FALLING IN LOVE WITH HIM - HER FIRST LOVE

"What mature friends I've got. I'm so proud,'" Hunter said sarcastically. He seated himself next to Hera, and he was not surprised at all to find his plate almost empty. Hera had finished hers and started eating from his plate. 

"I told her to have some table manners and not to eat everything like a pig, but it's Hera we're talking about," Samantha said, twisting her face in disgust. Hera ignored her insult and looked at Hunter, her lashes fluttering. She was trying to act cute, and her Mr Hunter snorted with a shake of his head. "You took your time to get back, and I thought the food was going to get cold," she offered as her defence and served a fresh plate for him. 

Their dinner menu was quite simple with Yorkshire pudding and Shepherd's pie with some roasted vegetables stuffing in the side. It was Evelyn's idea to use chicken instead of lamb meat in the pie. Danny had suggested making some muffins or toast sandwiches with cheese as a substitute if they messed up with the recipe. 

It wasn't that great, but they'd managed to make it taste edible.. 

"Technically speaking, Danny and I made most of the cooking. So you two stop arguing. Just lending a helping hand now and then doesn't make it your dish," Evelyn said, pointing her spoon at Eric and Bianca, mocking them for their silly claim over the dishes. 

Bianca tried to disagree with Evelyn but closed her mouth when she got a 'Not again' look from her friends. Evelyn was right after all. 

The context of Hera and Samantha's bickering was unknown. To be precise, they just kept their stupid banter on by just taunting or mocking each other's every move or every word. It was childish of them. So nobody bothered to stop them and chose to ignore. 

Eric rose his brow at Hunter, a silent question. Hunter didn't need the words he knew it was about Danny. 

They exchanged a look, and Eric sighed. They'd been planning to corner Danny for a few days now. Something was troubling their best friend for sure. Hunter noticed how Evelyn had lost her usual cheery appearance. She and Danny did the cooking together, a perfect duo when they chose to ace their target. Now she looked disappointed. 

It wasn't a secret that Evelyn liked Danny, but the latter always chose to be ignorant. Though he never showed it in the out, Hunter and the boys knew Danny felt the same for her. Their attraction was undeniably mutual. So whatever Danny was going through, it couldn't be a girl problem for sure. 

'I hope you're not into some addictive drugs, buddy.'

Last time when Hunter visited his parents, his mother had caught on the faint smell of cigarette on his clothes, and she gave him a silent but stern stare. She didn't have to word it as he could read the disapproval and disappointment in her eyes. He wanted to quit smoking but thought he could prolong it a bit. 

He knew it was harmful, but gave himself a concession of being a reckless teenager burdened with study and sports and all that. He sometimes needed that distraction, a relaxing warm burning inside that would calm his nerves when he's tensed. He would quit it after his graduation and hoped his friends would do too. 

Hunter wished he could help Danny in some ways. But that had to wait until his best friend decides to come clean with him. He believed Danny would tell him eventually. They never kept secrets. 

"I'm feeling cold. Can you lend me your hoodie, Hunter?" He heard Hera asking, and she successfully brought him out of his stupor. He fixed her with an unimpressed look. He knew she was trying to win their bickering game against Samantha. Hera smirked and looked at him expectantly. With an annoyed exhale, he pulled over his hoodie, revealing the hickeys for everyone to see. 

He knew Hera wanted to make Samantha jealous, and after seeing her artwork on his skin, Hunter had no doubt Samantha would go speechless. 

Hera smirked at Samantha, and it was too arrogant of a look to digest. Dead silence surrounded the table until Michael chose to open his mouth. "Whoa! Brother, you're making progress with that wedding night plan, I see," he said, earning a scowl from Hunter. Hera ripped her eyes off Samantha at that and looked at Michael suspiciously. "What wedding night?" She asked, confusion as well as curiosity clouding her thoughts. 

As expected, it rendered Samantha speechless, but Hera had already lost interest in that game. Michael's words caught her full attention now. Eric sneered at her widened innocent eyes. "You have no idea what they're talking about, Pixie. You're too pure for his sinful scrutiny," Eric said, eyeing Hunter with a knowing look. 

"Eric, you're starting to act like Danny," Hunter said and held his palm up to stop him from speaking. "It's not a compliment by the way, and besides, I'm the innocent one here," Hunter said, looking offended. 

Michael and Eric both laughed sarcastically at him. "Of course, you're," they said in unison, exchanged looks and then burst out laughing again. Hera looked clueless and asked if they could explain so that she could understand the context of their talk. Samantha appeared upset for obvious reasons.

Meanwhile, Bianca scolded them for being disrespectful at the dinner table and asked everyone to finish their dinner in silence. Evelyn mouthed later to Hera when she looked at her with questioning eyes. 

Danny reached his destination in thirty-five minutes and waited for the man who'd been pestering him with those annoying odd hour phone calls Hunter had mentioned earlier. He chose to hire a cab instead of using Hunter's car for a specific reason. He needed to be discreet about this meeting. 

More than twenty minutes had passed since his arrival, and the damned person he's supposed to meet didn't grace him with his presence yet. Danny wished he could go back to his friends and enjoy his evening with them without this invisible sword hanging above his head, thirsty for his blood. He never thought just one mistake would lead to such a dangerous path. 

Danny thought of calling the bastard's phone to lash out for wasting his time, but he knew he couldn't risk it. He didn't have that privilege. 

Finally, a bike stopped in front of him and jumped down from it was a twenty-six-year-old man with his curly hair pulled into a ponytail. Last time Danny saw him lurking around his school premises, he'd dyed it with a platinum blond colour. Now it's golden blond, and Danny grimaced at the amount of gel or whatever cheap oil he'd used. It'd soaked his face along with his hair. 

He was an inch taller than Danny but thinner with skinny bones and all. His cheekbones jutted out when he grinned, showing his yellowish teeth. He looked like a wild horse baring its teeth at another horse as a threat. "Jack, you need to stop annoying me with those phone calls," Danny started, but the man held his hand up, signalling him to stop. 

"What's with the attitude boy? Do you think you're in a position to anger me?" The man in a black biker outfit asked rhetorically. He had chosen the narrowest alleyway, void of people for this meeting. Danny saw two more bikes with three of Jack's friends waiting at the other end of the alleyway. 

'He's right. I need to be sensible and keep my temper at bay.' 

"I told you, Jack. I'll return your money. Give me some time," Danny said, requesting in a low voice. Jack snorted, petting Danny's cheek. "And I told you, Danny, my goods were worth millions. You can't afford to repay me even if I agree to give you time," he said, sounding annoyed. "I only want my goods back or replacement worth of it, and you know it's already been decided what's worth of my goods," Jack reminded him. 

Danny clenched his fists and gritting his teeth he glared at Jack. "My sister is not a thing to replace your goods with, Jack. Find another way because I'm not letting anyone touch her," Danny declared without the slightest hint of hesitation or fear. Jack shook his head, laughing at Danny's audacity. "You can't change my mind, boy. That girl belongs to me, and after seeing how hot she looks, I won't settle for anything less," he concluded. 

Danny couldn't resist punching his face after hearing that. Jack's friends immediately came running for his aid and pulled out a gun, aiming it at Danny. Jack grinned, impressed with the courage of the teenage boy standing before him. A sharp edge of the knife cut through Danny's skin across his abdomen, drawing blood. It was just an abrasion, a warning for daring to hit him. 

Danny clutched the wound and winced at the burning pain, his blood wetting his shirt. "She's only fifteen years old, Jack. She's just a child. Please, I beg you," Danny pleaded, but it fell on deaf ears. "I'll work for you as long as you want, even after repaying your money. But please keep my sister out of it," Danny offered hopefully only to hear Jack and his friends laughing at his desperation.