A Spirit Between Us (bxb)

Chapter 19 - Runaway.

The morning after was suffocatingly awkward. Finn shuffled into the kitchen, the air thick with unspoken tension. His parents, usually quick to greet him, barely glanced his way. The usual warmth of the room seemed replaced by a biting chill, but Finn refused to acknowledge it. He poured himself a bowl of cereal, the clinking of the spoon against the bowl the only sound breaking the silence, and sat down without a word.

The tense silence stretched on, each second feeling heavier than the last. Finn knew he should apologize for shouting at them, he could feel the words lingering just at the edge of his tongue, but something held him back. It was as if an invisible wall had sprung up between him and the act of saying sorry.

He loved his parents, despite everything. Despite how strict his mom could be, or how much pressure they always seemed to place on his shoulders, they cared. They loved him, even when he made it difficult. And deep down, he knew he didn't want to lose that.

"You don't owe them anything." The brooding voice reminded him.

His mother cleared her throat, clearly testing the waters. "How was school yesterday, hon?"

"Shit." Finn snapped without looking up, his irritation flaring at the mere mention of the day before.

The quiet that followed was unbearable. His mother, ever the optimist, tried again. "Well, let's hope today's better."

Finn didn't respond, opting instead for a dismissive hum as he stared into his bowl.

"How's Lyla? I haven't seen her in a while. Lovely girl." his dad chimed in, his tone forcedly cheerful. Finn felt his jaw clench. Their attempts to smooth things over were only stoking the embers of his annoyance.

"Fine." he barked, his voice sharper than he intended.

"You should invite her over sometime," his dad continued, oblivious to Finn's building anger. "It's pretty obvious she has a crush on you, son."

That was the last straw. His patience, already worn thin, snapped like a taut string.

"Just leave. You don't have to listen to them." the voice whispered, but this time it was softer, almost... soothing. Like it understood. Like it cared.

Finn's spoon hit the completely full bowl with a sharp clatter. He stood so abruptly that the stool beneath him toppled over with a loud crash, making both his parents flinch. He didn't bother to explain himself or even look at them. He simply stormed out, the voice lingering in his mind, its comforting tone entwined with his growing rage.

As Finn grabbed his bag and stormed through the door, his frustration boiled over, spreading into every part of his body like poison. He didn't look back at his parents, didn't say another word. The suffocating weight of their concern and their expectations was too much. Their attempts at normal conversation had only highlighted how far from "normal" everything actually felt.

He stepped out into the chilly morning air, his breath clouding in front of him. School was the last place he wanted to be. He thought about the people. Their invasive questions, the way they stared at him like he was some kind of broken spectacle. He thought about the teachers, who would no doubt scold him for forgetting his homework or spacing out in class. He couldn't bear it. Not today. Maybe not ever again.

The bag on his shoulder felt heavier than usual, the straps digging into his shoulder. But it wasn't the weight of books, it was everything else. The spiraling thoughts he couldn't untangle, the guilt over snapping at Lyla and his parents, the unease of knowing Archie was dealing with yet another spirit. And there was the voice, lurking in the back of his mind, whispering things he didn't want to hear but couldn't ignore.