HUNTER

When the front door slammed shut I honestly didn’t care that my mother was planning to be gone for a couple weeks, it meant freedom. I grabbed the hidden laptop my mother would likely pawn if she knew I had one. I was just planning to see if anyone wanted to game for a while. On the net, I wasn’t Hunter. And that meant being able to forget how little anyone cared about Hunter. I learned a long time ago that what I didn’t hide ended up at pawn shops to support her many habits, and not to let the guilt she threw at me for being another thing she did in hopes of giving herself a better life. Which didn’t get her anywhere when my sperm donor liked the life his wife gave him and had no plans to let my mother spoil it. Although I did finally meet the man, and he let me know how I ruined his life from the minute I was born. At that point I decided being an orphan would have been preferable. Of course the smarter move would have been to stop believing there was someone out there who gave a shit about me.

Maybe that was why I was so interested in Justin Taylor. He lived without people and seemed to do just fine. I really didn’t get my interest in the guy. Other than that he made me believe I could be someone without having parents to hold my hand in life. Which I needed, since my parents were all about acting like I wasn’t there. My fascination with him started when my class attended a workshop for math and science. I wandered off, since at the time it sounded pretty lame. I ended up sitting in the back of some seminar where they seemed to be challenging the college kids to solve problems, and noticed a guy sitting by himself looking just as bored as I was. Only, when no one could come up with the answer, he got up wrote it out in minutes. Then walked off like he didn’t give a shit that the whole room was speechless at how fast he came up with it. He didn’t do it for any reason but because he knew the answer, which was made obvious when he sat back down, ignoring everyone.

People were trying to get his attention, but he just opened a book and started reading, never once speaking to anyone. I sat around listening to people talk about him like he was some asshole who likes to show up everyone. Only, I could tell he was just uncomfortable, something I’d been most of my life because of my mother’s antics when she showed up at my school. He could hear how people described him, but he didn’t let it get to him, and it was that about him that interested me. I wanted to be able to do that, not let people get to me. I wanted to ask him how he dealt with the bullshit, but he walked out and disappeared before I could ask.

The college loved to scream about the success of their students, and eventually there was an article about Justin Taylor; orphan, genius, and all his achievements. They were very proud of the fact that Julian Yates hired Justin Taylor, since he only hired the best. I started messing around on computers, wanting people to one day say things like that about me. I wanted someone to notice me, and unfortunately Justin Taylor did, in about three minutes, and my donor in about two days. I was yanked out of school to meet Julian Yates, and figured out that it wasn’t me but Daddy Dearest that Julian was interested in. And the man who should have given a shit was trying to throw me to the wolves to save his own ass. It was the first time it didn’t bother me, listening to someone talk about me like I was worthless. Which Julian did, while explaining to Dad that his dirty secret stayed safe, as long as, if Julian asked something of him, he did it. 

Julian didn’t want me, because he saw nothing in my grades or the way I got caught that told him I was any more than an idiot with a computer and nothing important to do. Normally I would get a shitty attitude and tell the guy off, but something told me to keep my mouth shut. Julian Yates was bad news, and it made me wonder if my hero worship of Justin Taylor was way off, since he worked with the asshole. I got shipped back to my house with a warning of all sorts of bad shit that Julian could and would do if I wasted any more of his time. While I barely like my mother, I didn’t want her to disappear. I figured out underachieving wasn’t the worst thing I could have ever done. I mean, if I actually applied myself then I’d be like my donor and forced to do what Julian wanted him to do. Which was never said out loud. It was just that when Julian called, my donor answered and did what he wanted. In a way it was poetic justice; my father was now the whore, dependant on another person’s will. 

I looked up at my computer when something caught my eye, and my computer started doing things on it’s own. It was cute at first, until it started downloading without me agreeing to it. I couldn’t get it to stop, and when it was finished I stared at the words left on the screen.

YOU GOT MY ATTENTION, PLAY WITH ME.

The fucker was daring me, and I always had a problem not being able to refuse. It was why I got my ass kicked so often, for not knowing when to walk away. I clicked on the icon and my computer was possessed. The screen changed to a maze, telling me to find the prize. It took me hours of going through the wrong paths, only because I wanted to see where they led. Only I figured out they all led the wrong way.  It was designed to see if I cheated, and when I did, the maze changed to doors, all open but one. One was left closed with a sign that said enter at your own risk. Since the others were open and I wanted to see what was behind the closed door. Only the fucking door was screenshots of what caused my father to have to acknowledge that I existed. I tried to get out, but the door closed and everything disappeared, only to have a question left behind.

WHY?

I sat there trying to figure out if this was some kind of trap, then figured I was already in it so why not answer.

EVERYONE WANTS TO SAY THEY BEAT JUSTIN TAYLOR. I ONLY WANTED TO MEET HIM.

I waited for a couple minutes without any more questions, only to be routed to my email. I wasn’t sure if I should be impressed or scared that there was someone out there that could do this kind of shit. The email contained a e-ticket to Pittsburgh, and a message.

“Nice to meet you, and if you want to meet me, come. Justin.”

Really? Sit around here, hoping my mother remembered to leave food, or go meet the man I sort of idolized. No contest.

BRIAN

Justin sat back, looking worried after he signed off. I told him we were going to talk before he went home. He was going to understand something about me. I don’t let people bully me either. We’d left George’s house, agreeing to meet Ben, who was going to get one of Justin’s spare laptops and meet us back at the loft. I thought Justin could use my computer, but he actually laughed, saying it couldn’t do what his could.

“Is he coming?” I asked.

“Most likely.” He said, worried.

“If you think it’s a bad idea then why bring him here?” I asked.

“I just want to keep him safe from anything, and seeing the life his mother leads tells me he has no one if Julian ever figures out Hunter’s a lot smarter than Julian was led to believe.” Justin tells me.

“What led you to that conclusion? The barely passing grades, or that he was easy for you to catch?” I ask, trying not sound skeptical.

“He was ahead of his class, but attendance became a challenge for him. He was being dumped in foster care every time his mother was arrested. Which meant a new school, then back to the old one. Likely he just didn’t see the point of trying anymore, because who knew where he would be with his mother’s activities. He didn’t have a chance in that environment.” Justin tells me.

“You managed.” I pointed out.

“Only after they figured out I wasn’t slow. After that I was pulled out of public school and put in specialized schools. I got a lot of opportunities he didn’t.” Justin tells me.

“Then we bring him here and Ben will make it so he’s safe.” I tell him.

“I should get going.” Justin says, trying to escape.

“Not until we talk about you trying to push me out of this.” I tell him.

“What do you want me to say? That I don’t like how my life is causing problems in yours? I don’t, because it’s not just about you, but your son and your friends.” He tells me.

“What are you talking about?” I ask.

“All the variables, Brian. If Julian could go from Hunter to Gardner to find something he wanted, do you really think he’s going to ignore Gus, or anyone important to you? What would you do to protect your family? Because Julian’s going to figure out you don’t care about protecting yourself.” Justin tells me.

“Why do you think I don’t care about protecting myself?” I ask.

“You’re still here with me, when you could go back to a life without the things I apparently bring with me.” Justin tells me.

“I guess we have that in common. Because you’re willing to hurt yourself to protect me.” I tell him.

“How did you come up with that one?” Justin asks me.

“Why did you keep watching me?” I ask.

“I told you.” Justin said, looking anywhere but at me.

“No, you really haven’t. You say I’m interesting, that you get peace with me, but you don’t want to tell yourself it’s more.” I tell him.

“What about you? You’ve admitted you have no idea what I am to you. Are you not willing to tell yourself I’m just some guy you feel sorry for? That you want to fix me, the way you want to do for everyone in your life.” Justin tells me.

“I don’t need to fix you. I need to know for once in my life, someone knows I exist.” I tell him.

“Trust me, they know you exist. I watched it night after night.” Justin tells me.

I started taking off my clothes, while Justin looked at me, trying to figure out what I was doing. I didn’t stop until I was left naked standing in front of him. I walked towards him, as he started backing away. He was against the wall with me barely a foot away.

“They see the package, not me. They only see the parts they want inside of them. Around them. You see what’s inside all this. They touch my body, but they don’t touch anything that matters, because they can’t see beyond the bullshit I show the world. I don’t know how I knew the first night you sat on that bench, but you saw the man inside me. Do you want to know what it was like for me to kiss you? It was like there were electrical currents running through my body, everywhere you touched me. I felt alive, because you touched a part of me that no one ever did.” I said, kissing him.

Justin’s hands moved to touch my chest, then ran up my arms. I pulled him to me, wrapping him in my arms as he followed my lead, not timidly kissing me, but giving me all of him. I could tell he wasn’t ready for this to go any further, but for the first time in my life, kissing was enough. I leaned my head against his, as we both were out of breath.

“I don’t want my dream unless you’re there with me. I know what this is, I’m just waiting for you to figure it out.” I whisper to him.

Justin lightly kissed me. “Why couldn’t everything just be easy?” He asks.

“This is, the rest is what we have to do to get to this.” I tell him.

“I need to go, but not because I want to.” He tells me.

“You got my attention, let’s play this together.” I tell him.