Hey everyone! Thank you so much for all your reviews. I've said it before but it really is great to have your work appreciated! Ok, here's Chapter 5...
… And it didn't.
One morning, about two months after Hunter had moved in with his parents, Blake and Dustin were play fighting in Ninja Ops while waiting for Hunter to arrive. He was always late recently. Twenty minutes after they had agreed to meet, he came rushing in, full of apologies. Dustin, hoping to delay the training session even more, flung himself at Hunter in a ruby-style tackle that knocked them both flying. Hunter yelled in pain as Dustin landed on top of him.
"Sorry dude, I didn't mean to land on you so hard." he said, offering Hunter a helping hand up. Hunter took it and then bent over in pain.
"Hey, I didn't hit you that hard." Dustin said, puzzled.
"No, it's not you." Hunter winced then straightened. "It's nothing."
But Blake wasn't convinced. "What's the matter?" he asked him in a low voice so the others couldn't hear.
"I said it's nothing." Hunter said with a smile.
Still unconvinced, Blake waited until they were sparring then took the opportunity to wrestle his brother to the floor.
"Ouch!" Hunter yelped in pain. "Get off Blake!"
"Come on, I'm not heavy enough to hurt you!" Blake replied with a laugh. Hunter went to shove him off; in the struggle that followed Hunter's t-shirt tore. They stood gasping. Hunter grabbed the tear in an effort to conceal what lay beneath, but Sensei had seen.
"Stop!" he called. "Hunter, lift up your t-shirt." he commanded.
"Sensei…" Hunter appealed.
"Sensei nothing. Do it."
With a sigh Hunter reluctantly lifted his top to reveal his ribs covered in black, blue and purple bruises. The others gasped.
"How did that happen?" Sensei asked.
He couldn't tell them that, because he'd been ten minutes late back from the track as he'd had to get changed, Phil had decided to teach him punctuality – with his fists.
"I fell." he replied.
"Again?" Dustin asked. "Wow, you're really getting clumsy."
Sensei didn't buy it. "Hunter, come with me." Sensei said, and sat on his shoulder as they went outside, leaving the others to carry on the training session. "How did you really get those bruises?"
"I said, I fell down. Honestly Sensei, I've just been a bit clumsy lately."
Sensei jumped onto a piece of rubble and looked at him, almost disappointed. "I always though you were a very truthful person, Hunter. But just recently…" he shook his guinea-pig head. "What am I going to do with you?"
"Nothing." Hunter almost yelled. Then he said, more quietly, "Sensei, I'm fine. Please, don't worry. I'm sick of people acting as if there's something wrong. Look, I have to go to work. Kelly asked me if I'd sort out the new delivery. Is it ok if I go?"
Another lie. What was he turning into? He just wanted to get away from all the questions - and goinghome wasn't an option.
"Very well. I expect to see you tomorrow, bright and early."
"I'll try Sensei. Thank you." With that he was off down the mountain.
Sensei watched him go with a sigh. He could tell something was wrong, but how could he help him if he wouldn't talk about it? He'd have to have another talk with him tomorrow.
After hanging around the beach for a few hours, Hunter finally decided to go home. He'd been thinking, about what Sensei had said, and maybe he was right. Sensei would understand, even if the others couldn't. Tomorrow he would speak to Sensei, if he could find the right words. Hunter had always found it hard to talk about other peoples emotions – so talking about his own was near impossible, but he would try. Feeling much better, Hunter set off home.
However, what was to happen next would drive all thoughts of tomorrow out of his mind……
