Muse. | Fionn Whitehead

10. Bryan

"I knew it!" Ronny says and I roll my eyes and take a bite out of my ham sandwich. "I knew he wasn't a cousin. Have you forgotten you're. . . brown."

"You hung out with this Fionn British boy this weekend and didn't say a word?" Elsie starts.

"How long have you known this guy anyway?" Ronny questions. "Why the hell did you make him sleep over in your room?"

This is why I refused to tell them. They make a big deal out of everything. . . new in my life.

"And he was drunk," Elsie adds.

"He needed a place to stay," I blatantly say. I drink from my water bottle.

"Did you guys. . ." Ronny trails and I almost spit out the water in my mouth, but I gulp it down quick before I do.

"It wasn't like that." I say, glaring at my best friends. "He's a friend. How many times do I have to repeat that?"

I think I've said he's my friend about a million times now.
The two of them comically put their hands up in defense and I take a deep breath. They are getting on my nerves.

"What high school does he go to?" Elsie wonders.

"He's in law school."

"WHAT?" The two of them raise their voices and heads from other tables turn to my crazy friends. I put my face in my palm and groan.

"I turned 18 in August, he's 21. That doesn't even matter because he's a friend. I'm not saying that again."
I check the time on my phone and I get up. Thankfully, there's five minutes until lunch ends.

"I'm going to be early for English Honors," I tell them as I rise to my feet and grab my bag pack.

"Lola Nicole!" Elsie calls out.

"English Honors," I hear Ronny mock from behind. "Why can't she just say English? Damn."

I greet my teacher Mr. Porter before I take a seat in my desk and my phone buzzes in my pocket. I assume it's either Ronny and Elsie, but I feel much more elated when I read Fionn's name on my screen.

Fionn :)
I'm 21 and I'm in law school. Did you know the rightful age to enter law school is 24? I should be in college, but I'm here.

I chuckle at the random text, but at the same time honored he took time to think of texting me.

Lola
Really? Why are you then?

Fionn :)
I took this LSAT when I was 19 for fun, right? I even studied it first and everything. . Without me knowing, my mum turned it in just to see my scores. It was surprisingly high. She knows someone here and here I am.

Lola
At least you know you're one with the brain. Were you in college then?

Fionn :)
I was. I was majoring in Political Science. I've been thinking if I should go back to college. My mum would be so mad if she finds out I'm even considering leaving.

I don't get to send a text back when students scramble to their seats and Mr. Porter starts the class. He tells us a new read we're about to start for this quarter and it's The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. He talks a little bit about the author and then suddenly I'm staring off.
I sit in my desk, in a daze by this dark-haired boy with bright blue eyes.

The next day is the first day of October. I finished my folder for Visual Communications and I can finally say I'm confident in my work. Elsie flips through my pages and she scans through them, her mouth agape. "So you have been hanging with this guy."