Chapter 5 - Finn (Originally Published: 4 September 2015)

The countryside passed by in a dark blur as the green station wagon sped down the street. Silhouettes of trees stood tall against the starless sky, climbing into the air like monsters with black claw-like tendrils. The drive to school every day was a playground for the imagination, sometimes chillingly so. It was easy to forget the haunting imagery beyond the safety of the automobile when Jake drove, they filled the drive with talk and laughter. Without Jake the eerie shapes felt concrete, yet Finn felt at ease. His dad was with him, and he was sure that his dad could fight off any demon prowling the shadows. Finn watched as the sun peeked over the horizon, breaking the illusion of creatures skulking in the twilight, ready to pounce on an unsuspecting victim.

The green station wagon's heater had broken several years past, making the commute frigid at best. Curious, Finn searched the car for maybe a blanket or a spare coat. He knew his father sometimes carried them in case of emergencies. Something stuck out from under the seat. Finn pulled at it, grinning at his findings. It was his favourite white beanie that he'd lost the last time he rode with his dad. Happy to have found it, he pulled it down over his ears to keep them at a reasonable temperature. Locks of luxuriant blonde hair stuck out from under his hat, reminding him that he'd need a haircut soon. It was almost October - the month of ghastly things, of pumpkin spice lattes, and Finn's birthday.

It seemed to him that everyone else was more excited for him to turn sixteen than he was. He didn't feel any different. It didn't feel special. Jake would be throwing a party like he did every year. All of their closest friends and family would be there, eating pizza and cake, playing board games, and gifting him things that would wear out their novelty before the next birthday. If sixteen was such a milestone, why couldn't it be different this year?

"Got a lot on your mind, son?"

Finn looked over at his dad. Joshua was wearing his best suit, which meant that he was going to have a long day at work. He probably wouldn't be home until after supper. "Not really. Why do you ask?"

"Well, because I've been playing eighties rock ballads since we left the house and you haven't sung along to any of them with me. We missed our chance for a great rendition of Every Rose."

"Sorry, dad. I'm just tired."

Joshua gave his son a knowing look with tired, sunken eyes. It had just now occurred to Finn how much older his dad looked - his skin wrinkled where it should still be taut, graying hairs sprouting like weeds, a weakness to his smile. It was the pressure of working a grueling job for the Roland family, but not once had Joshua complained. He worked hard to give his kids the things they asked for and to give his wife the privilege to stay at home and watch her boys grow into men. It was a burden he willingly carried, and it was a sacrifice Finn hoped his dad knew didn't go unnoticed.

"I love you, Dad."

Joshua looked surprised, but he beamed, reaching across the car to put his hand on Finn's shoulder. "I love you too, son."

In the most serious tone Finn could muster, he said, "We both lie silently still in the dead of the night."

Joshua laughed, a hearty, warm sound that made his son happy.

"Although we both lie close together, we feel miles apart inside." Finn dramatized by making a fist and closing his eyes.

His dad jumped in with his handsome baritone voice, "Was it something I said? Or something I did? Did my words not come out right?"

"Though I tried not to hurt you… Though I tried. But I guess that's why they say…"

"Every rose has its thorn," they sang in unison. Finn played air guitar while his dad imitated 80s music videos with mocking gestures, singing at the top of their lungs for the rest of the drive. The radio played a Crowded House song in the background that Finn vaguely recognized, making for a comedic accidental mash-up of the two.

They didn't get the chance to finish the song before Finn got to school, but it didn't matter because they'd made a memory worth cherishing. "Bye, Dad. Have a great day at work," he said as he shut the car door.

The hands on his watch pointed to 8:20. He was five minutes late for class, but he knew Professor Carson would understand. Finn hurried to his locker to get his books, passing Marceline on the way.

Wait. What?

He did a double take. It was her walking down the hall, away from him. After looking to see that there was no one monitoring the halls, he ran after her. "Marceline! What are you doing?"

"Oh, hey Finn. Just skipping class. What about you?"

His eyes went wide. "Ski-skipping?! You might get in trouble!"

She showed how much she cared with a wave of her hand. "Don't worry. I have Andrews this period. He loves me."

"Earle isn't going to care what Andrews thinks of you if you get caught." Talking Marceline out of a crazy idea, he was learning, was like trying to get a brick wall to jump into a glass of water - it was impossible, and probably made you the crazy one for trying.

"Relax, Finn. I'm a pro at this." A sly smirk played across her lips. "You should try it sometime."

That gave him pause. It wasn't like he hadn't thought about it. "I can't though. My parents would be so disappointed if I got suspended."

"That's why you should stick with me. I never got caught at my old school."

"Weren't you home schooled before this?" Finn asked, wrinkling his brow in confusion.

"Yeah, but I didn't get caught."

Finn rolled his eyes at her. "That doesn't even make any sense."

She nudged his shoulder. "You're still walking with me, aren't you?"

He couldn't deny that. Maybe part of him wanted to be rebellious for once in his life. Maybe he just wanted to be as cool as Marceline was. He wanted to, but - "I can't. I should really get to science."

"With Carson?"

"Yeah."

"Dude, let me handle that. I bet Carson doesn't even check attendance half of the time."

Finn hiked his bag up, contemplating this crazy decision. She was probably right - Professor Carson was totally bonkers. Finn wasn't even sure how he still had a job. "Fine. Just this once."

She slung her arm around his shoulders, turning them around and guiding them back towards the front of the school. "Great. I knew you'd come around."

"Uh, where are we going?"

"To ditch your bag, of course. If a teacher sees you with that you're definitely going to get us caught."

"You really are good at this," Finn muttered.

When they reached his locker Finn shoved his backpack into the cubbyhole, shutting it by pushing his whole body into the door. Having never been at school without his backpack, he felt naked and unsure of what to do with himself. He put his hands in his pockets to keep from fidgeting. "What do I say if someone sees us?" he asked.

Marceline shrugged. "You won't have to say anything. If somebody sees us they're going to think we're running an errand or something. Just look confident and walk with your head up and they won't even question why you're out of class."

"That's actually really clever." Finn followed Marceline past the cafeteria. "So what does one do when they're skipping?"

She faced him, walking backwards. "Whatever you want. Tell me about yourself, Finn. Hobbies?"

"Video games." Realizing he didn't know much about her either he added, "You?"

"Music. Greatest fear?" she asked.

"Large bodies of water freak me out. Do you play any instruments?"

"I play a few. Bass guitar mainly. Favourite vegetable?"

Finn laughed. "Why don't you just ask my favourite food?"

"That's a boring question. Everyone asks that. I don't want to know your favourite food. Kids our age hate vegetables, so I want to know what you honestly think is the lesser of all the evils."

He thought about it for a moment, genuinely weighing the pros and cons of vegetables for Marceline's bizarre question. "Celery, I guess."

Her face contorted in disgust. "Ugh! Celery?! That's fucking disgusting!"

"How? You can put peanut butter on it. Or dressing. Or anything, really."

Marceline narrowed her eyes at him. "That's so gross. What kind of insane person puts something as delicious as peanut butter on a vegetable?"

"You should try it sometime."

"Nope. Your question. Ask a good one."

Chewing the inside of his cheek, Finn tried to think of a question that would top hers. "Have you ever been in love?"

She almost tripped on her own feet, but righted herself and faced forward, away from him. "I don't believe in love."

Taken aback, Finn pursued the matter. "What do you mean? Why not?"

"It's bullshit. Love's the kind of thing you see in films, but that stuff doesn't happen in real life. If it did exist, then people wouldn't get divorced."

Finn didn't agree. His parents had been together since they were at university. He knew Bonnie's parents loved each other very much. Even Marceline's own friends, Guy and Keila, had proven that love existed. He walked next to her, unsure of what to say now.

"What about you? Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No. I don't even know how to talk to girls."

"You're talking to me right now. You talk to Bonnie and Bea every day."

"That's different."

"How so?"

"You're all my friends."

Marceline scoffed. "And? If you like someone you should just talk to them like a normal person. Don't put them on a pedestal like that. That's how you get hurt." Her jaw clenched, hardening like an armour to keep her face from betraying any emotion - she and Jake had that in common.

"Yeah, I guess." Finn wondered to himself who had ever hurt Marceline so badly that she'd given up on love, or what guy this tough-as-nails radical dame had ever thought was better than her. He tried to decide if he had been putting Phoebe on a pedestal. He was afraid to talk to her because of how she might see him. "She's just so… cool," he thought aloud.

Marceline grinned. "Ohh, so you do like someone. Spill it. What's her name?"

His cheeks grew hot. He knew he couldn't just shake off the topic. Not with someone as obstinate as Marceline. She was watching him and there was no way his face wasn't bright red right now. Finn knew nothing about dating, but she did - even if she had a twisted image of it, she was experienced. Maybe this was the chance he'd been hoping for. He couldn't talk to his brother about his crush - that would be weird - and Aeryn and Bonnie both hated her, he knew. Finn could probably talk to Bea without things getting awkward, but he was certain that she had even less dating prowess than he did. Marceline might just be his only chance to learn anything about girls. "Her name's Phoebe," he said quietly.

"About yay high? Long, pretty red hair?" Marceline asked. There was a flicker of something wicked in her eyes.

"Yeah, that's her." Until Marceline pointed it out, he'd never noticed that Phoebe was slightly taller than him. If her estimate was correct, Phoebe came up to about Marceline's nose.

"Well, it just so happens I know where she is for her first period. Come on, lover boy," Marceline said.

"I'm not sure I like where this is going," Finn said, but he followed her anyways. How could he not? He hadn't skipped before. If he got caught on his own he wouldn't know what to do.

He found himself following her to the auditorium, which was close to the front of the school. He was worried that Principal Earle might see them on his daily patrol. She slowly turned the handle of one of the double doors, pulling it open just enough for her to see through.

"Alright, follow my lead," she whispered.

I am going to get in so much trouble.

She crouched down low and opened the door wider. Finn mirrored her every move, tip-toeing past the door, making sure it closed quietly, and then navigating the top row of seats. She pulled the seat part down of a chair and sat, sliding down so that she was more or less hidden from view. Following suit, Finn sat in the chair next to her.

O'Neill was seated in the front row, watching two kids doing a funny improv bit. The other students sat in a circle around the performers. One of the actors stopped moving and a third student stood up to take their place. After the first student sat down, they continued the performance.

Finn caught sight of Phoebe, sitting in the middle of the circle. He thought she looked especially pretty today. Leslie was next to her, whispering something in Phoebe's ear. The redhead leaned in to hear better, then they both looked up. Directly at him.

Finn's smile faltered. "Uhh. Marceline. I think we should probably go," he whispered.

"Nah. We're fine, dude." She waved at Phoebe, who didn't even acknowledge her.

O'Neill stood and began pacing back and forth, addressing the ups and downs of the class' performance today. In the background, Leslie tried to convey something across the big room with incomprehensible sign language. Finn squinted, trying to figure out if it was even meant for them. Unfortunately, the theatre teacher was also curious. He stopped pacing.

Finn wasn't sure what happened next, because Marceline grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him into the floor, practically on top of her. "You're right. We should go," she whispered. Marceline crawled across the floor and Finn hurried to stay on her heels. He ducked his head down for a brief moment to try to grasp what was going on, and saw a pair of shoes walking towards them. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.

Marceline scrambled into the open door to the sound booth, hiding under the table with all the audio equipment on top of it. Finn darted under after her, careful not to pull on any of the wires behind them. He worried that he'd accidentally unplug something important and alert the entire school to where they were hiding.

O'Neill's shiny shoes came into view, stopping right in front of them. Finn could feel himself trembling. He glanced at Marceline who held a finger over her lips. She didn't have to tell him twice, he knew better than to make any noise.

The teacher finally left, but the two of them dare not make a sound in case he was still nearby. When he heard O'Neill talking to the class again, Finn breathed a sigh of relief.

Squatting under the table was the most uncomfortable position he'd ever been in. Marceline laid down, but he was still too shaken up to relax, having no idea how they were going to get out of here without being seen. She didn't care about getting in trouble. He wished he could be as carefree as she was. By the time the bell finally rang, his legs were so sore that he was positive they would fall off.

Yawning, Marceline sat up the best she could and rubbed her eyes.

"How could you fall asleep at a time like this?" he grumbled. Finn was about to crawl out from under the audio equipment when someone turned the lights on. This was it. He was going to get suspended. Finn closed his eyes tight and curled in on himself, wishing he was anywhere but here.

"Relax, Finn," Marceline said, casually. He opened his eyes to find Phoebe kneeling in front of them, giving Marceline the most intense death glare he'd ever seen.

"What do you think you're doing?" Phoebe demanded.

Reclining back against the floor, Marceline put both of her hands behind her head. "Not much. What are you doing?"

"You realize you're fucking mental, don't you?"

Marceline's ego only seemed to grow. "Aww. Why so angry? Did you miss me?"

Phoebe's eyes narrowed. "You wish." She stood up and left, walking with those hypnotizing sways that kept Finn from paying attention to anything when she was around.

Marceline crawled out and helped him up. They sidled into the group of students leaving for their next class.

One of the students clapped Marceline on the back. "Well done, Marce."

"Thanks, Noah," she said back to him. When they were in the clear, Marceline turned to Finn. "Well, what do you think?"

"About skipping?" His heart was still pounding uncontrollably. "We almost got caught. We could have been suspended! You're a horrible influence."

Her face split into a big grin.

"But it was totally awesome," Finn said.

She grabbed his head under her arm, grinding her knuckles into his skull. "You're welcome."

He tried to pull away, but she was surprisingly strong. "Ow! Come on. I hate it when Jake does that."

Laughing, she let him go.

"So, are we gonna skip second period too?" Finn asked. He'd gotten such an adrenaline rush the first time that, even though he was sure he'd almost pissed himself, he wanted to do it again.

"Nah. I actually need to stop skipping so much. Earle's bound to put two and two together if he sees my attendance... Besides, I need to go to science," she said. Any semblance of the impish prankster was gone, replaced with something somber, an emotion Finn didn't seem to understand.

"Bonnie's in that class, isn't she?"

Marceline nodded.

He thought he understood it now. "I wouldn't want to miss a class with my best friend either."

"If only that were it," he thought he heard her say. Before he could ask what she meant, she was gone.

To say that Finn had trouble paying attention in school would be an understatement. He made decent enough grades - passing at least - but he just didn't have the most attentive mind for boring stuff like maths or history. Literature, however, was the least likely class to hold his attention by far. It wasn't that the class was as boring as his others - Finn had always loved reading stories about brave adventurers - it was just that he sat next to Phoebe Edan.

Phoebe had the kind of class that was virtually extinct in their generation; she was the kind of girl who didn't wear casual attire unless she had to, like in gym class, and whose minimal jewelry gave her an understated elegance. The subdued, form fitting clothing she wore never clashed with her fiery red hair. Rather, it accentuated it as her most prominent feature. She stood out because of the old-fashioned way she carried herself, yet coupled with her quiet personality, it made her appear mysterious and unattainable. It wasn't just her alluring presence - Finn could maybe dismiss the girl if it was - but she was also beautiful.

Which is why he was unaware of his surroundings until the screeching of chairs against linoleum notified him of his classmates' sudden movement. Looking down at his watch he saw that they still had thirty minutes of class left, so he'd obviously missed something important while he was ogling his crush. Confused, he looked around to try to grasp what was going on.

"Would you like to be my partner?" Phoebe asked him.

He stared, wide-eyed. Unsure if this was another one of those hyper-realistic dreams he'd been having. Finn was sure he was awake, but he couldn't sit there and test the waters. She was waiting for him to respond. He nodded slowly.

"Grand. Move your desk closer to mine so we can work together."

Finn did as he was told. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, trying to think of anything but how close he was to the girl he fancied. He caught a whiff of her perfume however, and now it was the only thing on his mind.

"It's Finn, right?"

"Yes," he said, a little over-enthusiastically. Embarrassed, he tried to play it off cool. "That's me, I mean." He laughed nervously. "Finn Mertens." Realizing that this was actually the first time they'd ever spoken, he held his hand out to take hers.

Phoebe raised an eyebrow, looking down at his hand and then back to him. "Charmed."

Clearing his throat again, he awkwardly withdrew his sweaty palm. "What… uh… What are we supposed to be doing?"

"The assignment is to read a scene from Othello and discuss the story's symbols and motifs."

"Oh, yeah. I knew that," Finn said, having not known that. He reached into his backpack to retrieve his literature textbook, only to find that in his rush to grab his things before class he'd completely forgotten it. "Um… Do you think I could read from your book? I think I left mine in my locker." Heaving an exasperated sigh, she pushed her book between them.

Plays were far below Finn's radar. He knew next to nothing about them, except that the scene they were reading today played a pivotal part in the story. Wanting to impress Phoebe, he took up the mantle of reading most of the characters in the scene - giving her the titular role.

He thought he'd done a great job reading his bit, that is, until she read hers. She'd been the president of the drama club every year of high school, and now he understood why. Phoebe read her part with such passion and emotion, so much so that some of the other students stopped their reading to listen.

"... speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate,

Nor set down aught in malice: then you must speak

of one that loved not wisely but too well;

of one not easily jealous, but being wrought

Perplex'd in the extreme; of one whose hand,

like the base Indian, threw a pearl away..."

Though there was more to the scene, it ended for them when she finished her lines. Some of their classmates clapped and hooted for her, some of them looked on her with a glint of envy in their eyes, but one fact remained - she most certainly stole the show. If the cheering or jealous whispers affected her at all, she didn't show it. Ready to get started on their assessment of the play, she took out her pen and paper. Mrs. Jefferson quieted the rest of the class and told them to get back to work, although the teacher seemed quite impressed herself.

"That was brilliant," Finn said.

She smiled. "Thank you."

There was something incredible about her smile, Finn thought, and more importantly it was for him - because of his compliment. Unable to help himself, he broke into a big, toothy grin.

"We should probably get to work. There's only ten more minutes of class."

Finn nodded. "Yeah! Yeah. Um… I'm going to be honest, I have no idea what I'm doing."

Phoebe chewed on the end of her pen. "Luckily for you, I do. I'll just write it out tonight and you can copy my paper tomorrow."

"Really? That's so nice of you. Sure, okay." Things were going so smoothly. He was beginning to consider that this might just be another dream.

She hadn't stopped looking at him, and he wasn't sure why, but he didn't want her to stop. It made him feel fluttery and warm, and important.

"Didn't I see you with Marceline earlier?" she asked, shattering the delusion that she might have been admiring him.

Suddenly disheartened, he said that she had.

She twirled her pen, still scrutinizing him. Feeling insecure, he wished he could read minds so he could know what was going through hers.

"My parents are going out of town this weekend, so I'm having a little soirée Friday night. I'd love it if you could come," Phoebe finally said.

"Oh." His eyebrows knit together. "I'm not allowed to go to parties. My brother had a really bad experience at one and now my parents won't let us go to any unless they're there."

"Tragic." Smiling sweetly, she put her hand on top of his. The physical contact made his body feel restricted, like he couldn't breathe, or think, or feel anything other than her warm skin. "We just won't tell them then, will we?"

Finn nodded, because that made sense. Any concern for how much trouble he'd get into if Jake found out went out the window. He had to go.

Strands of hair fell into her face as Phoebe tilted her head to the side. "Be a dear and extend my invitation to Marceline as well, please."

"Anything for you," Finn muttered, and he immediately regretted it. He hoped that she hadn't heard him, but a grin from Phoebe told him that he hadn't been so lucky this time.

Finn was glad he'd set his tray down before Bea saw him. Excited that he'd turned up to lunch, she'd almost knocked him over by pouncing on him with an embrace. He hugged her back, happy to see her as well. Across the table from them, Marceline waggled her eyebrows suggestively, so he flipped her off.

"Where's Jake?" Bea asked.

"At home. He got really sick from the rain the other day." Finn turned his nose up at the food. Everything they were served at lunch was edible, more or less, but he was pretty sure his prawn sandwich had just winked at him.

As Finn observed Bonnie and Marceline talking amongst themselves, he decided that girls were weird creatures. He'd noticed it with Phoebe as well - when they'd talked earlier in literature class she appeared calm and collected, but around Marceline she was easily roused. He could understand that though. Marceline was infuriating, in an endearing sort of way. Around Bonnie, however, she almost wasn't even the same person anymore. She still teased Finn and made bad jokes, but she seemed almost distant when the other girl was near. Was it their dynamic? Or had something happened between them?

"Hello Bonnie and friends," Keila said, approaching their table. Every day one of Marceline's friends would come to retrieve her, like clockwork. "We're going to hang out here today. Come on, babes."

"I'll see you later, Bonnibel," Marceline said. She waved at Finn and Bea as she left.

Aeryn held Bonnie's gaze, having an entire conversation with just their facial expressions. Bonnie shook her head.

"Talk to her," Aeryn said aloud this time.

"They're her friends too. I'm not going to make her feel bad for hanging out with them. She doesn't owe me, Aer."

Watching the two of them go back and forth gave Finn a headache. None of it made any sense to him, and Bea looked to be purposely ignoring the conversation. "I'm going to go to the restroom," he said to no one in particular. Leaving the cafeteria, Finn looked everywhere for Marceline. He wasn't about to get mixed up in their business, but there was something he needed to talk to her about. He was about to give up and go back to lunch, until he heard a basketball bouncing from within the gymnasium. Opening the door, he was delighted to find Marceline and her group within. He watched as she dribbled the ball, keeping it out of Bongo's persistent reach. On the bleachers, Guy and Keila sat together holding hands.

Marceline jumped up and threw the ball, whistling when the hoop made a whooshing sound.

"Hey Marceline," Finn said.

"Oh, hey Finn. What's up?"

"Can I talk to you about something? Privately?" He glanced at her friends. They looked none too happy to see him.

"You're Jake Mertens' brother, aren't you?" Guy asked, coming to stand by them.

"Yeah. You know him?"

Guy crossed his arms, scowling. "We've met. If you want to talk to Marce, you can say what you need to right here. Unless you think you're better than us?"

"Relax. He's cool," Marceline said. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"

Finn felt like there was a spotlight on him. Guy and Bongo were standing there listening, and they showed no sign of leaving. "Well. You know that girl I said I liked?"

She nodded.

He scratched his palms nervously. "She invited me to a party Friday night."

"That sounds great, Finn. You should totally go for it," Marceline said.

"She asked me to invite you too."

That surprised her.

"Who's he talking about, Marce?"

Not making eye contact with anyone but the floor, she whispered, "Phoebe."

"Holy shit, dude. We have got to go to that party," Guy said grinning.

"I think she only wanted me to invite Marceline."

"Shut up, twerp. If Marce goes, we all go," Guy decided for them.

Keila grabbed his arm. "No. No way. I hate her."

"Come on, babe. It'll be fun. We can get pissed on someone else's money for once."

"Marce hasn't even told us if she's going," Bongo said quietly.

Guy put his hand on his best friend's shoulder. "She's totally going, Bongbro."

Keila cut in, fussing at her boyfriend. Guy and Bongo argued. This was getting out of control. He'd just meant to invite Marceline, and Finn tried to tell them that, but he didn't think they could hear him over their own bickering.

"I'm not going," Marceline said, shutting everyone up all at once. "You're a big boy, Finn. You can go by yourself."

"That's the thing though, I can't. The only other people I can ask for a ride are Bonnie and Aeryn, and they'll definitely tell my brother. If Jake finds out he'll tell my parents, and I'll get into so much trouble. Please, Marceline. This is the only way Phoebe's going to think I'm cool," he pleaded.

Marceline closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. Waiting for her response, the four of them leaned in. The only sound that could be heard was the ticking of the gymnasium clock, making for an uneasy suspense.

"Fine."

Finn hugged her, tightening his grip when she tried to pry him off. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

"Yeah, whatever. Just let go of me," she growled.

Now all he had to do was figure out how to get out of the house.

Dropping his bag down on the floor by the kitchen table, Finn went downstairs to the basement. Jake was huddled up under a blanket playing Bloodborne. He'd gotten much further since that morning, which was a huge feat considering how maddeningly difficult the game was.

Finn sat next to his brother and kicked his feet up on the coffee table, knocking off some of the piles of used tissue that lay scattered everywhere.

"How was school?" Jake asked in a nasally voice.

"It was good. Everyone sends their well wishes."

He groaned miserably in response.

"I guess you're not feeling any better?"

Jake shook his head, handing the controller over to Finn.

They passed the controller back and forth each time one of them died. Formulating in the back of Finn's mind was a plan - a plan that was either going to get him one step closer to the girl of his dreams, or ruin the rest of his life completely. The only problem was that it was going to require him to do something he'd never done before. He was going to have to lie through his teeth.

He gave the controller back to Jake. "Do you think you'll be better by Friday?"

"If I'm not dead by then, maybe. Why?"

"I have this project that I'm supposed to do in one of my classes. My partner wants me to go over to his house this weekend to work on it."

"You're telling me because…?"

"You know how mum has to talk to the parents first before we go over to anyone's house?" Jake nodded. "Well, I was hoping you could vouch for me. I don't think she's going to let me go if she knows who it is."

"Who's your partner?" Jake asked, after blowing his nose.

"Uh… Stanley."

Jake huffed. "The guy who used to kick your shins in nursery school?"

"That's the one. The teacher assigned us our partners, I couldn't help it. But that's why I need your help. She's never going to let me hang out with Stanley, and I don't want that jerk coming over to our house."

"Alright. I'll tell her it's one of my friends. Deal?" Jake held out his fist and Finn met it with his own.

"Deal. Thanks Jake."

"No problem. You're my little brother. I gotta look out for you, man. Just... watch your shins."