Sorry for any mistakes but English is not my native language. Reviews are appreciated :)
A Hell of a Picnic
Rae laid on the ground looking at the clouds moving slowly. She always found it extremely funny how clouds would form bizarre shapes and since she was a little kid, she would try to decode them all. Right now, a cloud like a penis was entering a donut-like one. She closed her eyes and Finn appeared in front of her, shirtless, kissing her lips. She opened them right away. She still couldn't forget what she had seen at the raven.
She stood up and saw Chloe being all over Finn, laughing and finding every excuse to touch him. She wanted to grab her head and throw her in the river. If she was lucky enough, her head would hit a rock and her smile would fade away from her flawless face.
"Hey, Raemundo, do you want a beer?", Chop yelled. He sat across Finn and Chloe with Izzy laying on his lap. According to him, he didn't remember his confession about Izzy, but Rae was sure that sooner or later these two would get together.
"No, I'm fine, Chop", she answered and her eyes turned to Finn. He was staring at her. Rae turned to Archie, her ex sex god. "Hey Archie could I speak to you for a sec?", she asked. She wanted to escape from this hell of a picnic.
"Sure", he said and stood up. They walked in silence for a few seconds until they were far enough so the others couldn't hear him. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Rae sat down next to the river, turning her back to the others. "What happened between you and that guy at the raven?".
Archie smiled. A few days ago that smile would make her ovaries explode but not anymore. Only Finn could have this effect on her now. "We kissed".
"No way!", Rae answered smiling. Archie nodded laughing and Rae hugged him. "I hope you didn't grab his boob", she teased him and burst into laughter. Archie pushed her with his shoulder, still smiling.
"So what's his name?", she asked when they stopped laughing.
"Matthew. I really like him, Rae", he said fixing the position of his glasses.
"Did you set a date?".
"He hasn't come out to his parents yet. But his friends know, so he told me to meet him at one of his friends place. I don't want to screw it up, Rae", he said and laid on the grass.
"You won't, Archie", she answered and laid next to him. A cloud in the shape of a cigarette passed above them.
"I don't know, Rae. I mean, he wanted to hold hands and I freaked out".
Rae held his hand and raised it. "Well, that can be fixed", she reassured him and he smiled. She hoped that her relationship with Finn could be that easily fixed.
Finn felt like a clawed animal had grabbed his heart and was squeezing it. One day has passed since he saw Rae and Archie kissing and he still couldn't get over it.
Rae laughed with something Archie said and Finn felt like he had just been beaten. He had noticed that Archie could make Rae laugh without even trying. He couldn't help but feel jealousy for the relationship between Rae and his best friend. He knew that he should feel happy about Archie, after all he was the one that had insisted he should find a girlfriend, but every time he saw them together, he wanted to hit something.
He closed his eyes and saw Archie kissing passionately Ray. He lit a cigarette and put it to his mouth. Chloe had left his side and was now gossiping with Izzy while Chop was telling him something. He nodded every now and then but his mind was set on Archie and Rae.
He had felt a little jealous the moment they had started dating but he didn't know Rae well,at the time. He didn't even know he was in love with her until the party in her house. She had spent all day avoiding him, denying his offers for hugs (he hugged Archie though, a voice whispered in his mind) and then her ex appeared and started telling them his experiences with Rae. The urge to punch him was so intense that he had spent most of the night holding a cigarette.
And then Rae had told him that she didn't want to be friends with him. He had felt that something had cracked inside him. He had been rejected by a girl before but this time, it was something different. Of course, what followed was one of the best moments in his life but he still could hear Rae's voice. I don't want to be friends with you.
Izzy mentioned the name Rae and he turned his face to her. "So are she and Archie dating again?", she asked.
"I guess Rae finally gave in to Archie's entreaties", Chloe said indifferently.
"Well, yesterday at the raven I saw them kissing", Chop told them smiling. "Raemundo was all over Archie", he said and Izzy slapped his shoulder. "What?", he asked but no one answered. Finn felt gratitude towards Izzy for making Chop stop talking.
"Either way, good for them", Chloe said emphasizing the word them.
"They are perfect for each other", Izzy agreed looking at Chop.
Finn felt being drowned by jealousy. He grabbed two beers and stood up.
"Where are you going, mate?", Chop asked but Finn didn't answer. He headed towards Rae and Archie, who were laughing and holding hands. Finn wanted to throw the beer to his best friend, but he knew he wouldn't gain anything from it. It wouldn't make Rae laugh. It wouldn't make her like him. It wouldn't make her love him.
"So this, Maaatthew", Rae asked smiling, "What does he look like?"
"He's tall, fit, with blue eyes and black short hair", Archie answered and closed his eyes.
"Well, I bet he's not prettier than me", she teased him and Archie started laughing.
"No one is more beautiful than you Rae. I told you I would shag you like a rabbit if you were a guy", he said and Rachel laughed.
"Hey, guys", Finn interrupted them and both of them got serious. "I brought beers", he said and handed them over. He was smiling but Rae could understand that something was wrong with that murderous-like smile.
"Thank you, Finn", Archie said and took a sip.
"So what were you guys talking about?", Finn asked keeping his creepy smile. He still looked hot though, Rae thought.
"Nothing", Archie told him and blushed. Rae knew that Archie and Finn were best friends but for some reason he hadn't confessed to him that he was gay. Not that she thought that he would tell anyone for now. He was so afraid that everyone would treat him like an outcast if he came out, that he couldn't realise that everyone would still love him, no matter what.
"Nothing? We could hear you laughing from there", Finn answered and his smile faded. He seemed irritated.
"We didn't talk about anything in specific", Rae interfered. She could see Archie's face turning red.
Finn glared at her. "Seriously, Finn, it wasn't anything important. Something personal", Archie told him, trying to calm him down.
"If it was something personal, why did you tell her?", he said looking angrier than before.
Archie fixed his glasses. Rae could feel his internal fight of whether he should tell him or not. This wasn't the right hour, not with Finn being angry.
"Get over yourself, Finn", Rae said, irritated by his insistence. Couldn't he see that Archie didn't want to tell him? "We told you it wasn't anything of importance. Just drop it".
Archie looked at her with relief and gratitude while Finn finished his bottle of beer. "Ok, then", he whispered and stood up. "I should let you finish whatever personal you were saying". He left walking fast, almost running. What's his problem, anyway?, Rae thought.
Finn felt like his heart would shred into pieces. Every step he would take, Rae's voice echoed in his head. Get over yourself. Just drop it. He could feel his nails piercing through his palms. Get over yourself. Just drop it. He speeded his walking rate up. Get over yourself. Just drop it.
When he reached the others, he sat down and opened a beer. "Are you ok, Finn?", Izzy asked looking concerned.
"Yeah", he answered and lit one more cigarette. He looked at the place where Archie and Rae had sat, but no one was there. He searched around and saw them walking along the river. Get over yourself. Just drop it.
His eyes fixed on Chloe who was staring at him. He had tried to avoid her since the raven and their kiss. It didn't mean anything to him but wasn't sure about Chloe. When he had seen Rae and Archie kissing, he blacked out. All he wanted to do was to get Rae off his mind.
He knew that he shouldn't have messed with Chloe but he hoped that since she was best friends with Rae, she would remind her to him. He had indeed fantasized for a few seconds that he was kissing Rae instead of Chloe, but Chloe wasn't Rae. And he wanted Rae.
"So what's between you and Finn?", Archie asked her.
They had walked along the river imagining his first date with Matthew, without commenting on Finn's weird behaviour but now they headed back. Back to Finn.
"What about him?", she said and looked at Finn. He was holding a cigarette in one hand and in the other, a beer. He was a sex god. Chloe's sex god.
"Well, he certainly likes you", he answered smiling.
"Yes, we're good mates", Rae said anxiously. Had Archie realized she fancied him?
"Mates? I was afraid that he would chop my head off or hit me with his beer". Archie laughed and a strained smile appeared on Rae's face.
"I don't think that this was about me, Archie", she said and left a sigh of relief.
"Believe me, I know him since we were little kids. He likes you and I don't mean as a friend. In fact, I think he is in love with you".
Rae looked at Finn again and noticed he was staring at them, ignoring Chloe. Could Archie be right? Finn being in love with her? No way. "I think you're exaggerating a little, Archie".
"Look, Rae, just because I keep my love life in secret, doesn't mean that everyone should. I have seen the way you look at him and the way he looks at you. I don't know the reason why you keep it a secret but anyone who knows Finn can see that he is in love with you. And I'm pretty sure you are, too".
Rae looked at Archie with surprise. She didn't know that it was so obvious that she was in love with him. And what if Finn was really in love with her? Don't be stupid, she told herself. "I don't think anyone like Finn would fall in love with me, Archie".
"For God's sake", he whispered and raised his hand. "Hey guys", he shouted even though the group was in front of them, "Me and Rae are leaving. We're going to my home", he said and turned his back to them.
"Bye, guys", she told them and followed Archie. "What was that about?", she asked him when they got into his car.
"Just wanted to speed things up a little bit. Did you notice Finn's expression? If my body is found strangled tomorrow, at least we will know who did it".