Finding Finley ✔

23

Darby: Finn

Darby: Finnnnnnn

Darby: Finley

Darby: Finley McKenzie Kennedy

Darby: Finn, I'm hungry. :(

Darby: I know you spend half of your time at work on your phone.

Darby: I'm starting this show without you.

Finn: Don't you dare.

Darby: Oh, look who it is. 

Finn: I was helping a kid get some new shoes, I couldn't check my phone. Because I was, you know, doing my job. 

Darby: Yeah, yeah. 

Finn: Do you want food? Is that what this was about?

Darby: You're so smart. :)

Finn: I'm locking up and leaving work right now. I'm going to the food court, maybe I'll get you something, maybe I won't. 

Darby: Don't be mean, Finn. 

Finn: Shouldn't have used my full name, Darby. 

Darby: Finley is cute though. :(

Finn: It's not. See you in fifteen. Don't start without me or you won't get this burrito.

I put my phone in my pocket and exit the mall, heading towards my jeep at the back of the parking lot. I've never understood why employees have to park at the far end of the lot but usually I don't mind the walk. Tonight though, I want to get to to my jeep as fast as possible so that I can get to Darby. 

We're about to start a new series on Netflix and eat burritos in her room, and for some reason I'm really excited about such a simple night. Darby has officially been my girlfriend for a week now, and I'm still not used to the fact that I can finally hold her hand or kiss her whenever I want. I still can't believe that the angry girl banging on my door all those months ago turned out to be the greatest person I've ever met.

I hear the notification telling me that Darby has replied to my text, and just as I pull my phone out of my pocket, I hear someone call my name. 

I turn and see a guy wearing khakis and a blue button up shirt standing a few feet away from me. It's eerie, the way he's standing there in the dark parking lot, his hands behind his back as he watches me. I hadn't noticed him in the lot a minute ago, but my thoughts were elsewhere so that's not really a surprise.

I've never seen this guy before, so I don't know how he knows my name. "Do I know you?" 

"Are you Finn?" 

"Yeah. Who are you?"

Another text lights up my phone and I  glance down quickly to read the messages while I wait for the stranger to respond.

Darby: A burrito? You know me so well. I love you. 

Darby: Shit. I don't mean I love you, love you. Not that I don't love you, I just...you know what I mean. Right? 

Something cracks as it hits me upside the head, I drop my phone and the food before falling to the ground. My head feels like it's splitting open and for a second I think that maybe the crack I heard was actually my skull. 

I can hear the guy saying something to me, but I can't make out the words. 

Everything fades to black.