Love Like A Delinquent

Chapter 8

Then I thought.

Was that what was going to happen if I got close to her?

Close to anyone?

Did I cause people harm?

I'd never forgive myself if another person got hurt because of me. Mom had died because of me, because Dad had found me hiding pathetically in my wardrobe. I mean...sure Mom hated me, but she was still my Mom and that made me love her. Her death had pained me more than anything.

Dad however, that sick bastard could go to hell.

I burried my face in my hands, wondering just how much pain I would cause for people. Then I decided, the best way to keep people...Kat safe...

Was to stay the fuck away.

　

Kat's P.O.V

"Are you guys in a fight or something?" Chris asked me as we enterred a local resturaunt for dinner a few days after they'd gotten back.

His question was obviously directed at Hunter who was being insanely distant and hadn't spoken a word to me since last night. He seemed a little uneasy. I wondered if maybe he was just having a bad day, recovering from a nightmare that I'd slept through, or if he really was just going back to being a quiet boy that hid in the corner.

Either way, I'd just asked him if he was alright and he'd stormed past me to go into the male bathrooms.

I shrugged at Chris. "He's been acting different since this morning."

"No he's not." Mom said, passing me a menu. "Hunter's been acting different ever since last Monday. He's back to his normal self now."

"This isn't his normal self though." Chris pressed. "Do you honestly think that Hunter was like this before..."

We all knew he meant the 'no go zone.'

Mom just flipped her hair. "Well, the boy wasn't exactly brought up in a very homey atmosphere. Abusive and alcaholic Dad, the same for a Mother. Something tells me he's always been angry but he was too scared to take it out on his parents. Now that they're...late...he feels free to let his anger out. We have to face it, Hunter's just a very angry boy."

"Stop bitching about him." I muttered.

"Language."

"What?" I demanded. "You're slagging off my friend and his family! It's not his fault that his Dad was a freaking psycotic and his Mom took out her anger on him."

Chris nodded in agreement. "She's right, you know?"

Mom pursed her lips. "Maybe. I just think that we need to get help for Hunter. I mean, he's 17 next year. He can't live his life this way."

"I'm not sure that he'd respond well to therapy." Chris mused.

"And he'd probably get kicked out of anger management for being...angry." I added.

Mom sighed. "There's got to be something that can help him."

We all seemed to have enterred a deep 'thinking time' but were cut out of it as Hunter returned from the bathrooms. His fists were clenching and unclenching repeatedly and he looked as if he'd thrown water over his face to cool down.

He slumped down in the seat next to mine and stared down at the table.

And then Mom stupidly blurted out. "Hunter, how do you feel about therapy."