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Iwas standing outside waiting for Chris when I heard Hunter’s voice behind me. “So I hear you’re without friends.”

Despite the public banishment in English, I couldn’t help the small smile gnawing at my cheeks as I turned around. “I didn’t realize you were so informed.”

Hunter pulled a cigarette from his jeans pocket and lit it. “I have my ways, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He took a long drag, watching me with keen interest as he turned his head to exhale, never breaking eye contact. “I’m the grim reaper of friendships. If you keep talking to me, you’ll have none.”

Instead of a coat, he wore a black sweatshirt, the hood covering his dark hair. His fingers were a light shade of purple, but not because of bruising this time. He fit his cigarette between his lips again, and I jerked my gaze away, my cheeks hot when I realized I’d been staring.

“I don’t think they’ve been my friends for a while,” I said.

He considered that, searching my face. “Well, I’m still sorry. Losing friends sucks.”

I tried to nod in return, but I couldn’t believe he stood across from me, sympathetic because a handful of his tormenters didn’t want to be friends with me anymore. It was so backward it made my chest hurt.

“Do you want to hang out sometime?” I blurted, and he coughed on an exhale.

“Sure ... yeah. Um, how about tonight then?”

“Sure,” I said, almost breathless.

“My house?” he asked, but I hesitated. “Unless you want to hang out at yours?”

“Er, no, your house is fine.”

He eyed me for several moments, his gaze suspicious. “He won’t be home. There’s some party tonight.”

I felt my face redden. “Yeah ... I know, no, yeah, that sounds good.”

Hunter bent his knees so his eyes were level with mine and peered into them, fishing for a glimmer of honesty. “You sure?”

“Yeah,” I said before I could change my mind.

“Okay, good. I can’t ... er ... pick you up, though.” He shifted from one foot to the other and glanced over my head at something in the distance. “I mean, I can pick you up, but it would either be on my bike or I could walk and come get you. I usually walk or bike everywhere, but I’m not sure where you live ...” He frowned, staring off.

I bit my lip. “That’s okay. I can borrow my mom’s car or get a ride.”

He relaxed but still had a hard time meeting my gaze.

I caught sight of Chris’s car pulling down the street. I nodded toward it with a small smile as I headed to the curb. “I’ll see you later then.”

“Alice,” Hunter called from behind me. I didn’t need to turn around to see the smile on his face, but I did anyway, and sure enough, his cocky smirk had returned, replacing all the prior embarrassment as if it had never even been there.

“Yeah?”

“This is usually the part where you give me your phone number.”

I cringed as my hand touched the door handle. “Right.”

I held up one finger to Chris and closed the space between Hunter and me. He maintained his smile as I rattled off my number.

“Okay, cool,” he said. “I’ll text you the time and stuff.”

“Yeah, okay. Um, I’ll see you tonight.” I was nearly to the car when I heard his soft laughter from behind me.

“See you tonight.”

I climbed in, looking anywhere but at Chris. We sat there for several moments until I was forced to look at him to determine why we hadn’t pulled away from the curb yet. Both of his hands were on the steering wheel, but he was staring at me with eyebrows raised, grinning as if he’d caught me doing something that would provide him with enough ammo to embarrass me for the rest of my lifetime.

“Is that who I think it is? I mean, I could be wrong, but that sure as hell looks like a broken nose. A brutal one too. You said that happened with a basketball? Dearlord.” He looked past me at Hunter, and when he raised his hand to wave, I intercepted it and heaved it toward the console.

“I’m begging you to drive,” I said, staring straight ahead, and though he laughed, Chris did drive off.