Chapter 27
One thing I hated the most was being woken up from my sleep. I loved my sleep almost as much as I loved my music and to have someone wake me from it was a dangerous thing.
That happened today. I was woken suddenly by someone repeatedly smacking my face with a pillow. "Get out of bed, you stupid piece of hugger-mugger!" Cannon said, still smacking me with the pillow.
I sat up and ripped the pillow out of his hand, throwing it at him. I rubbed my eyes and groaned. "Why the hell did you wake me up?" I asked. "It's a Saturday!" I looked at the clock beside my bed. "And it's seven in the morning! Are you insane?!"
Cannon just smiled at me. "I'm as insane as they come, babe."
I glared at him. He always gave me the most ridiculous nicknames and I hated all of them. "Get a life," I snapped.
"Whoa, someone's cranky," Cannon said. "Just because you're seventeen now, it doesn't mean you can be a spoiled little snot."
"Uh huh," I muttered. Then I realized what he just said. "Seventeen?"
"It's your birthday, you ungrateful idiot," Cannon said, once again causing me to glare at him again.
"Would you stop it with the names?" I asked. "I'm not in a good mood today, so I would appreciate it if you were to leave my room so I could go back to sleep."
"No can do, babe," Cannon said, taking my wrist and pulling me out of bed. "You're coming downstairs because your dad made you breakfast and it would be a shame to throw it out. Although, I would be more than happy to eat it for you."
I scowled as I pushed passed him and headed downstairs. Why did I have to get an annoying best friend? Why couldn't I have one that wouldn't wake me up early and wouldn't give me stupid names?
When I got to the kitchen, both of my parents smiled at me. "Happy birthday, Hunter," Dad said.
"More like stupid birthday," I muttered under my breath as I sat down at the table.
"How are you feeling?" Mom asked.
"Still the same."
"So heartbroken?" Cannon asked.
"Yes, thank you for saying that in a considerate way," I said sarcastically. I hated when they brought up that I was still heartbroken over Violet breaking up with me and dating Levi, even though it happened over a month ago.
"You don't need Violet," Cannon said, sitting down beside me. "Find someone better and move on."
"You think that's easy?" I asked. "I tried getting over her, but I can't. I doubt I would find anyone else."
"You can always date me, babe."
"Will you stop with the babe thing?"
Cannon just gave me a smirk as he went to the fridge and poured himself some orange juice. He really got on my nerves at times.
Dad placed a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of me and I began eating it, still very much scowling. "What, no thank you?" Dad asked.
My reply? Glaring at him.
"Hunter, you need to stop with this mood," Dad said in a calm voice.
"Well, sorry for being in a bitchy mood for the past month," I snapped.
"Hunter," Dad said sternly. "I get that you're still feeling crappy about what happened, but you can't let it control your life. Stop with this nonsense, alright?"
"That's easy for you to say," I said. "You married your first love! She never dumped you for the biggest jerk in the school! You think it's easy for me to get over the only person who has ever stopped me from drinking? I can't, alright? And I don't care that I'm feeling crappy about it. It's my life and I could choose how I feel."
"You're being overdramatic," Cannon informed me as he sat back down. "And if you really want to get back together with her, then tell her about Levi or quit whining."
"No," I said. "She got herself in that mess, she can get out of it."
Cannon snorted. "You're being ironic."
"I don't give a damn."
"Austin man, why is your son an inconsiderate snot?" Cannon asked.
"Just screw off, Cannon," I said before getting up off my seat, not even feeling hungry. I walked to my bedroom, slamming my door behind me. I didn't even know why I was feeling this way. I just wasn't in the mood right now.
It wasn't long before Dad walked into my bedroom. "What's up, Hunter?" he asked.
"What's up?" I repeated. "Everyone keeps bringing up Violet and telling me to calm down, that's what's up."
Dad sighed. "I'm sorry, Hunter, really. But....We all think you're overreacting about it. It happened over a month ago, so why are you still angry?"
"I don't know."
"There has to be a reason," Dad said.
"I don't know," I repeated. "Is that so hard to believe? That I'm angry just because? Now can you please leave me alone? I don't want to be near anyone right now and I'm tired and I don't need you asking me about my anger."
Dad sighed again. "Hunter, that's not the only reason I came up here. Your mom is going into labor."
Great. Just great. I wasn't that upset that I was getting a sibling, but it was on my birthday. I thought there was a long shot at it happening because not many women give birth to their babies on their due dates, but my mom is.
I had to share my birthday now.
"Do I have to come?" I muttered.
"Yes," Dad said. "Because I'm going to get you checked out by the doctor. You've been so angry and irritable lately and I don't think you know who is the cause of it. You've also been tired all the time and you barely eat. It might be nothing, but I still want to get you checked out. So hurry and get changed so we can leave."
Dad left and closed the door behind him. I sat on my bed for a few moments before getting up to get changed. Dad thought something serious was going on? Yeah, right. I was suffering from a heartbreak, that was it.
After getting changed, I went downstairs where my parents were waiting. Mom looked like she was in a lot of pain, especially because she was taking deep breaths. I put on my shoes and grabbing my car keys before following Mom and Dad out the door with Cannon following me. "I'm driving your car," he announces, snatching the keys out of my hands.
I didn't even complain as I got into the passenger seat of my car. I wasn't in the mood to argue with him right now.
Cannon followed my Dad's car to the hospital and honestly, Cannon wasn't the best driver. He couldn't keep the car driving straight and he turned to sharply. "Cannon," I said. "I swear, if you keep driving like a two year old, I'm kicking you out of the car."
"No need to be such a...."
"A snot, yeah I get it," I said. "Just drive properly."
We got to the hospital a few minutes later, though he didn't listen to a single word I said. He even parked the car wrong as he was nearly taking up two parking spaces. I just got out of my car and slammed the door behind me. Dad, who parked a few spaces away, was helping Mom out of the car. I walked over to them, my arms crossed over my chest. Cannon just snorted and patted my back. "There, there, babe. Everything is alright," he said.
"Stop calling me babe!"
"I will once you stop acting like a baby."
"Screw you."
"Can you two please stop arguing?" Mom asked. "I am really not in the mood to hear it."
We didn't say anything else as the four of us went in the hospital. After Mom got a room and was all settled in, Dad told me he would be right back. He was going to stay with me while I got checked out, even though I kept telling Dad to stay with Mom. She could give birth to their daughter any second, but both Dad and Mom told me it could take a few hours.
Cannon also came with me to get checked out. We had to get a whole other room, which was on the opposite end of the hospital. When the doctor came in, Dad told me exactly why were here; basically because of my bitchy attitude, though he didn't use those exact words. The doctor asked me if I was feeling anything else that was different. It was basically me feeling tired, less hungry than usual, muscle stiffness. Not to mention I was bruising easily. Maybe there was something wrong. I didn't even think about it.
The doctor had to do a blood test and told me he would be back with the results.
"Can I leave now?" I asked Dad.
"No," Dad said as he got a text. "Jess is with your mom. Now I don't have to worry about how she's doing. Jess told me that your mom is doing fine and probably won't give birth for another hour or so."
"I'm going to say hi to my mom," Cannon said. "Mostly because she doesn't yell at me like someone." Cannon glared at me before leaving the room I was in.
I sighed and leaned my head against the wall. "Now can I leave?"
"Hunter, you're not leaving until we find out if there is something wrong with you," Dad said.
"And do I have to wait for Ivy to be born?" I asked. Ivy was the name my parents chose for my soon-to-be sister. Personally, I liked it, mainly because if she was a little brat when she was older, I could call her Poison Ivy.
"It's up to you," Dad said. "I'm not going to force you to stay, though it would be nice."
I sighed again. "How long is this going to take?"
"I'm not a doctor, so don't ask me," Dad said. "Just be patient, alright?"
"Kind of hard when there could be something wrong with me," I muttered, though Dad didn't hear. He was too busy on his phone, probably texting Jess.
About half an hour, the doctor came back. "The results came back," he said. "I'm afraid I have some bad news."
Great.
"It appears you have Wilson's disease," he continued.
"Yeah, I don't know what that is," I said.
"It's a genetic disorder that prevents the body from removing extra copper, " the doctor explained. "Having too much is poisonous. However, since you caught it at a young age, you'll be able to treat it properly."
I didn't say anything. I just looked down at the ground.
"How can it be treated?" Dad asked.
"Well, since he doesn't have a severe liver damage, he will have to take a type of medication," he said. "There's one I recommend, Galzin. It helps the body from absorbing too much copper and if he follows the dosage correctly, it will help and he won't have to have a liver transplant."
That got me to look up. "Liver transplant?"
The doctor nodded. "If you have severe liver damage, you will need a transplant. But, as of right now, you don't have a severe one. You're lucky to catch it at an early age."
"What are some of the symptoms of Wilson's disease?" Dad asked. "Does it explain his anger?"
"Yes," he replied. "Hunter seems to have both liver-related symptoms and mental health-related symptoms. The latter includes personality changes and even depression." I guessed that explains why I was overreacting about the whole Violet thing.
Dad talked to the doctor some more before I was free to leave. I just had to pick up my prescription somewhere later today and I was good to go.
I didn't feel like I was good to go.
When the doctor left the room, Dad sat down beside me. "I'm sorry, Hunter," he said. "About all of this."
"Can I leave?" I asked. "I-I have to go somewhere." Dad gave me a sympathetic look. "I'll be fine. Please?"
Dad sighed. "Fine. I'll call you when Ivy's born."
I quickly left the hospital, having one place in my mind that I needed to go. I didn't care how I was feeling right now. I needed to go there.
I pulled into the driveway and got out of my car before knocking on the door. A few moments later, Clark Wyatt answered the door and gave me a smile. "Hunter, it's nice to see you," he said. "What brings you here?"
"Is your daughter here?" I asked. "I....I really need to talk to her."
Clark nodded. "Yeah, I'll get here." He closed the door slightly to get the one person I felt could comfort me about all of this.
The door opened again and Violet looked at me with furrowed eyebrows. "Hunter? What are you doing here?"
"I need someone to talk to," I said, my voice cracking a bit and me feeling a lump in my throat. Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry.
Violet walked outside and closed the door behind her. "Is everything okay?"
"No," I said honestly, tears stinging the corner of my eyes. No, don't cry, don't cry.
Me not crying didn't last. Violet must have known I was about to cry because she wrapped her arms around me, which caused the tears to flow. Violet didn't say anything for a while; she just hugged me because that was all I needed.
When she pulled away, she wiped some of my tears away. "I've never seen you cry before," she said. "What's wrong?"
I sighed, wiping the rest of my tears away. "My mom's in labor right now, so I went with my parents to the hospital because my dad wanted me to get checked out. I hadn't been acting like myself lately and I thought it was because of what happened between me and you, but it wasn't. I have this thing called Wilson's disease. It can be life-threatening if not treated properly. I'm getting medication but if it doesn't work, my liver can get damaged and I'll need a transplant and everything is messed up right now and nothing is going right for me. I've done nothing wrong, but my life is crap. And I can't handle it anymore."
"I'm so sorry this is happening to you," Violet said sincerely. "Believe me when I say that you don't deserve it. You're the sweetest guy I know."
"It doesn't seem that way," I said.
"If this is about Levi, you don't have to worry about it anymore," Violet said. "I broke up with him yesterday. Cannon told me that Levi was still dating Lucy and as much as I didn't want to believe it, I did because it made sense. I felt like he was always lying to me and he was always texting someone and wouldn't tell me who it is. I feel stupid about it."
"You shouldn't have trusted Levi," I said. "He's a jerk and a liar and...."
"I'm not talking about me trusting Levi," she said. "Well, I kind of am. I was never happy with him, Hunter. He didn't make me feel special. He didn't treat me like you did and I was never fully comfortable around him. And all the time I was dating Levi, you were on my mind. I dumped you because I was afraid. I was afraid you would eventually leave me because of how famous you're becoming. I was afraid you wouldn't want me holding you back."
"Are you kidding me?" I asked. "You're the whole reason I started performing. You're the reason I got this far."
Violet was silent for a bit before saying, "I'm in love with you, Hunter. I never stopped loving you after we broke up. You're the only boy I ever want to be with."
I didn't say anything. I didn't have to. We leaned in at the same time and pressed our lips together. Violet reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck as mine went around her waist. Every single spark we felt, everything single emotion I had came rushing back. And yeah, maybe some people wouldn't have forgiven someone that easy but....it was Violet. I couldn't stand being apart from her and she was the only person who helped me get through tough situations.
We pulled away at the same time, looking into each other's eyes. "I love you too," I said. It felt good to say that while I wasn't begging for her not to break up with me.
Violet smiled before pressing her lips on mine again. So my life wasn't going that great, but I knew she would help me through it. She always did.
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Yay, they're back together! (: This is officially the longest chapter I wrote for this book and I'm quite proud of it. Yes, I feel bad for Hunter, but at least his condition isn't too bad.
I was seriously loving Cannon in this chapter. Hunter and Cannon have the best bromance out of all my male characters. Probably because all of my male characters don't really have male friends. There's Grayson and Laughlin, but they're only friends because of Elliot. And they haven't known each as long as Hunter and Cannon. cx
The tour officially starts next chapter. And since his parents will be with him, you get to meet little Ivy who will be a week old.