Chapter Text
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6
Hunter liked his dad. He mowed the lawn on the weekend and always told stupid dad jokes, he taught him how to change a tire, how to drive stick.
Maybe it came with being a pastor, but his dad had an answer for everything. Sometimes it would drive him and his sister crazy, but mostly it was nice knowing his dad would always offer a helping hand.
Hunter loved his dad and he knew that his dad loved him too.
It was just a sad truth, that if his dad knew him, really knew him, that that love would die.
When Hunter was a little boy, his dad hand told him to trust in God and to treat people with kindness, “for we are all children of God” he had said. As Hunter grew up though, he slowly learned that didn’t extend to everyone.
There were sins like lying and stealing. While they were wrong, they could be forgiven.
There were also those sins that no one even spoke about. Those were the worst sins, because you would only find out about them, after it was too late.
Hunter had tried to be different, had tried to look at the girls in class the same way his friends had. What if the girls just weren’t his type? What if he was a late bloomer?
When his friends called each other Names that made Hunters skin crawl, he ignored it.
When Ryan’s interest in him had become too intense as to be casual, Hunter had tried to ignore that too.
His hesitance didn’t last long and for Hunter it soon turned into more than just a forced closeness with the only other person that could possibly understand him. He stared looking for Ryan at school, counting the days until their next meeting.
The more his feelings grew, the more exposed he felt. His shame consumed him more and more; their encounters getting more violent as a result.
Even after Ryan told Hunter they had to stop seeing each other, his shame didn’t vanish. For some reason it only seemed to grow, eating him up from the inside out.
No one noticed anything amiss. No one was acting different. Hunter felt like he was sinking, drowning, with no reaction from the people who caused his plight.
He hated Ryan for making this thing impossible to ignore.
He hated Naim, because while the rest of Bandee was oblivious as always, Hunter saw the stolen glances and hidden smiles.
It was irritating, how obvious it was. How even after Naim practically sprinted out of church on Sunday, no one seemed to care. His friends didn’t make any dirty remarks. His mother didn’t complain about the corrupting influence of city folks…
It was the Monday after and nothing had changed.
Izzie and him were sitting on the living room couch, half watching some boring reruns when the landline rang in the hallway.
His mum got up to get it and after some mumbled small talk, waved his dad over to take the receiver. They switched positions and his mum vanished into the back of the house.
The grim expression that overtook his dad’s face as he listened to whatever was being said on the other end of the line piqued Hunters curiosity.
He left the couch and went to the kitchen. From there he could just make out his dad’s side of the conversation without the TV drowning out most of what was being said.
“I understand your concerns a- “the tinny sound of a woman’s voice interrupted form the other end. He recognized that voice from somewhere.
His dad listened intently, before replying. “Yes, I have some contacts with the church. There is a man I know, who could help you. You don’t need to worry; we’ve done this sort of thing before…” His dad trailed off.
Hunter nearly jumped out of his body, when he noticed Izzie had snuck up behind him, listening in as well, grinning at Hunters annoyed expression.
He tuned his attention back to the hallway and was glad that his dad was still focused on the call and hadn’t noticed them.
From their vantage point in the kitchen, Hunter couldn’t hear the exact words, but it was clear that the woman on the other end was upset.
“There is nothing to worry about Arlene,” Izzie shot him a serious look “you’re protecting Naim with this”.
Hunter looked back at his sister. She das a contemplating glint in her eyes that made him feel like she knew something he didn’t.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.” His dad spoke into the receiver “That’s what the Bible tells us Arlene”
Izzie grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back towards the living room before he could hear the end of the conversation. She pushed him on the couch and sat next to him.
“I’ll meet you after they went to sleep” she whispered. Then turned back to the TV like nothing had happened. Hunter wasn’t sure that something had. He still felt like he was missing a piece of a puzzle, but apparently it had to wait until his parents were asleep. Why did he have to have such a dramatic sister?
The house had gotten quiet. Hunter was sat on his bed, mindlessly scrolling through his phone. His parents’ voices had faded a while ago, and he was sure that by now they were fast asleep upstairs.
It took some more waiting, but then he heard Izzie’s door open down the hall, followed by soft footsteps moving towards him.
His door was pushed open a crack and Izzie peered inside. When she saw him sitting on the bed, expectantly looking up at her, she snuck into the room and quietly closed the door.
She wore the striped pyjama set their parents had gotten her last Christmas and for a moment Hunter was remined of when they were younger, and Izzie would sneak into his room after nightmares.
They used to be inseparable, but that was a long time ago.
Before the secrets and the hiding.
“Did you hear dad today?” He said, for a lack of anything better to say.
Izzie scoffed and walked over to his bed, sitting down at the end with her legs pulled up to her chin. “I was standing right next to you dummy” she rolled her eyes and smiled.
“So why exactly did you have me stay awake for hours? We have school tomorrow.” Hunter said.
The smile slipped off his sister’s face, replaced by a sorrowful expression. “I think I know what dad was talking about with Naim’s mum” she whispered.
“Okay?” he asked hesitantly.
“Naim spends a lot of time with Ryan, right?” his sister glanced at him. Hunter just stared at her a moment.
“How do you know?” he thought he was the only one who saw it. If Izzie saw it then everyone else could too. If they knew about Naim and Ryan, they could find out about him…
“I’m not stupid Hunter” she tried to smile at him “I know you”
“Izzie…” he trailed off, not knowing what to say.
“Hunter,” she said kindly “you and Ryan weren’t exactly subtle sometimes”
Hunter stared at his sister, baffled “How long have you known?”
“I had my suspicions a while but, you kinda confirmed it when you got all moody after Ryan broke up with you” she shoved him, grinning.
“He didn’t- we weren’t-“ Hunter stumbled over his voice. He didn’t think he’d be having this conversation tonight, or like ever.
“I don’t want the details” Izzie picked back up, waving her hands in front of her face as if to shoo away any menal immages that could have possibly been projected over by her brother.
Hunter sighed miserably, running a hand through his hair. “So, what do you want?”
Izzie’s teasing tone vanished. “To help out Naim, because I think he might be in trouble”
“Since when do you care about Naim?” Hunter wondered.
“I don’t” his sister said matter of fact “but I think something bad is going to happen to him and I don’t want that on my conscience”
Something about the way she said it made Hunter want to call bullshit, but he ignored it. “Why do you think something bad will happen?”
Izzie turned, facing him. “So, there were these two girls at camp…
✟
Ryan was at school, going through the motions. The day had dragged on forever, seemingly never-ending classes blurring together.
With only two more to go, Ryan had snuck out for a quick smoke behind the school. Enjoying the cool breeze, as his classmates slaved away on some assignment, he had no memory of. Sue him, he had more important things to worry about.
He had seen Naim earlier in the day, but as far as Ryan knew, he was already on his way home since his last class was cancelled.
Lucky Bastard…
Ryan kept thinking about Naim. How their relationship was so much more than he originally intended, but he found that he didn’t mind.
Naim was smart and kind, and secretly the funniest person he knew. He loved the pocket of safety they had built together, even in this shit town. He loved-
One of the side doors of the school swung open, of all the people, Hunter stepped out and turned to Ryan.
Great.
“Have you seen Naim?” he asked, looking towards Ryan, who threw his half-smoked cigarette to the ground, snuffing it out with his shoe.
“Leave him alone man” he huffed frustrated. He hadn’t spoken to, much less seen Hunter since he’d told the boy, that he didn’t want to meet him anymore. Hunter hadn’t even tried to argue, simply accepting his rejection and walking away.
Ryan didn’t think there was bad blood between them, but if there was, Naim had nothing to do with that.
“It’s not- I don’t want…” Hunter ran a hand through his hair, trying to find the right words. This didn’t have to be more awkward than it already was. “I don’t want to mess with him or anything. I just need to tell him something that’s all. Do you know where he is?”
Ryan just looked at him unimpressed.
“It’s important man. It’s about his mum” Hunter said seriously.
Ryan couldn’t help a loud guffaw bursting out of him. “Seriously? You came all this way out here to make some dumb ‘Your mum’ joke?” A smile tugged at his face, but it was anything but kind. “Just leave Naim alone with your shit”. He said as he turned to leave, less relaxed than when he first came out here for a brake.
“Ryan, wait!”
He heard Hunter jog up to him from behind. “I’m not joking. I heard my dad talking to his mum on the phone” he sounded genuinely distressed, making Ryan stop in his tracks. The abrupt movement meant that Hunter nearly collided with him.
“What?” Ryan asked while taking one last step back to put Hunter at a casual distance.
He had no idea what Arlene and the Pastor had to talk about that could get Hunter this worked up.
“Yeah, it sounded bad man. Like they were planning something.”
“Planning?” Ryan questioned. He didn’t like where this was going. He tried to ignore the fear rising in him.
“My sister…she knew these girls. They were together and then my dad and some others from the church found out. They- they did something to them…” Hunter said desperately.
“What did they do?” Ryan asked, part of him dreading the answer. He didn’t want to imagine Naim in whatever fucked up situation those girls had gotten themselves into. Knowing Bandee, it couldn't have been anything good.
“Some ritual or something. I don’t know exactly, but Izzie said there was some old guy performing it. He calls himself a spiritual healer.”
Hunter kept talking, but Ryan didn’t pay attention anymore. There was no way Arlene would let some old fuck perform a ritual on Naim. She loved him too much for that but-
“Ryan!” his gaze snapped back up at Hunter “One of the girls- she died” Ryan felt something in his stomach trop.
“No, that-“ his mind conjured up images of Naim, unseeing eyes looking up at him “No, his mum wouldn’t do that to him” She loved Naim, so much so that Ryan couldn’t help but feel angry at his parents for never caring about him like that.
“I heard them, Ryan. I tried to find Naim, he’s not here. Where-“ before he could even finish his sentence, Ryan had pushed past him, racing to his bike.