is not strange, everybody glares at Tan; the guy inspires a lot of glaring. But this is different.

"It's fine, I can fit in the back," I say, studying Hunter's face for clues to the reason for his weirdness. I don't find any visible signs there, so I look at Tan and see his roguish grin. The sun just rose in my head. I give a soft laugh, shaking my head. Apparently, Hunter does not like the way Tanner is looking at Willow, which in turn pushes Tan's normal arsehole levels up a notch. Bloody Tanner.

How have these two not killed each other yet?

"No," Willow insists, "please, I'll be fine in the back. Aren't you in a hurry?" she asks Hunter and opening the passenger side back door she climbs inside with her bag on her lap. She's incredibly considerate, but I cannot help but think that her motives aren't purely due to kindness. She seems to be extremely uncomfortable. Hunter is looking at her with a deeply miserable expression on his face. He turns away and now he's glaring at Tan again and Tanner is glaring right back at him. Surely, he doesn't really think that Tanner would do anything to Willow? Willow is part of the Drake family now.

"What the hell, Drake?!" Tanner finally barks. "Why don't you just lift your leg against Miss Priss and mark your territory?"

Hunter blinks. He glances at Willow waiting in the car with a startled, confused expression on her face. I don't think he knows why he's acting so possessively. It would've been amusing if it wasn't so sad. He turns on Tanner, scowling. "That's not what... Behave, that's all. Just behave. Don't mess with her."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

We all manage to squeeze into the small car. For a second the vehicle seems to be about to groan and collapse, but the little car bursts into life and song when Hunter turns the key in the ignition. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star at top volume slices through bone and marrow until Hunter kills the volume.

"Sorry," he chuckles, noticing the pain on my face.

"Ash," Tanner grumbles from his uncomfortably squashed position behind him, "remind me why we accepted this jerk's offer of a ride to the gym in this pill box."

"It seemed like a fun idea."

♫

Willow

Pulling out of the schoolyard, I glimpse Hunter in the rear-view mirror, glaring narrow-eyed at Tanner. There's definitely something up between the two of them. Did Tanner actually urinate on him in the end? I turn my head to see what Tanner is doing to offend him.

To my surprise, he is pressing himself against the door as if he's in terrible fear. At first, I think it's meant as a commentary on Hunter's driving skills, but then he exaggeratedly pretends to hide behind the baby seat separating him from me. He peeks at me rather lewdly over the top and I finally realise that Hunter's frustration with Tanner has something to do with me. If I'm reading the pantomime correctly, Tanner is pretending to be stalking me and to be terrified of Hunter who is glaring at him.

I giggle, though the whole situation is making me feel rather awkward. Why does it upset Hunter so much? Tanner wouldn't really do anything to me, would he? I have no idea what kind of behaviour is expected of me. I'm completely out of my comfort zone.

"Seriously, Trent, don't make me pull over," Hunter warns.

"Then what, Dad?"

I'm surprised to hear Asher actually laugh out loud; I didn't know that he could. He reaches over and gives Hunter's shoulder an encouraging squeeze, which manages to relax the tension from his jaw a little bit.