The Missing Link (Book 1: Outcast) [CURRENTLY EDITING]

CHAPTER THREE: JOJO'S

"Do we really want to go tonight, Liv?" Jared's voice came out of my phone's speakers, resting on the table while I finished my makeup. "'Cause I'm seriously considering just calling Will right now and cancelling."

"Weren't you the one talking about going out more? You know, increasing the amount of testosterone in your life?"

"I'm tired," he whined, and I heard him moving some stuff around, water running in the background as well. He was brushing his teeth. "Calculus fried my brain."

I closed the lipstick and shoved it inside the small bag. "I did all my homework in three hours so that I could go without feeling irresponsible. I'm not about to just cancel."

"You sure you're not just too excited about your new neighbor picking you up?" Jared muttered, spitting the toothpaste and rinsing his mouth.

"Is that jealousy I hear in your voice, McCall?" I teased.

"You wish, Rhodes," he reproached. "You can't even deny it."

"Deny what exactly? That I want to see Hunter?"

"Yes."

"Well, I do want to see him," I admitted. "Why would that be a problem?"

"He's not your type," he said simply.

"Since when do I have a type?" I took my purse and sat on my bed's black duvet.

"Since forever. You're more into open guys. Hunter doesn't seem to be part of that category."

"Category?" I scoffed, smiling. "What does that even mean?" He replied something, but the doorbell didn't let me hear him.

"Is that him?" Jared asked, and I treaded toward the window to check on that myself. Indeed, there was Hunter, standing on our porch with utterly fashionable punctuality. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, it marked seven fifty nine.

I looked at him again, remembering Sally's words from yesterday. I'd say dirty blonde. How could they see a completely different guy than the one that I saw? Was I suddenly going crazy? No. I couldn't be.

The guy wearing khakis and a black shirt, standing on my porch, had black hair. It was completely black, almost obsidian. And those blue eyes...they weren't brown. That was Hunter Black, not the blonde guy everyone described him as.

"Yeah, he's here," I said quietly, and my heart raced when I saw my mother opening the door. "When is Will picking you up?"

"He just texted me. He's five minutes away," he said.

"Perfect, we'll see you guys there." I hung up, taking one last glance in the mirror and shoving my phone into my back pocket. Decent enough, I approved.

I was already rushing through the stairs to avoid any unnecessary interaction between Hunter and my parents when Mom called out. "Olivia, someone's looking for you."