Chapter Twenty-Four
Finn
After saying goodbye to Griff and Layla, we got into Aaron’s car for the drive home. I was relieved that we’d made up, though I was still a little hurt by what he’d said at the party, and I knew we still needed to have a discussion about the job offer. But I was definitely in agreement about getting out of Griff and Layla’s apartment because I had no doubt that Layla would be listening in on anything we said.
Having that fight made me think of the many arguments we’d had growing up. And one big one in particular.
I looked across the hall and saw Aaron talking to one of the cheerleaders. He was all smiles and she was practically posing in front of him, sticking her chest out so her boobs were nearly against his chest. And he was flirting back. I could tell by that stupid smirk on his face that he was liking it, too.
I grabbed my lunch, then slammed my locker shut and turned away so I wouldn’t have to look at him anymore.
“Damn, Finn, what is your problem?” my friend Damon asked.
“Nothin’,” I spit out.
Damon’s eyebrows rose on his forehead. “Really? ‘Cause it doesn’t sound like nothin’ to me.”
I sighed and looked over my shoulder, then I sneered when I noticed that Aaron was still talking to that bitch of a cheerleader Becky… or whatever her name was.
“What’s going on with you and Aaron? You guys have been avoiding each other all week,” Damon said.
I blew out a breath. “He’s a dick.”
Damon shot me a look of doubt, but didn’t press, luckily. Suddenly the guy’s eyes went wide as he looked over my shoulder.
I followed his line of sight and muttered, “Fucking hell.”
“Well, well, well, look who we have here. Little Faggy Finn and his Little Faggy Friend,” Craig sneered as he approached me.
I shot Damon an apologetic look because he only got bullied when he happened to be caught near me. Probably why I didn’t have many friends—no one wanted to get caught in the crossfire.
“What do you want, Craig?” I asked as bravely as I could. We were in one of the monitored hallways, so I didn’t think he’d hurt me. Or at least, not too badly.
He smiled evilly and I was afraid for a minute that maybe he really would hurt me, even if it got him in trouble.
But before he had time to say anything, I heard a familiar voice say, “I’d get the fuck outta here if I were you.”
Craig turned his sneer to Aaron, then looked back at me and said under his breath, “Not worth the trouble.” Then the asshole gave Aaron another sneer before stalking off.
I looked at Damon. “I’ll meet you in the cafeteria.” When he nodded and walked off, I crossed my arms over my chest and mumbled to Aaron, “I don’t need you to save me.”
Aaron glared at me. “It didn’t look that way to me.”
“Why don’t you just go back to your girlfriend over there,” I said without looking at him. I didn’t want him to see the hurt I knew was on my face.
Aaron didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “She’s not my girlfriend.”
“Could’ve fooled me.”
“Finn…” I closed my eyes when I heard the hurt in his voice.
I took a deep breath before looking into his eyes. “What do you want, Aaron?”
“I’m sorry I lied to you.”
I felt tears forming in my eyes, but I stubbornly held them back. “You should’ve just told me that you wanted to go with… that girl.”
“Becky.”
“I know her name,” I said angrily.
“Sorry, I know you do.”
“We were supposed to go together. We’ve been planning it ever since that stupid trailer came out.”
He looked down at the ground and didn’t say anything. He just started scuffing his shoe on the ground.
“You’re a jerk.”
He sighed, but still didn’t say anything.
When a minute passed without him responding, I whispered, “Do you… are you sick of me or something?”
He looked back up at me with wide eyes. “What? No!”
“Then why… why did you pick her over me? Why do you always pick her over me?”
“I didn’t… I don’t.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I just… look, some of the guys were talking and… I dunno… they kept saying shit about me not having a girlfriend and I couldn’t take it anymore.”
“Great.” I laughed humorlessly. “You did it because you’re still ashamed to be with me. Thanks a lot, asshole.”
“Finn, please.”
I shook my head. “Just leave me alone, Aaron.”
He looked around, panicking as I started to walk away. Then he suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me into his chest. I made an “Oomph” sound as I collided with his muscles.
He whispered, “I’m so sorry, Finn. Please don’t leave me.”
I tucked my head under his chin and let him hold me, even though part of me wanted to kick his ass for having this same stupid fight over and over again.
“Finn?” Aaron’s voice snapped me back to attention. He looked over at me from the driver’s seat and asked, “You okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah.” I looked around and noticed that we were already parked outside his apartment. “Let’s go in so we can talk.”
He eyed me dubiously, but nodded and got out of the car. He held my hand on the way up to his apartment, and when we got inside, we sat on the couch in his living room.
I turned to face him, grabbed both of his hands and blew out a breath. “I think you need to take this job, Aar.”
He tried to snatch his hands away, but I didn’t let him. His face completely collapsed, making him look like his heart was breaking. I felt my own chest tighten as my heart slowly broke with his.