The light of Monday morning streamed into the kitchen, casting a soft glow on Hunter as he put together his breakfast. His movements were mechanical, devoid of any enthusiasm, as if the day’s monotony had already worn him down. He poured cereal into a bowl, the clinks echoing in the quiet room. A sigh left him as he added milk, the rippling surface comparable to the whirlwind of thoughts in his mind.

He was actually up at seven AM, again, and that only meant one thing. Hunter, the person who hated it more than anything, was going to school once more. This time, it was not just to avoid suspension, because that past week he had already decided he didn’t care about that anymore, but for another reason.

Somehow, he’d been convinced to go, by another person’s words. Not words from his friends—who were just as guilty of skipping classes, though not as often as Hunter—not from any preachy teachers, and not from his guardians, Mike and Sarah.

Nope, none of them. Of all people, it was from Ashley, the nerdy, blase boy next door, with whom Hunter somehow kept interacting with lately.

It was weird. Hunter usually brushed off people's opinions, especially from those like Ashley, who cared deeply about grades and appearances and clearly didn’t hold someone like Hunter in any kind of high regard. They were partnered on a school project, but Hunter had ditched Ashley for a few days, leaving him to work on it alone. He hadn’t given a damn about if Ashley was struggling or not, if he was pissed off at him or not—Hunter just did not care.

But…last Friday was different. Ashley confronted him, raw emotion on display for the first time, and unexpectedly, Hunter found himself at a loss for words. Ashley's determination, along with the revelation of how much he also didn’t want to be in Meadowbrook, struck a chord somewhere within Hunter—a place he rarely let anyone venture. He could just feel it, that Ashley, despite his constantly stoic persona, had some demons, too.

Hunter stirred the generic brand cereal below him. Ashley had indeed managed to make Hunter reconsider his actions. And even though he also considered just skipping until history class since it was the last period, he felt there was a chance Ashley might be looking to see if he showed up to school at all throughout the morning. So now, here he stood, awake and preparing for the early day.

“What the hell...” Hunter muttered to himself.

His contemplative state was interrupted by footsteps approaching from the hallway, signaling the adults-of-the-house’s hurried morning routine. Sarah was the first to enter the kitchen, almost in a frenzy. The woman was in her late thirties, yet Hunter could occasionally see strands of greying hair in her mane. She dashed right over to the dining table, brushing aside the mess of papers relaying past due bills. With a huff, she ran her hands through her long brown hair, and then paused.

“Michael, have you seen my keys?” Sarah asked, her voice holding a hint of agitation, as she rummaged through a drawer, eyes scanning for the elusive objects. Same thing, different day. Hunter glanced at her wordlessly, chewing down the overly sweetened cereal.

“Probably on the hook by the door,” Michael, or Mike, as he usually preferred to be called, answered, entering the room in his own rushed tempo. He multi-tasked as he bolted into the kitchen, pulling on his jacket and reaching for a can of premade coffee from the fridge. The man attempted to sidestep Hunter, who automatically slinked over to the side to avoid any kind of collision. Mike managed to slow down his chaos for a second, but not entirely, after he noticed Hunter silently standing there. “Ah. Hey, kiddo.”

“Hey.” Hunter said with indifference, and an expression as blank as printer paper. Mike wasn’t looking at him, anyway. Hunter could tell without even looking up. That was the case, despite the forty-something-year-old man being the one to initiate conversation. Guess the cuffs on his sleeves were more important than the overlooked teenager before him.

Mike continued. “How’s school?”

“It’s whatever, I guess.”

“Good, good.” He murmured. He couldn’t be subtle with his lack of listening skills even if he tried. “I’ll see you two later.” The man trailed off, exiting the room.

As he placed the now empty ceramic bowl in the sink, Hunter heard Sarah let out a sigh of relief. Looked like she found her keys. “Okay, perfect. Now…” The woman tapped her index finger against her mouth, scanning the room, her gaze finally, briefly landing on Hunter. With a gentle, yet hollow smile, she patted his shoulder absentmindedly, her touch fleeting. “Have a good day, sweetie.”

“Yeah. You, too.”

Hunter watched his guardians rush off, their lives barreling forward without even a glance back at him. “See you next week,” he whispered as the front door slammed shut. The silence that followed was almost tangible, complimenting the solitude he had become so used to.

Mike and Sarah weren’t his parents. In society’s eyes, sure. On paper, sure. But the truth was, they just had some distant relationship to his real mother. He remembered hearing ages ago that Sarah was a second cousin or something along those lines. It wasn’t like there was ever a good time to ask, and frankly, Hunter didn’t care too much about it. He was there, had been for the past six years, and that was that. 

One thing he did know, the couple didn’t have much of a choice in taking him in. Hunter had no choice, either. They were all thrown together, his arrival causing a harrowing disruption in their already busy lives. Caring for this boy they hardly knew was forced upon them so suddenly, that the actual “care” part was lost somewhere along the way. It only became even more strained when Hunter began to participate in his troubling lifestyle. They knew it. He knew it.

He was too much work.

Hunter exhaled, mind wandering back to Ashley.

The interaction, for lack of a better word, he just had reminded him instantly: no one gave a damn about Hunter, his thoughts, or what he wanted.

So, why was he awake at this hour, again?

                                                                                     ****

The school hallways hummed with their usual energy, feet shuffling across worn tiles and the chatter of teenagers permeating the air. Ashley walked with measured steps, interweaving through the rowdy masses. He absently pushed his glasses up as he sauntered along, a habit he was as accustomed to as dissecting the day’s classroom activities before even getting there.

However, today was different. Today, he somehow found that his thoughts circled around Hunter—someone who was nothing more than an inconvenience he was forced to work with. And yet, the question now was, would he continue to be an inconvenience?

Just as Hunter predicted, Ashley was keeping an eye out all day to see if he was around. He didn’t come across the blond, but there were so many students in this unfamiliar school that he couldn’t say for sure if Hunter skipped just yet.

Despite that, as he settled into his seat, Ashley couldn’t shake off the surprising turn of events from a few days prior. Hunter’s unexpected change in behavior ate away at the boy’s analytical mind. He expected defiance not cooperation, so by the end, their interaction had unnerved Ashley in more ways than one, to say the least. Hunter’s vulnerability and Ashley's own emotional outburst created a puzzling dynamic between them. Now, only time would tell where they went from there.

Lost in those thoughts, Ashley absently skimmed through his notes until a movement caught his eye. There, amidst the students filtering into the classroom, was Hunter, unmistakably present. Ashley’s brows furrowed in genuine surprise. Hunter had actually shown up.

The blond entered with ease, as other students moved aside for him, with his vintage band t-shirt, ripped jeans, and casual stride. The two young men’s eyes met briefly, an emotion passing between them that could not be pinpointed. It was as if they both recognized the unexpectedness of the situation. As Hunter took a seat beside Ashley, an uncomfortable silence wrapped around them. Ashley, normally poised and articulate, found himself at a loss for words. Hunter appeared disengaged and unwilling, but he was there.

Ashley cleared his throat, finally breaking the silence. “Good morning, Hunter.” It was a feeble attempt at starting a conversation, but it was a start. It was also the first time he’d said the other’s name out loud.

Hunter glanced at him, offering a laidback nod. “Hey.” His body language contrasted with that cool motion, as he slowly tapped a pen on his desk, seemingly unsettled as well.

Mr. Thompson began talking about something regarding the grading criteria, much to both Ashley and Hunter’s relief. That break didn’t last too long, however, and it was only a matter of minutes before they sat there again, minds searching for what to say. The tension in the air was strong, and it was clear that both were unsure of where they stood with each other. Ashley meticulously organized the materials, trying to maintain his usual composure. On the other hand, Hunter sat pensively, his expression holding a mix of detachment and contemplation.

“So…”

Ashley gave an unsure glance, thoughts interrupted by Hunter’s sudden interjection.

"How’s the project going?" Hunter asked, his voice surprisingly steady. Ashley blinked, taken aback by the inquiry.

“Yes, um. It’s fine, I suppose. I’ve made decent headway on the research part.”

Hunter leaned in slightly, an unfamiliar earnestness in his eyes. "Anything I can help with?"

The question caught Ashley off guard once again. He hadn’t expected Hunter to show any interest, let alone offer help. "Well, I’m trying to compile the data for the charts. If you could take a look at these articles and summarize them, that’d be a big help."

He pointed at the aforementioned data with his slender index finger, and at first, Hunter said nothing, eyeing the page. He then nodded, although some uncertainty read on his features. “Okay, guess I can try that.”

It was gone in a flash though, when a sly smirk brought him back to his typical cockiness. Hunter leaned back in his seat, arms placed behind his head.

“I’m telling you straight-up though, if you get on me about how I write or whatever, I’m gonna be pissed.” He lazily glanced at Ashley, who just listened. “I’m here, but I’m gonna take this at my pace, so don’t give me any shit, pretty boy.”

Ashley couldn’t help it; he almost smiled. “Or what?”

“I’ll bring you back to my roof and punt you off. That offer still stands, y’know?” He extended his hand towards Ashley, who observed it while still trying to suppress his amusement. “Deal?”

“Fine, deal.” Hunter and Ashley locked hands in agreement. A few of their nearby classmates watched the interaction, some confused, some giggling, but Ashley chose to pay them no mind. Somewhere deep down, something new was sneaking up on him. An unfamiliar feeling that suggested…he wasn't all that irritated by Hunter’s presence after all.