Hunter reached his house just as the first hints of dawn began to light up the sky. He did end up walking that long, lonely 5-mile stretch back home, from where the Uber driver left him due to his lack of funds. The worn-out porch creaked under his weight as he approached the front door, careful not to make too much noise. His guardians were asleep in their room already—typical—none the wiser to Hunter just now coming home at that very moment. Neglect had its perks sometimes.

Still, it wasn’t like he wanted to be noticed right then. The door squeaked open reluctantly, and Hunter cringed at the sound. He slipped inside, closing it as quietly as possible before walking through the dimly lit hallway.

Finally, he reached the bathroom and turned on the light, wanting to get another look at the damage that had been done to his face the previous morning. Hunter slightly flinched at the sight of his reflection in the mirror. One of the bruises from the altercation had bloomed into an ugly shade of purple, contrasting against his fair skin. Yeah, it didn’t hurt as much as he expected at this point, but it would definitely require some makeup to cover.

Makeup. He was a teen boy, but he knew how to, roughly, maneuver foundation to conceal his worst battle scars. It was only in cases like this, not for anything else. Hunter wasn’t that kind of guy.

There was, however, one scar that he wouldn’t cover.

Hunter traced a finger along it, its path starting from his right jawline and finishing beneath the eye on the same side. This one held a different meaning, one that he would not even tell his closest friends. He let them think it was just from a random fight. The truth couldn’t be further.

With a sigh, Hunter splashed cold water on his face, wincing at the sting. He dried off, careful around the tender bruise, and slipped quietly into his room. As the sun filtered through the window, he collapsed onto his bed, exhaustion finally claiming him. The shitty events of the day, the encounter with the mysterious dark-haired boy, and the reckless party at the junkyard all melted into a haze as sleep gained a hold on him.

                                                                                 ****

The sun seeped through the blinds, mercilessly piercing Hunter's eyelids as he groaned, his head throbbing with the aftermath of the previous night. His room was bathed in a serene, golden light, a major contrast to the pounding that raged inside his skull.

“Useless fucking blinds…” He groaned, as he lazily threw his forearm across his eyes.

A faint noise from outside further pulled Hunter out of the muddled grasp of sleep, making him click his teeth. He tried to let it settle back in, on and off for several minutes, but eventually curiosity overpowered his hangover-induced lethargy, prompting him to stagger over to the window. Rubbing his bleary eyes, he peered through the glass.

A moving truck sat parked in front of the neighboring house, which was just as dilapidated as the rest on this street. Boxes and furniture were being carried in by a small team of people, at an almost frenzied pace. The seemingly ordinary sight made Hunter roll his eyes in irritation and begin to turn back towards his bed…until he saw him. A figure standing amidst the activity—a familiar black-haired boy from the day before.

“No way.”

Hunter's heart lurched, the remnants of the headache momentarily forgotten. He watched, a mix of surprise and intrigue coursing through him. The boy supervised the movers with a calm demeanor, his gaze observing the unfamiliar surroundings.

The curiosity Hunter had mingled with an odd sense of anticipation now. It was him, the same person Hunter thought he’d probably never see again, the same person who had ignited his anger during their brief encounter at the bus stop and got away with it.

He was moving in next door.

The teen appeared unruffled, his presence commanding attention without effort. It looked like he was instructing the adult movers, all while pushing up his slipping glasses every so often and standing with that same poise Hunter had seen when he met him.

Hunter smirked. This should be fun.

                                                                                    ****

After pulling on some ripped jeans and a tank top, Hunter made his way to the front door. He couldn’t shake the itch to confront the boy, the desire to rattle him, or more, for humiliating him the day before. The irritation was still very much prevalent in his bones. Due to him oversleeping and not seeing the whole moving situation earlier on, it was already mid-afternoon, and the movers already finished and headed out. As Hunter stepped outside, he noticed the slender figure of his new neighbor, sitting on the front porch, alone. Perfect.

Strolling across the yard, Hunter made his way toward the boy with heavy, deliberate steps, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. The closer he got, the more he could see that, just like the previous afternoon, the raven-haired teen was dressed in expensive, tailored clothing.

It was obvious that his family must have money. So why did they move here?

Hunter leaned against the porch railing, attempting an air of casualness. "So, you've settled in, huh?"

The boy glanced up, his demeanor calm and collected, despite the words that came out of his mouth next. "You have got to be kidding me."

Hunter didn’t even try to hold back his arrogant smile. “Nope. Looks like we’re neighbors. Lucky you.”

With a certain nonchalance, the other whispered. “Yes. Lucky me.”

Hunter fought to contain his simmering anger. "Thought I'd drop by, you know, give a proper welcome."

A quirk of the boy's eyebrow revealed his unimpressed stance. "And here you are."

As Hunter stood before him, mind racing with different potential comebacks to the annoying sarcasm, the spectacled teen focused his attention towards one of the windows behind himself. It looked as if he was searching for something. Then, he rose from his spot, ready to head back inside.

“Goodbye.” He said flatly, as he turned the doorknob.

Hunter’s brain clicked instantly. “What? Hey, wait a—”

The other began to push the door open.

“I SAID WAIT!”

The dark-haired boy paused and glanced over his shoulder with the same stoic expression. Hunter stepped closer to him, trying to act as though he didn’t just yell way louder than he wanted to. The boy turned to face him with a lifted chin. Hunter began with a huff.

"You think you're so smart, messing with me yesterday," He sneered, attempting to provoke a reaction.

The boy remained unfazed, his response measured. "Yesterday's done."

Growing increasingly agitated by the boy's lack of concern, Hunter pressed on. "God…what the hell is with you, anyway? You a robot or something?”

Once again, that dismissive eyeflick over his face. “I don’t know…are you an idiotic, self-important delinquent? These are all good questions.”

Hunter’s jaw tightened, and the shorter boy shook his head and continued.

"You act tough, but from what I’ve seen, it’s just a façade. Even more than that, you are always alone. It makes sense. Must be hard, with no one caring enough to stick around. Your parents must be--"

“Don’t you say one fucking word about my parents.”

 Silence.

Hunter crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the floor for a moment, listening to the sound of his own tone still playing in his head. Rough. Biting. Thin, like a dagger slicing out of nowhere across a jugular. And when he finally glanced up when the quiet grew too thick, he saw that, for the first time, the other kid wasn't meeting his eyes. He was staring at the floor just like Hunter had been.

“...I didn't mean that.”

Hunter took in a deep, audible breath through his nose, trying to slow his heart down before it burst.

“I'm sorry.”

“You should be,” Hunter bit out. “I should beat the shit out of you.”

The kid flashed his eyes up and spread his arms. “Go ahead.” And there was that apathetic look again, not even a glimmer of fear, yet something was different this time. Hunter had never seen that before in response to a full-blown threat, not once. Just true and honest apathy staring right back at him.

It wasn’t worth it, he decided. The kid didn't know the truth. Hell, he'd probably never been there.

After what felt like a full minute of that silence, Hunter finally ran a hand through his hair, tangling through the blond locks. “...I'm Hunter. And just so you know, that’s my real name.”

The other kid bowed slightly, more like an afterthought. “You can call me Ashley.”

Hunter cocked his eyebrow. “Are you for real?”

“Yes. Don’t make any jokes. I already know you think I'm feminine.”

Hunter scowled. “You said it looked like I stuck my face in a blender.”

“I lied. A blender would do much less horrifying work than that.”

That time Hunter snorted and rolled his eyes, beginning to walk down the porch steps. “You're fucking hilarious, man.” He got a few feet away before he stopped in place. He glanced over his shoulder, where this Ashley kid was just staring at him, head cocked a little to the side. “...what’re you up to tonight?”