The school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Winter stuffed her face towel and smartphone into her Balenciaga bag. She bolted out of her seat, and raced to the homeroom like one pursued by the devil.
Then she bumped into a wall. But, instead of falling backwards, she was pulled forward into someone's arms.

"Hey. Chill, cupcake. You almost knocked me down," the someone said, pulling her away from him so he could look into her eyes.

"What's going on?" His brows furrowed as he checked her out.
She was panting. Her cheeks flushed hot.

"I guess I need to use the toilet."  She gasped, pulling out of his grasp.

But his strong arms held her in place. Her limbs were shaking, and a wave of nausea hit her body.

"I'll take you there," he suggested, sweeping her into his arms in bridal style.

"Fuck! Fuck you, Hunter! Put me down!" She screamed and wriggled in his arms, trying to get the heck out of them.

"Calm down, Winter. Will you tell me what's going on?"

There was a ringing sound in her ears. Her fingers were tingling.

"I think I'm going to die."She groaned.
Then she stopped struggling and remained still.

He placed his ear close to her chest to listen to her racing heartbeat.
"You're having a panic attack." He gasped, setting her down on a chair nearby.
"Breathe." he cooed.
"Breathe."

"I can't," she whimpered.

"At least, try. Don't think of anything else. Free your mind. Relax. I'm here." He said the words slowly, squatting beside her.

He pried her bag out of her fingers and placed her hand in his instead.

"You're trembling," he murmured.

They remained in that posture for about ten minutes or so.

"I'm here," he reminded her, squeezing her palm to reassure her. Gradually, her breathing became slower and more even, till she heaved a sigh and relaxed. He felt her lace her fingers through his as if to say, thank you.

"Hmm. It's my pleasure," he hummed, placing his other hand on her thigh teasing her skin with his touch, intensifying the fiery feeling that shot up her pelvis, forcing her to look at where his hand was on her thighs. Her ears turned red as he stroked that part of her body, going south.

"Huh?" She blinked, desperate to ignore the wetness that was gathering between her legs. She couldn't deny that their sexual chemistry was powerful. With just one touch of his, her mind traveled places.

"Hunter, stop what you're doing to me," she moaned as she leaned backwards in the chair.

"Beg me." He continued stroking. Her legs felt like jelly. He smiled when he saw her thighs shake and jitter, and she shut her eyes.

"Just beg,"  he groaned.

What if a teacher walked in on them in that posture?

"Hunter Sheriff, could you please stop whatever the fuck you're doing around my pussy?" her core was melting. She shuddered.

"Took you long enough, Miss Oscar." He grinned. "And as a punishment, I won't stop. That's right, I want to hear you moan my fucking name until everyone in the school knows we're here. Fucking each other," he whispered against her thigh, very close to her crotch.

His words brought a flush of heat to that region. Thinking of actually making love to him right there, in front of God and everybody took her breath away.

Involuntarily, she found herself spreading her legs wider and wider, inviting him in.

His fingers crept to the band of her jeans. Then he paused.
"Are you okay? I saw that look on your face when you came bumping into me earlier. Did Spencer try any shit with you? Tell me, Winter. I'm freaking out here."

"No__ it's just___ just that___" She sobbed. "Please don't stop. I need this,"  she whispered, realizing how badly she did want to make love to him.

Hunter looked pained. She wasn't ready to open up to him, and it hurt as hell.
"You had a panic attack, Winter. What the fuck am I supposed to do? Pretend my girlfriend is alright and take advantage of her?"

She looked at him through tear-filled eyes. When she blinked, the tears rolled down her face.
"Are you saying that you don't want me?"

He wrapped both arms around her waist, wishing those tears wouldn't fall. It broke his heart that his girlfriend was crying.
"No__ I want you a whole lot more than you can ever imagine. I'm crazy about you. But I can't just have you now. Love, please try to understand."

He kissed her belly button, then tickled her sides as an attempt at making her laugh. But succeeded in making her a blubbering mess instead.
"I'm so sorry, love. What's going on that you don't want to tell me?"

He held his breath as she cried and cried and broke his heart even more.

When she didn't stop, he scooped her into his arms plopped himself on the chair and rocked her back and forth like a baby.

He kissed every tear on her face, whispering, "It's okay, love. You got me."

She felt like an idiot. Here she was, worrying him sick to death. He was a gift from Cupid that she didn't deserve.

"Isla didn't take the Chemistry exam," she tried to sniff the mucus coming out of her nose. He shouldn't see her like this.

But he didn't care.
"I'm fine with however you are. You don't need to hide your weaknesses from me, got it? And, but the way, have I ever told you that, even when you're crying, you're beautiful too?" Hunter wiped off the mucus with his face towel and kissed the top of her nose.

"I've been calling her since we finished the exam. All my calls are going to voicemail." She sobbed.

"Maybe___"

"There's no maybe. My calls have never gone to voicemail. I'm worried about her. Principal Jenkins might not pardon her absence without cause. I love her, Hunter. I need to find her."

"What if she doesn't want to be found? Craig is in the hospital, isn't he?"

She stirred in his arms.
"Isla didn't go to see him. I'm quite sure. That bastard hurt her so much that she can't bear to see his face. If she went anywhere, maybe it's the infirmary."

He stopped kissing her nose.
"Wait, what the hell would she seek there?"

Winter weighed the wisdom of revealing her best girlfriend's secret to her boyfriend.

"I'll never tell anyone, Isla. Your secret is safe with me", Winter whispered, crushing Isla in a bear hug.

They were at Winter's for a girls' night. Winter's parents had poked their heads in to bid them goodnight.

"We love you." They blew air kisses at the two adorable little girls.
Isla turned her back to them.

"Nobody loves me,"  she muttered, pulling the duvet over her head.

To shield herself from love. She hated love and everything about it. Luckily, Winter's parents didn't hear her because the fabric muffled her voice.

After she heard the closing of her parents' bedroom door, Winter asked, "What about your parents? They must love you, even if everyone else hates you."

Isla wiggled under the covers as her lip twitched and tears came.
"My dad is sick. He's in the infirmary Even before they took him there, he already hated me. I wish I knew why," she groaned, feeling ashamed of her history.

"I'm glad he's there now. Because I can get a break from being reminded of how stupid I am, or how I'll never find love. He wishes I were never born. You__ you won't tell anyone? Pinky promise?"

Isla's promise finger found Winter's under the sheets. Two girls. Bound by friendship. One broken. The other surrounded by love.

"I'll never tell anyone, Isla. Your secret is safe with me," Winter whispered, crushing Isla in a bear hug.

Here was Winter, breaking the promise she'd sworn to keep. Just because her boyfriend asked, she let everything out. When she was done with her betrayal, he sighed,
"You heard yourself. She hates her dad. Why would she give up her finals just to check up on some cranky old guy who probably can't remember her anymore?"

That was what she wanted to find out. She hadn't missed the exchange between Isla and Mr Spencer, and she wondered what her dear friend was up to.

Winter slipped off Hunter's laps.
"I'm going to the infirmary," she said, thinking that Isla was there. He couldn't leave her to do that on her own. So, he drove her. Whatever they had to face, they'd do it together. For better, for worse.

For worse it was, since the infirmary stank of old age. Hunter's hand flew to his nose as the stench hit him hard, like that of rotten eggs, or mottling newspaper. He doubled up against the wall, retching.

She was sorry that she ever dragged him along. He didn't deserve to go through this trouble with her. Isla was her friend, not his.

"We can leave now if you want. Isla is probably having a fun time with her dad," she suggested. Although her tone was cheerful, her heart wasn't. She felt like a traitor.

"That little devil is still alive?", one old man croaked.

He was straddled up in a wheelchair. Winter saw that his right leg was amputated, and his head was bald. He crinkled his eyes that looked like two pale sheets sunk in their sockets.
"Yeah. That's who she is. My little devil." He grinned.

Wrong idea. His mouth was almost bereft of teeth, save two on his upper gum. Winter gasped.

"Tell her that Pa said hi." He started coughing. He coughed so much that Winter thought he wasn't going to survive it.

Winter wished she could knock the man out for what he just said.
"Isla___ she's not here?" she asked instead, holding Craig's hand tightly.

"I hate her," he muttered.

"Aren't you her dad? She's missing right now and you don't even care!" Winter cried.

Hunter hushed her, turning her around so that her head lay on his chest and his arm secured her waist.
"Let's get away from this piece of shit." He clenched his own fists.

"I wish he were dead." She sobbed.
Me too, love, Hunter thought as he lured her away from the place.

He drove the car, turning every now and then check how she was faring. They had no idea of where they were heading. They drove and drove for kilometers, like Isla. But, unlike Isla, they passed the path leading to that trail and drove on.

"She hates the woods," Winter argued, "She used to say that she's never been there. Besides, it's cold and freezing. Why the fuck would she be stuck out there?"

She looked out of the window at the blizzard outside. The familiar sight of the streets was almost erased. The flakes fell slowly but they were so thick that they almost obscured their view completely.

So, Isla wasn't found for as long as the snowstorm lasted. And it lasted for hours. Each hour brought her closer to her grave.