Hunt Me Down - Chapter 55: Chapter 55

Nathaniel's POV
I was still shaking halfway home. I kept tripping in my own feet, my mind too busy with recollections of what had happened to process even such a simple task as walking.
What would Irene do now?
Would she tell anyone about what she saw?
How would people react?
Would it make her feel any better if she told on us?
Could I fix things between her and me?
Would she give me a chance to explain?
I shook my head and groaned when I tripped again, pain shooting from my toes up my leg.
God, how could I get these questions out of my mind?
Behind me, Val and Hunt walked in silence, giving me time to come to grips with the Irene-related predicament. I appreciated their gesture, but even though the lack of conversation made things easier for me, I still felt as if my head would explode. I rubbed my temples; I could literally feel my pulse throbbing in my forehead.
"Nat." My sister's touch on me was as hesitant as her voice. I jerked my shoulder and her arm fell.
"I'll see you at home," I told the two as I sped up. "I need to be on my own now."
They didn't say anything as I separated from them.
I almost ran home. I needed to move, I needed to think, I needed... I wasn't sure what I needed.
To call Irene?
Yes, a conversation with her could ease my worries... or magnify them.
I opened the front door and dropped my book bag on the floor of the hallway before I made my way towards the stairs.
"Hello, Nathaniel, sweetie." My mother popped her head out of the kitchen and looked around. "Where's your sister?"
"She's walking with Hunter; she'll be here soon," I replied without a greeting or pausing to face her. My foot was on the first step when she spoke again.
"Is anything wrong, Nathaniel, sweetie?"
"I'm fine." I kept moving up.
"Are you sure, sweetie?" He voice sounded closer; she was following me.
"Yes, mom, I'm sure." It was hard to keep the irritation out of my voice. The last thing I needed now was for my parent to keep poking her nose in my business, ending each of her sentences with 'sweetie'. Didn't she realize how annoying that was?
"I don't like your tone, young man."
At least she didn't call me 'young sweetie'.
I was one footfall away from the landing.
"Nathaniel, turn around and talk to me."
I took a deep breath and did as she commanded. She was a couple of steps below me, her hands on her hips.
"Honestly, Nathaniel, this is the kind of behavior I'd expect from your sister, not..."
"... From your perfect son," I finished for her. "I'm not perfect, mom, and I have things to deal with. Irene, for example. I have to solve my problems with her."
"You call that a problem? A girl?" She laughed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I work hard to keep this house clean, to cook meals for you, your sister and your father, to make connections with our neighbors and build our image in society, but does anyone give me any credit for that?"
My jaw slacked as she raised her voice at me. Mom never raised her voice at me.
"No!" She went on, each word more heated than the last. "Your father spends most of his time at work, every other week I get a phone call from your headmaster, telling me your sister is fighting with her teachers again and your grades are slipping."
I opened my mouth to contradict her, but she wasn't finished.
"You got a B in Math and a B- in Chemistry. Am I the only one who cares about how others see us?"
"Mom, I..."
"Do you know how difficult it is for me to keep explaining to my friends why your father is never with me and to disperse the rumors of what Vallery is up to?" She was screaming now, her hands flailing around her. "And now I don't even have you to be proud of! Are you doing this on purpose?"
I was speechless. All I could do was stare as her face got redder and redder.
"Why are you doing this to me? Are you punishing me for something? Are you..."
Her words were interrupted by the opening of the front door. My mother swirled around so fast, it was a miracle she didn't topple down the staircase.
"You!" She pointed a finger towards a wide-eyed Val who stood under the doorframe.
"I just got here; what did I do?"
"You don't listen to me! You keep disobeying me! And now your brother is doing the same. You ungrateful, little brats!" She ran down the stairs and began putting on her coat and gloves, still shouting.
"You want to drive me insane. Well, I'm not going to let you do that; I've had enough!"
She pushed my sister to the side and stepped on the porch.
"Mom, where are you going?" I ran after her.
"Somewhere where I won't have to put up with such ungrateful behavior," she hissed and stalked towards her car. She paused as she saw one of our neighbors approach - a scrawny woman whose name I could never remember - and I gaped at how fast her demeanor changed. She slowed down, her narrowed eyes went back to their usual proportions and her lips, until now pressed into a thin line, turned up in a smile.
"Janice, how are you, dear?" She greeted the other woman.
"Pinch me," Vallery whispered next to me. "Seriously, did she go from witch mode to happy house wife just like that?"
"I... I don't know what to say," I admitted.
"I'm starting to seriously worry about her." My sister was shaking her head as we watched our parent chit chat and laugh with the neighbor. "And what was up with her when I walked in?"
"I just told her that I was in a bad mood because I was having problems with Irene and she flipped. She began shouting about how many problems she was having."
"Mom was shouting at you?" Vallery had just as hard of a time believing that as I did even though I had been there when mom unleashed her fury.
"Kids?"
We both slowly turned towards her. The scrawny woman was gone and our mother was rummaging through her handbag.
"I'm going grocery shopping; do you want anything?"
"Mom," I tried to sound as if her bizarre mood switching wasn't creeping me out. "Are you alright?"
"Of course, sweetie; why wouldn't I be?" She took out her car keys.
"Because you were screaming like a madwoman until two minutes ago," Val pointed out.
"I may have raised my voice a little," mom waived her hand, "but I wasn't screaming and I definitely wasn't acting like a madwoman, Vallery. I was just a little bit upset, but I'm better now. So do you want anything or not?"
When we didn't reply, she shrugged and stepped towards her vehicle.
"As you wish. If you change your minds, call me."
We watched as she got into the car and drove away. She soon turned a corner and disappeared.
"What was that about?" Vallery asked again.
"I don't know."
"Do you think we should tell dad?"
"I don't know."
"What do you know, bro? 'Cause you are supposed to be the smart one."
"I need to talk to Hunter."
"About mom or Irene?"
"Both."
"And you want to talk to Hunter? He's the one person you want to speak to right now?"
I nodded, hoping I would not offend her. After all, she was the one I usually turned to when I had problems.
"He's at home." She nodded towards the house.
"Do you want to talk or..."
"Go to Hunt," she interrupted. She didn't seem angry with me, just surprised. "We'll talk when you get back."
I stepped towards the fence that separated us from the Harris', but before I climbed over it, I turned around.
"Val, are you sure you don't want to..."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure. I'll call Raiden. Now get your butt over that fence."
That I did.
*****
Irene's POV
I wiped the tears from my face, but a dozen more fell down.
How could he do this to me?
How could Nathaniel - the guy I fell in love with - do this to me?
He seemed so different from other boys, so real. He wasn't a player, he was a gentlemen. And now I found out he was...
What?
Cheating on me?
As much as it pained me, we weren't together anymore, so it wasn't cheating. And there was no way for me to know that he'd been with Hunter while we dated.
Hunter Harris.
A guy.
How could have I missed the signs?
There must've been signs, there must've been something that would tip me of to him liking guys as well as girls... If he even liked girls.
Sure, he'd dated me, but we never went further than kissing and whenever we did that, I'd always felt that he was anxious to put an end to it. I'd convinced myself that I was imagining it. Either that or I wasn't a good kisser and he'd been too polite to point out how inexperienced I was.
Now I wasn't so sure.
Had I been only a cover for the boys?
Or had they gotten together after the two of us broke up?
Had Nathaniel had relationships with guys before or was this new to him?
A knock came from the door and I hurriedly ran a hand over my cheeks to wipe the giveaway wet streaks.
"Yes?" I asked, my voice croaky.
"Irene, is everything alright?" My mother sounded worried so I tried to speak as if nothing was wrong.
"Yes, I... I think I'm catching a cold, mom."
"Do you want me to bring you some tea?"
"Now, it's okay, I'll make myself some. I won't be able to help at the restaurant today though."
How could I serve the clients in this state?
"Irene, will you open the door?"
"I just took a shower; I'm getting dressed." Lying seemed easier when the other option was to talk of things I didn't want to; there was no reason to get mom upset too. Had Nathaniel felt that way as well?
"I'll see you in a few minutes." I shouted through the door.
She didn't reply, but I knew she'd left when I heard the floorboards screech.
I couldn't stop myself from going back to my previous dark musings.
Somehow that scenario sounded good - that Hunter Harris had flirted with Nathaniel and that the latter hadn't told me to spare me from worrying or being jealous. But maybe I wanted to think that so that I wouldn't put the blame on Nat. After all, I still cared for him. That was why what I'd seen today hurt so much.