The Tattooed Bad Boy

Chapter Four: Am I Really Mental?

"And this is how you solve it." Mr. Noah explained.

That's all I actually heard Mr. Noah say, since I wasn't really paying attention. All I could think of was Tony and his torture. I wanted to stop all of this. The pain I had on my stomach and my thigh almost made me want to burst in tears. Any kind of movement caused immense pain throughout my body and I didn't know how to stop it. Why is Tony like that? What have I ever done to Tony for him to treat me that way? Are all men like that? Is Hunter like that?

Hunter...

Just thinking of him made my heart beat faster. Everyone talked about how bad Hunter is, but if he was really that bad, why would he help me?

"She's mine and I don't like sharing."

Did that really happen? Did hunter really say that or was it just my anxiety that caused me to hear things? That was probably it. Hunter just helped me out and that's it. Besides, I can only like people. It's not like I would ever get in a relationship. Tony would kill them, so it's better to just stay away from guys. Funny how one powerful man can have everything in his fist.

"Zoe!" Mr. Noah shouted my name, making me snap out of my thoughts.

He raised his eyebrow at my startled expression before looking in his book and then writing a sum on the blackboard.

"So, Miss Rainey, would you mind solving this with the formula I just explained while you so happened to be not paying attention?" he crossed his arms over his chest.

"B...but-"

"Please, I insist." he cut me off.

What do teachers ever get by humiliating students like this in front of the entire class? Can't he have mercy this one time I wasn't paying attention in class? I reluctantly got up and walked over to the blackboard. I felt myself getting anxious as I felt all these eyes just watching me as if I'm some kind of entertainment show. Taking the chalk, I looked at the sum. I couldn't understand anything that was written on there. I didn't know how to solve it. My hands started sweating and I almost wanted to throw the chalk across the classroom and run away from here. Should I run away from here? If I run away, he might not let me enter this class again. I turned around and looked at Alyssa as she shot me an encouraging look. I turned around again and just as I was about to write something so stupid that would make my life even worse, the door suddenly flew open, making a girl from my classroom scream.

"The principal's calling her." I heard him say.

I heard more voices, but I couldn't focus on them, since I could only stare at Hunter, who was standing right in front of me now. With wide eyes I stared at him as he took hold of my wrist.

"Since when does the principal ask you to do stuff?" the teacher scoffed.

"Well, that should be none of your goddamn business, Noah." he started pulling me along. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I've got a lady to escort."

We were about to walk out of the classroom, but he suddenly stopped. He walked back, but all my stuff back in my bag and then walked back to me. He handed me my bag and then continued to drag me along. Tears filled my eyes, not because of my anxiety, but because Hunter as unknowingly hurting my already bruised wrist. I stopped walking and jerked my wrist out of his grasp.

"I'm not going." I cried.

Hunter stepped closer to me and I flinched, expecting him to hit me. He was shocked for a few seconds, but then took another step closer to me, which again, made me flinch as my hands tried to keep my face safe.

"Why are you flinching so much?" he asked as he removed my hands from my face.

I can't tell you that it's because of Tony...

"I'm just a paranoid person..." I avoided eye contact. "E...either way. I...I'm not going with you."

I turned around to walk away, but stopped right on my tracks when a pair of arms wrapped around my body. A small scream escaped my mouth when Hunter picked me up and started carrying me bridal style. I tried squinting and getting away from him, but he was too strong. Neither my screams of protest, nor my jerking movements helped me get out of his grasp.

"Please put me down!" I cried out.

"Where will you go if I put you down?" he asked.

I stared at him. Where will I go?

"Cafeteria or the library." I quickly thought of something.

"With your bloodstained jeans?" he asked and once again, my eyes grew wide.

My heart started pounding and my gaze immediately went to my jeans. It was indeed stained with blood. A lot of blood. The cut that Tony created this morning probably caused all the blood to flow once again. I gulped, looking at Hunter. Is that why he's carrying me like this?

"I don't have a jacket to help you cover it. So, I'm sorry for startling you like this." he looked down at me.

How does this guy manage to surprise me every time? The uncomfortability I was feeling just about a minute ago was suddenly gone. I could see the sorry and care in his eyes and honestly, he left me speechless. Is this really the bad boy everyone talks so badly about? Why is he so misunderstood? When he saw I wasn't reacting, he continued walking until we were outside the school. He walked over to this car and I realized it was his. I thought I saw him come to school with it a few times. He placed me in the passenger's seat and then went to his seat. I watched him as he started the car and turned his head towards me.

"Why is your thigh bleeding?" he asked and I just stared at him, dumbfounded.

I couldn't even say it was because of my period, since it was so low. Why couldn't I think of anything? It was as if my brain just exploded and there was just nothing there anymore. The look in Hunter's eyes just made me anxious once again.

"I... I got a cut..." my voice was low. I doubted that he even heard it.

"How?" he squinted his eyes at me. So, he did hear me. "You hurt yourself, don't you?" he asked all of a sudden.

My eyes shot up towards him. He thinks that I cut myself –that I did this myself. I didn't say anything and chose to just remain silent. It'd be better for him to just interpret it that way rather than him finding out that it was my brother who actually hurt me this badly. The only concern I had at the moment was that Tony would somehow see me with Hunter and that he'd do something to hurt him too.

"Aren't you scared of me?" this time his voice was a little gentler. As if he himself was scared of what I'd say that that moment.

I stared at him. Am I scared of Hunter? He's been nothing but sweet and kind and caring towards me ever since we met. He saved me, he helped me, he stayed with me until I felt better, and now he's helping me again. I don't know what his motive behind all of this, but for some reason I have been feeling nothing but comfortability with Hunter. My heart started pounding again.

Badump... Badump... Badump...

"I guess not..." I breathed out. "I don't have a reason to be scared of you..."

"But you're always so..." he couldn't find the word.

"Paranoid?" I finished his sentence with a smile.

"Yeah..." he sounded rather defeated. "Why?"

"I'd like to end this conversation here, Hunter. There are many secrets people can't let others know, so please stop sticking your nose in this."

He didn't say anything. He just released another sigh out of defeat before he started driving. At moments I would steal glances at him and at other moments I would notice him stealing glances at me. I'm sorry Hunter. It doesn't matter how nice you are to me, or how much you want to know about me, I just can't afford to feed your curiosity. This is something you'll have to keep your nose out of, otherwise I don't know who'll end up hurting who –because this is just literally just a matter of life and death.