Chapter 16: Ranger Toto or Slobbering On Her Neck
Cember's house except theres a bigger tree on the left side where her room is.
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"Rafiki: It means you're a baboon... and I'm not.
Simba: I think you're a little confused.
Rafiki: Wrong! I'm not the one who's confused. You don't even know who you are!"-The Lion King
December’s Pov.
"Hunter why am I in your bed?" I looked down seeing my bare shoulders and panicked for a mid second before realizing that my shirt was sleeveless and that I could literally feel it on still; and that my jeans were only loose because of the rips.
"Please. Stop. Yelling." Hunter groaned holding a pillow of his head and curled into the side of his bed as far away from me as possible. He pulled his navy blue comforter from me and wrapped it around his body like a cocoon.
“Why am in your bed?” I asked again, my voice a little higher in octave. He thought this would be the perfect moment to crack a joke. It came out muffled but I could hear him clearly.
“Maybe you decided to succumb to your inner desires.”
“Not the time.” I hissed picking up a small book off his shelf and whacking him with it.
“Ow! Can I just have my hangover in peace please?” He whined.
“Stop overreacting December.” Tristan urged, flipping his blond hair out of his face. “I put you two in here. If Hunter came home drunk and his mom caught him. She’d skin both him and me alive and I like my skin, thank you. Besides I couldn’t have taken you home. What would your parents think? Don’t even get me started on your uncle. He drove past while I was getting you two in the house.”
I remembered most of what happened while I was drunk but parts were patchy. The events once in the car was a whole different story. I couldn't remember a thing. I would have to talk to Hunter about it later when my head was pounding.
“Oh no! My uncle and my parents! I have to go.” I rushed up bringing my headache back up and causing me to fall back to the bed. I was talking entirely too much and it only brought on the pain even more. I could remember mostly everything except the ride home; that was fuzzy.
“Well I wouldn’t go home without breakfast and washing your face because you look like shit.” My mouth gaped open, but this was brutally honest Tristan. Deep down I knew he was right but it didn’t stop me from glaring at him.
“I’d still do you." Hunter mumbled and I smacked him in the head causing another groan. I picked the pillow up and placed it over his head pressing down.
Tristan noticed me trying to smother his best friend, from the door frame and just looked. He didn’t try to stop me. “If you’re trying to kill him press harder towards the nose area.”
Another whine ensued at the bottom of the bed, stopping me from smothering Hunter and before I could look down he groaned, "Someone take Toto out."
I released the pillow and Hunter tossed it off of him, eyes still closed. "Toto?" I questioned and when I looked off the edge of the bed I saw a white terrier at the bottom getting ready to jump up on the bed.
"Aww he's cute.” I cooed but then he whined again, “but his whining is bringing the head ache back." I held my head and laid back down for a couple of seconds, wishing that the room would stop spinning.
“Come on. Act at least somewhat normal, Muse is here with us. Your mom was called in on short notice.” Tristan walked over to us and ripped the covers from Hunter. He didn’t even mind he just kept his eyes closed and sighed through his nose.
***
When Tristan finally was able to get us up he let Toto, the adorably mid-aged dog out into the back yard to handle his business. He kept the sliding back doors open so that when the dog was ready he could come back in.
Hunter and I were in the kitchen at the nook resting are heads on our hands while Tristan was in the kitchen scrambling eggs.
“So what happen on the ride home?” Hunter muttered finally lifting his head and picking up some concoction Tristan made to get rid of the hangover. I took a quick sniff and gagged so I was not going to drink that. Hunter just shrugged and swallowed a quarter of the unknown liquid down. It was an orange-ish color, and wasn’t thick in consistency but it definitely was thicker than normal juice.
"Well let’s see.” And it went downhill from there. “You drunk read to Muse. That was an interesting experience for us all. You tried to make out with December but you were just slobbering on her neck. December tripped up the front steps and ripped her pants. You both laughed so hard you could barely breathe. The rubber mats—thank God they were rubber, mats in the car are ruined because you thought you’d pee on it.” He disclosed rolling his eyes and flipping the bacon on the skillet.
“Oh and the worse is that you and December both threw up in your mom’s vase—which I being a great brother-like friend cleaned for you. You’re welcome idiots." He finished cooking at the same time he ended that sentence, setting a plate of bacon and eggs in front of us.
The food was actually delicious and I watched him cook it so I knew it wasn't poisoned. That was obviously a long night for Tristan who had to take care of two drunken children.
“I drunk read to Muse?” Hunter muttered out loud. Tristan was leaning on both hands in front of the nook. His blond hair was styled normally and his eyes were shining—well didn’t he look just happy. Meany.
“Yup, you sounded so stupid! She said ‘Hunter just give me the book ‘cause you can’t read.’ I laughed so hard I nearly cried.” He was laughing now, just remembering it. “Let me tell you the story from the beginning. I force you and her up, and you started tilting towards the door. Hunter pushed it open first and went through. You missed the front step and fell splitting your pants down the sides and he laughed causing you to laugh. Hunter wondered back outside—where your Uncle saw him and slowed down the car, but I pushed him inside and closed the door—you’re welcome again.”
Tristan paused in the story to take a breath and laugh a little. He flipped his hair again and pulled out an orange juice bottle pouring a glass. Next thing I know a little brown headed girl with two pig-tails bound into the kitchen and onto the stool next to me. She beamed a tooth-missing grin at her brother, Tristan, and I before grabbing the juice and slurping it down.
“So we made it into the living room, where you and Hunter were already on the floor and he was slobbering on your neck and you were just leaning into it with a smile. Suddenly you got up and ran to the vase, where I guess you couldn’t try to make it to the bathroom and you threw up, December. Then because you threw up, Hunter had to throw up. Let’s just say there was a lot of vomit.” He wrinkled his nose in disgust.
When Tristan finished his story Toto decided it was finally time to come in, so he did with a slow trot. Muse’s eyes lit up and she leaped off the stool towards the dog, rubbed him, and then with a gleeful shout she bellowed “Come on Ranger Toto! We have to go rescue those horses and save them from the bad people in the West!”
“The west?” I questioned asking Hunter where she got that from.
He opened his hazel eyes and replied “My little sister’s weird. She’s into Westerns this week.” He shrugged and got up from his seat leaving towards what I think was the bathroom. When he came back he handed me a pill to take and I notice it was an Advil. I swallowed it with Tristan’s nasty hangover remedy and nearly gagged again.
Hunter looked as good as ever if I was being honest. Although he had hangover, you would only tell by his behavior or if he told you. His black shirt from last night was a little looser after being slept in. His hair was disheveled from sleep; he was definitely rocking the whole ‘bed head’ look. He must have felt my eyes because he suddenly opened his again.
“What are you going to tell your parents?” Hunter wondered and I wondered that same thing.
“I have no idea. I’m just going to go home and see what they know.” I pulled out my phone to see about 10 missing calls in total; seven from my parents, two from my Uncle, and one from Anna. Anna also had left a voicemail so I chose to listen to that.
‘December! Where are you? Your parents and Uncle are looking for you. You’re lucky that I’m such a great sister-like friend and I covered for you and said you got sick and were at my house. I told them you’d be back by 10 am. Call me soon okay? I’m assuming you’re with Hunter because knowing that boy if you were to go missing he’d—‘
“Okay!” I interrupted the rest of the voicemail turning it off and soon as she started to talk about Hunter. I looked up to see the two boys staring at me curiously. I just shot them a glare and they backed off.
“Am I the only person who thought it was ironic that you two said the same thing about helping us?” Hunter voiced pushing his plate away from him towards Tristan who glared at him.
Tristan rolled his eyes and sneered, “Copier. She didn’t really even do that much work.”
I let that one go, because that was between them, not me. I looked at the time and saw that it was 9 so I had one more hour to relax before facing my parents. Well I did already look terrible so the whole ‘sick’ lie would make absolute sense.
I called Anna back and she showered me with words about being worried and called me every Hindi name in the book for naïve girl. I tried to tell her what happen but she just said that she’d stop by my house later on to make sure. Once Anna was set on something, there was nothing I could do. She was going to do it no matter what.
I got up Hunter’s eyes following me till I left the room; I was going to find Muse and see what she was up to and tell her that I was leaving soon.
I found her in her room on top of the bed, Toto at her side, and she was waving a belt in the air like a lasso, swinging it to land on a bear. “Get the bear Ranger Toto!” She yelled oblivious to my presence at the door. The dog lunged at the bear and brought it back to the little girl who patted his head.
When she finally did, she smiled and said “Wanna here stories ‘bout my big brother?”
“Which one?” I was curious though, so either way I’d listen.
“Hunter, silly!” I nodded and she beckoned me into her room and I sat down on the floor with her and Toto.
When Hunter walked in I was on the floor clutching my stomach from the stories the young girl was telling me, even though she didn’t find them funny, she just knew they happen.
“So he just ate the mud?” I giggled and the little girl beamed nodding her head.
“What’s going on?” Hunter asked walking all the way into the room. He was wearing a white T-shirt and a pair of jogging pants, so I knew he took a shower.
“Nothing, your little sister was just telling me stories Little Muffin Pants and I ate mud boy.” I tried not to laugh but I failed miserably.
“I had nowhere else to put the muffins! And the little devil and Tristan told me that mom had made chocolate cake!” I laughed so hard that I just made no sounds on the carpet. Hunter didn’t like all the laughter at his expense so he came over and tickled his sister and I in attempts to get us to laugh so hard that we’d beg for mercy.
Muse had given up and called Toto over to attack her brother and the dog did, playfully of course. I knew there was a reason I loved being in this house. It just felt so much homier.
***
Hunter was walking me home, but because of the time of day we were using the backstreets. My Uncle would definitely be lurking since I didn’t come home; despite Anna telling him that I was at her house.
“I really don’t want to face them.” I sighed leaning my head back and looking up at the sky. Although it was clear and the sun was beaming like usual, I didn’t feel that same. Even with Hunter here—who more than I’d like to admit made me somewhat ‘happy’, it felt off.
“Someone great once said ‘You can either run from it or learn from it’” Hunter replied, gripping my shoulders and looking me directly in the eye. We were behind my house and I was going to walk around to the front. The slight breeze from the wind made Goosebumps rise on my skin, or I was nervous. I didn’t really care to try to decipher the two.
“Hunter that was Rafiki from lion king” I scratched my head and prepared myself to start walking. But not before looking back up at the boy in front of me.
“Doesn’t make it less true or him less of a philosopher,” He added and I nodded agreeing, because he did have a point.
“When did you start spilling quotes?” He smiled and me before digging a hand in my hair and the other on my back pulling my closer.
“When I know that my girl needs it.”
“I’m not your girl, Hunter.” I shook my head at the boy, but smiled anyway. I was kind of use this, kind of not. It still rose up an unknown feeling.
But if I learned anything, it’s that you should let life take you where it’s meant to. Not necessarily just allow things to happen; but that everything happens for a reason.
Hunter appeared in my life for a reason and like he just quoted ‘I could either learn from it or run from it’ and although I tried to run, for this particular experience I couldn’t outrun it.
“Not yet,” he winked and I shoved him in the chest a little. His arms were still wrapped around me and I have no idea why I didn’t say anything.
“Let go of me,” He released me immediately. “So you obviously haven’t been kissed July.” He was obviously trying to take my mind off my impending doom. I had about ten minutes before I had to be back anyway.
“Shut up. I don’t need to be kissed.” I waved the fact off, he didn’t need to know.
“So you’re trying to tell me you never practiced on your hand?” He asked amused a small smirk on the corner of his mouth.
“Noo” I cried rubbing my hand down my face, “How do you know if I ever been kissed or not?”
“Because I can spot a virgin from a mile away. You still have your *kissginity(or lipginity).” He replied with a shrug and I felt the wind pick up again. I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Hunter that’s not a word and you don’t know me.”
“Then kiss me then.” He replied simply his hazel eyes melting into my brown ones. The look was intense and I didn’t know if I liked it.
“I uh what—” I babbled not making any sense.
“If you kissed someone before, you wouldn’t be worried about me taking you first kiss.”
“Whatever. I’m not worried.” I started to back up and he walked forward with me. I stumbled a bit over an empty water can and it made a bit of noise.
Hunter puckered his lips and closed his eyes leaning in and I closed my eyes face tightly coiled up, but before our lips could touch my Uncle’s Police sirens broke the moment and causing me and Hunter to both jump and crack our heads together.
I didn’t like Hunter in that way so why was I going to let him kiss me? I won’t lie I did want some practice for the real world, because I am a girl who hasn’t had much attention from the opposite sex in my lifetime. I think if Anna could see me now she’d probably be cheering me on and scolding me at the same time.
“December?” My Uncle called from the front or the side of the house. I finally opened my eyes to see Hunter was gone. He probably sensed my Uncle was coming. “What are you doing?”
“Had a coughing fit, didn’t want to bring it in the house. Thought I get a little bit more, fresh air before coming in” I lied. I was getting a little too good at lying, I just hope I wouldn’t have to do it more often, but being friends with Hunter I know that I would have to.
“Oh, well we have a lot to discuss now come inside.” I blew out a breath and walked beside him until we were in the house.
My parents hugged me and looked me over to make sure I was alright. “I could’ve sworn I heard you come in last night, sweetie!” My mom gushed hugging me tighter.
“I did, for a change of clothes because we were going out to eat, but I didn’t want to wear my dress. I ended up getting sick at the restaurant.” I lied once again and I didn’t feel bad about it. That’s what scared me.
My dad felt my forehead “You feel normal, so are you feeling better?” I nodded but my Uncle wasn’t buying it.
“I don’t know. The time and place stories aren’t adding up. I didn’t see Anna drop you off. And why are you jeans ripped?” I openly glared at him, and I could tell that shocked him for a moment.
“Have I ever lied before? No, so why are you questioning me now?” I know it seemed like I was getting an attitude but I was. That was annoying of him. His eyes narrowed at me and my parents could sense the oncoming argument that was going to ensue.
“It’s fine December, just please remember to call if you’re not going to come home we were worried. And Anna probably picked those jeans out! I got the wrong size on a trip.” My mom assured and gave me one final hug. I walked off to my room but not before giving my Uncle one more of my angry looks.
I stayed nearby so that I could hear what they would say when I left. “So you’re just going to take that excuse? Teenagers lie all the time! She was probably out with some boy fornicating.”
“We trust our daughter! And that’s something that many teenagers do, even if she was we’re not going to just assume that out of nowhere. She never gave us a reason to distrust her so we’re not going to. I understand you’re looking out for her, but she’s young let her live a little.” My father explained; I sure did love him.
“And if you do find something to make you distrust her?”
“We won’t, but if we did then I don’t know.” My mother replied.
I had heard enough, I walked up my stairs and into my room plopping onto my bed. I was becoming someone who actually lived; someone who was finally standing against her Uncle. My life was fine before Hunter came in it, but it wasn’t like he was making it worse. All he was providing was company, it wasn’t like he was forcing me into doing illegal activities and I wasn’t going to have sex with him.
I was confused with Hunter though. I liked him as a friend but I didn’t want him to get the wrong impression. Like I knew he was bad for me and that he wanted to sleep with me, but maybe if I just let him have one kiss he’d leave me alone about it, then I could avoid it for the rest of our friendship.
Hunter was attractive. That I knew. But I didn’t want him to think I wanted him. I liked him as a person somewhat; from what I knew about him. But I didn't want to just be another one of his conquests. I refuse to be. But one thing that I did know was that I liked him around.
Please wrap your drunken arms around me and I'll let you call me yours tonight. Cause slightly broken's just what I need and if you give me what I want, then I'll give you what you like.-Avril Lavigne, Give You What You Like
And I knew I was playing with fire. Man I shouldn’t have come here alone, I’ve been looking for love in all the wrong places. Been telling myself I’m grown. But when I look in his eyes I’m his girl and he knows it.-Jojo, Thinking Out Loud
*Pretty sure I got the word 'kissginity'(really it was lipginity but I mixed it a little) from an episode of My Wife and Kids, it was ep 4 season 5. Oh and Send in BANNERS! I LOVE THEM!
Favorite part of the chapter? Thoughts on December's Uncle and Parents? Their Drunk actions? The interrupted moment? Thoughts on December's thought? The Lion King quotes?