(02) Hunter and His Love for Sirius Black

H U N T E R  J O N E S 

I had been playing pool for as long as I remembered. Why? Because I'm good at it and so is the money. Unlike Luc and Ty, I don't do MJ deals. Santiano has tried multiple times to recruit me, saying I have what it takes to be a good dealer, but I knew my life would be better off without it.

I worked as a bartender at Le Shack almost every night to support my two younger sisters. I spent the day at Le Shack, playing pool and getting easy cash from people who think they're better than me but end up proven wrong. What about school? Well, I wanted to drop out of high school but my uncle, who happened to be the principal, didn't allow me to. He said I was the school's golden boy and he couldn't afford to lose me.

Funny, right? Someone like me considered a golden boy. Perhaps even God loves to joke. I was extremely good at almost every subject, football, and hockey. I've won a few trophies for my school North High, but in return, I was allowed to skip some classes.

Just like today, I used my free-pass to skip Biology and History. I went to Le Shack right after the third period ended and spent the rest of my day reading Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban while waiting for my bartender shift to start.

It was around two P.M. when I saw Luc walking into the pub. He looked a little different today. No biker's jacket and no chains in his black jeans. Instead, he wore a grey shirt and black trousers. He saw me right away, knowing fully well that I'd be sitting nearby the pool table. "Hey, man," he greeted, taking the seat next to me. "Can I borrow your car?"

"Why?" I knew he lent his car to Ty but I also knew that Lucas wasn't a big fan of my Jeep. He said there was no beauty in it, unlike his black sedan —one that he called baby and treated better than his girlfriend.

"I have some errands to do," answered him curtly. Feeling that he was acting weird, I slipped my index finger in between pages and closed the book.

I turned to face him as I asked, "Like what?"

Luc raised his eyebrows and looked at the pool table. "You know, this and that. Unimportant stuff."

I doubted it was unimportant since he was clearly avoiding eye contact. "I won't lend you unless you tell me where you're going to."

"Fine," he sighed. "If you must know, I'm going to see my baby."

I shifted in my seat then straightened up to have a better look at him. I've known him for at least seven years now, even though Lucas wasn't the type of person who'd lie, I could tell when he was hiding something. He wouldn't dare to look me in the eye and always being vague when I asked further. "Uh-huh. Where?"

Luc deeply sighed. "Carlton High," he muttered softly.

Carlton High. "Isn't that Ty's—" I paused as the realization hit me. "I'm coming." I glanced at the page number before I closed the book and stood.

"Nah, it's okay. I'll take a bus."

I stepped right in front of him, blocking his way altogether. "Lemme drive you." I offered him my biggest, most innocent grin, hoping he'd take the hint.

He groaned. "Ty is going to kill me."

"Nah, he won't. He loves us too much to kill us, dude." I slung one arm over his shoulder and dragged him towards the exit. "Come on."

* * *

Now I knew the difference between private and public schools. Carlton High looked more than just a school, it had a different atmosphere. The high arched front gate gave the impression that this was a castle rather than a school.

I've parked my Jeep across the road, knowing I couldn't pass their gate unless I had a permit. I looked at my reflection in the rearview mirror one more time. My damp hair was slicked back. I didn't have enough time to use gel or anything else so I simply splash some water and brushed it using my hand. I nodded to myself and got out of the car.

I saw Luc leaning against the gate with his phone in one hand, probably typing a message to let Ty know that we've arrived. A few students walked past him in their clothes were as shiny as their school, they gave him a dirty look, making me suddenly aware of my attire. Damn. Maybe coming here wasn't a good idea after all.

I saw Ty coming in our direction and nudged Luc. "Why did you bring him?" He asked Luc while pointing one finger at me.

Luc sighed then shook his head. "It's not that I wanted to. But he insisted once he knew where I was coming to meet you."

"Oh shut up, dude, you owe me a ride so you shouldn't talk shit about me, especially in front of me." I shoved his arm jokingly. I shifted my eyes to Ty and asked, "Is she here?"

"Who?" asked Ty as he pulled out his phone and looked at the screen.

He looked like he didn't take my question seriously so I poked his ribs. "Dude! Is she really here?"

He finally put his phone away and gave me an exhausted look. "You need to stop playing the pronoun game and tell me who did you mean by 'she' if you want me to answer your goddamn question." I heard Lucas laughing, definitely entertained with all the fuss going on, but I could care less. I needed to know if Mey was around.

I threw my hands in the air out of frustration. Goddamnit, Ty! Did he really want me to say it? "The girl! Mey! Who else do you think I'm talking about?"

Ty frowned. "Who is—" he paused for a moment and gave me a weird look. He shifted his gaze to Luc and then back at me. "Yeah, I saw her in physics class in the fifth period today."

"Damn, dude! You're so lucky!" I slapped him on the back. If only I went to the same school as Mey, I'd never skip class. But Carlton High was only for those people who had money and brains. I may have the brains but even working as a bartender for the whole year wouldn't be enough to pay the tuition fee.

The thought distracted me for a second, keeping me off guard that I didn't realize what Luc was up to until he tousled my hair, ruining my masterpiece. "Goddamnit, Luc." I ran my hand through my hair, trying to put it back to its original place.

"So, where's baby?" asked Lucas once he finished laughing his ass off.

"She's alright," Ty answered. "Come on, she's in the parking lot." He started to walk and we followed him to the parking area at the back of the school. "See," he pointed at the black sedan, "no scratch, and no nothing. I've told you."

Luc walked closer and ran his hand over the hood of the car as if it was his lover and he was caressing her. He seriously needed to get a girlfriend; not a fake one but a real one. One that would show him real love so he'd stop giving too much affection towards an inanimate object.

After nearly ten minutes of checking up his baby, Lucas finally walked towards Ty and me, standing under the shade of a tree. "She's good." Lucas gave Ty a nod. "But I think she misses me as much as I miss her. When will you give her back?"

"I don't know," Ty scratched the back of his neck as he added, "probably a few more days."

Luc shook his head in disbelief. "People who are in love are the craziest and you two are the perfect example." He waved his hand at Ty and me.

I frowned. "Hey! Who said I'm in love?" I knew I fell in love with Mey but there was no way I'd admit that to these guys, especially when I haven't even said it to her.

"Uh-huh, dude, you insisted on coming here cos you know that Asian girl is a student here, so don't give me bullshit like, 'I need you to drive me' cos I was going to take the bus until you begged me to give me a ride." Lucas's words shut me up. "And you," he shifted his eyes to Ty and let out an exasperated sigh, "I thought I'd never see the day you'd fall for a girl and beg me to lend you my car." One corner of his mouth lifted, and laugh lines appeared in the corners of his eyes. "But I'm happy for you, man."

Lucas held out his hand to Ty and they did their usual complicated handshake. "Thanks, man."

"Though I'm still regretting ever telling you to go for the girl, cause now I'm away from my baby," said Luc as he spared one last look at his car before putting one hand on my shoulder and the other on Ty's. "Okay, let's go before I change my mind and drive baby home."

Ty and I laughed, causing us to have our hair messed up by Luc.

* * *

I knew Blake would deny the truth. I mean, come on, who would be stupid enough to admit that he drugged a girl so he could rape her?! Confronting him was a waste of time but at least we knew he really was the one putting the pills inside Autumn's drink at the party last night.

I walked through the hallway towards the front door. I tilted my head to the side and massaged the side of my neck using one hand while the other was carrying two thick Microbiology reference books. My whole body was sore after hours of studying. Mrs. Naduah has encouraged me to join the Science Olympiad for Biology and represent our school. At first, I thought that'd be a great opportunity and an add-up for my college application. But after days of spending more time at school, I wasn't sure if this was worth all the effort and neck pain.

"I should've known that you'd be the last one to leave school." A voice interrupted my thought and I stared ahead to see Hunter leaning against one of the columns. The white sleeveless shirt he was wearing showed the muscles I've imagined him having last night, his bicep was covered with tattoos of what looked like a flower. He looked so comfortable in his own skin, the complete opposite of me who always felt insecure.

I stopped in front of him and offered him a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I accompanied a friend. He needs to see Ty for a bit." His eyes softened and there was a hint of a smile on his lips. "Do you want me to help you carry those?" He pointed at the books I was carrying. Before I could answer, he took the books from my hand and carried them as if they weighed nothing.

"So," I tried to fill the silence as we walked towards the main door. "Have you figured out the three unforgivable curses?"

He scratched his head as he answered, "Not really. But I'm working on it."

"Oh, really?" I lifted one brow, looking at him in disbelief. "Which book are you reading now?" I couldn't help but wonder if he was reading the right book.

He held the books in one hand as he used his other hand to reach behind. In one quick motion, he pulled a book that he has been hiding in his back and showed it to me. "This one."

It was Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban. No wonder he hasn't figured out the curse yet. "Why didn't you start with the first book?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I really love Sirius Black." He looked at me and grinned. "I think he's damn wicked."

I nodded. "Yeah. I cried when he died."

We've reached the main gate and I could see my mom's car parked across the road, in front of a black Jeep. I knew she would start asking questions if she saw me with Hunter so I quickly took the books from his hand. "I gotta go. It's really nice to see you." I gave him a brief smile and turned around. Right before I took off, I looked at him in the eye and said, "Hunter, maybe you should go ahead and read The Goblet of Fire instead." It wasn't really my style but I gave him a wink before running towards the front gate.

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