Aligned | Finn Hudson

Battling

I surprised myself this year and bought a two piece swimsuit. I got a size medium in bottoms to squeeze on my stomach so it would make me look skinny, but my hips wouldn't be too concealed. My stretch marks ended a few inches below the waistline of it, and I had shrunken the baby fat around my breast line, so everything fit perfectly. I grabbed a black knitted swimsuit cardigan cover, my towel, and my flip flops before grabbing my guitar also and heading to the huge lake to join the rest of the campers.

I walked on the path past the cabins and the main center where the stage was to the lake that was behind it. It was crowded, but everyone was spread out between the sand and the water. I looked around and then saw Quinn and Puck sitting next to Finn's towel and they signaled me over.  I set my stuff down and hugged Puck since I hadn't seen him in a bit. "Where's Finn?" I asked. "He's on stage playing withe the drums waiting on you." Quinn pointed. "Good, I need to put my guitar on the stage anyways. I'll be back." I replied.

I walked up to it and climbed up the steps before walking to the back wall of it and putting my guitar on an empty rack. "Sorry, only professionals can set their instruments up here." Someone's hand grabbed my guitar out of the rack. It was Finn, and I started laughing before giving him a peck on the lips. "Give me my guitar." I played grabbing it, but he pulled it back farther. "Hey, I respond to manners darling." He bickered jokingly. "Okay, fine. Please give me my fucking guitar back before I use it to bury you in the lake." I crossed my arms. He handed it back and chuckled. "Like I said, professionals only." "Who says you are one?" I looked at a guitar sitting all by itself away from the others. "Myself and that only matters. Besides, I can kick ass with that." He admired it. Finn was much more musically inclined then me ever since I taught him how to play shortly after i learned from Sam. People were starting to gather around the stage and a girl awkwardly ran up and put a microphone between us to amplify our bets. "I'd like to test that." I smirked.

Everyone was getting riled up and soon enough, the score keeper came up from each team and stood on the sides. He grinned and grabbed his guitar. "Okay then babe. We'll battle, but there has to be some type of agreement." He turned to the boys head score keeper and I looked at the girl's. They both quietly talked before coming over to microphone stands that were set up in the mean time. "Whoever wins gets to snatch fifty points from the other team." Our keeper said. I looked at Finn and he put on a guitar of his choosing. "Wait I thought we were joking." My heart dropped. "Nope, this is a real battle." He chuckled. We faced each other with our microphones in front of us. He blew me a kiss and I rolled my eyes before starting a tune.

Camila: This was all you, none of it me, you put your hands on, on my body and told me, mmm, you told me you were ready. For the big one, for the big jump, you'd be your last love everlasting you and me, mmm, that was what you told me.

Finn then nudged in with Treat You Better and turned it into a mashup, making the crowd forming go nuts and I became more focused.

Finn: And you can tell me if I'm off, but I see it on your face, when you say that he's the one that you want. And you're spending all your time, in this wrong situation, and anytime you want it to stop. I know I can treat you better than he can, and any girl like you deserves a gentleman.

Camila: Send my love to your new lover, treat her better. We've gotta let go of all of our ghosts, we both know we ain't kids no more.

He interrupted me again and I became frustrated, but still kept going. I rocked out as much as I could to try to show the score keepers that I had more fun, but Finn, no matter what song, could get into it naturally.

Finn: I'll stop time for you. The second you say you'd like me to. I just wanna give you the loving that you're missing, baby, just to wake up with you. Would be everything I need and this could be so different, tell me what you want to do.

He took a step back noticing how red my face was and just kept strumming with me. I looked out at everyone and people were anxiously staring us down. I looked back at Finn and he gave me a reassuring look.

Camila: I'm giving you up, I've forgiven it all, you set me free. Send my love to your new lover, treat her better. We've gotta let go of all of our ghosts, we both know we ain't kids no more.

Finn: Tell me why are we wasting time, on all your wasted crying, when you should be with me instead. I know I can treat you better, better than he can.

We were strumming out and I guess Finn was trying to show off to much because he broke the guitar string and ruined the beat of the song. "Girls team wins!" Our score keeper said. I took my guitar off and started cheering with the other girls. I then felt Finn grab my knees and back and pick me up and started running towards the dock once he got down the stairs. "FINN!" I screamed before he leaped into the water and I held my breathe quickly. I swam up the surface and everyone else was jumping in with their pool toys and such too quickly for me to get on him for dragging me in. I bursted out laughing as the music system came on and we all just had a good time after that. Some people hopped onto a random Pontoon that floated around, others chilled anywhere they found comfortable. "Though I hate to bring him up, I must ask, did Paul go home early today?" Dane asked. "I'm not sure. He was here last night but I haven't seen him all day." Sam shrugged. "I don't know, and I don't care. If he left, it's for the best of us all." I simply smiled before getting out a couple minutes later to lay on the sand and try to add some sort of pigment to my skin.

A few hours after once it was time to go do our camp duties, I changed into some shorts and our camp tees before heading to the main office to grab my roster sheet for what kids I had that afternoon and what they'd be doing. I walked through the doors and waved to the main councilors at their desks before going to the back and clocking in my badge so they know I was on time getting the kids. I looked at everyone else's rosters and noticed Paul's wasn't clocked in for the day and I cocked my eyebrow. I grabbed my clipboard and headed out the doors so I could get to the craft hall on time. When I got to the stone path, I saw Finn playing with the little boys with a soccer ball. I leaned up against the wall and watched him joyfully.. He'd kick the ball but purposely miss so one of them could make a shot. He picked him up and swung him around as they all cheered and I felt my smile grow bigger and bigger. I walked by and he waved to me softly before heading back to his game. When I got up to the craft hall, it was eerily quiet. I figured they were taught to sit and wait for instructions, so I walked in with and smug look of triumph and opened the door.

My clipboard fell out of my hands and my backpack fell off my back at what I saw