Learning to Live

Chapter 9

Steve stopped and looked between the two guys. "You met Sapph's boyfriend?"

"I did," Aaron said.

Steve smiled, putting on his pads. "You two should get to the ring some time. It'll be a good workout."

I coughed and turned my head away to hide my laughter. Aaron grinned, biting his bottom lip. "Sure, Steve. We'll do that sometime," he looked over our shoulders. "I'll see you guys later."

We watched him go. Steve shook his head. "Little prick," he mumbled under his breath.

When I laughed, he bumped my head with his padded hand. He gave Hunter a warning look. "No starting trouble, inside or outside the gym, got it?"

"Why? He deserves it," Hunter said.

"A lot of people deserve an ass beating, in my opinion. Doesn't mean I go around dishing it out," Steve said. "But you and Aaron should get to it in the ring sometime. Just for my own entertainment."

"Such a responsible coach," I deadpanned.

"Go get Keith, you brat," Steve said. "Come on, Boy. Let's finish what we started."

The sun was sinking below the horizon when we finally got out of the gym. Hunter got in the passenger seat, I was about to duck inside when Steve called me from the gym's door. I jogged up to him. "Yeah?"

His eyes were on the car. "Is that boy coming around again?"

"Yeah. At least, that's what he said."

"Make sure he does," Steve said, a calculative glint in his eyes. "He's got potential. I haven't seen anyone like him since Brandon."

I raised my brows. "Yeah?"

He grunted and waved me away. "Go. And ice those knuckles when you get home."

"Yes, coach."

Steve went back inside, barking orders. The lights inside spilled onto the twilight-lit street. I got in the car, pulled out the energy bar in my pocket and took a bite.

Hunter's stomach growled so loudly,

I laughed, until I remembered my stomach growling that first day I saw him behind the school gym. He must've thought of the same thing, because he chuckled, shaking his head.

"How about dinner?" He asked, shifting in his seat.

"Dinner it is," I said, steering the car out of the lot. Dinner sounded nice. Dinner with Hunter sounded great. I didn't want to go home yet, which was odd, I usually couldn't wait to go home.

Thirty minutes later, Hunter and I were huddled in a corner booth of a burger place I usually went to, our meals spread in front of us.

"Do you want more pickles?" Hunter asked, eying my burger with extra-pickles and my pickle side dish.

"Don't judge when you're having enough food to feed a small country," I said, opening my burger and layering the pickles inside.

"I'm hungry," he said, taking a massive bite of his burger. It was halfway gone in one bite.

"I could never tell," I mumbled. Picking up my phone, I dialed Stefan's number. He picked up on the third ring.

"What do you want?" Stefan, my brother, the posture child of gentleness.

"Does Cheddar have enough food?" I asked. I had poured him enough when I left in the morning, and asked Stefan to give him when he got home, and texted him about it at the end of school. But I still worried.