I went over to Finn's house today.
Finn's parents were out of the house doing paperwork, so it was just me and Bas.
It was hard believing that this was the same kid that left five years ago. The same kid who made Finn dress up as a Storm Trooper at his ninth birthday party and had a tendency to pick up stray animals from the street.
But that little kid wasn't so little anymore.
The last time I had saw him, he had been barely shorter than me. Now he was a practically a giraffe.
"I meant it when I said you got taller. I have to actually look up at you."
"It's called getting a growth-spurt, Fi."
A twitch of a smile almost made it onto my face.
"Fi? You're calling me that again?"
He looked up, as if realizing I was there. He shrugged.
"I never really stopped."
"Still a Star Wars fanboy, kid?"
He started to say something and then stopped.
"It's not called being a fanboy for nothing, you know."
It was easy to pretend. To believe that nothing was wrong and that it was completely normal for all of this to be happening.
Bas. The poor guy had to grow up fast, being whisked away across the country, feeling like he was the reason for all of it.
"We're thinking about staying," he said breaking me from my thoughts.
We both knew why. But I pretended for a moment.
"What, LA wasn't all that is was cracked up to be?"
"First off, the traffic was terrible."
And he pretended too.
YOU ARE READING
If I Found Finn (#Wattys2015)
NouvellesFiona Rothfield hates everything. - Or the one where she's trying to come to terms with losing her best friend and happiness isn't a feeling anymore. (a series of letters, dialogue, and mishappenings) short story #492 (3/14/15)
