All I Need

Part 6

Bayley hummed along to the radio playing an old Maroon 5 song in the background. Sasha had been kind of quiet today on the drive home, but despite that the silence didn't feel uncomfortable so she'd left her to her thoughts. 

This had been an interesting day. She'd very much enjoyed getting a chance to spend time with Finn during study hall, and lunch had been great too. Finn and Sasha had spent most of lunch giving Seth hell over two freshman girls who were fighting over him and how he was encouraging it. Seth seemed to tolerate their teasing with the air of someone who knew he deserved it just a little and with a sense of humor.

 When the teasing had turned into a debate between Seth and Sasha, Finn seemed to tune them out, dragging her into a game of ticktacktoe on his notebook. They'd gotten so absorbed that they'd both been startled by the bell ringing. They'd been having a little too much fun with the childish game. He kept getting distracted drawing silly faces in her O's, and would act surprised that she kept beating him, but then he would just start another game.

After lunch though she didn't see Finn again and it wasn't long before her happy little bubble from the morning was deflated. In her classes there were groups of girls who would stare her down, knock her things in the floor as they passed, and elbow her as they walked by, and she received more of the same in the hallways.  

It was ridiculous how they were acting, and she was beginning to go from annoyed to down right pissed off. It wasn't fair to her or Finn, and it wasn't his fault either. He should be able to be friendly with her without everyone making assumptions and certainly without a bunch of girls acting like she'd stepped on their toes. What right did they have to dictate what he or she did? She was almost more pissed off on his behalf than her own. 

Thankfully her sixth period psychology class was relatively quiet and she hadn't ran into any more of the groupies on her way to meet Sasha, so by the time they were on the road she'd calmed down about it.  After a little while Sasha finally spoke, startling her out of her thoughts.

"So how did the day go?"  

She explained about what she'd had to deal with all afternoon including her thoughts on the way they treated Finn and Sasha had given her a look she wasn't sure she could interpret. Sasha was quiet for a few more minutes before she spoke again,

"I agree you know."

"Huh?"

"About how they treat him like they own him or something and how disgusting it is. I'm just not used to having anyone who could see it from my point of  view. Every time I think I know something you go and surprise me you know that?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I thought I knew how I would handle it if something like this happened, but it hasn't been anything like what I thought it would be."

"I don't understand."

"Sweetie," she said giving her another look that confused her, like she was amused by and felt sorry for her at the same time.

"What?"

"You really don't see it. I kind of love that you don't see it. I think if it had been anyone else, someone who was less honest and genuine that it might have bothered me, no matter how close we've gotten, but how could I be mad when you see him the same way I do, when you already care about him for who he is."

"Of course I do, but you're not making sense."

"Yes I am. I'm talking about you and Finn. The reason why the girls are reacting so strongly is that they can see what everyone else can see--that boy is completely infatuated with you, and they don't know how to handle it because that's never happened before.