Chapter 15 [extra]: Finn & Phoebe.

Finn and Phoebe were sitting under the shadow of a tree in front of a lake, a lake that had a great value for them, both were looking at the people passing by while the sun was slowly going down. Phoebe was rehearsing the verses of a song she brought with her while Finn leaned against the tree trunk, resting his hands under his head, enjoying the girl's voice next to him.

"I never imagined that after everything that happened between us, we could be here again" the copper-red haired girl said smiling wistfully. Finn turned his gaze away from her.

"Me either, but, if I've to be honest, I'm happy that we can spend time together."

Phoebe stopped reading the lyrics and a comfortable silence settled between them. Then she let out a faint laugh.

"Do you remember how it all begins? I mean, how we were before everything got all messed up.

Finn nodded, laughing too.

"Yeah, of course I remember. We were a mess, but the fun kind."

*Flashback*

Ever since they had met in their sophomore year of high school, Finn and Phoebe had become inseparable. Phoebe was extroverted, intense, and a bit chaotic despite her almost non-existent contact with the outside world and that much of her life had been homeschooled by her dour father. While Finn brought a calmer energy that balanced their friendship, they shared everything from secrets to entire evenings watching bad movies just to laugh at them.

One day, after a band performance, Phoebe and Finn headed out to share ice cream at a nearby park. It was at that moment that Finn decided to ask the question that would change everything.

"What would you do if neither of us found someone else by the time we turned thirty?" Finn asked that afternoon with a mischievous grin. Phoebe, enjoying her ice cream, offered him her free hand.

"Simple, we'll get married" the copper-red haired girl answered.

They both laughed so hard that Phoebe almost dropped her ice cream and they closed the deal with a sincere handshake. That was one of the first moments when Finn felt that his friendship with her was something truly unique.

*Flashback end*

Phoebe snapped out of her thoughts for a second, turning her amber gaze to Finn inquisitively.

"I think things started to change after that movie night at your house, remember?"

Finn could not help but blush.

"Yes, I remember. It was strange, but... it was also special."

"Special it isn't exactly the word I'd use" Phoebe contradicted him, arching an eyebrow in amusement "but, now that we're at it, go on"

*Flashback*

After several days without seeing each other because they were busy with other activities, Finn and Phoebe decided to take up their old tradition: a movie night at home. This time they were in Finn's living room, which was filled with pillows, blankets and a small table with snacks. They were both lying on the sofa sharing a bag of sugary popcorn while a romantic comedy played in the background.

"Hey, Finn, you know there's a rumor going around school that we like each other?" Phoebe asked suddenly, breaking the drama of the movie.

"Really?" Finn asked who arched a curious eyebrow, but then burst out laughing "that's absurd!"

"Yeah, there were rumors everywhere. Even in the cafeteria. They said we looked like a couple because we were always hanging out together."

Finn could not help but laugh, shaking his head as if that was a crazy idea.

"That's impossible. We're just good friends. What's wrong with that?"

Phoebe shrugged, taking a sip of her soda.

"Nothing. But, now that I think about it..." she paused dramatically, looking at Finn with a mischievous grin "what would you think if that were true?"

Finn was about to answer, but his mind went blank for a moment. He chuckled to buy time, but he could not ignore that the question had stirred something in him. As Phoebe went back to focus on the movie, Finn stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. Something inside him was telling him that maybe he should allow himself a chance with her. He was not sure if he could ever feel for Phoebe what everyone was saying but he knew that if he had to choose anyone in the world, he would choose her.

She had never let him down. With Phoebe, Finn felt a security he could not find in anyone else. There was something special about their connection, something that made him want to explore what they really meant to each other.

"What's on your mind?" Phoebe asked, turning to look at him. Without a word, Finn decided to break through whatever barrier separated them and leaned forward, pressing their lips together in a kiss that for months had seemed forbidden to both of them. The contact was awkward, full of nerves and hesitation, but charged with sincerity. Phoebe, dumbfounded at first, remained motionless for a few seconds before returning the gesture. The light from the TV dimly illuminated their faces as the moment dragged on. However, in the middle of Finn's limited kissing experience, he accidentally bit her bottom lip "ouch!"

"I'm sorry" Finn said awkwardly, blushing up to his ears "it's the first time I've ever... done something like that"

The girl brought a hand to her lips, feeling how they bled slightly from the bite.

"First time under your own judgment?" she asked, looking at him with a mixture of surprise and tenderness, giving an amused smile.

Before Finn could answer, he took a deep sigh. He was awkwardly apologizing, but Phoebe noticed something in his gaze that made her understand how much that moment meant to him.

Snapping out of her trance, she felt Finn's hands gently wrap around her body, pulling her towards him again. This time, Finn was more careful, pressing his lips against hers with a gentleness that made both their hearts pound. The kiss was different. Not only was it more conscious and tender, but it also carried a message: a promise that, though they did not know where that would take them, they wanted to explore that connection together.

*Flashback end*

"And then it was like we couldn't help but look for each other" Finn admitted, leaning back on the lakeside grass. Phoebe laughed softly.

"Yes, though we never talked about what it really meant."

Finn nodded.

"I guess we didn't want to ruin whatever it was between us."

Phoebe let out a sigh at the memory.

"But we did it, didn't we?"

*Flashback*

What started as a simple kiss, escalated quickly. Secretly they shared intimate moments that went beyond a friendship, exploring each other, getting to know each other and allowing curiosity and desire to dominate their bodies, it was something that made them feel alive. However, to the eyes of their friends, family and especially the band, Finn and Phoebe pretended to still be "best friends".

Although he enjoyed what they shared, Finn could not help but feel confused but what could possibly go wrong? Phoebe was his friend, he felt safe with her and he could not imagine doing what they did other than with her, and yet, there was a part of him that wanted to pull back, to go back to the simplicity of what they had before.

Phoebe, on the other hand, seemed more and more comfortable with what they had created, until it came to the day that everything fell apart.

*Flashback end*

"I called you that afternoon because I couldn't take the pain I was feeling anymore" Phoebe said, her voice full of honesty. Finn just looked at her with a mixture of guilt and understanding.

"I know. And I didn't handle things right."

"It wasn't something you could control" she replied shaking her head "I had fallen in love with you, Finn, and I just couldn't hide it any longer."

Finn turned his gaze.

"And I... I didn't know how to react."

*Flashback*

One afternoon, after rehearsing with the band, Phoebe called her friend out to a lake. She had been acting strange the whole day and Finn noticed it right away.

"There's something I need to tell you" the copper-red-haired girl began, avoiding his gaze. Finn nodded with no idea of what he was about to hear "it's something that has been tormenting me for a long time and that I can't hide anymore, no matter how hard I try... I think... I think... I'm madly in love with you"

The silence that followed was unbearable, Finn opened his mouth to answer but he could not find the right words, he did not know what to say, it was the first time that a girl confessed to him in that way and it happened to be the one he considered his best friend. But he was sure of one thing, and that was that he could not correspond in the same way, did he love Phoebe? yes, though not in a romantic way, but it was the deep affection of a close friend, an intimate friend. Finally, he came clean:

"Phoebe, I... I don't know what to say. I care for you very much, but I've always thought of you as a friend. I never thought it would turn into something else"

Phoebe blinked, trying to hold back her tears.

"So what was this all about? A kind of game to you?"

"No! of course not" Finn answered quickly "I never meant to hurt you. I just... I think we both went further than we should have, and that was a mistake"

Hearing that, the copper-red haired girl lost her mind, she felt betrayed.

"A mistake?" she asked with all the pain she was feeling at that moment "so that's all I am to you?"

"Phoebe, I can't be what you need. You're my best friend and I love you, but not the way you want me to."

"And why did you let me think this was something else?! Why did you play with me?!"

"I never meant for this to happen. I didn't mean to hurt you" Finn tried to explain, but every word he said seemed to make things worse.

Finally, Phoebe walked away, leaving Finn alone at the lake with an unbearable weight on his chest.

*Flashback end*

"You know?" Phoebe said, breaking the silence between them "I hated you for a while, but I also understood that I couldn't blame you for what happened."

Finn nodded.

"We were both wrong, for not putting our feelings in order, for not saying anything else and just letting curiosity win" the blond boy answered "I learned a lot from that and I'm glad we were able to fix things"

Phoebe resumed reading the lyrics of the song Marcy gave her to rehearse that day.

"In the end, I guess we never stopped being a good team, did we?"

Finn smiled, letting himself be carried away by the girl's soft voice.

"We always have been."

*Flashback*

Days passed without speaking to each other. Finn felt her absence as a void in his life, but he did not know how to approach her without making things worse. Phoebe, on the other hand, reflected on what had happened. Although it hurt, she knew she could not force Finn to feel something he did not feel.

Until, one night, the girl showed up at her friend's house with a pizza box and a shy smile.

"Phoebe?" Finn asked, rubbing his eyes, he had barely gotten out of bed to see who was knocking on the door at that time of night.

"Friends?" she asked, raising the box in a sign of truce. Finn looked at that for a few seconds and smiled, relieved "look, I've been thinking about it and... I understood that I can't stay mad at you forever, even though I behaved like a fool that day, I shouldn't have made a scene like that. So... I came all the way here to apologize so we can make up, I even brought a pizza, what do you say?"

Finn looked at her for a few seconds, feeling the weight in his chest begin to ease. Finally he nodded.

"Sure, Phoebs. Come in" the boy replied, stepping aside and inviting his friend in.

The night continued with laughter and jokes as usual. The pizza was half eaten as the two dipped into memories and shared new stories. There were wounds that would take time to heal, but at that moment, they both knew their friendship was strong enough to surpass any obstacle.

*Flashback end*

Phoebe finished her story with a slight smile although there was a hint of melancholy in her eyes.

"So that was it?" Finn asked even though he already knew the answer.

"That was it" Phoebe confirmed, leaning her back against the wooden bench where they both now sat "I don't regret anything of what had happened, you know? maybe it didn't work out as "something else" between us, but I think it helped us understand each other better"

Finn nodded silently. Remembering those moments made him realize how much they had changed, how they had grown together.

"I think you're right" he finally admitted "it was a disaster, but also because of that experience, we learned a lot"

Phoebe turned her head to look at him.

"Do you know what I learned?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

Finn smiled.

"What?"

"That you'll always suck at relationships, Finn" they both burst out laughing, the mood shifting to a light and carefree one, as if a great burden had been lifted. The conversation continued with less serious anecdotes and jokes typical of their friendship, leaving behind any trace of tension. When Phoebe got up to leave, she paused for a moment and looked at him sincerely "Finn, seriously, thank you for everything. Even with everything that happened, I wouldn't change a thing"

Finn smiled at her, a little awkwardly but genuinely.

"Thank you, Phoebe. For... not giving up on me"

Phoebe laughed softly and waved goodbye with a little hand gesture before losing herself in the night.

Finn sat on the wooden bench in front of the lakeshore for a moment, just watching the girl walk away. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling at peace for the first time in days.

Maybe things won't always work out the way I want them to, but one thing is clear to me: my friendship with Phoebe is precious, just as precious as the one I have with Jake, and I don't plan to take it for granted anymore.

With that last reflection, he got up, took his green backpack, put it on his back and walked back to his home, leaving behind the ghosts of the past and accepting the opportunity to start over.