Hunter did feel a little better after he talked to his Godfather at lunch. Hunter was just going about life, but he couldn't not be upset about breaking up with Troy. Hunter knew it was his decision to break up, but it was because Troy hadn't come out to his friends like he promised he would on May 6th. Troy said he would tell his friends about being bisexual, but instead, all his procrastinating got him kissed by his ex-girlfriend, Star, and then when Hunter confronted him; Troy lied to their faces and said something awful to cover his own ass. Hunter expressed his thoughts on the situation, and his hurt; Troy understood he messed up and over the last week; he'd wanted to fix it. Troy knew what that meant, though; he had to tell his friends the truth and he would. For now, Troy was bearing in mind that Hunter wanted some time, and he'd said that the night they broke up. Even if Troy came clean, Hunter needed some time to recover from what Troy said to Hunter about having an illusion of their relationship just because he missed Jay. Troy knew that was wrong, mean, and hurtful. Hunter needed to recover from that in order to forgive Troy. So Troy was giving Hunter that time while Troy worked out how to tell his friends that he was not only gay, but also had been dating Hunter for almost four months. Hunter said the decision was Troy's, so Troy knew Hunter was waiting for him. The real problem was how long Hunter would wait, because given how things ended up now; Troy had to assume that Hunter would eventually walk away from the idea Troy would tell the truth and they'd be done for good. So Troy knew that while time was a factor, he couldn't take too much of it.
Troy's goal was to tell his friends the truth, regardless of the outcome and take Hunter to prom like he promised he would. Troy had already gotten the prom tickets and keeping them secured in his wallet until it was time. Right now, things were a bit crazy with his car, cramming for finals, and of course, nationals. Troy felt confident in passing finals, and he was sure nationals would go fine now that everyone was coming together and had been reset in their positions to make the group flow best. Hunter and Troy were still the lead singers, having been voted best in the group for harmonious sounds. All that meant was Troy and Hunter sounded good together when they sang, so no one was going to interrupt that peace. In Soul Harmonics, Hunter and Troy worked together as they had before and kept their previous history as a couple out of things. There was lingering feelings of guilt and longing from Troy, but sadness and hurt from Hunter, but they never let it get in the way of practices. It was still May 11th, and now end of day. Hunter had told Troy to meet him at the car so Hunter could get a better idea of what was wrong with it for Gregory's notes and filing when it should come in for service. Troy was hoping to talk to Hunter, just ask how he was and tell him he was gay, and would be telling the others. However Troy ran over the conversation he had with Hunter during the breakup, Hunter didn't want words; he wanted actions. So Troy suspected Hunter wouldn't want to bring all that up at school and also, just be told hey, I told the others and I don't care what they say because I want you back.
At the same time of talking to Hunter, Soul Harmonics practice wouldn't be starting until Hunter arrived with Troy because Madison had a doctor's appointment and it was up to Hunter to lead things tonight. Troy had already reached his car, and his friends were around too, just to talk or hang out of boredom. Hunter arrived a moment or two later, with his car parked next to Troy's, then he got out.
"Why'd you drive over?" Thaxter wondered.
"Troy said his car had trouble starting, so if that happens to happen again; I'm already over here with my car to jump it. Unless any of you happened to have jumper cables in your cars?" Hunter inquired. Silence. "That's what I thought. Let's not waste time…Start it up so I can do my check over, Troy." He stated.
"Okay," Troy replied, getting his keys from his pocket, then sliding into his seat to start the car. Just like this morning, it gave him trouble. "That's what it did this morning. Took a few times to get it started."
"Could be the battery. When's the last time you had it changed?" Hunter asked.
"Uh…I don't know. That's the battery that came with it," Troy informed.
"Calculated assumption says it's the battery, but just to be sure," Hunter opened the trunk of his car and pulled out a couple things. "Pop the hood," Troy opened the door and pulled the lever to get the hood up. Hunter lifted it fully and set the bar in place. Hunter got something hooked up and turned it on. "Turn the car on. Even if it doesn't right away, keep trying." Troy did what he was told and went in to start the car up, it took several tries but it kicked on as Hunter checked over the screen as it was loading.
"So what are you doing?" Tristan asked.
"Checking the battery level," Hunter replied. The machine beeped as Hunter read it over. "Yeah, your battery is just about dead, Troy. There's barely anything left in this one, that's why your is having trouble starting. I doubt it'll even start tomorrow for you later on, based on the way it sounds." He informed before turning the machine off and disconnecting the cords. "Aside battery, it could also be your starter or alternator. I won't know that until the battery is charged or replaced. If the car has trouble beyond those to items…It's another problem." He stated. "What else is wrong with it, aside the big thing of starting."
"It's making weird sounds…I can't figure out where or what. You only hear them when driving," Troy told him.
"Mind if I take it for a quick spin to listen?" Hunter inquired.
"Have at it," Troy invited, moving aside and letting Hunter slide in after he'd shut the hood. He bucked up and the friends moved away from the car so Hunter could pull away from the spot and take it off the grounds. Hunter left the lot, went around the outside of the high school and then finally returned back to parking space after ten minutes. Hunter shut off the car and got out. "So…What do you think?"
Hunter put a finger up as he walked around the car and re-popped the hood to look around more. "Without getting it on the lift at the shop and digging around, I can tell you right now this car is gonna need a lot of work. So basically put…It's falling apart. It's twelve years old, Troy," He stated as Troy deflated at the sound of things. "Front and back breaks, belts, the battery, possible alternator or starter, tires…I could list fifty more problems, but bottom line is I can't determine everything until I get it on the lift at the shop and actually go through things more thoroughly."
"Great…" Troy muttered. "Honest answer…Is the money I'd spent fixing worth it over what I'd spend to get a newer car?" He asked.
"Based on what I'm seeing…No," Hunter admitted. "At its current state, you'd get more out of it for working parts. Your inspection is due in June…I can tell you right now that it won't pass. Now, I could do the work on it…But like I said, it's falling apart and it's at the stage where no matter what you do…Something else breaking is imminent." He confessed gently. "I know it's not what you were hoping to hear, but…It's not my job as the mechanic to sugar coat the reality." Hunter said. "Without digging around, the problems I'm seeing or hearing are gonna run you into the thousands for repair."
"Last time you worked on my car, it was super cheap…" Troy recalled.
"Last time I worked on your car, they were easy fixes, Troy. Also, last time…I didn't charge you for the labor, which is the mechanics charge for amount of time spent on the vehicle. Your only waiting period was for the part to come in. Now, you tell me what you wanna do. You want me to get it in to be fixed, I'll call Greg right now to get it towed to the shop and I'll work on it when I work, but understand that it's gonna take time for both the work to be done and any parts that need to be ordered and come in. Or I can charge your battery, send you home with it and put your money towards something else. Your call."
"I…Don't know right now. Just…Make it so I can get home tonight. I'll figure it out…" Troy sighed.
Hunter nodded as he pulled something else out of his trunk and got it hooked up. Hunter did a few more things and then turned on the machine. "This should charge your battery a bit. As I said…If this doesn't work, your battery is beyond charging or it's another internal problem." Hunter said.
"Thanks…" Troy replied, clearly not happy about things.
"You're welcome. I'll call Greg and tell him you're holding off making an appointment." Hunter said as he stepped away while getting his phone out to make the call.
"Man, that sucks…" Kody stated. "Sorry about your car, Troy."
"Eh…Somewhere deep down I knew it wouldn't last forever…" Troy muttered. "Just gotta decide what to do now. Putting all that money into repair seems kind'a pointless if more is gonna break with age. At that point, it's a cash sink…" He added.
"What are you gonna do?" Hank inquired.
"For now, just get it home and probably take the bus to school. Beyond that…Might just get something else. I'd have to talk to my parents about helping me out, cause I don't have a job to put anything away. I got that car as a Christmas gift from my parents when I turned sixteen and had my license, so I've only had it a couple years…" Troy said.
A couple minutes went by as Hunter came back over and checked the battery. "This isn't even charging…" Hunter said. "No, not you, Uncle Greg. Troy's car battery. I've got it hooked up and it won't even take the charge. It's dead." He explained.
"Gods damnit," Troy groaned. "How am I supposed to get it home…"
"Greg, send a tow truck to the school…Thanks. I'll see ya later." Hunter ended the call and looked at Troy. "I'll have it towed to your house, Troy. Okay? So might wanna let your parents know it'll be coming by truck."
"They aren't even home right now. Thanks, and just have them leave it on the side lot. That's where it's gonna stay until I decide what to do with it." Troy replied. "Appreciate this."
"It's no problem." Hunter replied.
Ten minutes went by as a tow truck from Forger's Auto showed up and got into position. The driver got out and walked over to Hunter with a smile. "Hey, Hunt,"
"Hey, Kyle." Hunter greeted.
"So what'cha need?" The man, Kyle, inquired.
"Tow this car to the owner's home, please?" Hunter smiled.
"Sure thing!" Kyle beamed. "Oh, gotta take this real quick." He said, holding his phone up.
"Go. I'll load it for you." Hunter nodded.
"You're amazing!" Kyle batted his eye-lashes, then stepped off to the side.
Hunter shook his head and got to work in getting Troy's car on the bed of the tow-truck. It wasn't easy due to all the maneuvering to get the car positioned to be pulled up. Hunter clearly knew how to work all the gears and strapping things in. "Need anything from your car before it goes home?" Hunter asked Troy.
"Yeah, I need my backpack out of the trunk and my baseball stuff…Slipped my mind entirely," Troy said.
"I got it," Hunter climbed up and managed to get into the driver's side door and then popped the trunk open to pull out Troy's stuff then hand it down to him. Hunter made sure everything was fastened and closed, then he handed Troy the keys and jumped down. Hunter grabbed a clipboard out of the truck and filled out a couple things before turning it towards Troy. "Need you to sign. It's just saying we towed your car from here to home for you, legal shit." Troy signed the line and gave it back to Hunter, who handed it to Kyle when he came back. "Here you go. Address is on the paper."
"Have I mentioned you're-," Kyle started.
"Amazing, yes. Also, hot, sexy, adorable, and smart. Now, go before I tell my uncle you're hitting on me," Hunter smiled.
"Who doesn't hit on you at work, seriously," Kyle asked.
"Good point, but still…Go." Hunter told home.
"Aye, sir!" Kyle loaded into the truck, got it started, and soon left.
"I owe you…" Troy sighed.
"Don't worry about it. Now, let's all get to practice?" Hunter tossed his backpack into his car, alarmed it, and then started for the school again.
. . .
Two days had passed since Hunter deemed Troy's twelve-year old car as something that would cost a lot of money to fix. Troy did speak with his parents, who requested he call Hunter to clarify all the problems. Troy did and Hunter was happy to tell Drake and Rebecca about his findings and confirm that the car would cost thousands to fix and it would take a lot of time to get all the repairs done. Troy's parents thanked him and the call ended, then they told Troy they would talk and discuss things before another decision was made. The rest of the last two days were school and Glee practice, then cheerleading and baseball practice for those on those specific teams. Today was Friday the 13th, of April in 2022. And it was the end of the day, time for Soul Harmonics practice. Hunter had stopped at his locker to get his things for homework tonight packed up into his bag, also he was taking a couple moments to prepare to be in practice with Troy. It did hurt Hunter to be around him beyond the breakup, but it was agreed they could handle it for the sake of the group. What choice did they have now that Troy's cheerleading and baseball team friends were back on Soul Harmonics?
Hunter still had hope that Troy would tell his friends the truth and then they could get back together, but so far, that hadn't happened so the hope was slowly fading. Still, Hunter would give it until prom in a few weeks. Until then, Hunter was focused on his schooling, work, and nationals coming up. Hunter made it to the room and set his stuff down in its normal place. As usual Madison had come up to stand beside him. It wasn't really necessary because everyone, including Madison, knew that Hunter was running the show.
"Alright, let's get this started…" Madison smiled. "Where are we-,"
Just then, the door opened as Hunter turned around and saw Noelle. Jay's little sister. "Noelle…" Hunter went over to her, seeing as she was holding child in her arms and also had the pack and play, plus bookbag. "What's wrong?"
"I really hate to ask, but it's an emergency and I didn't know who else to turn to…" Noelle started.
"No, no…It's alright. What happened?" Hunter asked. "Set some of this down."
"Dad is away on a business trip, and mom somehow managed to break her leg. Christian and I are gonna be going up to the city hospital to wait for her to get out of surgery, and then we get to take her home tomorrow. I know it's a lot to ask, but…Can you watch James overnight? Please?" Noelle hoped.
"Of course I can," Hunter smiled.
"You're a life saver. I swear I'll come get him from you tomorrow afternoon and I'll let you know how things are with mom. I made sure his bag is packed with double everything and you know he's on solids." Noelle explained.
"He'll be fine with me," Hunter said as he put his hands out for the child, who happily leaned over to be taken by Hunter. "Hi there, buddy," He greeted. The child, likely James, laid his head on Hunter's shoulder.
"Loves his uncle," Noelle smiled. "Thank you again, Hunter." She hugged him and then gave James a kiss on the cheek.
"You're welcome." Hunter replied and soon, Noelle left the room as Hunter smiled at James.
"Well, nice of you to babysit, Hunter…But what about work tonight and tomorrow?" Gregory was first to speak up.
"I don't work today or tomorrow. I worked Monday through Thursday, and again on Sunday. That's my five days. Remember, you kept asking me to work on my normal off days…" Hunter reminded.
"Ah, right." Gregory nodded.
"So…Who is this kid?" Star inquired boldly.
"This is James, Noelle is his mother," Hunter stated.
"So…You're his uncle? Didn't know Zayden had a kid," Brandon commented.
Hunter rolled his eyes. "Zayden isn't the father…" He sighed. "Noelle is Jay's little sister, she had James when she was fifteen…So this little guy is about a year and a half old. I'm just Uncle Hunter because Jay and I were gonna get married. I'm still close to his family, they still see me as family," Hunter explained.
"So we still practicing while you babysit?" Jasmine smiled.
"Of course. James loves music," Hunter moved James's overnight things to the side with his backpack and then adjusted James on his left hip. "Let's get started." He called to everything as James only held on to Hunter's shirt.
It was kind of interesting to see Hunter babysit because no one had seen Hunter with younger kids. His sister, Melissa, would have been the youngest at age ten. At the same time, Troy had seen Hunter interact with his youngest brother, Cooper, too and Hunter was great with kids. But Troy did admit silently that he wanted to see Hunter with this kid, the one who Hunter basically saw as a nephew. Right now, it seemed practice was still on and Hunter was gonna do it with a toddler attached to his side. Things could be very interesting over the next hour or so.