Ben had looked up up just as Hunter and a blonde teenager had entered the diner. When the blonde's eyes had landed on him, the boy had paled and ran out of the diner. After a second, Hunter followed him.
Having seen what happened, Michael asked, "What was that all about?"
Ben just shrugged. There was something familiar about the blonde, he just couldn't figure out what it was. He had a nagging feeling, though, that he should know who the blonde was.
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Hunter followed the running Taylor. "Taylor! Wait up!," he yelled. Taylor just kept going. After about a block, Hunter caught up with Taylor and grabbed his arm. "Taylor. What's the... matter?" Hunter asked while trying to catch his breath.
Taylor stopped running and turned to face Hunter. Hunter could see the anger, fear, and hurt in the blonde's blue eyes. After taking a deep breath, Taylor opened his mouth as if he was going to speak. Then, he shook his head. "Forget it."
When Hunter saw that his friend was about to take off again, he grabbed the boy's arm and kept him in place.
"C'mon, Tay. What's the matter. I thought we were friends."
"We are. It's just..."
"Just what?" Hunter persisted.
Taylor sighed, then started speaking. "That guy, back at the diner. The one with the dirty blonde hair and the glasses."
Hunter nodded. "Ben."
Taylor nodded. "I know him. I didn't know that it was the same Ben that had taken you in until I saw him."
"Please don't tell me that he was a trick."
Taylor emphatically shook his head. "God, no! Nothing like that." After a slight pause, Taylor reached into his back pant's pocket, then pulled out a ratty old wallet. Opening it, he pulled out a picture that was tatered at the ends. Looking at it for a moment, he handed it to Hunter.
After taking the picture, Hunter looked at it. He immediatly saw Ben. Even though it ws a younger version of Ben, he was easily regonizable. He had his arm thrown around a blonde kid that looked to be about four or five. They both had big smiles on their faces. "Why so you have a picture of Ben?" asked Hunter.
"Because... He's my brother," answered Taylor.
To say Hunter was shocked was an understatement. "What?!"
Taylor nodded. That's me in that picture with him. I was five at the time and he was eighteen. I barely remember that our parents were having a party for him. Graduation, I think. Anyways, a couple of months later our parents were dead. Their car was hit by a drunk driver. This is the only picture I have of him. I remember that I was seven the last time that I heard from him."
Taylor's blue eyes darkened in anger as he said, "I was dumped with my Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Craig, while he was off doing whatever. After I turned seven, I never heard from him or saw him again. The bastard forgot all about me!"
Hunter shook his head. "I can't believe that. Ben doesn't seem like that type."
Taylor shrugged as he snatched the picture out of Hunter's hands. After stuffing it back into his wallet, he said, "It doesn't matter anymore."
"Yes it does! I'm sure he's want to know that you're here. Why don't you just come back--"
Taylor interrupted him. "No. I need to be getting back, before the others take all of the good tricks. Like I said, it doesn't matter. That's in tha past. See ya later, okay?"
Hunter sighed and nodded. As he watched his friend walk away, he knew that he had to do something. He had to tell Ben. He just hoped Taylor didn't hate him. But, he had to show Justin that Ben wasn't that type of man. And, Ben deserved to know that his little brother was in Pittsburgh and what he was doing.