Unreturned Love

Chapter 17

Finn pressed his palms against the denim of his jeans, feeling the sweat present. It so wouldn't do to appear with sweaty palms. But he couldn't help it; he was nervous, extremely so. When was the last time he had gotten into such a state? He wondered, all the time aware that he was stalling for time. That wouldn't do, he admonished himself. With a last glace around, he stepped out of his car into the chilly air outside.

The familiar scene of the house presented itself, with the starry night as its backdrop.

Beautiful, he noted absently. With a kind of detachment, he walked as casually as he could under the circumstances, towards the door and rung the bell.

Silence.

Finn pressed the bell again, and cocked his head as he listened to the bell chime throughout the house. Or a hunch, he left the door, and continued to walk around the house. Sure enough, he soon saw a dark silhouette leaning against the fence, deep in thought.

With a quiet chuckle to himself, Finn approached the figure soundlessly, then slipped his hands over her eyes. A slight gasp emanated from the suddenly still figure, then relaxation as Kayline realized who it was.

"Aren't you supposed to be a little bit too old for this?" Kayline asked, sounding amused despite herself.

"Well..." Finn drawled purposely, all his previous nervousness forgotten at the sight of her, "I'm not that much older than you, Kay". Her burst of laughter, merry as a tinkle of a bell, brought a curve to his own mouth.

God, she was beautiful, was all he could think at the moment. Her hair glinting in the starlight, cascaded over her sleeveless white top. It was simple, but it suited her to the ground.

"What are you staring at?" Kayline said, noticing his eyes on her.

"Oh... Nothing" Finn fumbled. "Just... Wondering what you were doing out here".

Kayline sobered immediately. "I was hoping to catch a glimpse of Lee... She didn't return my call, and that's not... Normal of her". At Finn's frown, she tried to elaborate. "I mean, usually if she's not by her phone, she'd return the call as soon as she could, but today..." Kayline trailed off and shrugged. "I don't know".

"Don't think so much about it, Kay", Finn reached forward and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "Come on, I got a great night planned, and you aren't going to ruin it by getting upset now".

Kayline grinned, slipped her hand through his. "Alright, let's get on with it then".

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Emerging from the movie theatre later, Kayline was grinning contentedly. "That", she proclaimed, "had to be the best movie I have EVER watched!".

Finn smirked lightly. He had purposely previewed this show just to ensure that she would like it, even though he'd been pretty sure he would. She was a legendary book warm, and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King was epic.

"So... Ready for the next part of the programme?" He slung an arm across her shoulders and was relieved when she didn't shrug it off.

"Mm, if it's as good as this first part, hell yeah!" Kayline replied eagerly, enjoying the comforting weight of his arm on her.

"Well then, pray follow me, madame", Finn swept his arm out in an exaggerated gesture, which Kayline promptly roller her eyes at, but followed suit.

"As you wish, kind sir", she replied, eyes properly downcast.

The couple, in high spirits, walked down the street hand in hand.

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"I've never seen this place before", Kayline mused out loud, taking in her surroundings with curious eyes. It was a small, cozy cafe, that had few people at this time of the night. Comfortable looking stools were placed around clean blue tables. Delicious smells wafted from the kitchen, scents that had Kayline's juiced stirring. Antique fans dangled from the high ceiling, causing a pile of neatly stacked menus to flutter slightly before settling back down again. A small group of people were clustered around a corner of the shop, talked in muted voices. Except for them, the cafe was relatively empty.

"Well, few people know about it, which is part of its charm". Finn shuffled on his feet uneasily. "Actually... That was part of the reason why I brought you here. Other than the fact that the food is really nice", he hastily added when Kayline slid him a glance. "It's just that... I thought of taking you to a restaurant at first, but figured some other teachers might be there, so..." He broke off awkwardly, and let his gaze fall to the floor. "I hope you don't mind".

Kayline smiled at him, bemused. He looked like such a little kid sometimes. "I don't mind, Finn really". He looked up, searched her eyes. "In fact, I prefer this place. It's kind of... Rustic, somehow. A kind of old world charm that appeals to me". She smiled, and Finn relaxed visibly.

Just then, a woman bustled over, wearing an apron and a pad of paper. "Now, what can I get you?"

Kayline stared at the menu uncertainly. "I... Don't know".

"I'll take care of it, Kay" Finn grinned. "Two of my usual, please Mrs Dunnigan".

"Well well well, look who we have here now", the woman 'Mrs Dunnigan' squinted down at Finn, who's grin could've split his face. "You're finally back huh? And... With your girl? Nice looked one she is there, eh". Kayline worked hard to keep the flush down, but from the heat she felt from the back of her neck, it wasn't working.

Still chuckling, the woman patted her head, and with a suggestive wink at Finn, left for the kitchen.

"You come here often?" Kayline asked curiously.

"Yep", Finn nodded, and gestured to the place around him. "It's quiet, good for thinking, and the owner knows exactly how I like my food".

"I see", thoughtfully, Kayline surveyed the place. It looked exactly the sort of place that Finn was suited to. No wonder he came here often.

Within minutes, their food arrived, two steaming plates that sizzled with the heat. Kayline sniffed it cautiously, and registering spaghetti, took a tentative bite.

"Hey, this is good", she exclaimed, savouring the bite in her mouth. It was by far the best pasta she had ever tasted. Opposite her, both Finn and Mrs Dunnigan smiled smugly and watched as Kayline dug in enthusiastically.

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The next day, Kayline felt as though she had springs attached to the soles of her feet, as she bounced towards school. Yesterday had been wonderful, and nothing, absolutely nothing, would dampen her mood today. Chipper was her middle name. She didn't even catch the side glances that the students threw at her as she strolled in.

As she caught sight of Leeane, she rushed over and engulfed her friend in a  huge hug.

"Lee! I've been trying to reach you the entire day! Where have you been? Gosh, I'm dying to tell you what happened yesterday, listen..." It was only then that Kayline noticed Leeane's somber expression. "Lee? What's... What's wrong?".

Leeane's eyes lifted to meet Kayline's. "Kay... I don't know how to tell you this, but..."

"What?" Scared by Leeane's expression, Kayline tried to press now. "What exactly is going on?".

Instead of replying, Leeane took her friend's hand in her own and pulled her gently towards the canteen area. Kayline got even more confused as she began to notice the slanted looks she was receiving. It took her a moment to notice that Leeane had stopped walking.

Directly in front of her was the noticeboard that students often used to put up notices with.

And right slap in the centre were pictures.

Pictures of her and Finn.

Together, at the movies, at the cafe, walking together, hand in hand.