Mini Tales of the Alternate Universe

Childhood Tales III: Clever as the Devil and Twice as Pretty

Every morning Finn regretted the same thing: not having curtains on his window. The sun was always going to be there, sending its rays of light directly into his eyes. He battled to keep his eyes closed and hopefully, he'd get to resume his dreams. In the end he would always lose. C'est la vie. In any case this wasn't a normal morning and by normal, the farm boy meant that waking up next to a girl wasn't something that happened very often. In fact it never happened.

He searched for her, stretching his arm towards the exact spot where she had cuddled some hours ago. He felt a breathing and a bulge under the sheets, but if that was Flanna, then there was something wrong with her. The not-at-all-lady-like snores that came from it made him somewhat uncomfortable. He didn't remember her being so noisy last night. Or maybe he had been too tired, delighted and/or excited to notice. Who cares anyway? There were more important things to think about.

For a teenager boy like him, there was something deep within of great importance that had to be treated with care. A query that he had been meaning to inquire of her, but he didn't know how to begin or just when would be the right time to ask. It had to do with that one event, not when the Destiny Gang was at it again, and not when they had to share a bed. He meant the circumstances of the last evening, before everything happened. When the stars were shining in the sky, the fresh wind blew, and the crickets sang. When they were sitting at the rooftop and the world vanished, crushing them with silence. When he kissed her and she kissed him back.

Now all Finn wanted to know was if that would ever happen again. Flanna didn't seem to give it much importance. Of course, she was probably busy trying not to get caught by the Destiny Gang, but still. She acted as if nothing of that magnitude had happened between them. He was probably too young or too ignorant to know, but… Weren't boys and girls supposed to talk about that? What if it didn't mean anything to Flanna? Or what if it had never happened? What if he had fallen from the roof, hit his head, and then dreamed that? Or what if Flanna had been the one hitting her head, forgetting their kiss in the process? What if he was just being too paranoid?

Darn confusing feelings. If anything, falling in love must be the devil's own invention. It brought too much trouble over something that could be solved with a simple question. Finn turned to the girl, feeling awfully nervous and then turned back to his original position. What if she wasn't in the mood to talk about that? No, this was the best time to ask. She should be relaxed and calmed, but she could also be hungry and that could make her mad. The farm boy slapped his face, no more excuses. It was asking time!

"F-Flanna…?" he mumbled, flushing in response. "Hey… um…" he cleared his throat, "Flanna, do you remember when…um… You and me… ugh, kissed? Yes! Well, I was wondering if that made you feel what it made me feel 'cause you know I like you, but you haven't told me if you…like me back?"

There was silence in the room. Finn gulped and waited patiently for her response. The girl shifted softly under the sheets, giving him some hope.

"Woof!" Flanna said.

"E-excuse me?" the boy stuttered, shocked and confused by Flanna's…barking?

More grunts came from beneath the blankets until Jake's furry head popped up, licking Finn's face from chin to head. His doggy breath warmed his frustrated cheeks and the poor teenager could do nothing but to bury his face on the pillow and moan in silence. All those meaningful words and mustered courage had been wasted on the panting hound beside him. When would Finn be able to ask Flanna something like that again? When would he be brave enough to dare? And just when did Flanna walk out of bed?

"That troublesome gal, I swear!" Finn muttered, still trying to drown his disappointment under his pillow. "I bet she knew this would happen!"

With an exasperated groan, the teenager rolled down and onto the floor. Flanna wasn't hiding under the bed to laugh at him. He got up and peeked through the window, hoping she'd be sitting on the tree to mock him. She wasn't. His hands went onto his now pale face, worry striking him again. What if everything had been just a dream and Flanna never really existed? "No!" Finn yelled to himself, refusing accept that. Still on his pajamas, the farm boy descended to the kitchen where his mother and his father were having breakfast.

"Is Flanna real?" Stupid question. Finn bit his tongue and shook his head. "I mean… Have you seen Flanna?"

"Flanna?" Mrs. Mertens replied, drinking some of her coffee. "She woke up early, right dear?"

Mr. Mertens nodded and then drove his nose back into the newspaper.

"She drank a glass of milk, ate a piece of bread and then left." His mother added as she cradled the baby boy in her arms. "She looked awfully upset, I don't know what happened." Mrs. Mertens glanced Finn in confusion. "That girl just eyed the paper for a second and then her good mood was gone."

"Could it have something to do with this?" the old farmer asked, ripping off one of the pages. "Isn't this her father?"

Finn snatched the piece of paper. A photo of a handcuffed Mr. Hacksworth was printed on it, along with a text that explained his resent criminal deeds, the murder of his brother and his self-attribution of the deceased's inheritance. No wonder Flanna was such an emotional mess since she arrived from the city. It only made him wonder if she had searched for him because she was desperate for some relief, like if the true meaning behind the kiss and everything they've been through since then was just that, a cry for solace and nothing else. The boy left the paper on the table, a mixture of sadness and disappointment seizing his features.

"I-I'll go look for her." He whispered, receiving a nod from his parents.

Jake followed him from behind, worried about his human buddy. Finn felt disillusioned, but maybe it was for the best. He didn't have anything to offer to a girl like Flanna Hacksworth and he knew that since her arrival. Choose Bruce was an idealist and that blinded him to reality, good thing that Finn had been able to see the truth before doing something stupid. The farm boy walked through the door, thinking that it was okay. Flanna was his friend and if she needed his support and his presence to comfort her, then he'd gladly lend her everything he had to offer as the peasant he was: his heart. This time though, he wouldn't let his emotions carry him away.

Finn focused on erasing his disheartened looks as soon as he spotted her. A smile was drawn on his face instead. He approached her with a new resolution and a question that no longer needed an answer. Flanna was lying in the weirdest of the positions, hanging upside-down from a nearby tree. Her red locks fell free, brushing the short grass and her arms were folded as she tapped her fingers with urgency.

"Flanna!" she heard Finn call in worry. "What are you doing there…like that, huh?"

"Nothing." The green-eyed girl replied. A light frown marked her features. It was clear that she was still bothered about her father's appearance on the news. "Just hangin' around."

The farm boy wasn't certain if that had been a pun or if she was being serious. Her behavior, although confusing and unpredictable, seemed justifiable if one took the time to think in everything she had been through. Though, Finn stepped beneath her and faced her in concern.

"Flanna, I really think you should sit like a normal person." He said.

"Why?" Flanna muttered, arching one eyebrow. "If I feel like playing monkey, I'll play monkey and that's the end of the story, pajama boy!"

Finn blushed, realizing that (indeed) he was still wearing his sleeping garments. "Listen, just get down, Flanna! Your blood's gonna flood your brain and also—" his cheeks grew redder. "Y-your skirt is gonna…ugh…" Dang woman, the boy thought. Was she playing monkey or just playing with him?

"What?" she demanded, ignoring the laws of gravity.

When Flanna got to understand what was Finn referring to, it was too late to prevent her dress from rolling downwards. The red-haired girl shrieked, struggling to pull her skirt back to where it belonged in a desperate attempt to cover her legs, while the boy stared at her dumbfounded. Jake barked and Finn reacted, covering his eyes in embarrassment. Flanna lost her balance in the middle of her struggle and she fell off the branch, landing on top of the flushed farm boy beneath her.

A pair of loud "Auwchs" were heard, followed by Jake's excited barking. The dog ignored what kind of game were the humans playing, but he wanted to be a part of it. It was then that Flanna rolled onto Finn and slammed him against the ground, as if the blow that he got from her landing hadn't been enough punishment for him.

"Tell me, Mertens." She growled, holding his collar in a threatening manner. "Did you like what you saw, huh?!"

"Get off me, Hacksworth!" Finn replied, this time rolling over her. "I ain't saw nothin'!" the ever-growing blushing of his cheeks betrayed him. "Uh… well, maybe I glimpsed your yellow panties, but that was your fault! Why are you hangin' like a bat when you're wearing a dress, dummy?!"

Hacksworth pulled him beneath her once again and slapped him in reply. "You could've warned me first, instead of asking the obvious!"

Finn wanted to defend himself, but he knew it would be pointless. What could a boy do when he felt this confused? One day Flanna was the girl of his dreams and the next one, she was his sworn enemy once again. She was messing with his feelings and his boyhood in hardcore mode, and he found himself hopelessly staring at her in silence. Dang Flanna Hacksworth with her flawless red hair and pretty green eyes, he was sure the devil was inside her, and he had fallen into temptation like a bee on a spider web. Problem was that he was willing to be devoured even if Flanna's feelings towards him weren't real.

"Flanna…" Finn whispered. "You didn't break your leg or anything when you fell, did you?"

His selfless concern drove the anger away, making some space for confusion in her. "No… Y-you cushioned my fall…" Flanna replied.

"I'm glad." The boy smiled, brushing her cheek softly, only to collapse back on the ground, unconscious.

Scared, Flanna got off him and removed his hat, revealing a large bump on his head. Heaven have mercy, she thought in desperation. "I just killed Finn!" She left him on the grass, unaware that he was still breathing, and ran into his house, searching for a bag of ice to revive him. Meanwhile the young sinner peeked at the blue skies with one eye and grinned in amusement. If the devil was messing with him, would it be right to do the same with her?

Finn ignored that guilty thought, his brave resolution of not getting carried away by his feelings vanished when Flanna returned and laid his head on her lap. She carefully placed the ice on his bump and began to run her fingers through his golden hair. The deities on the sky couldn't save him; he had been bewitched by that red-haired devil.

Dang, he was in love with her.