Lies I Never Told You

CHAPTER EIGHT: HUNTER

I scanned the cafeteria, looking for Blair. On the same spot where I first met her - on the corner at the back of the counter - I spotted her reading her book. Her forehead creased as she glared on the page. I can see her grit her teeth slightly.

"Hi Hunter!" I heard someone call my name. "This seat's available," a girl seating at a table near the center of the cafeteria said. I can see her subtly pushing a nerdy guy to make a space beside her.

I smiled coolly. "No, thanks." I can see her smile vanish, maybe because of disappointment or maybe embarassment. I gently nudged the nerdy guy back to his seat.

I looked up again to see Blair watching me over her book. "You seemed annoyed. I'm sorry," I started as I came closer to her.

She raised an eyebrow. "For what?" she asked.

I scratched the back of my neck. "I'm ten minutes late?"

She laughed then. "I have no problem in waiting. As long as I have this." She lifted her book, her finger marking the page she's reading. Now, I can see the title of the book, The Lovely Bones.

"Then why do you seem so annoyed?" I asked. "I saw you crease your forehead and grit your teeth a while ago."

"Ah, that." She took a bookmark from the last pages of the book and slipped it on the page she marked with her finger. "I'm just so disgusted with Mr. Harvey," she said as she put her book on the table. "He's acting all innocent and saintly after r****g and murdering a child," she explained. "That's so sick." I can feel the utter disgust in her tone.

"Oh, yeah!" I said, remembering the movie I watched with the same title. "They made a movie of that book. I've watched it a few years back. That man really is annoying."

"Ugh! Well, you've seen the lesser evil. The book is more detailed, you'd want to get inside and drag him to the police station and make him confess his crimes," she said, clutching the book tightly. She's so invested in what she's reading.

I noticed that she hasn't gotten her lunch yet. That's a good thing for me. I never liked the food from the cafeteria. "You're vacant till 1:30pm, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, why?" she said while putting her book in her bag.

"Uhm..." I hesitated. "Would you mind if we go somewhere else to eat?" I asked.

She let out a sigh and smiled. "I'm glad you asked," she said. "The cafeteria food is so boring." She slung her back pack on her shoulder and stood. "Lead the way." She motioned for me to go ahead of her.

I took her hand in mine so we won't lose each other as we walk through the bustling crowd. "So, you don't eat in the cafeteria?" I had to lean down closer to her ear so she could hear me. She nodded. "Then why are you here during lunch time?" I asked.

"To read."

"Hey, Hunter!" a voice from near the door called. I looked for the owner of the voice but I was startled when someone bumped between Blair and me causing me to let go of Blair's hand. "Sit with us." She started dragging me to their table.

I looked back at Blair who is still standing where we got separated, rubbing the arm that the girl bumped and raising an eyebrow at me. Beside her were her friends, looking at me. I didn't notice when they arrived. "Excuse me, uhmm..." I didn't know the name of the girl but she looked familiar.

She smiled. "Elsie's my name."

Now I remember. She was the girl from earlier in Blair's class. "Yeah. I'm sorry, Elsie. But I'm with Blair." I took my arm away from her grasp. "I'll get going. Bye." I heard her mutter under her breath but I didn't bother paying attention to her. I need to get back to Blair.

"I'm sorry," I started the moment I reached them. "Were you hurt?"

It was her guy friend who answered. "She almost flew across the cafeteria and fell on the floor. So, was she hurt?" I can feel his disgust on his tone.

"Ty, you're exaggerating," her girl friend scolded. "I'm sorry. We just didn't like what we saw," she told me. "But yeah, Blair hurt her arm. Damn that Elsie. She's really getting to my nerves."

"Why are you apologizing to him, Shan? Blair got hurt because of him," he said. "And she's only known him for just a few days. It hasn't even been a week. How much more can he hurt her if this goes on?" he added.

"I'm really, really sorry. I didn't notice the girl," I looked at Blair.

"We're going out for lunch," Blair told her friends. I heaved a sigh of relief. She doesn't seem mad at me. "Wanna join us?" she asked them. She turned to me. "You wouldn't mind, right?"

Actually, I would. How can we talk about our plan if we have company? How will the other students believe we're together if we go out as a group? I just looked at her.

"Don't worry. They know everything," she seemed to answer all of my concerns with just that statement. "This is Shannon." She intoduced the girl on her right. "And this is Tyrone." That's the guy on her left.

Shannon waved at me and I waved back. Tyrone just nodded at me. "Then, let's go," I said.

Shannon inched closer to me. We're the same height, so she didn't need to lean. I could clearly hear her even in a low voice. "I think this would be fine. A good start even," Shannon said.

"If you're to make them believe about you and Blair, then you should get used to us as well. We're a package deal," Tyrone said from behind me.

I nodded. "Yeah. I heard you're Blaire's best friends. Nice meeting you," I said.

"Nice meeting you, Hunter," Shannon smiled at me.

Tyrone just smirked. "It's a no for me," he said to which he received an elbow from Shannon. "Well, if you're friends with my friends, then, I guess it's nice meeting you too." He scoffed at Shannon.

Blair is still quiet beside me. I can't read the expression on her face.