TWELVE
“He came back!?” Finn’s excited voice blares through my phone’s speakers. “Oh, I-I’m so happy! Is he okay? N-Nothing happened, right?”
“Not a single scratch,” I say with a less than enthused voice as I scratch Chalupa’s back. “Thanks for the help yesterday. I… I don’t know what I would’ve done if he hadn’t come back, honestly.”
Purring like a car engine, my cat’s nose twitches before his ears perk up and his tail begins to flick curiously. Lifting up his orange snout all sassily, he hops off my bed and wanders off to do lord knows what.
“At least he’s home.”
“Exactly. Which means… What about celebration gelato?”
For a moment Finn says nothing. “You… You remembered? The place I was talking about?”
“Yeah! Are you off today? It could be a little celebration thing.”
“Um… I was gonna… I was gonna pick up some new clothes today, but that’s it. We could go after?” Finn thinks for a second before hesitantly continuing. “Or y-you could come with me?”
My brows lift in thought, but the answer seems obvious enough. “I… I mean, yeah. That works. You don’t mind me tagging along?”
“Of course not!” Having him get all excited makes me feel wanted, which is a really nice feeling. “I-I’d really like to hang out again. I had fun… with you! It was cool!”
There’s a genuine sense of nervousness in his voice, but the cute nervousness. The kind that makes you just wanna give him a big hug and ruffle his hair in an endearing yet annoying way.
“When should I come pick you up?”
“You’re gonna pick me up?”
“Yeah! Saving gas, and stuff. Plus it’s fun driving together. T-That’s fine, right? You can say no! It’s okay to say no—!”
Chuckling, I get up off my ass and begin heading towards the closet. “No, no. That’s fine.”
“Okay! I-I’ll be there soon, then.” The call ends, but I don’t move. In a rare moment the world feels normal again. Right now I’m not some ultra depressed loser shambling through life, I’m just myself.
With dyed hair that has my very dark roots showing because I’m too lazy to go get it fixed. With tired eyes that still look sunk in regardless of the fact I’ve been sleeping a lot as of late. With a little less weight than I had a month ago.
Just Duncan. Duncan Armette.
It’s fun to listen to my liked songs playlist while pretending I give a shit about skincare in the mirror. Once I’m all prepped and sunscreened I toss on a random outfit consisting of tight gray jeans and a navy blue pullover.
Not willing to make the same old mistakes, the window is triple-checked before I grab my tote bag and slip outside. I enter the parking area just in time to see Finn idling in his car, typing something on his phone.
Finn!! :)
I’m here!
look up lol
With big eyes Finn’s head whips up, excitement immediately hitting his face the moment he notices me. Waving eagerly, he rolls down the window. “Hi! Duncan, hi!”
“Hey,” I wave back before climbing into the passenger’s seat. Finn’s car smells nice, like cinnamon with the faintest hint of vanilla. “Where are you going to get clothes from? And don’t say Target.”
With a cherry red face Finn shrugs. “Um… N-Now I don’t know…”
Today is already shaping up to be an actually good day. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and wispy white clouds hang overhead. It’s unfortunate how often my mood feels tied to the weather, especially when my sleeping schedule can be so inconsistent.
When you wake up to darkness and go to sleep before dawn, things get dreary. Add on constant snowstorms or violent bouts of rain, and it's easy to feel so… blegh.
Not now, though. I’m not gonna let things get to me when for once things are bright and cheery. “Do you wanna go to the mall? It’s pretty early, and since it’s a weekday I doubt anyone will be there.”
Finn’s grip on the wheel tenses, but he doesn’t outright shoot my idea down.
“Uh, I…” The red light we’re waiting at turns green, but it takes a moment for Finn to move.
Sinking into the leatherette of his seat, it almost seems as if I broke him for a minute.
“I-If it’s too busy, we can leave? …And you won’t make fun of me? ”
“Why would I make fun of you? That’s totally fine, Finn. If it’s too much to handle—”
“N-No!” His voice raises and then immediately softens. “It’s not… too much. P-Please don’t talk down to me like that. I can do it.”
Seeing him so bothered makes me feel shitty. Has he never received a lick of positive attention ever? I’m sure someone else in my situation would feel the need to get all defensive, but regardless of what I did I made him feel bad—which is worthy of an apology.
“Sorry.” It sounds less convincing than I want it to be. “I don’t… I don’t think you’re not capable or anything like that. I know what that guy said was shitty, but you know I don’t think about you like that, right?”
“...Like what?”
“Like… lesser than.” God, I hope I’m not making a fool of myself. I can’t ever say shit right, especially not when it’s important. “You’re just Finn, and I like Finn. Finn is cool, and good at driving.”
Finn’s panic lulls, and the corners of his mouth lift up hesitantly. “I’m not that good at driving.”
“Sure you are,” I beam at him. “Now… how do you feel about a little game of dress up?”