* Hunter's Pov *
Kat wasn't a whore. She'd never fucked anyone. She promised her Mom she'd wait until she was 16. But she wanted to fuck someone. She wanted to fuck Josh, I knew she did. Otherwise she wouldn't be trying so hard to impress him or putting on loads of makeup or always going out with him. She was really fucking stupid. She said he was different but he wasn't. I saw him looking at her. He wasn't looking at her in a nice way. He was looking at her like he wanted to fuck her. And she didn't have a problem with that.
-
* Kat's Pov *
"What's up with you?" I asked Hunter as I came through to our room. Chris was out on a shift, Mom was in bed, and Hunter was sat wide awake snapping the band on his wrist.
"I'm fine," he muttered.
"You sure? You look a little-"
"I'm fine!" He growled and grabbed his phone, throwing it with a force so hard that it more or less made a dent in the door; at least an inch away from my head.
"Alright," I said quietly. I pulled my hoodie off, tossing it over onto the bed and then I made my way over to my drawers. Pulling out my pajamas, I looked at Hunter through the mirror but then froze a little. "Hunter-"
"Ask me if I'm ok again and I'll fucking kill you,"
"I wasn't gonna ask if you were ok," I murmured and turned around to face him. "I was gonna ask you why you've been crying,"
"I haven't,"
"Hunter your eyes are red as fuck," I said obviously. "You don't..you don't need to tell me why, ok? I just want to know, honestly, if you're ok."
Hunter just nodded, and I sighed. Making my way over to him, I knealt down at the edge of his bed and leaned in forwards. His green eyes stared back into mine, and I'd never felt more insecure. It was just the way he was looking at me, it was like he was trying to read me. I didn't know how to respond.
"Hunter..what's wrong?"
"Just.." he took in a deep breath and looked down, holding his hands together tightly. "Don't let him hurt you..ok?"
"Who? Josh?"
He nodded.
"I promise," I said; almost bewildered. "I promise, Hunter."
*
"So did you have fun last night?" Mom asked me as I poured some cereal into a bowl. Chris had gotten back about an hour ago and he was sleeping like a baby, so it was pretty much just gonna be me, Mom and Hunter again today.
"Yeah it was good," I murmured. "Managed to get myself a boyfriend,"
"What? It's not even been 2 weeks! You could've had a look around before jumping to the first guy you saw,"Mom joked and I laughed a little. I was about to say something sarcastic back but Hunter beat me to it.
"She's not a whore like you,"
"Hunter," I said quietly. "She didn't mean it like that,"
"Whatever," he muttered.
God, I felt sorry for my Mom. I mean, yeah she could give Hunter a hard time. Even the other day when he was off his meds and struggling with work she called him stupid. But she got abuse from him whenever she tried to joke with me like a Mother should do. She wasn't a whore. Her and my Dad had been childhood sweathearts up until..his death. And then she'd married Chris. My Mom couldn't be a whore when the 2 relationships she'd had, lasted her up to this very moment.
*
We were sat around the table. Me, Mom and Chris. We were all trying to eat without realizing what we could hear. It happened a lot, so we were used to it. But still, everytime that it happened we all were shocked.
"FUCK!" Hunter screamed. He was in our bedroom, and he was screaming and thrashing and throwing things around. We could hear things being broken and smashes and there were so many bangs and shouts along with Hunter's desperate screams.
He did this when he was really angry. And I don't mean, he lost his phone angry. I mean he was most likely having a melt down.
The last time he did this, we found out that he had severe depression. He'd just been so angry, he was practically lashing out every single day at the fucking wall. So Chris took him to a psychiatrist, who kept Hunter in a safe place in the hospital for a few nights, and when he came out he came out with a perscription for an incredibly high dosage of prozap.
Thing is, we didn't know what the fuck was wrong. Apart from him getting drunk and being off his meds for a few days, but that was over a week ago. There was nothing in our lives that seemed to be affecting him.
"Fuck," I hissed under my breath. Hunter had made an incredibly loud bang and it had scared the living hell out of me. I wanted to go scream at him to calm the fuck down, but I couldn't. When Hunter was like this, I was scared of him. I mean, he'd given Chris a black eye in his sleep. He'd broken his own hand by punching. Hunter was seriously dangerous for a 16 year old boy.
I looked at Chris slowly and he was burrying his face in his hands. He stayed like that for a little while before standing up from the table, and making his way towards the door.
"Are you ok, sweetie?" Mom asked me; placing her hand on my own.
"I can't deal with this," I confessed. "If Hunter's not angry as fuck, then he's depressed as fuck. I can't do anything without it setting him off. I can't live like this, it's freaking torture."
"I know it's hard Kat but-"
"But what? He'll get better?"
"One day,"
"No," I rolled my eyes. "Hunter's not going to get better. The only way he'll get better is if he lets someone help him. And seriously, do you see that happening anytime soon?"
*
"What was wrong with him?" I asked Chris as he walked back into the kitchen after 30 minutes or so. I was making a smoothie because there was nothing else to do, and sat up on the counter.
"He's just upset," Chris murmured as he reached into one of the cupboards. He pulled out the first aid kit and I bit my lip in worry.
"Please tell me he's not-"
"I did everything I could," he whispered. "I hid the razors..told you to keep your straightners out of his sight-"
"I did!"
"I know," he said.
"What did he use?"
"Forced the blade out of a sharpener..smashed the mirror to use the glass. Hell, he even used a rubber to burn himself,"
"Can you even do that?"
"It can scar for years,"
"Oh my God," I groaned. "Why has he done it?"
"It's personal. I can't tell you," he admitted. "But I am so sorry for this Kat. Your Mom and I know how much you're struggling to deal with everything that Hunter goes through,"
"Chris it's fine,"
"No it's not," he pressed. "Your Mom thinks it'll do you good if you talk to your school counsellor about it,"
"What? No fucking-"
"Kat I am on the edge of breaking here," Chris practically shook as he forced the words out his mouth. He slammed his fist down on the counter and closed his eyes for a brief moment. "I'm trying to help you both of you kids here and believe me, it's not the easies thing to do. So I don't care what you say, you're seeing the counsellor."
"But I don't want-"
"Do you think Hunter wants to?"
"No but-"
"Kat I'm trying my hardest here!" He exclaimed. "Talk to your Mom about it. I need to help my son,"
*
When I went into my room at 11 o'clock at night, I looked around. Everything was a mess. The mirror on my dresser was broken, there were dents in the walls, the table and chair were kicked over and curtains were pulled from the window.
Hunter was sat up in bed. In a pair of black boxers and an Asking Alexandria black shirt, he leaned against the headboard. I looked to his arms. I couldn't help it. I knew that it was rude, but I had to see them.
His right arm had a bandage over it, so I couldn't see much there. But his knuckles were bloody and bruised so I could tell that he'd been punching things repeatedly. His left arm was more so. Bloody scab-like burns ran all up and down, over his wrist and faded cuts and scars remained the same.
"Hunter," I said quietly. Sat alone in the dark with his knees pulled up to his chest, he looked terrified. In a way, it made me think that was how he looked when he lived with his parents. He just looked so scared, afraid, angry, and clueless..it was heartbreaking.
"Are you ok?" I whispered; my voice almost shaking.
It was like a horror movie. Someone who's seemingly innocent strikes out and attacks you. That is exactly what seemed to be happening here. But even though I knew Hunter would most likely strike out at me, I still walked towards him.
Knealing down at the side of his bed, I looked up to his green eyes. "Are you ok?"
He didn't reply. But then I didn't exactly expect him to say anything to me. He hardly ever did anyways, let alone when he was in moods like this.
"Do you wanna watch something? Mom just unpacked all the dvds,"
He shook his head slowly and I took in a deep breath.
"You sure? We got pokemon," I smiled and nudged his side.
But instead of responding, he just lifelessly tilted to the side before returning back to normal. And then he looked at me with a face that seemed to be begging for help. And then through clenched teeth, he hissed; "fuck off,"
"Hunter-"
"Just fuck off,"
"It's my room too," I reminded him.
"Then go to sleep,"
"Not until I know you're ok,"
"I'm fine,"
"Hunter-"
"I'm fine!"
His voice raised and I shrank back a little bit. Looking down to the floor, I fiddled with my hands. I knew I was annoying him, but I didn't want him doing something stupid whilst I was asleep. I was almost terrified that I'd wake up and he'd be dead with slit wrist or an overdose. It was terrifying.
"Do you wanna hug?"
I found myself being shoved backwards. Toppling over onto my back, I whimpered a little as I realized what just happened. Hunter had grabbed my shoulder, and with force and effort, thrown me back across the room. It hurt like fuck as my head slammed against the floor, and I bit my lip to stop more whimpers from coming out.
But as I sat up, I realized something. Chris told me that even when Hunter is in desperate need and want of physical affection, he rejected it with physical actions. And with what he'd just done, I knew what his answer to my question was.
So ignoring the pain in my back and head, I brought myself up to my feet. I think Hunter caught on to what I was doing as he moved close towards the edge of the bed and whimpered quietly. He bit his lip and fiddled with his thumbs, and in seconds alone tears were streaming down his face.
When I first got to his bed, he shielded himself from me. But I knew that he needed this.
I grabbed his arms and seperated them without much struggle from him. Sitting with my back against the board, I pulled Hunter close to me and expecting him to punch me in the face, I was proven wrong when his arms wrapped so tightly around my waist.
"It's ok," I said immediatley; almost in shock that Hunter was actually hugging me. When his face burried itself into my lap, I rubbed his back soothingly and bit my lip as he cried into me. It was so out of character for him but I couldn't aknowledge that right now.
I just sat there, running one hand up and down his back whilst the other played through his hair. He was shaking into me and his whimpers eventually evolved into cries. They were so desperate and terrified that it was bringing tears to my own eyes, but I held them back. I had to look after him just like I had the first time we met.
"Why are you so upset? What's wrong?"
"They..they..died," Hunter managed to force out between whimpers and struggled breaths. "He..k-killed them to..day,"
"What?" I asked in confusion. "Who killed who?"
"D-Dad," he whimpered. "He killed..t-them,"
And that was where it clicked. I wasn't sure of it, but it had to be true, right?
Chris never spoke of anything to do with Hunter's parents. Like I said, it was a no go zone. But with Hunter being so upset and angry for no reason at all, it just made sense. It was the anniversary; the anniversary of his parents death. 2 years ago today, Hunter's Dad killed his Mom and then himself; leaving Hunter in the care of an adoption agency until Chris took him.
It must be horrible for him..to live back on it. I couldn't even imagine. On the day of my Dad's anniverary..it was horrible. It was always horrible. But I hadn't seen his death. I hadn't been through trauma before that. But Hunter..he'd seen the death of his parents and been lucky to escape it himself.
"Hey..it's gonna be ok," I promised him. "Everything's gonna be ok,"
I reached for the blankets and pulled them up to cover up me and Hunter. He pulled himself up from my lap and I kept my arms open so he could fit in at my side. With his head in my chest and his arms around my waist, even though he was crying and whimpering, it was nice.
I liked it.
And we ended up staying like that all night. With Hunter burrying himself into me and me holding him as tightly as I could, he eventually fell asleep with me not so long after.
*
{ Hai. Ima being doing some flashbacks from Hunter's point of view in upcoming chapters so that those of you who haven't red the first edition of this can understand his past.
Hunter's so cayoooote in this chapter. He's just, bleh, adorable. I love him. And you can kinda start to see that Kat is also struggling day to day because of Hunter's actions. So um, yeye.
And I know some people may find this triggering with the self harm scenes, but don't let it get to you. When I'm writing it I get a bit, meh. But you know, butterfly project works like a charm. Google it if you don't know what it is, and message me anytime you want. Ok my lovelies?c: }