Shadow Souls

Chapter Sixteen

I have to rush to make it to class before the tardy bell rings, and I thankfully manage to slide into my seat right as my fifth period teacher enters and closes the door. I do my best to focus on the importance of checks and balances within the government, but just end up spending the whole class in a trance instead. I keep replaying the scene in the stairwell over again in my head. The feel of his hands on my skin, and the look in his eyes as he leaned in closer to me. Even during sixth period tech I can still feel my lips continuing to tingle from Finn's kiss, and every so often I can feel the blush rise up out of nowhere.

Finally, the bell rings signaling it's time for last period English, and I am in such a hurry to get there, that for the first time ever, I am the first one to arrive. I look around the completely empty classroom while heading towards my desk and begin to feel ridiculous for rushing. I am contemplating leaving to do a couple more laps around the halls, just so I don't look like I was too eager to get here, when somebody else enters the room. Finn is also early. We make eye contact and realizing we both rushed here for the same reason, begin to laugh at ourselves. He comes to take his seat next to mine, kissing me on the cheek as he passes, and my body responds instantly with my heart beating double time.

"So," he says, "I have a question for you."

"Well, I might have an answer."

"What are you doing after school today?"

Is this really happening right now? Is Finn Sawyer trying to ask me out?! And why does he have to ask me now? The one time I have plans!

"Um actually, I kind of already told Paige I would do homework with her after school."

"Homework?" he asks doubtfully.

"Hey! Don't make fun of me for caring about school. You were the one reading an AP textbook at lunch," I remind him.

"Okay fine," he surrenders, "Then what about this evening, after you and Paige finish your homework?"

"I'm sure I can find some time for you," I say, trying my best to sound flirtatious.

"Good, then I will see you at seven."

"And what exactly did you have in mind for us to do?" I ask, but he doesn't answer. Instead, I watch as his eyes suddenly glaze over, and his face goes completely blank.

"Finn, are you okay?" Again, he doesn't respond. Instead, he suddenly stands up and starts to head for the door without a word, leaving his books sitting on his desk.

"Finn!" I call his name one more time, but now that the classroom is starting to fill up, I don't want to draw too much attention.

He continues to walk right out of the classroom, and I quickly stand up and try to casually follow him. However, when I get to the door and peek out to look up and down both sides of the hallway, I don't see him anywhere. The bell is about to ring, and the halls are pretty much empty now, and I don't think he could have made it all the way down either direction already unless he made a run for it. So, what the hell was going on?

When the teacher calls for everyone to take their seats, I take one last glance both ways, before reluctantly heading back to my seat. Without thinking about it, I reach over to grab his things off his desk and put them on the floor next to my feet. I then put my own books on top of them, so the teacher won't notice them and question his absence.

Finn doesn't come back.

I spend the entire class time biting my nails and throwing constant glances toward the door, while a million things go through my mind about what could have happened. I must admit some thoughts are more logical than others.