All I Need

Part 4

Finn had told her the day before that he would meet her outside of Ms. Hershel's class, so she thought she would have to wait for him, but Ms. Hershel held them late again a few minutes, and his second period class must have been close to hers because he was waiting in the hall when she walked out. She wasn't so oblivious that she didn't notice the looks she received. She'd seen similar looks when she'd talked to Seth in the hall yesterday and she knew they were wondering what was so special about her that she was already friends with two of the hottest guys in the school. 

They didn't realize it was just because of Sasha, and that fact alone also made them off limits. She valued her friendship with Sasha more than the possibility of a fling with a hot guy. Not that she would have even been interested in anything with Seth, but it was different with Finn. He made her heart start beating fast just by smiling at her, and she had to remind herself that even if by some miracle he would be interested in her she couldn't go there. Maybe if she kept focusing on how kind and funny he seemed, and tried to ignore what he looked like, she could convince herself of that, but she doubted it. The fact that he was intelligent and nice on top of the good looks made it ten times worse.

When the conversation at lunch yesterday had turned to wrestling--what would be on Raw that night, who the next contender for the world title would be, and whether they thought one of the wrestlers was really injured or if was just kayfabe--she realized that she must've stumbled into a dream. How else could she have been so lucky to have friends (not just one, but three!) who really loved the same thing she did. She couldn't risk it, couldn't risk that soul-deep connection she'd found with Sasha, couldn't risk all of this.

His face lit up with a grin when he saw her walking out of the door, and he ignored every other girl coming out of the classroom, keeping his eyes only on her. She had to give herself a stern talking to about how it didn't mean anything and she needed to ignore it no matter how much it made her chest tighten or her breath catch. He probably didn't even realize he was doing it. She was friends with his two best friends and apparently they had a lot in common, it was natural for him to give her so much of his attention while they got to know each other. There was no reason to turn into a silly little girl about it.

Except the way he looked at her made her want to melt. He continued to smile as she approached him, and said "Hi," before moving to walk down the hall, turning his body towards her a little and pausing to give her time to fall in step with him. She responded to his greeting and he asked,

"Did your class go okay this time?"

"Yeah, not bad. It helps that I didn't have to worry quite so much about rushing out of here."

"This is going to be awesome."

"Why?"

"Because I've never had a friend with the same study hall."

"They actually let you talk here? At my old school they were pretty strict about actually studying in study hall."

"Eh, as long as you talk quietly and don't bother anyone, they don't normally mind. Most of the time I can get a pass to go to the library if I want too, sometimes I do homework, but most of the time I just mess around on my phone. I've got the network on my phone so sometimes I just catch up."

"No way, that's awesome!"

"Maybe we can get a pass tomorrow and find somewhere to watch it. I normally see if I can find the back of a stairwell that isn't occupied."

She may have not been here long, but she'd already learned that the spaces created behind the bottom of the staircases in this school were small and hidden from view making them prime real estate for couples to make out in. They would also work well as a hidden spot to watch wrestling together without being disturbed by teachers, but it was going to be hard not to think about what others would assume they were doing if they saw them. Still, worth it to get a wrestling fix during the middle of school.

"Sounds good."

"I guess we'll have to be good today and stay in the classroom. I did bring my notes, I thought we could look over them together if you don't need to get anything else done."

"No, that's fine. I can see what you meant about Ms. Hershel being strict about her rules and her way of doing things. That class is going to be the death of me before the end of the semester."

"Nah, we'll help you if you need it. Sasha wouldn't have said you were really smart if you weren't, so I'm sure you'll be fine."

Once again she noticed the eyes following them as they found a seat towards the back of the classroom and sat down. True to his word though he pulled out a binder and leaned over so he could walk her through it, and it didn't take long for her to forget about the other people. He was also obviously very smart. His notes were organized and detailed, and she knew the notebook would be extremely useful to her. His voice was mesmerizing as he explained everything--strong, but somehow soft and soothing too, and the way his accent made the words sound as he talked quietly in her ear gave her chills up her spine. 

The study period passed much quicker than she wanted it to, and it felt like they'd only been talking a few minutes before the bell rang. He walked her to her next class and seemed reluctant to leave as he stood outside the classroom talking to her until the warning bell rang. She hoped his class wasn't far, but she didn't get a chance to ask before he left and she went inside the classroom. It was as she was unpacking her things that she felt the eyes on her again. She glanced up to see a group of girls all staring daggers at her. From the way they were dressed and made up she knew they were more than likely the type of girls she wouldn't have been friends with anyway, but she groaned inwardly knowing it was going to be a long semester in this class if she had to put up with it everyday.  

She liked Finn, liked the thought of being friends with him, and she wasn't going to let a bunch of girls giving her dirty looks run her off. It felt...right...with him. Just like with Seth and Sasha, they fit, but unlike with either of them, there was something more and that made it dangerous, but she wasn't going to let that run her off either. She would find a way to make this work, to have a friendship with him and not let other people or her own emotions ruin it.