Hunter [h.s.]

Chapter 4

WARNING: Events happen in this chapter which may be offensive or triggering to some. Read with caution.

Chapter 4

"Why is this so confusing?" I whined, delving my head into the book as though I could just get the information that way.

"I don't know," Marcel shrugged. "I was hoping you would get it by now." He chewed his pen and sighed. "This sounds bad, but maybe we should do these sessions even more?"

I lifted my head. "Even more than three times a week?" I cocked an eyebrow at him and he shyly looked off.

"Well, it's an option." His voice was gentle and I remembered his antisocial tendencies.

I dropped my pen. "You know what I think might help us out?" I sat up and turned around in the chair so I could face him.

He seemed confused. "Wh-What?"

I smiled. "Friendship! Ugh, I sounded way gayer than I meant. Oh, sorry, I forgot that that's an offensive word. I meant way too happy-go-lucky and gay means happy, to be honest, but yeah I'm getting sidetracked," I babbled. "Anyways, maybe we should get to know each other? I know that if we're closer than we'll feel even more comfortable seeing each other so often in a week," I shrugged. I looked at him and his green bug eyes peered back nervously.

"Um, uh, okay," he said, looking down at the book he'd been reading to me from. He closed it and sat in a chair opposite me. "Is this something where we ask questions?"

I tilted a head off to the side, but then brightened. "Oh! Great idea, Marcy, we should play 21 questions!" I smiled at him.

He flustered. "M-Marcy?" He fidgeted with his glasses and I shrugged.

"Seemed only natural to give you a friendly nick name," I explained. "Hopefully you don't mind how borderline feminine that sounds, because you can't undo that becoming your new official Aaliyah-approved nickname." I pointed warningly at him.

He only nodded. "O-Of course." He rubbed his eyes a moment seeming to come up with a nickname for me, too. I wasn't interested in him like that, but I'm sure that when girls say they like the "nerdy type" they mean even Marcel, because he was completely adorable, had a beautiful smile, and height is a turn on for a lot of girls; not all of them, but still.

"How about L-Li?" he stammered.

I thought about it and then tried to repeat, "Wait, Li Li, or Li?"

His eyebrows flexed a little but a sweet smile crossed his face. "I-I think I like Li-Li better," he nodded. I wanted to poke his dimple.

"What's up with your stutter?" I asked, maybe a bit too insensitively. "I'm sure you could have that treated."

He looked down in embarrassment. "Oh, n-no. I don't always stutter like this," he said. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to hear him add, "Only around pretty girls," but for the sake of our strictly professional, well, strictly friendly relationship, I pretended I didn't.