Liv

Chapter 8

*A Few Hours Earlier*

Hunter's POV

"Shame you lost," VJ laughed at me after he had just shot the winning goal.

"Maybe, but at least I don't smell as bad as you!"

"Dude if you're going to play, you're going to sweat," he said smugly, throwing the orange basketball in my direction.

I caught it quickly and chucked it back at him, before laughing and grabbing my gear.

"Where to now?" I asked.

"I don't know about you but I'm going home."

"Let me guess, you have homework?"

"Yep-"

"Science," I cut him off.

"How did you know?" he raised an eyebrow.

"The fact that you're going home to do homework or that I knew that it would be from our science class?"

"Both."

"Well firstly, you're a mummy's boy," I said bluntly. "And secondly, I have science homework too."

"What! A mummy's boy?"

"Pretty much."

I finished tying my shoes and proceeded to make my way out of the basketball courts.

"Hunter!"

***

"Am I a 'mummy's boy' to you?" VJ asked Oscar as we made our way inside the house.

"What?"

"Apparently the guy with the big ego over there," he gestured towards me, "thinks  I'm a mummy's boy."

"Oi!"

Oscar sniggered under his breath before continuing his conversation with VJ.

"What?" VJ asked.

"Well, you kind of are."

"How?!"

"You're always around her at school or you'll get mad at anyone who's mean to her and you always do things like your homework on time to please her-"

"Oh yeah?" he cut him off. "Well you're just jealous cause your mum is dead!"

"VJ!" I scolded him, appalled that those words had just escaped his mouth.

"No, you know what Hunter, I'm sick of this. I'm sick of being stereotyped because of my mum."

"Where are you going?" I asked him as he grabbed Leah's keys.

"Anywhere but here."

***
After VJ left, I tried everything to track him down. I went to the beach, the Diner, even Yabbie Creek. I asked around but no one had seen him. I wondered whether I should give up looking as the sky had begun to turn a dark shade of blue with deep hints of orange, but if the night was approaching then trouble would be approaching too.

"VJ!" I yelled, hoping that he would be able to hear me. "VJ!"

"I'm over here!" I heard a faint voice say.

I ran over to him as fast as I could. Blood was decorated around his arms and legs, and darkness surrounded one of his eyes.

"What happened to you?"

"Him," he trailed off, pointing to a figure behind me.

"VJ wasn't who we wanted initially, but we got you in the end."

I turned around slowly, although I already knew who was behind me. I could tell by the way he spat his words and his irritating British accent that standing behind me was the malicious beast that I despised.

"Can you just leave us alone?!"

"Not before you break up with Olivia."

"Dude listen, she doesn't like you. Get over it!"

"No, you listen to me Hunter, you're going to break up with Olivia or else."

"Or else what?" I asked him, unfazed by his threats.

"Or else someone gets hurt," he hissed back at me. "See your friend over there?" he pointed at VJ who was trying to stand up. "He's number one. And now, you're number two."

***
Olivia's POV

"Now you and I can be together. Forever."

Jake's words kept replaying in my head as I frantically paced around my room.

Had he done something to Hunter? Had he taken him?

I knew it would be pointless going out to look for him, it was already well past 10pm now and absolutely nothing could be seen outside.

I sighed and clambered into my bed,  hoping that I would be able to get some sleep.

Flashes of Hunter's face echoed throughout my mind as I closed my eyes, and I could only just make out the sound of his voice.

"Olivia! Olivia help! Please!"

***

I woke up later than I would normally on a Saturday. I knew Irene would be fuming, seeing that I was a good 2 hours late for my usual shift at the Diner. I was right.

"Olivia! What are you doing up so late! Your shift started an hour ago girlie!"

I rubbed my eyes slowly and tried to stifle a yawn.

"I got no sleep at all last night-"

"That's no excuse!" she cut me off.

"I know, it's just, I had this dream that Hunter was in trouble. I got a call before I went to sleep from my ex, Jack, saying 'Now you and I can be together. Forever.' I'm really worried about him, what  if he really is in trouble?!"

"Oh wow, I'm sorry love," Irene replied, expressing her sympathy. "Do you want to go out and look for him?"

"Of course I do. It's just that I'm here, and he could be anywhere."

Hunter's POV

My hands were tied behind my back and my screams were silenced by a piece of cloth that had been stuffed into my mouth.

I heard footsteps approaching me, yet I could see no one.

I was alone. At least that's what I thought.

"Hunter King?" an unfamiliar voice asked. "Oh wait, I forgot," the mysterious figure continued, "you can't talk."

I shuffled around in the chair that I was chained too and tried to find a window or a door.

"Looking for a way to escape? Don't bother. I've been here longer than you, and I'll probably still be here long after you're gone. There's no way out."

. . . . . .

Thoughts on this chapter? Who do you think the 'mysterious figure' is?

Thank you for over 550 reads! I love you all x Happy Valentines Day!

Dream impossible dreams x

Chantelle