With dusk having now settled in, Hunter left the rooftop shortly after Ashley. He pushed open the back door of his home, which was as creaky as the front door, the noise crashing like thunder through the silence that frequented the place. He flinched at the sound, which was always getting progressively worse. Everything in this damn place was always falling apart.

Didn’t matter, though. It looked like his guardians were out again. Mike and Sarah. The note on the fridge suggested a dinner at some distant friend's house. They hadn't bothered to mention it earlier or say bye to him when they left. Not that it was surprising. They rarely did.

Hunter peaked his blond head of hair into the living room, double-checking if he was indeed alone. The space was as empty as ever, save for the eerie glow of the neglected TV, its sound muted. With a sigh, he turned it off and began down the hallway, his footsteps almost echoing as he made his way towards his bedroom.

Not-so-gently opening the door with his foot, Hunter was met with chaos. Clothes scattered across the floor, crumpled wrappers of snacks, and half-empty cans, from soda to beer, littered his space. It was a sanctuary of disarray, a perfect reflection of himself.

Jumping carelessly onto his bed, easily the thing in life that made him the happiest, Hunter rested his arms behind his head, and stared at the cracked ceiling. He hadn’t kicked off his shoes yet but couldn’t help the heaviness starting to weigh down on his eyes. Just as they were about to close entirely, a light from outside shined onto Hunter’s roughed-up face.

“Ugh, what the hell?” He groaned, sitting upright. The boy swiftly took to his feet to close the blinds but stopped. From this vantage point, he could see into what he assumed was now Ashley’s room, based on the few decorations that were up already. It was a room that had been vacant for months, and now there was a bright light shining towards him. Hunter frowned, quickly realizing his cheap, fractured blinds wouldn’t do much to shield him from that.

Just as he was about finish pulling down the blinds and lay back down to cover his eyes with a t-shirt--another thing he’d have to add to his list of Ashley causing him trouble--Hunter took notice of something.

Through parted silk curtains, Ashley moved about his bedroom, his motions purposeful and sophisticated. Hunter couldn’t help but smirk at that. Even when he was alone, the guy was apparently still just as uptight.

But the smirk fell off his face once he caught a glimpse of Ashley unbuttoning his shirt, revealing the pale expanse of his back before the fabric fell to the floor. He then turned the light off, seemingly preparing to go take a shower. Moonlight filtered through the window, casting an ethereal glow on the black-haired figure, highlighting the subtle rise and fall of his breathing.

Hunter's own breath caught in his throat, his heartbeat quickening as an unfamiliar sensation stirred within him. For a second, he was frozen, captivated by the intimacy of that sight. But then, he inhaled sharply and recoiled from the window, shaking his head as if to dispel…whatever foreign thoughts he was having.

What the fuck am I doing?

It was a fleeting moment, one that made Hunter's heart race for reasons he didn’t quite comprehend. He wasn't the kind to invade someone else’s privacy. Especially not…a fellow male. So, what prevented him from looking away sooner? Or better yet, not looking at all?

Shaking off the odd feeling, he turned away, busying himself with a half-assed attempt at straightening up his room to tire himself out more. After all, he was wide awake now. Desperate for a distraction, Hunter tapped the Spotify app on his phone, the rock music blaring through his worn-out headphones shortly after, drowning out the emptiness around him.

Minutes turned into hours as he lost himself in the music. It wasn't until the low hum of the night settled in, and the songs on the playlist had looped twice, that he finally dared to look outside again.

The curtains in Ashley’s room were drawn now. Hunter sighed, feeling a pang of something between relief and loneliness in his chest. Despite his own mental protests, Hunter’s thoughts remained on the other boy. About his life behind those closed curtains. Sure, Hunter just met him. Sure, they didn’t exactly get off on the right foot. Their current relationship, for lack of a better word, was still difficult to define.

But holy fuck, was the kid secretive. Hunter couldn’t help wanting to know why he moved to this horrible town, if his life was just as complicated, or if he had at least some kind of stability. Maybe it was better not to know, because if it was the latter, it would only make him jealous or bitter towards Ashley again. Seriously, he’d just had a tentative understanding with him earlier that evening.

With a pause and then a low groan, Hunter ruffled his dirty blond hair. What did any of this matter, anyway? He was spending way too much time concerned with this stranger. Enough already.

Pushing away those thoughts, Hunter peeled off his clothes and threw on a worn-out t-shirt and sweatpants. He crawled into his bed, the dimness of the room closing over him like a shroud, and drifted off to sleep.

                                                                                       ****

Sunday came and went in a flash. Well, more like a blur, in Hunter’s case. As usual, he spent much of his time wasted off cheap beer, holed up in his bedroom, surfing the web for things no sixteen-year old should be searching for. Monday morning crept in, its arrival prompting an unusual thought in Hunter's mind: school. The disheveled teenager lazily propped himself up on his elbows, eyeing the clock that sat across from him, his head pounding at the same time.

With an irritated click of his teeth, he reached for some painkillers on his nightstand. Hunter internally debated getting up or not. It wasn’t like he gave a shit about school. The only good part of it was seeing his friends, if they decided to show up, either. He absently glanced towards the neighboring house from where he rested.

If he missed another day, he was gonna be suspended again. Might as well go, right?

That was the only reason.

Hunter dug up a worn-out hoodie from the heap of clothes still on the floor. That hoodie held memories—stains and tears that told stories of all the good times he didn't want to let go of.

He let out a sigh and slipped his feet into his trusty old sneakers, their colors faded from endless use. Stepping out of the empty home—Mike and Sarah were already at work—he soon faced the lonely route to the place he hated most. The chilly morning hinted that winter was coming, a sign that things might finally shift around there. Although, in a way, they already had.

Despite his proud stride, Hunter observed his surroundings somewhat cautiously. It was one of the rare occasions where he wasn’t in the mood to fight. The bruises on his face were healing pretty well already, and he didn’t need more for now. But he was sure that the guys who attempted to jump him last week were planning their brutal payback at that very second. It would come sooner or later, he knew it. And as always, he’d be ready.

The school grounds buzzed with the usual chatter. Hunter’s presence drew curious glances from both students and faculty, as it was a rare sight on a Monday morning. Or any morning. Near the entrance, three of his friends congregated in their usual spot, a little nook beneath one of the building’s staircases, either puffing away on cigarettes or vaping. Hunter fist bumped Evan, and gave the other two a nod.

“Look who decided to grace us with his presence,” Micah, a chill guy who was another of Hunter’s closest buds in the group, teased, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

“Fuck off, Micah.” The blond shot back, a grin playing on his face. People like Evan, despite being considered a ‘best’ friend, were lowkey intimidated by Hunter, but not Micah. Banter was their language, stemming from a bond built on rebelliousness. Hunter wondered why they didn’t hang out more often.  

Evan snorted, and Cassie, the no-nonsense girl with a knack for trouble, raised an eyebrow. “Planning on sticking around?”

“Maybe for a bit,” Hunter replied flatly, his answer more evasive than firm. “Or, at least for gym. It’s first up, and the only class I can stand.”

“Yeah, I get that.” Cassie agreed. “Plus, you’re really athletic. So jealous.”

The somewhat plump girl stroked Hunter’s muscular arm with a feigned longing, making him laugh. Leaning against the wall, he fell into the rhythm of conversation, catching up on the latest. However, noticing the way Hunter kept looking out into the crowd every here and there with a blank expression, Evan had to ask.

“Bro, you lookin’ for someone?"