Like Rapunzel, but Not Really ✔

Chapter 12

My mouth was agape when he finished his story.

Tristan's eyes narrowed. "What happened to the car? Did you see who was driving? How many people?"

"Huh?" Hunter asked, momentarily confused. "Oh, I don't know who was in there – I think only one saw one person. He stopped when Eric jumped out, though, but I think because there was a crowd already starting to gather by then so he just kind of left." Hunter said seriously. "People are crazy nowadays. The doctor said he was actually ran over a few times judging from his injuries."

I spied Tristan's suddenly pensive demeanour but before I could question it further the urge to vomit suddenly overtook my body. I sat down to let that sickly feeling pass and took many deep breaths. I was not sure how long I stayed in that position but concentrating on my breathing was definitely helping the nausea to ebb away.

Finally, I looked back at the two boys, determination in my eyes. "We need to go and see him."

Both of them merely stared silently back at me.

"Guys, we need to go see him," I repeated.

"I'll drive you there," Tristan offered after a few seconds of silence. "Give me your keys," he held his hand out to Hunter.

"What? Heck, no, you are not driving my car," Hunter clutched his left pocket possessively.

"Okay, you drive then," I said to Hunter as I went to get my cardigan from my room. "Start the car, I'll meet you downstairs at the drop-off area."

"Wait. Are we seriously doing this?" Hunter questioned me. "You're really going to go out – for real?"

I paused as I gripped the red cardigan which I had just grabbed out of my closet. "Yes." I mustered the conviction in my voice. "Eric's our friend and I can't just keep staying in here when something bad happens to the people I care about - not again," I reasoned, remembering all the goodbyes I never got to give because of my gilded cage.

I went out whilst putting on my cardigan only to see the two of them lounging in the living area. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and throw my arms up exasperatedly into the air. "Guys, let's go!" I proceeded hurriedly to the main door to lead the way lest we never made any move but was circumvented by Hunter halfway.

"What?" 

Hunter put his hands up defensively as if afraid I was going to whack him again. "Okay... I just want to make sure that  you understand what you are saying. You want to go out to the public area. You will be walking amongst people. People will be walking amongst you. You will see people. People will see you. You will –"

"Hunter, I get it," I cut the blonde off from his ramblings. I smiled at his concern. "Honestly, I'm not too sure if this is okay or not but the past month I've lived in terror only for it to turn out to be one huge pile of ridiculous misunderstanding. I literally wasted a month of my life being terrified over nothing and I kind of feel stupid. Maybe it's the post-anxiety talking or I've just decided to throw caution to the wind but I really don't want to let somebody I care about die without at least seeing him when I have the chance to do so." I paused to also turn my eyes to Tristan to make sure he heard me. "Okay?"

Tristan shrugged as if he had been on board from the beginning and my big speech was just redundant. So I turned my eyes to Hunter in the hopes that we could just finally make our move.

"Well, okay, then. Lets go, I guess," Hunter spoke after a pregnant silence.

All three of us quietly alighted Hunter's obnoxious red car. The mood was sombre. I didn't know what was going on in the other two boys' heads but I definitely knew mine was filled with lots of thoughts. And questions.