The dark-haired teen glanced at Hunter, a stoic and firm expression across his face, and for a moment, Hunter simply stared at him. The cocky smirk on his face immediately froze. He was up close to this stranger, and…he’d never seen a face like this around here before. A pair of deep, piercing blue eyes were now on him, and the taller boy felt his stomach stir in displeasure at what he didn’t understand. But then, just as quickly as it came, he stomped the feeling down, using it as a stepstool toward getting back on solid footing.

“What the hell’s with that look, girly boy? If I were you, I wouldn’t stare at me like that.”

At that, the boy flicked his eyes over Hunter's face, letting his gaze hover on the other's mouth without any hint of embarrassment.

"Did you stick your face in a blender?” he asked in a smooth, musical tone. "Funny. I didn’t expect to see something so atrocious today. Yet here you are."

Something inside of Hunter perked up, whether it was hackles rising or just a shot of adrenaline from a possible fight, and he leaned closer with a sneer. "Is that why you look so much like a chick? All that attention to how ‘pretty’ you look? Hey, got any makeup in that bag?"

Hunter was met with a casual dismissal. "Usually, I'd say not to judge a book by its cover, but you looked like an asshole even as I walked over to this stop, so apparently I was right. With that being said, nothing I say or do will change your thoughts on however you think I look, and I really do not care." He turned away, refocusing his eyes on his phone. “And so, I tell you goodbye.”

No, he didn't get to say that this conversation was over. He didn't have that power. “You think you’re just gonna get away with talking like that to me? You don’t know who I am, do you?”

“Should I?” The other boy quirked an eyebrow.

“Damn right, you should. You’re talking to Hunter. People know better than to fuck with me. So, better be careful with what you say next.” Hunter tilted forward a bit, with the intent of towering over the shorter male.

“Ah, yes, the infamous Hunter,” the boy said, his tone laced with sarcasm. “My mistake. Forgive me if I’m not trembling.”

Hunter furrowed his eyebrows and scowled, hand tightening into a fist as the other leaned a little closer to him this time.

“By the way, you might want to reconsider your name choice. It’s even harder to feel intimidated by someone with such a stupidly on-the-nose name as that.”

“You—”

The sound of the city bus screeching to a halt rung through the air and Hunter felt himself rear back a little because it was so sudden. From what he could tell, there were only a handful of passengers on board, and they were all staring down at the two bickering teenagers. There was a mix of concern and amusement amongst their watchful eyes. Hunter straightened up, trying to regain his cool confidence. Not that it was gone, anyway. This random kid wasn’t gonna do that to him.

Hunter flashed his eyes back to the one beside him, but he wasn’t even glancing at him. He had his focus right on the opening doors and very promptly took a few steps forward and onto the vehicle, while simultaneously pulling out a bus pass. He really did have this weird grace about him when he moved.

Hunter didn’t even have the chance to get another word in, as the bus driver urged him to hurry inside as well. He cursed under his breath and rooted through his pockets, searching for the change he swore was there just a minute ago. Of course, he forgot to bring it with him. Of course.

As the bus drove off, Hunter could still see the back of that head of short black hair, sitting completely unbothered by their interaction. His cheeks burned with frustration and a hint of embarrassment as he was left standing there, seething. He glanced around, noticing the subtle smirks and raised eyebrows from other onlookers. With a quick glare, they all looked away. That was the reaction he was looking for. Not…whatever the hell just happened.

                                                                                    ****

Hunter strode down the sidewalk for what felt like an eternity, the dark-haired boy’s words still echoing in his mind. Sarcastic, and overly fancy for a basic conversation. The determination in Hunter’s steps on the pavement matched the intensity of his thoughts. He even once bit his bottom lip so hard that he almost spit out a curse. He could feel it start swelling up all over again, even bigger than before, and all he could do was blame it on the emotionless kid, because if he hadn't gotten Hunter so frustrated in the first place that never would've happened.

For a moment, he considered letting it go, brushing it off as just another meaningless encounter. But the taunting words lingered, digging deeper than he'd care to admit. The need to save face pricked at him, urging him not to let this slide. Although, he didn’t have much of a choice now, either. The chances of running into the dark-haired boy again were probably a million to one. Part of Hunter wished he just ran after the bus and pounded on the door, demanding entry. It could’ve been settled then and there. Or at the very least, wherever the kid got off the bus.

Fuck it. It really didn’t matter, because as he reached the outskirts of town, the distant thumping of music grew louder, pulling him out of his thoughts.

The junkyard, a hotspot for the local nonconformists and future dropouts, called to Hunter with its chaotic allure. As he neared the rusted gates, the sound of laughter and the aroma of stale beer and various substances filled the air. His friends, a motley crew of misfits and delinquents, spotted him and cheered, their rowdy welcome drowning out his irritation.

"Hunter!" Evan howled. He slapped the blond teen on the back, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. "You're just in time, man!"

Hunter couldn’t help the small wince at that slap, which reawakened some of his prior soreness. Evan apologized profusely to which Hunter laughed wholeheartedly. The familiar faces of his other comrades soon came into view, and a sense of belonging washed over Hunter as he blended into the mayhem. He grabbed a beer, relishing the bitter taste, and joined his circle of friends gathered around a flickering fire pit.

At some point, Hunter even got drunk enough that with some mild egging on from his friends—seriously, they barely had to make him do it--he climbed onto the roof of one of the junkyard’s signature, beat-up old pickup trucks and howled like a wolf at the moon.  Exhilaration coursed through him, not a hint of embarrassment in his actions, as the other partygoers cheered him on, praising his wild energy.

Between the shameless antics, drunken dancing with his buds and make out sessions with Nat, Hunter felt the tension of the shitty day dissipate almost entirely. His laughter mingled with the wild roars of the crowd and the distant sounds of breaking glass.

Amidst the chaos, Hunter found solace. These fleeting moments of freedom were what he lived for.

                                ****

The party began to wind down, sometime around four AM. As his friends dispersed, heading off in various directions, Hunter found himself walking alone, the night air cool against his skin.

“Fuck.” He mumbled under his breath. He just realized that there were no more buses running at this hour, so he wouldn’t get to take one yet again. The twenty dollars Evan gave him might help with an Uber or something, but only for half the trip. And, that would be if there were even any drivers around. Either way, walking some kind of distance home while stupidly drunk was in his future. With a heavy sigh, Hunter began moseying, setting up an Uber request at the nearest bus stop.

He just hoped it’d be a guy who kept to his own business and not someone who’d be a pain in the ass about a sixteen-year-old getting wasted.

The teen ran a strong hand through his blond hair, mildly exasperated, before something else clicked in his mind. He was there all alone, again. At a bus stop. Just like earlier. The confrontation with the dark-haired boy came rushing right back to him like a ton of bricks, and so did that gnawing feeling of unfinished business. Hunter immediately got flashes of the emotionless snob, looking at him like he was less than dirt, with the sarcastic quips to match.

That mysterious boy, with his dark hair, glasses, expensive clothes, and deep blue eyes. He was clearly Asian, or at least half, but had eyes like the ocean. Such a mesmerizing fucking blue.

Hunter absently concluded that he did not drink enough after all.