When Hell Freezes Over
3
I was out of the house by 8 the next morning. I went over to Bee’s to get ready for work. I figured it was a good idea to let Blaze cool down a little bit more before I went back home.
“Hey Bee,” I said to her as I walked into her quaint apartment.
“What’s up? How’d things go last night?” she asked.
I filled her in on what happened last night and she just sat and listened like the good friend she was.
“Are you okay?” she asked after I was done telling my story.
“Yeah, of course I am,” I told her, I wasn't completely lying.
“Ok well you can take a bath, or whatever,” she said.
“Actually, can I just borrow some clothes? I’m late for work,” I said after glancing at the clock to see that it was now 9:30 and I was fifteen minutes late.
“Sure.”
“Thanks, I’ll talk to you later,” I told her.
“Oh! Call Aiden, he called last night to see if you called. When I told him you didn't he got pretty upset, he’s waiting to see if you’ll call by 12!” she shouted, as I was half way out of the door.
“Kay, thanks!” I hollered back at her. I pulled out my phone and called Aiden on my way to work.
“Hey, I’m not here right now, leave a message and I’ll call you back,” came his voice mail. Beep.
“Hey Aiden, its Hunter, Bee told me to call you, so yeah… uh, I guess call me when you get this, but I’m going to work now so I might not answer my phone. See you later, bye,” I said and closed my cell.
“Hunter! You’re late,” stated my boss.
“I know. I’m really sorry, it won’t happen again, promise!” I yelled from the lounge.
“Just hurry up and get out there,” she said.
I quickly got myself together and went outside. I do my what I normally do, head straight back for the sale room to try and fix up all of the clothes that are usually thrown in around in haste trying to find the perfect bargain.
“Hunter!” I heard Aiden yell from the other room. He walked over with a half-smile, half-frown on his face. “Didn't I tell you to call Bee when everything settled down?”
“Yeah, about that,” I said kind of smiling to him. “Things didn't really settle down for a while. I ended up going back home and I crashed there. To be honest with you, I totally forgot that I was even supposed to call you guys. Things just got too intense… I’m sorry,” I apologized.
“Hey, its alright, I just wanted to make sure you were ok, or at least still alive,” he half-joked with me.
“Man, I don't know what’d I ‘d do without you or Bee,” I admitted to him.
“Die,” he responded.
I laughed, “You’re so right.” I honestly don't know what I would do without either of them. They’ve both been so good to me, and have helped me too many times for me to count. I went to them for everything: if I needed a place to stay, money, food, like I said, anything.
“You know that we’ll always be there for you, you know that right?”
“Yeah, I know. Thank you, I know I can be a pain in the ass sometimes.”
“Hunter, you’re never a pain. If I’ve never met you I don't know what I’d be like.”
“Well, for starters,” I joked. “You would have a life.”
“Yeah, that’s probably true,” he joked back.
“Ouch!” pretended like he just stabbed me in my heart. We both laughed. “Ok, well I need to get back to work.”
“Yeah, I’ve made you waste enough time. I’ll see you tonight?”
“Yup – oh- no, sorry I think I should go home tonight. I need to go home, Blaze’ll be waiting for me,” I told him. He looked at me with a disappointed look on his face.
“I don't know why you’re still with him. You can do so much better.”
“Because, I guess, in a way I need him –“ Aiden cut me off.
“Don't give me that crap, Hunter. You need him like you need a kid, only a kid would
love you,” he told me.
I didn't say anything.
“Hunt?” he asked.
“Yeah?” I said softly.
“Love you,” he said.
“Thanks, I’ll call Bee later tonight. I need to get back to work,” I stood up and left the room to go man the register. I turned around and watched him walk out of the store. There was something about him that made me feel like I was needed- that I belonged and that I wasn't worthless.
“Where’d you go last night!” demanded Blaze as soon as I walked into the house.
“I went to my mom’s,” I replied shortly as I made my way into our room. I grabbed some clothes and headed to the bathroom.
“Where were you all day today?” he asked.
“I was at work. Can I shower now?” I asked him.
“Did you see Aiden today?” he asked me. The look on his face dared me to say yes.
“And do not lie to me.”
“Yes,” I whispered.
“What? I couldn't hear you.”
“Yes,” I said louder this time.
He just glared at me; I took that chance to close and locked the door and took a shower. As soon as I get out, Blaze just about attacked me.
“You’re such a slut!” he roared at me.
“What did I do?” I asked him, shocked. “I didn't even do anything.”
He continues to yell at me and to throw anything within arms reach at me, a beer bottle, the phone, anything.
“What did I do?” I wanted to know unsuccessfully dodging the phone book.
“You are always with Aiden, or Bee. You never spend anytime with me. Never. I give
you everything and I get nothing in return. Nothing.”
“What? That’s the stupidest thing I have ever heard. I am always with you. I never get to see my friends anymore, and when I do, you’re always right there next to me. I have no alone time!” I yelled at him.
“Do NOT raise you voice to me, whore!” he yelled back, slapping me across the face at the same time.
I just looked at him. “Sorry,” I apologized.
“You better be,” he spat at me.
I just nodded.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Noth-“ I ran into the bathroom, straight for the toilet and puked.
“What’s wrong?” he asked again, more demanding this time.
“I don't know. I’m sick I guess, why else would I be bending over a toilet puking?” I got up, went to the sink and rinsed my mouth out with some water. I wiped my mouth and went to go sit on the bed.
“You’re sleeping here?” he asked.
“Where else am I going to sleep?” I asked him.
“On the couch, I don't want to get sick,” he said as if it was obvious.
“Fine, I’ll sleep on the couch. Good night,” I stormed off into the living room.
“Hey Bee,” I said to her as I walked into her quaint apartment.
“What’s up? How’d things go last night?” she asked.
I filled her in on what happened last night and she just sat and listened like the good friend she was.
“Are you okay?” she asked after I was done telling my story.
“Yeah, of course I am,” I told her, I wasn't completely lying.
“Ok well you can take a bath, or whatever,” she said.
“Actually, can I just borrow some clothes? I’m late for work,” I said after glancing at the clock to see that it was now 9:30 and I was fifteen minutes late.
“Sure.”
“Thanks, I’ll talk to you later,” I told her.
“Oh! Call Aiden, he called last night to see if you called. When I told him you didn't he got pretty upset, he’s waiting to see if you’ll call by 12!” she shouted, as I was half way out of the door.
“Kay, thanks!” I hollered back at her. I pulled out my phone and called Aiden on my way to work.
“Hey, I’m not here right now, leave a message and I’ll call you back,” came his voice mail. Beep.
“Hey Aiden, its Hunter, Bee told me to call you, so yeah… uh, I guess call me when you get this, but I’m going to work now so I might not answer my phone. See you later, bye,” I said and closed my cell.
“Hunter! You’re late,” stated my boss.
“I know. I’m really sorry, it won’t happen again, promise!” I yelled from the lounge.
“Just hurry up and get out there,” she said.
I quickly got myself together and went outside. I do my what I normally do, head straight back for the sale room to try and fix up all of the clothes that are usually thrown in around in haste trying to find the perfect bargain.
“Hunter!” I heard Aiden yell from the other room. He walked over with a half-smile, half-frown on his face. “Didn't I tell you to call Bee when everything settled down?”
“Yeah, about that,” I said kind of smiling to him. “Things didn't really settle down for a while. I ended up going back home and I crashed there. To be honest with you, I totally forgot that I was even supposed to call you guys. Things just got too intense… I’m sorry,” I apologized.
“Hey, its alright, I just wanted to make sure you were ok, or at least still alive,” he half-joked with me.
“Man, I don't know what’d I ‘d do without you or Bee,” I admitted to him.
“Die,” he responded.
I laughed, “You’re so right.” I honestly don't know what I would do without either of them. They’ve both been so good to me, and have helped me too many times for me to count. I went to them for everything: if I needed a place to stay, money, food, like I said, anything.
“You know that we’ll always be there for you, you know that right?”
“Yeah, I know. Thank you, I know I can be a pain in the ass sometimes.”
“Hunter, you’re never a pain. If I’ve never met you I don't know what I’d be like.”
“Well, for starters,” I joked. “You would have a life.”
“Yeah, that’s probably true,” he joked back.
“Ouch!” pretended like he just stabbed me in my heart. We both laughed. “Ok, well I need to get back to work.”
“Yeah, I’ve made you waste enough time. I’ll see you tonight?”
“Yup – oh- no, sorry I think I should go home tonight. I need to go home, Blaze’ll be waiting for me,” I told him. He looked at me with a disappointed look on his face.
“I don't know why you’re still with him. You can do so much better.”
“Because, I guess, in a way I need him –“ Aiden cut me off.
“Don't give me that crap, Hunter. You need him like you need a kid, only a kid would
love you,” he told me.
I didn't say anything.
“Hunt?” he asked.
“Yeah?” I said softly.
“Love you,” he said.
“Thanks, I’ll call Bee later tonight. I need to get back to work,” I stood up and left the room to go man the register. I turned around and watched him walk out of the store. There was something about him that made me feel like I was needed- that I belonged and that I wasn't worthless.
“Where’d you go last night!” demanded Blaze as soon as I walked into the house.
“I went to my mom’s,” I replied shortly as I made my way into our room. I grabbed some clothes and headed to the bathroom.
“Where were you all day today?” he asked.
“I was at work. Can I shower now?” I asked him.
“Did you see Aiden today?” he asked me. The look on his face dared me to say yes.
“And do not lie to me.”
“Yes,” I whispered.
“What? I couldn't hear you.”
“Yes,” I said louder this time.
He just glared at me; I took that chance to close and locked the door and took a shower. As soon as I get out, Blaze just about attacked me.
“You’re such a slut!” he roared at me.
“What did I do?” I asked him, shocked. “I didn't even do anything.”
He continues to yell at me and to throw anything within arms reach at me, a beer bottle, the phone, anything.
“What did I do?” I wanted to know unsuccessfully dodging the phone book.
“You are always with Aiden, or Bee. You never spend anytime with me. Never. I give
you everything and I get nothing in return. Nothing.”
“What? That’s the stupidest thing I have ever heard. I am always with you. I never get to see my friends anymore, and when I do, you’re always right there next to me. I have no alone time!” I yelled at him.
“Do NOT raise you voice to me, whore!” he yelled back, slapping me across the face at the same time.
I just looked at him. “Sorry,” I apologized.
“You better be,” he spat at me.
I just nodded.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Noth-“ I ran into the bathroom, straight for the toilet and puked.
“What’s wrong?” he asked again, more demanding this time.
“I don't know. I’m sick I guess, why else would I be bending over a toilet puking?” I got up, went to the sink and rinsed my mouth out with some water. I wiped my mouth and went to go sit on the bed.
“You’re sleeping here?” he asked.
“Where else am I going to sleep?” I asked him.
“On the couch, I don't want to get sick,” he said as if it was obvious.
“Fine, I’ll sleep on the couch. Good night,” I stormed off into the living room.