Taking Chances (Official Second Draft)

Chapter 3

As we drove, I quickly began realizing that Hunter was the kind of person who knew other's boundaries. He knew when to talk and when to leave people with their thoughts. I respect those kinds of people because there aren't many of them. He turns the radio station and the soothing sound of classical instruments fill the car.

"You like classical?" I pause. "Not that there's anything wrong with that. I just don't find many people who like it." I see his lips curve into a small smirk.

"Yeah my mom would play it a lot when I was a baby. Artist's listen to it when they work and I was almost always with her in her loft."

"Do you like to do art as well?" He grips the steering wheel.

"In some ways. I don't really do painting or drawing like my mom does. I do music, with my violin, and my guitar. I also write a lot of original songs, that's actually how David and I became a couple. We ran into each other at a youth open mic night at my church. I knew he went to our school, but I never imagined talking to him before that night.." He pauses getting somewhat choked up. "I'm glad we did. He's my everything. My rock, my person. I really do love that idiot." He giggles. My heart warmed when he spoke those words. In the back of my head I pictured that person as Matt, but I knock myself out of those thoughts quickly, dismissing them as just feeling over emotional.

"That's really precious Hunter."

"Well, as I always say, if you love someone, you should say it. Don't be afraid to speak about him or her. Never be ashamed of your love. I learned that a long time ago." He gives me a shining smile, then turned back to the road.

"So I was thinking for the project we could mold a brain together out of styrofoam balls and felt. Go into detail about the condition we were assigned. We can also make a poster to hang behind it, I think it would be really good."

"That sounds good. We'll tell David about it and see what he thinks."

"I'm sure he'll like it. Is it too warm in here for you or anything?" He fumbles a bit with the notches in the car.

"No no, it's perfect. Thank you for asking." He purses his lips and nods his head.

"You're really polite Naiomie, a lot more respectful than some of the people in our grade."

I glance to him, he was being just as kind and respectful.

"Well thank you, that means a lot. Give respect, get respect right?"

"Exactly, I wish a lot more people would understand that." I chuckle and notice hunter turning onto a dark gravel road away from our small town.

"Do your parents live out of town?" I ask quietly.

"Only two minutes out and it's only my mom. My parents got divorced when I was twelve. My dad moved out to Toronto while my mom moved to the woods. She said she works better in somewhere quiet. There was a huge dispute on where i would be going, whether it was with my dad or my mom. Eventually I decided to stay in Nottawa with my mom because I had all of my friends, my boyfriend, and family here. I still miss my dad but they weren't happy together. I would rather have my parents happy apart then miserable together." I put a hand on his knee.

"That was really brave of you Hunter." He turns his head for a brief moment but quickly puts them back on the road.

"When you know it's the right thing to do, you do it. No matter what." I smile and nod my head. His words seep into my thoughts as I begin to think of my situation with my father. Was I doing the right thing not telling anyone? I can't tell right from wrong anymore, because everything is so messed up.