The Hunt

The Meeting

Skye

I waited anxiously near the front door, sitting on a nearby lounge chair just to get right back up again. I couldn't remember the last time I had people over at my house, let alone to play The Hunt. My sister was thankfully lucid and watching tv in the living room so we could just head outside without bothering anyone or having anyone bothering us.

I kept checking the time on my phone, getting frustrated each time I looked and the time hadn't changed. Everyone was supposed to meet up at noon, but it was five minutes past and no one was here yet. My mind continued to wander, thinking about who would be the first one to show up and hoping it would be Leo. He was the easiest person to just sit in silence with. Isla made her silence known and awkward. Dayton would just talk about sports or himself the whole time. Booker would just keep asking questions to keep a conversation going because he seemed like the person who couldn't handle silences between two people.

The doorbell rang, and I immediately shot to my feet. I brushed my hands against my jean shorts, noticing how clammy they got from my impatience. Then, I reached for the doorknob and turned it seemingly in slow motion. I cracked open the door and was shocked out of my anxiety.

"What the hell? How did you all get here at the same time?" I asked, looking at the group in front of me.

"I caught up with Isla on my way here, so we biked the rest of the way here together," Dayton offered, gesturing to the quiet blonde who only slightly nodded her head in agreement.

"I was just behind them in my car," Booker added, and I noticed the blue Jeep parked in front of my house.

"I have no idea," Leo said, his voice coming out sluggish. We all looked over at him. His dark shoulders slouched under his t-shirt which's sleeves had been cut off. He smelt like weed, and I had to resist the urge to ask for a hit before having to invite this group into my home. Then, surprisingly, we all started laughing. Leo joined in, but he looked confused as to what we all thought was so funny.

"Come on in. We can head into the back." I stepped aside so everyone could walk in. They filed inside, Dayton first and Booker last. As if Dayton had been here before, he headed straight for the back door and everyone followed him. I guess he was taking charge like this whole situation was the football field.

I closed the front door expecting to walk the rest of the way alone, but Booker stayed back, hazel eyes glazing over everything in the entryway. "You have a beautiful home," he said as if he was a forty year-old woman.

"Oh, um, thanks." We started our walk towards outside. "Did you bring the clue?" I whispered, hoping my sister didn't overhear. The main rule of The Hunt was for no adults to know who was playing or watching the game. It was our thing as teens, and we wanted to keep it that way.

Booker looked over, his blonde hair hanging in front of his eyes. He smirked, revealing a dimple I didn't know was hidden in his cheek. Then, he handed me a blue envelope with the logo of the University of South Carolina on the front. "You actually get mail from colleges?" I asked, observing the envelope to look for anything off with it. That's when I noticed the arrow drawn in Sharpie on the lip of the envelope.

"Yeah. I gave my email and my address when I took the SAT," he answered. I looked up from the envelope, my brows furrowed and my lips pursed in disgust. "Worst decision of my life. They won't leave me alone," he added in a whisper with a fake shudder of his shoulders. We both smiled, laughing quietly before joining the others outside.