Like Real People Do - Jill Roord

Relief In Giving Into The Destruction

Hunter's POV

I was on the phone to Mapi for about the tenth time today, her phone calls only seemed to increase in regularity, "So you're just going to ignore them?" Mapi checked, knowing that had never been my style.

"I mean... I don't know," I huffed, taking a sip of my drink, "What do you think I should do?"

"You've got to talk to them at some point," Mapi told me, knowing it was the truth, "Realistically, they're still your team so you don't have a choice. Wouldn't it be better to try and sort through things?"

I scoffed, "You want me to forgive them?"

"Hell no!" Mapi shook her head, almost shocked I'd ever said that, "I'm just suggesting that maybe you should get to a place where you can all be civil. Because you want to stay at Arsenal, right?"

I nodded.

"So you need to be able to work with the team," Mapi explained to be, sometime I forgot how logical she was. Plus, I almost always forgot how easy things were when you were logical.

"I have such a smart best friend," I smiled down the call to her. 

Mapi raised an eyebrow, making me laugh, "How much have you had to drink?"

I rolled my eyes, "Absolutely nothing."

"You know how I know that you're lying?" Mapi didn't seem impressed.

"I'd love to know because I'm not lying," I challenged.

"When you smile like that," Mapi accused me, "You're lying!" She chuckled.

"I am not! What smile?"

"That one," Mapi pointed a finger down the phone which didn't exactly help.

"Mapi, I don't know what you're pointing to because funnily enough, you're hundreds of miles away."

"Thankyou for that information," She replied sarcastically, "I hate to end our lovely conversation but I've got to go out for dinner."

"Oh, what a inconvenience," I teased.

"Shut up!" Mapi joked back, "You can't talk, you're not even at your dinner."

"And for good reason," I nodded. 

"True, I wouldn't have gone either," Mapi agreed, "But I really must go. I love you."

"I love you too, bye," I waved.

"Talk soon," she assured me.

As the phone hung up I was left a little tipsy and in silence; the one thing I hated more than the Arsenal girls. Something inside of me was burning, like a fire slowly filling me with this anger which I needed to let out in order to diffuse the anger inside. I knew exactly who I needed to find.

Perhaps I found some relief in the idea of giving into the destruction. 

So, I got myself ready like any normal night out; a short dress, curled my hair, did my makeup, and put on one heel. If I was going to walk into the lion's den, I was going to make it a complete moment, I needed to look my best. Admittedly, the boot didn't add to my look but the one stiletto showed my dedication to fashion, I think I deserved some sort of award for managing to get down the stairs.

My mind was now in mission mode, meaning I had complete tunnel vision so I called myself a cab and found the invite from when I had been talking to my team mates. 

There was nothing wrong with me showing up, I was invited.

I said that to myself and lightly laughed, I think that's when I realized my headspace wasn't normal but I wasn't going to let myself back down from this fight when I felt more ready than ever. I'd basically hidden from these girls for the past week, I'd been a complete coward, and that wasn't me. Hunter Putellas didn't run when things got difficult, in fact she ran towards the problem because I wasn't scared to tell people what I thought.
And I was more than ready to say a thing or two to these girls.

The cab pulled up outside the restaraunt, I paid the driver and then walked inside. For once, I felt confident on my crutches, maybe heels really were my forte because I didn't feel like some broken bird or alienated squad member, I felt like the person who finally had the balls to tell these girls the truth. I only felt so passionate about it because I loved them, I couldn't deny the fact that I still did, but they'd hurt me.

My eyes landed on their table like a target, ignoring the smiles of Leah and Lia but only focusing on the faces that had been the ones to cut me the deepest.

"Hunter," Jordan waved at me, so clueless at reading the clear coldness on my face, "You came!"

"I came," I nodded, trying to not appear as rude to Jordan and then walking over to the empty seat which just happened to be opposite Lisa and Katie.

Lisa didn't even try and entertain the fake niceties and in all honesty, I respected that because she knew I wasn't here to celebrate her birthday, "That's Viv's seat," She told me.

"I'll only take a minute," I leant forward, positioning my chin on my fist.

"Well it's a pleasure to have you for those entire sixty seconds," Lisa smiled at me. 

"Lisa..." Beth warned the brunette, her eyes darting between both sides of the table. 

"We need to sort this out," I stated.

Lisa huffed, "It's my birthday."

"Happy birthday but I don't think that fact is relevant," I bluntly replied.

I could see everyone else on the table hold their breath, knowing it was all about to kick off. Jen widened her eyes but I did see a slight chuckle break through due to my response. 

"It is," Lisa reasoned, "Because we're having a lovely dinner and on my birthday, I don't think this should be happening."

"Are you really trying to pull the sympathy card?" I scoffed.

"Oh and you're such a victim," Lisa rolled her eyes, "If you were a victim, you wouldn't have come here. You came here for the pure purpose of a fight."

I nodded, "Bang on the money Evans."

Still, I didn't think Lisa was an awful person. I'd met truly awful people and Lisa still had a long way to go before being considered in that category but she had pissed me off. Most the girls at this table had hurt me and pissed me off and that's why I wouldn't step down.
Deep down, I still wanted to get back to a place where this team was considered a family, I didn't enjoy the tension and fighting. 

Kim stood up, walking over to us, "Guys can you sort this out like adults?" she asked, looking directly at me.

"Why are you talking to me?" I widened my eyes, already feeling ganged up on, "What about Lisa?"

Kim rubbed her forehead, "I'm saying it to both of you because-"

"She's saying it to you because you're barely an adult," Lisa shot at me, "I mean, I think we'd all still think you're a teenager if we didn't know anything else."

"Real mature," I nodded slowly, "Real mature."

I didn't start conflict but did people expect me to stand there silently? Of course, I'd stand up for myself and I knew I always grew a little too close to the line for peoples' liking but that's how I fought and if they didn't like it, maybe they shouldn't start the fight.

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predictions before it all really kicks off??