him and took several steps away.
He stood in front of me, clearly annoyed, rubbing the back of his head. His dark eyes burned on me, and all my anger disappeared. I was too startled and confused to really feel anything else. My heart pounded heavily in my chest, and I tried to slow it down.
“What the hell are you doing?” I asked, almost meekly, and rubbed the wrist he had been grabbing. It didn’t really hurt, but it felt like something to do.
“What the hell are you doing?” Finn shot back. He was looking at me like I had done something wrong, and maybe I had, but I didn’t get why he cared so much.
“I was fighting with this bitch that has been out to get me since I got here!” Some of the anger surged back through me, and I felt my confidence return. She had deserved it, and even if she hadn’t, I was still pissed off and Finn had no right to be mad at me for that. “Now I’m trying to figure out why you stopped me and what the hell your problem is!”
“You can’t solve everything with a fight,” Finn said, as if that explained anything.
“Good. Great. Maybe I can’t,” I admitted. “But why do you even care?
And why did you drag me off like that?”
“So you didn’t get caught! Do you want to get suspended again?” Finn looked at me evenly, but I just furrowed my brow at him.
46
Had he been trying to protect me? He was afraid that I might get expelled or something? What did that even matter to him? My heart fluttered happily at the thought of him caring about me in someway and trying to protect me, but the rest of me angrily acknowledged that I didn’t need anyone to protect me. I could take care of myself.
“That doesn’t answer anything!” I shook my head. “You stopped me before the teacher was coming. That was just incidental.”
“A teacher was going to come eventually,” Finn reasoned. “And even if they didn’t, Tegan isn’t going to keep this to herself.”
“She will if she knows what’s good for her,” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Wendy!” Finn was completely exasperated, and I couldn’t figure out why. “You think you’re so wild and untamed, but you’re not. You’re just rude.”
“She was rude!” I countered defensively.
“So what? Just because she’s an idiot doesn’t mean you have to stoop to her level!” Finn insisted. “You’re almost an adult! You can’t keep freaking out like an angry little kid every time something doesn’t go your way!”
“You’re the one that’s freaking out!” I snapped. Finn nodded, seemingly aware that he was letting this get to him more than it should. He ran a hand through his black hair and took a deep breath.
“You’re a bright girl, Wendy, but you can be so… hard to be around.”
Finn sounded pained, and he wasn’t looking at me when he spoke. For some reason, his words stung a lot deeper than they should have.
“You frustrate me so much!” I still had no idea why he was so upset, and I had no idea how he could make me so upset.
“You frustrate me!” Finn countered, not unkindly, and looked back up at me.
“Me? How did I frustrate you?” I asked incredulously. “I’m nothing but straight with you! I don’t drag you off without any explanation!”
47
His normal unruffled demeanor had returned. He stood in front of me with that perfectly unreadable expression, and he smoothed out the untucked tails of his navy blue button-down shirt.
“What do you want me to explain?” Finn kept his eyes on me evenly, and I swallowed to keep back my anger. I wanted to shout at him, but if he was going to play this reasonable, then I was going to prove to him that I could too.
“Why you were so upset that I was fighting with Tegan.” I looked at him expectantly, and part of me thought he would just brush me off and walk out of the classroom. The bell was about to ring, and I had my fingers crossed that it would hold off long enough for him to answer.
“Fair
He stood in front of me, clearly annoyed, rubbing the back of his head. His dark eyes burned on me, and all my anger disappeared. I was too startled and confused to really feel anything else. My heart pounded heavily in my chest, and I tried to slow it down.
“What the hell are you doing?” I asked, almost meekly, and rubbed the wrist he had been grabbing. It didn’t really hurt, but it felt like something to do.
“What the hell are you doing?” Finn shot back. He was looking at me like I had done something wrong, and maybe I had, but I didn’t get why he cared so much.
“I was fighting with this bitch that has been out to get me since I got here!” Some of the anger surged back through me, and I felt my confidence return. She had deserved it, and even if she hadn’t, I was still pissed off and Finn had no right to be mad at me for that. “Now I’m trying to figure out why you stopped me and what the hell your problem is!”
“You can’t solve everything with a fight,” Finn said, as if that explained anything.
“Good. Great. Maybe I can’t,” I admitted. “But why do you even care?
And why did you drag me off like that?”
“So you didn’t get caught! Do you want to get suspended again?” Finn looked at me evenly, but I just furrowed my brow at him.
46
Had he been trying to protect me? He was afraid that I might get expelled or something? What did that even matter to him? My heart fluttered happily at the thought of him caring about me in someway and trying to protect me, but the rest of me angrily acknowledged that I didn’t need anyone to protect me. I could take care of myself.
“That doesn’t answer anything!” I shook my head. “You stopped me before the teacher was coming. That was just incidental.”
“A teacher was going to come eventually,” Finn reasoned. “And even if they didn’t, Tegan isn’t going to keep this to herself.”
“She will if she knows what’s good for her,” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Wendy!” Finn was completely exasperated, and I couldn’t figure out why. “You think you’re so wild and untamed, but you’re not. You’re just rude.”
“She was rude!” I countered defensively.
“So what? Just because she’s an idiot doesn’t mean you have to stoop to her level!” Finn insisted. “You’re almost an adult! You can’t keep freaking out like an angry little kid every time something doesn’t go your way!”
“You’re the one that’s freaking out!” I snapped. Finn nodded, seemingly aware that he was letting this get to him more than it should. He ran a hand through his black hair and took a deep breath.
“You’re a bright girl, Wendy, but you can be so… hard to be around.”
Finn sounded pained, and he wasn’t looking at me when he spoke. For some reason, his words stung a lot deeper than they should have.
“You frustrate me so much!” I still had no idea why he was so upset, and I had no idea how he could make me so upset.
“You frustrate me!” Finn countered, not unkindly, and looked back up at me.
“Me? How did I frustrate you?” I asked incredulously. “I’m nothing but straight with you! I don’t drag you off without any explanation!”
47
His normal unruffled demeanor had returned. He stood in front of me with that perfectly unreadable expression, and he smoothed out the untucked tails of his navy blue button-down shirt.
“What do you want me to explain?” Finn kept his eyes on me evenly, and I swallowed to keep back my anger. I wanted to shout at him, but if he was going to play this reasonable, then I was going to prove to him that I could too.
“Why you were so upset that I was fighting with Tegan.” I looked at him expectantly, and part of me thought he would just brush me off and walk out of the classroom. The bell was about to ring, and I had my fingers crossed that it would hold off long enough for him to answer.
“Fair
Similar Books
