Shadow Souls

Chapter Twenty-Three

My fifth and sixth period classes go smoothly as I find myself feeling much lighter after purging all my anger at lunch. It felt good to call out everything that was weighing on my chest, but I can honestly say I didn't expect my mother to come up. I've never forgiven her for bailing on me and my dad when I was little, but I also don't dwell on it either. She mostly doesn't even cross my mind at all. So, to find out that she played a part in my suppressed emotions was a bit of a shock. At least Paige didn't press me on it. She knew I was struggling with animosity towards Finn and Tyler, but I've never spoken to her about my family. Surely, she's noticed the lack of maternal presence in my home before. I would say she might just not want to pry. However, that is very un-Paigelike. Perhaps she is just waiting to address more sensitive topics once we know each other a little better. Whatever the reason I am grateful for it.

My good mood starts to fall when the bell rings for last period English. I am pondering what might happen when I get there; will Finn choose to talk to me this time or continue to act like I don't exist? However, the question because moot when he doesn't show at all, and I am left to spend the hour wondering if I was the cause of his absence.

I meet Paige at my locker after school, and I guess the expression on my face gives away the fact that things with Finn didn't go well.

"What happened now?" she asks, already trying to find him in the crowd so she can pounce.

"Nothing. He wasn't there," I tell her.

"Seriously?" she asks, "Unbelievable! I swear if I find out that he was with that skank face Callie, I am going to murder both of them!"

"Chill Cujo," I grab her shoulders forcing her to remain calm, "He probably just left, because he was walking around in pants that made him look like he tinkled himself. Remember?"

"Yeah, I guess," she mumbles.

"Why would you think he was with Callie?" I ask nervously.

She kicks her shoe against the floor, clearly trying to avoid answering my question and my heartbeat picks up speed.

"Paige Anderson, you better tell me what you know right now," I threaten.

"Okay, Okay! I have sixth period with her royal skankiness, and she wasn't there either. That's why," she finally confesses. "But you're right and he probably left because of the water stain on his pants, and the two things are not related at all."

Well, isn't this great I think to myself while I finish loading up my backpack. Probably a little more aggressively than usual. Already sensing where my thoughts have gone, Paige offers to hang out with me after school before my dad gets home. She knows Finn was supposed to come over for our friend date today, and this time I won't be speculating the odds of him showing.

I tell her I appreciate the offer, but that I really need to talk to Ty when I get home, and I will just see her tomorrow. She didn't have to question me on it, since I know she heard all the things I said about him during my anger purge therapy session. So, instead, she offers me a sad smile and ride home.

Once inside, I bound up the stairs two at a time in my eagerness to talk to Tyler, and nearly fall backward when I see him sitting like a statue on the top step.

"Crap, Tyler! You scared the shit out of me! What are you doing sitting there?"

"Waiting for you, duh," he smirks, amused that he managed to startle me. "Boo!"

"Very funny, Casper the not-so-friendly ghost."

Taking his expression, and the fact that he was already waiting for me, I realize that he already knew that I was going to be needing him. "Were you spying on me today?"

"Of course, I was," he shrugs. "You really think I was going to go the whole day without checking in."

"I don't understand, Ty. Why didn't you let me know you were there?"

"Because it wasn't just you that I wanted to check on," he says sheepishly.

"Oh, geez you weren't stalking Paige, were you?"

"No punk!" He rolls his eyes at the accusation, "I was watching Finn."

"What do you mean you were watching Finn?"

"I saw him leave in the middle of school, and I want to see where he was going," he confesses. "By the way. Did you know he spilled water all over the front of his pants today?" he chuckles.

"Forget that Ty, do you know where he went?" I ask more eager now.

"Yeah," He drops his head not wanting to meet my eyes and I know it's bad.

"Well? Where was he, and more importantly who was he with?" I ask, thinking of Callie's suspiciously timed absence.

"Okay listen. I didn't see much of anything, because the idea of going into a stranger's house completely weirds me out," he says in a rush, and I can tell he is nervous about telling whatever information he has.

"Wait, you said stranger's house. So, whose house did you see him at?"

"I'm not sure, but what I can tell you is that it was the street behind this one."

He points toward the back of the house, and I think about what Finn had said to me a couple of days ago. That he lived one street over. "It might have been his house," I tell him.

"Possibly, but that's not all I saw," he says.

I decided I should probably sit down for whatever is coming next and move to take a seat next to Ty. He scoots over on the step to make room for me to join him. "Tell me," I sigh.

"Alice, I saw him go inside with a girl."

I pale at his words, even though I already suspected what he was going to tell me. "Maybe it was just a friend," I say doubtfully.

"Maybe, but he did open the car door for her, and then put his arm around her back while walking her to the house" he says apologetically.

"Well, I can't say that I am surprised."

I stand up without another word and head to my room to do my homework. I no longer wanted to waste another second thinking about Finn Sawyer.

"Are you okay?" Tyler asks from the doorway.

"Honestly, no," I tell him, "But I know that I will be."

I offer him a small smile to let him know he doesn't need to worry about me falling apart. It is just a boy after all. 

"You're the only punk-ass boy I need in my life anyway," I tease.