It's a Long Way To Dearest Gravesfield

Chapter 21: Firsts

"You seemed like you needed somebody, even if you were never going to say it."

Hunter smiles, "Well thanks, Sis. I'm glad you stuck with me."

She squeezes his hand, "I'm glad, too, Bro."

He laughs, and they continue on the road to school, Hunter's heart a little lighter, the feelings of anxiety about the woods fading as he walks with his brave sister.

***

Hunter's day is busy and he barely registers what he is hearing as he tries to keep up while taking notes, remember where his classes are, and stay calm about all the things he doesn't know. By the time he reaches lunch, he feels frazzled and exhausted.

"How do you do this every day?" he asks his friends.

"It gets easier as you do it more," Gus answers. "Give yourself time."

"I think I'm going to need a nap when I get home. Maybe I'll just sleep until dinner. Or through dinner."

Willow turns to Luz, "Don't let that boy skip dinner."

"Yeah, make sure he eats," Gus says, "Gotta be fueled up to do this again tomorrow."

"I feel like this is going to break my brain," Hunter says.

Amity sits down next to them, "So...how's your first day going?" she asks him.

"I'm exhausted and I have no idea what I'm doing, but I haven't gotten lost yet and now I have food, so I'm not going to complain too much," Hunter says. "But yeah...it is going to break my brain."

Edric and Emira pass their table on the way to sit with their own friends, "Hey Hunter! How's it going?"

"It's going alright," he replies, "Still learning the ropes."

"It's your first day, I expect no less," Edric says, "You'll catch on."

"I'm sure I will...eventually."

"Take it slow," Emira says, "And don't forget to ask for help if you need it."

"Thanks, Em."

"Catch you later," Edric says, "Dad says the big meeting's tomorrow, so get some rest tonight. If we don't see you in school, we'll probably see you there." The twins wave as they move on.

Skara and Viney wave from across the lunchroom as they sit with their other friends and Hunter waves back. He turns back to his own food and eats quietly, listening to his friends talk about their day. When the bell screams to call them back to class, he follows their lead, disposes of his rubbish, and lets Amity guide him to his next class.

By the end of the day, Hunter feels as though he might fall asleep on his feet on the way home with Luz. She talks to him the entire way to take his mind off the woodland sounds that make him flinch. When they reach the Owl House, Camila, Eda, Lilith, and Steve meet them in the living room with hugs, snacks, and questions about school. Hunter does his best to be social and answer, but they can tell he is exhausted. Camila suggests a nap before dinner and he tries to protest, given the homework he has, but Eda steps in to remind him that he won't get much done if he falls asleep at his desk. Relieved he doesn't have to push himself as hard as he would as a scout, he takes a nap.

After dinner, he changes into his pajamas and stays up studying with Luz until she falls asleep on one of her books. After she's tucked in bed, Hunter heads to the bathroom. On the way back, he overhears a conversation in the living room.

"I just don't know what to do," he hears Lilith say, "We've already taken so many precautions and I feel like there's nowhere safer you could be."

"Look, Lil...I don't know, either. But this is a terrible situation and I don't want to make things harder," Steve replies, "After I got the message, all I could think about was making sure nobody here got hurt. Especially the kids. I'm not taking this lightly. Neither should you."