Victoria's P.O.V:
Finally it was the end of the day and I couldn't be happier. The rest of the day had passed by uneventfully. I never saw Mai again, she was probably avoiding me, which I didn't mind, and my last two classes were great. My music and history classes were nice. Yeon was in both of them, which gave me someone to talk to that I knew.
During the classes, Yeon and I talked about what happened after Mai and I had our disagreement. Apparently she was pissed for the most part, but was also somewhat shocked and embarrassed. Yeon claims that she was saying some words about me that need not be repeated, but she could just be saying that because she doesn't like Mai either. But hey, I was just glad to know that I had a friend on my side, one that I knew I could trust, and it was just my first day. She had introduced me to some of her other friends, but I already forgot their names. I'm not very good with names. Faces though, I could remember.
I had gathered up my stuff and was about to walk through the front doors when I heard someone calling my name. I turned my head to see Hunter pushing and shoving his way through people as he made his way towards me. It was quite the sight. Even though Hunter was about a foot taller than everyone else in this school, people weren't making it easy for him to get through. It was such a hilarious situation that I had to bite my bottom lip to stop myself from laughing.
"Victoria!!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, which caused people to give him strange looks. I started to shake from holding in my laughter now. He had just told off some kid that wouldn't move out of his way and was now a couple of feet away from me. I looked past him and saw the poor kid he'd yelled at running away in fear and it looked as though he had started crying, but I couldn't be so sure.
"Hello to you too. Can I help you with something?" I asked him with a smile, still holding back my laughter. I knew that if I let it out then I wouldn't be able to stop.
"Can I help you with something? That's all you can say? I just pushed past a shitload of people to stop you and yelled your name at the top of my lungs and made myself look like a crazy person, and you stand here acting all calm?! You know what? Nevermind, I was going to come over here and see if we could go home together since we live in the same building and the same floor, but you know what, screw that! I'm leaving!" Hunter finished his rant, turned on his heels, and began to walk away.
"Wait! Hunter!! I'd love to get a ride with you!" I screamed before he could leave completely. Which in turn earned me a few stares of my own, not that they weren't trying to catch a glimpse of me before. The new girl that has her own video, not even a day has passed and I seem to have formed some sort of reputation.
Hunter turned back around to face me and gave me a death stare, that clearly was fake, because not two seconds after he saw my face did he smile and say,"You really would?" with some kind of hope that I had never really seen on his face before.
"Of course I would. Plus I thought that being alone in a car with my driver would be too awkward anyway," I said with a small laugh.
His smile brightened at that and we made our way down to the pick up area in front of the school. And if I thought that the inside was packed, then I sure as hell was surprised when I saw all the black and various other colored luxury cars lined up to pick up students. I knew that many of these students were rich, but not to where they all had drivers. Then again, I'm not one to talk.
Hunter and I fought our way through the crowd of people while I yelled at him,"which one is yours?"
I honestly have no idea as to how he or anyone for that matter would be able to find their car in this chaos. Most of these cars were the same model and color.
"You just have to trust me!" Hunter yelled back.
And so I did. I allowed him to pull me through the crowd, in which I earned a few good elbows to my body and feet getting stepped on, that I returned with an even greater shove back. I really didn't deal with people messing with me well, which is one reason why I play basketball.
A couple of minutes later and we arrived in front of a nice, black sleek Audi A7 with a driver out and ready to open the back door for us. He took our bags and put them in the trunk while we got ourselves situated in the car. As we were getting in, I couldn't help but admire the rich black leather seats and took a deep breath to fully inhale and savor the new car smell it had to it, while closing my eyes.
"I take it you like the car?" Hunter teased, looking at me with his eyebrows raised and amusement clear in his eyes.
"Shut up. I can't help it if that I love cars. And this baby's awesome," I replied, a bit snarky at first, but with awe laced in my voice at the end of my declaration.
"Yeah, she's great. Too bad you can't drive her though."
"What...? Oh, right..." I said, disappointed and slighty sad. I really enjoy driving, and not being able to do so will be a really difficult adjustment for me. "I can't believe I'm not allowed to drive here."
"I know. I had just gotten my permit and was learning to drive when we moved here, so I wasn't that used to it, but still. What did you guys do with your cars when you moved here?" Hunter asked, his tone slightly sad. He really did enjoy learning to drive. I remember how excited he was when he got his permit and everything. And loved his first driving lesson, its a shame that he couldn't continue when he moved here.
"The usual. Sold them. I wish we hadn't. I absolutely adore my car. She was so pretty with her red paint job and black convertible. Ugh...Why did I have to move here, no offence Hunt. Seeing you has been great and all, but I'm pretty homesick right now," I admitted, my throat closing a little as I thought about home and all of my friends and old school.
I normall don't show my emotions, but right now I think that I was a little in over my head. I really missed my old life in Atlanta. It was my senior year, my last chance to be with my friends and everything before going off to college, but now that's all changed. I didn't even get to see my mother and brother's grave before we left and say goodbye, not knowing when my next chance to visit it would be.
At that thought my eyes were really tearing up and one tear escaped and slid down my cheek. I didn't make a move to wipe it away, and wasn't looking at Hunter anymore, but he must've seen the tear, because the next thing I know he's wiping it away for me.
And I can't say that I didn't feel tingles across my cheek where his thumb had touched my skin because that would be lying.
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Hunter's POV:
"The usual. Sold them. I wish we hadn't. I absolutely adored my car. She was so pretty with her red paint job and black convertible. Ugh...Why did I have to move here, no offence Hunt. Seeing you has been great and all, but I'm pretty homesick right now," she admitted to me with slight hesitancy as her voice broke, ever so slightly.
She stayed quite for a while, faced turned forward, eyes focused, a look of deep and profound thought running across her face. I remember her car, it was a red Volkswagen convertible Beetle. Her parents had bought it when we were in the sixth grade, and had promised to give it to her on her 16th birthday as long as she got her license.
Suddenly a tear slipped from her eye and I instantly felt bad. It was Victoria's last year in high school and her dad had to make them move here unexpectedly. I mean, on one side I was really happy that she was here. She was my best friend from before, but at the same time she didn't deserve to have to leave her old life without fair warning. She needed more preparation time and was getting overwhelmed. I've only seen Victoria cry a handful of times since I've known her, but most of those times were because she got hurt playing basketball or volleyball.
I carefully reached out and wiped away her tear with the pad of my thumb. My hand lingered a little longer than necessary, but for some unknown reason I had this feeling that I needed to comfort her in any way possible. I turned her head to face me, so that she was looking at me dead on as I whispered," I'm sorry Victoria."
She just stared at me before more tears fell from her eyes and her body began to shake a little from the small sobs that were escaping. I slowly wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer to me. She held on tightly to my shirt as she sobbed uncontrollably.
" I-I mi-miss th-em s-so m-m-much," she cried.
" I know," I said soothingly, or at least what I thought was soothingly. Honestly, I was not sure of who she was exactly talking about. I know she most likely misses our friends and actual home for her. But specific people...not so much.
I let her cry some more as we continued our drive to the appartement building. Once her sobbing began to calm down and her breathing was slightly normal she pulled away a little to wipe her eyes.
"Sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen. Or for you to see that," she admitted, looking quite embarrassed. Like I said, Victoria wasn't that emotional of a person, but once she kept her feelings bottled up for so long they kind of exploded at some point. Not many people get the honor of seeing her cry because of some deep emotions, but I have the fortune that she trusts me enough to allow me to see.
Upon thinking about this trust, I don't want to break it but I have to ask as to who she was refering to. Perhaps her brother because he should be at college and wouldn't move her with her parents, but the people she was refering to was a "people" not a person. Plural, not singular.
" Hey Vic?"
" Yeah."
" Who were you refering to? When you said you missed 'them'." I asked quitely unsure of what her reaction would be.
Her eyes widened at that, and she looked like a deer a caught in headlights. Conflicting emotions passed across her features as she was in deep thought, deciding whether or not she was going to tell me her secret. What was she hiding from me exactly? Did she not trust me enough to tell me? I was about to tell her nevermind, to forget I even mentioned anything, when she began to speak.
" I was refering to my brother. And my mom," she whispered it, so quietly that I thought I may have misheard, but I didn't.
Why would she miss her mother? Wasn't she here with Mr. Anderson? Ryan, her brother, on the other hand I could understand. He was older in college, no need for him to move here with the rest of the family. But from the last thing I knew the Anderson couple were still together, not separated.
" Why do you miss your mom? Isn't she here?" I asked thoroughly confused, looking straight at Vic as she refused to meet my eyes.
" No she's not here. Neither of them are. They're both dead Hunter. They died, about a year and a half ago," she said as she finally met my eyes and new tears were forming in hers. To say I was shocked is an understatment. If they died that long ago, why didn't anyone tell me? Was I not worthy enough to know because I was halfway around the world? A million thoughts were coursing through me as I let the information soak in. But one thing was for sure. Why was this kept a secret from me?
And how did it happen?
But before I could voice my thoughts, she spoke up,"It was from a car accident. We were driving over to North Carolina to see Duke University for Hunter, when suddenly a drunk driver drove over the double yellow line and hit us head on. My mom and Hunter were in the front seat and died on contact. The driver died as well, and I got away with really bad whiplash and some bad cuts from the shattered glass, because I was in the backseat. To this very day I can still hear the sickening sound of their necks breaking. We left to come here before I even got the chance to say goodbye and visit their graves one last time."
I was struck speechless. I honestly couldn't say a thing. We sat there in dead silence, just staring at each other as the car continued its path to our building. I'm not sure how long it was before I said anything, but when I finally found my voice it came out hoarse and unrecognizable.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Victoria looked confused at first, but then a mixture of regret and pain settled on her face.
"Hunter, I'm so sorry, but you were just really busy and had enough on your plate that I thought-"
"You thought what Vic? That I wouldn't be able to handle it? That I couldn't comfort you in some way? Give my condolences? I know that I was on the other side of the world but that shouldn't stop you or anyone else from telling me about my friends when they are in need!" I had interrupted her, and couldn't stop myself from being angry and upset. This was bombshell that should have been shared with me when it happened, not a year and a half later.
"No Hunter. I didn't mean that. But you had your own issues and I didn't want to be one of them. I'm really sorry, but please you have to understand that I was in a dark place then and wasn't thinking straight. If I could go back and tell you the truth when it happened I would in a heartbeat. Please forgive me," she begged, looking at me with her moist eyes, ready to overflow with tears once more. I contemplated for a moment before giving in.
"Alright, I forgive you. But you must know that you can never lie to me like that again. Escpecially about something that important," I warned.
"Thank you Hunter! And I promise that I will never lie to you again. I can't afford to lose you again," she said so sincerely that I had to put my arms around her and never wanted to let go.
" I know. I can't lose you either."