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Hunter was walking through the hallway, on his way to his locker to grab his bag. He had just finished a flyer derby game which the Emerald Entrails won, even though one of the kids from the other team purposely crashed into Gus, causing them to be a player short.
It was fine though. Gus was fine by the end of the game and they had still won. Despite it, Hunter was bitter about the other team cheating.
He found himself at his locker, not really remembering walking there because he'd been lost in thought. Flapjack was perched on his shoulder, exhausted from a day of flying. He opened his locker, pulling his bag out and dropping it on the ground.
He reached into his locker and pulled out a tiny paper bag. He opened it and scooped out a handful of nuts, lifting it to his shoulder for Flapjack to peck at.
After Flapjack had cleared all the nuts away from Hunter's hand, Hunter crumpled the top of the bag, to make sure they didn't go stale, and put it back into his locker.
He was just about ready to leave when he heard people talking from around the corner. He knew the locker rooms that teams from other school used were over there, and supposed it was the team he was up against a few minutes ago.
He wasn't bothered by the background sound, until he heard Willow's name and his ears perked up. Suddenly he was listening, understanding every word being said.
"Who was the girl with the glasses?"
"I think that was Willow. She's their captain."
"Captain?? She was good but not that good."
"She was the best one on their team, Danny."
"Doesn't mean she was good."
Hunter clenched his jaw, listening to the conversation among what sounded like three of the guys from the other team. Willow deserved to be the team's captain and she was fantastic at flyer derby, better than anyone he'd seen on the other team.
"Dude she almost fell off her staff like six times."
"Cause she's a whale."
All three started laughing at the same time like they were cued on it. As it echoed through the mostly empty halls, Hunter's blood started to boil. Willow was hands down the most gorgeous person Hunter had ever seen in his entire life and these bastards were really going to disrespect her like that.
And get away with it too. Willow was strong but she wouldn't go to their school just to kick the crap out of them and she still had feelings. If she was sitting hear listening to them talk about her like that she would be in tears.
Over Hunter's cold dead body were these assholes going to talk about Willow like this and get away with it. It just wasn't going to happen.
Hunter could feel the adrenaline coarsing through his body now. He kicked his bag off to the side, stomping down the hallway towards where the voices were coming from. He took the corner sharply and just as he thought found three guys from the opposing team standing around inside the locker room a door down from him.
He'd never been so ready to do anything in his life. Never had Hunter been on a mission for Belos that he was so determined to finish. They were going to regret ever saying her name.
Hunter stomped into the locker room, catching the other three's attention quickly. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest.
"Hey!" He screamed even though he knew they were already listening, "Don't talk about The Captain like that!"
"Why? What's she's gonna do? She's only half a witch."
Before he knew it, Hunter had swung his left hand, punching the kid who'd just said it in the nose. A stream of blood trickled down his face.
"What the hell?" He yelled at Hunter, pinching his nose between to fingers.
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"Has anyone seen Hunter?" Asked Willow looking around the empty field. She was talking to her team sitting behind her.
"Nope," said Gus. "Maybe he already left?"
"We always take a picture after games," Willow muttered mostly to herself.
It was true. After every game since the start of the season the Emerald Entrails had taken a selfie together. They had never agreed on it, but every game they just did it.
Then Willow heard the school door slide open. She looked up to Hunter limping out of the gym, heading towards the bleachers where everyone was, with Flapjack fluttering next to him.
Willow ran over to Hunter, looking him over frantically. He had a black eye, a swollen area on his cheek, and a bloody lip. He was holding his left elbow with his right hand and was hardly putting any weight on his one leg.
That's what Willow noticed first. He was gonna topple over if she wasn't careful, so gently she placed one hand around his back, stepping in right next to him, and pulling his right arm around her so he would lean into her. She noticed that he kept his left arm held against his chest, even after pulled the right hand away.
"What happened to you?" She asked worriedly, helping him over to the bleachers. Hunter opened his mouth, but then he shut it without saying anything.
He sat down on the lowest bench and Willow quickly sat next to him, looking him in the eyes as he stared straight ahead to avoid her.
"Hunter," she said, letting him know she wasn't going to stop asking. He looked over at her, trying not to worry her even though he knew he already had.
"You're perfect, ok? Don't let people say you're not because you are. You're funny and sweat and pretty and-"
Willow tried to hide the pink crawling across her face. She hopped Hunter wouldn't notice, but would it really be so bad if he did?
"Where is all this coming from?" She interjected, even though deep down she was loving the attention. Hunter took in a deep breath, as Flapjack landed on his lap. Hunter rubbed the top of his head with his right hand gently.
"I over heard some guys from the other team talking...about you," he said in a low tone, as Willow started to put the dots together.
"You got in a fight?...for me?"
"Well I- I just-" Hunter let out a big breath, "Id hardly call three against one a fight."
"Hunter," she whispered wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close into a hug, "you'd do that for me? That so sweet."
Hunter flushed a bright pink in his cheeks, looking down at the top of Willow's head. Slowly he folded his arms around her as well. He felt right like that, with her in his arms keeping him close.
"It's no problem," he muttered. "I didn't want them talking about you like that."
A few seconds went by and Willow pulled away. Hunter knew it was going to happen eventually but he still missed holding her when it did.
"Listen, while I appreciate you sticking up for me, you can't have three kids beat you up just cause they weren't being nice," Willow explained.
"Well I'm going to," he said sternly. Willow looked up at him with an expression Hunter couldn't make out.
"Why?"
He didn't know what to say to that. He just stared at her while thoughts popped in and out of his head. Because your perfect. Because I need you. He let out a quiet sigh as he turned to look away from her.
"Do you remember the first day we met...when you asked me to join the team?" Hunter said finally breaking the silence. Willow nodded quietly in response. "That was the first time anyone had ever been nice to me. I just-" he stopped himself letting out another sigh, "I just want people to be nice to you the way you were too me."
Willow didn't know how to react. She was quiet for a few seconds then she broke the silence.
"C'mon, you can come back to my house and wipe the blood off your face."
"Willo-" she cut him off before he could object.
"If you're gonna take care of me then you have to let me take care of you."
"Ok," he said quietly as the two stood up from the benches ready to walk to Willow's house.