I'm nearing the back of his car when I see him get out. Instead of heading forward and towards the house-like I expected-He turns around and looks at me. A picture perfect smile appears on his pale pink lips as he lightly leans against his car. I stop walking and just stare at him, thinking how handsome my best friend is and also how stupid I must look just staring at him.

Finn arches an eyebrow up, as if asking if I'm going close the yard separating is. In turn, I bit my lip to stop the smile that so badly wants to bloom on my lips as I shrug lightly. I'd prefer he came to me for a couple of reasons, but the main one is I don't know where I stand with him. After all, who knows? He could've met someone better than me on his trip.

Seeing that I have no intentions of moving closer, Finn pushes away from his car and holds out a hand like he's expecting a handshake. Confusion at what's going on is clearly written on my face as I slip my hand in his. I'm about to question his motives when he yanks me to his body. My head crashes against his hard chest-ouch!-as his arms wrap around my waist in a tight hug. I relax and wind my arms around his neck, effectively drawing myself as close to him as possible.

"I missed you."

"Missed you too." I mumble into his shirt, loving the smell of him.

Now is probably the time we're supposed to let go and be on our merry ways, but that doesn't seem to bug Finn-or me-as he gently pulls on a piece of my hair.

"I love it when you're hair is like this." He says, letting go of my waist and running both hands through my tight curls. I send a quick thank you message to the me from this morning for taking the time to brush our hair thoroughly.

"Yours isn't bad either."

Finn's rocking this bald fade to quiff hair that really works for him. His golden brown hair looks so soft and perfect that I just want to mess it up. Only reason I won't go through with my plan is that I'm just a tad too short to reach it.

"HUDSON! STOP MESSING WITH MY BABY SISTER AND GET YOUR ASS IN HERE."

"STOP KILLING INNOCENT FAIRIES, JASON!"

Finn chuckles at Beatrice's exasperated tone and drops his hands from my hair with a final tug. I step away from him, clearing my mind as his finger entwine with mine. He slowly leads the way to the house.

"You know, I dreamed about you every night I was away."

I play along by making my voice come out excited. "Really?"

"No. I dreamt about that hot model from that magazine."

"You don't actually remember, do you?"

He shakes his head, smiling down at me. "No clue. Did you dream of me?"

"Nope. I had a weird dream, actually."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah. I was being chased by these huge balls of lettuce. They had huge, scary eyes made of olives and a mouth of tomatoes. They were carrying huge silver swords too. They wanted to eat me."

"I'm no genius when it comes to interpreting dreams," I tilt my head up when he pauses, only to see that he's laughing at me with his eyes. "But I'm sure that anything chasing you with a sword wants to do more than just eat you."

I let go of his hand and open the door. "You're right. You're no genius-"

"You..weren't supposed to agree with me." Finn takes off his black vans and leans against the door as he waits for me to strap off my sandals.

"--Meaning that those lettuces could've been trying to eat me for all you know."

"I think otherwise, but I like you enough to let you think that I agree with you."

I scrunch my nose up, the word Seriously? Written on my face. "You just said you think otherwise. How does that work?"

"It doesn't if you're as smart as you are, I guess." He shrugs, grabbing my hand and leading me into the noisy living room before I can protest. Finn takes a seat on a couch partly occupied by Felix and pulls me down into his lap. Much to his clear annoyance, I immediately slide off, and sit in the little spot between him and Felix. I like being close to Finn a lot, but I'm also not comfortable with that much PDA, or the attention it's guaranteed to bring us.

"How was New Zealand?" Isabelle asks whole filing an already perfect nail.

The group--Jace, Alex, Whitney, King, Jaylin and this girl and boy I don't know--all look to Finn for his tale. He starts telling of the killer slops he 'shredded' while Felix and I are pull out our phones. Me because Finn and I texted for a huge part of the time he was gone: I already everything interesting he has to say. And Felix gets bored too easily to pay attention for more than two minutes.

I swipe right on Anaya's message.

Anaya: What did you learn?

Whitney knows I didn't die in the fire, claims that the sites I checked got their facts wrong.
_Delivered at 7:03pm.

I'm about to put away my phone when a message notification pops up. Anaya has done the unthinkable--for her anyway--and texted back right way. I almost want to screenshot the little message--this moment is history in the making after all--but it disappears before I make up my mind.

Anaya: We already know that.
_Delivered and read at 7:04pm.

Yea, but she said I died in the hospital.
_Delivered and read at 7:04pm.

Anaya: But you didn't?
_Delivered at 7:05pm.

"I'm bored, Smalls." Felix groans, stretching his long legs over the arm of the couch before dropping his head in my lap. He's grey-green eyes stare up into my own, begging for sympathy.

I lightly pat his ginger hair in what I hope is a comforting gesture. "That's sad."

He pouts, saying nothing. I take that as a dismissal to our short lived conversation and reply to Anaya's text.

I'm alive, Anaya. Of course I didn't die.
_Delivered and read at 7:07pm.

Anaya: No need to be sarcastic, I was just wondering.
_Delivered and read at 7:08pm.

I can't help rolling my eyes. Anaya is in the top three people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, but sometimes she's too much.

Anaya: So how is what you discovered helpful to us?
_Delivered and read at 7:10pm.

It means that she's lying. I think we're own our own from here on.
_Delivered at 7:12, read at 7:14pm.

But why would she be lying?

Anaya: Your news would suck ass if I didn't have a backup plan.
_Delivered and read at 7:15pm.

What's this amazing plan of yours?
_Delivered and read at 7:15pm.

Anaya: Remember those articles you read on your parents a couple weeks ago? _Delivered and read at 7:16pm.

Yea.
_Delivered and read at 7:16pm.

Anaya: They are the key to this new genius plan of mine. All you have to do is pick a few of the most reliable articles we read and then track down the authors and find your answers.
_Delivered at 7:18pm.

Huh. That might actually work.

"What's got you so quiet?" Finn mumbles softly, resting his rest on my shoulder as his hot, minty breath fans on my skin.

"Anaya."

"Ah." Recogization dawns on his face. "The girl that holds the best friend title in your heart?"

"Yup."

"Tell me when you're done talking to her." He goes to lift his head away from my shoulder, but I stop him with a gentle hand to the neck.

"Why?" I run my fingers slowly up and down his neck, loving the feel of the muscles under my finger tips. Finn snakes his arms around my waist and-much to Felix's discomfort and annoyance-pulls me closer to him. With a quick scowl aimed at Finn, Felix re-adjusts his head on my lap.

"So I can talk to you."

"You can talk to me right now."

"No, I can't."

"Why?"

Without even sparing a glance at his face, I know that Finn is giving me a look that says I should know this already. When I remain quiet, he rolls his eyes, and pecks my cheek before explaining. "Because you're talking to the enemy right now."

"Oh, right." From the moment I first told her about him, Anaya has wanted to exchange a few words--on my behalf she claims--with Finn. So I arranged a phone call last week. Everything went well until Anaya told Finn how nice it was for me to have made a second best friend so fast. Then they started this little banter that somehow ended in them becoming enemies.

I turn my head to my phone as Finn gets off my shoulder and starts a conversation with Jace.

Ok.
_Delivered at 7:20pm.

"Jacqueline, do you plan on joining us on our annual camping retreat next month?"

I look up and accidently meet the blazing blue eyes of this blacked hair girl. I've seen her around the house a couple times, but never once spoken to her. Something about her intimidates me. I don't if it's just because she's pretty, or because everything about her is sharp and enhanced to the max. She gives off a strong, powerful vibe that scares people like me away with a snap.

I open my mouth to say something but nothing comes out. Everyone that isn't on their phones turns their eyes to me, making my pulse accelerate as my mind begs my mouth to cooperate. Nothing comes out. It's like my lips are glued shut. All I can do is stare at the girl like an idiot, my eyes refuse to turn to my lap or the floor.

"Of course she will." The deep, clearly bored voice breaks my freeze smell. I look down to my lap and send a grateful smile to Felix. "It wouldn't be the same without Smalls."

"She's never came in the previous years and everything was fine." Jaylin says, not so discreetly glaring at Felix.

"You're right. Without Small Fry it will be just fine. With her with us though, it will be a party." Alex chimes in, smiling at me with an amused glint in his steel eyes.

"Still. It's tradition for it to just be us." Whit points out, sending daggers at Alex and me.

"Fuck tradition." Finn's voice is quiet with a clear edge that dares anyone to protest his words. The distinctly way he holds Whit's eyes for a flicker of a second is cold enough to make me shiver.

"So, that's that." Browned haired guy-who's name I still don't know-says, interrupting the awkward tension. "Who's going to Cassandra's party?"

Jace is the first to answer. "Definitely not me."

"Why not? Heard Rose is going to be there.

I watch the group continue fighting as if I'm not in the same room as them. I don't think the thought that I might not want to go ever occurs to any of them, Finn included.

"Where's the camping site located?" I whisper to Felix, the only one not in the fight.

"Medical Lake."

That's three hours from here. If something bad happens, I couldn't just walk home.

Felix miss reads my thinking face for hesitation and rushes to explain. "It's by the remains of the Hathway's burned down house. That's history. You like History."

I nod my head, and manage a weak smile for Felix.

________

Thanks for reading. Please vote, comment and share!

Love you guys, Liv

DP: Dec.2.17
WC: 1,796