A Noun

Chapter eight: Friend

Fri•end
Noun
1. A person whom one knows and with whom has a bond of mutual affection.

I rushed through school. I didn't care to be there anymore. I had so many things I wanted to do and places I ached to be. 

I craved to be creating my novel, not listening about how it was the second last day of school and everyone stressing over how they will look for prom in two nights. It was all a little bit much.

I didn't care for social gatherings such as prom.

I walked from school to the nursing home, knowing if I walked fast like usual then Mom or Dad couldn't try and pick me up to take me home, away from Grandpa.

My heart leapt out of my chest when I heard a car honk as I walked down the sidewalk, about ten minutes from the nursing home.

I gripped the side of my purse and went to grab my keys, but instead I heard a comforting voice.

"Hey! Are you going to the home? I can give you a lift." Finn asked through the rolled down window as he slowly followed me until I stopped walking.

I nodded and smiled. "Yes please."

I got in and smiled at him as I put my beaten up leather purse on my lap.

He smiled back and pushed his glasses up his nose.

"Coming from school?" He asked as he drove with one hand on the top of the wheel, and the other on the gear shifter.

I nodded. "Yeah." I said with a deflating sigh.

He nodded and glanced to me. "Me too."

I hadn't ever seen him at Clarke View High school ever though.

"I've never seen you there." I said to him.

He chuckled. It was a warm, gruff chuckle. Almost as if he hadn't chuckled all day.

"I graduated two years ago. I'm in university."

I hadn't realized he was two years older.

"For palaeontology, I hope." I said to him, noticing that he had a plastic toy pterodactyl glued onto a string that was wrapped around his rear view mirror, looking like it was flying.

He blushed at that. "You hope?" He asked with a tease.

"I do, since I know you love dinosaurs."

I didn't know quite to what extent he liked dinosaurs, but obviously enough that he had one in his car.

"I am. I'm working towards my PhD. That way I can actually dig up some dinosaurs and lead digs around the world." He said with a hopeful smile.

He smiled at me. "So, you're finishing high school?"

I nodded and he nodded as he looked back to the road. "I know. Your Grandma was telling my Grandparents."

I furrowed my brows. "Why is that?"

He shrugged and he obviously was a poor liar too.

"No clue." His cheeks were becoming a bright pink colour, as if his body was rejecting his lie.

"Stop lying. You know."

He sighed and glanced to me. "She and your Grandpa are putting it together and she's been apparently running around the place telling everyone."

I groaned in agony and held my face in my hands. "They must think I got into university."

"What for?" He asked.