Frank x Jake | Subwaysurfer (Crack? But also not?)-Fic[OLD]

Chapter 6

YUTANI

When Yutani and Finn arrived back at the sub that the friend group calls their 'hideout', Yutani did not expect the utter silence and stares that they just got.

Just a while ago, everything had been fine. Finn finally explained himself, Fresh, Tricky and Jake were—

Oh. Now it was making sense.

Jake had been acting off ever since the idea of bringing Finn to the hideout came up. Not exactly, though. Actually, he had been acting off ever since they mentioned the idea to Finn. It was because of that dilemma with his parents, right?

Yutani inclined her head, eyeing Finn with a confused stare. Finn didn't return the look, instead, his eyes darted around the group of friends, ever so slightly narrowed like they would when he analyzed something. Yutani wondered if she was the only one to notice that. (Maybe she had been the only one watching him closely ever since that Homeschool lie, after all, how could the others know?)

Finn blinked once, then a second time. Something changed— In his posture, his look, the narrowed eyes. He looked calmer now.

"We're back," Finn stated as if this ongoing staring contest wasn't. His tone was easy-going and unconcerned. "that policeman was searching, I think, but he isn't headed this way yet." He said, stepping over to his seat from before and dropping into it. It wasn't lazy or exhausted, it just somehow seemed calculated.

"Ah... Okay." Tricky mumbled, her stare finally breaking. She looked down at the UNO cards that she seemed like she had been shuffling just a few moments ago. Her shoulders were tense, and her jaw unset as if she wanted to say something, but she stayed silent instead.

"We were just about to start another roun—" Jake cut Tricky off, to which she eyed him with slightly raised brows. Even Jake seemed tense, even more so than before they had left. "Wait." He said.

Fresh just looked uncomfortable, chewing on the inside of his lips and looking away, apparently wanting to avoid being in whatever was about to happen. Yutani furrowed her brows, watching as the tension in the group grew.

"Finn?" Jake asked, to which Finn simply hummed. He somehow seemed unaffected by this whole situation. Was he just incredibly bad at reading it, or was he ignoring it?

"Didn't you say you were gonna call your parents or something? Like, you seemed super worried earlier but now..." Jake trailed off. His tone wasn't accusing, but not completely soft either. He seemed confused and conflicted.

That was enough for Finn to finally acknowledge the tension. His shoulders stiffened, and his eyes locked with Jake's while he seemed frozen in place for a few moments. The look of realization flashed his face, and then an 'I-messed-up' one, followed by a muttered curse.

Finn rose, fishing his phone out of his pocket and turning away for a moment, swiping at the screen. Uncharacteristically, he didn't reply or assure Jake that it was fine. Did he actually forget something that he deemed important earlier? 

"You know, if you're in trouble now I could talk to them." Jake offered, stepping forward. His tone had softened this time, clearly catching onto Finn's visible distress as he desperately swiped at the phone. He didn't even look up at that, not until Jake placed a hand on his shoulder.

Once again, Finn froze. Then he shut his phone off and met Jake's eyes. His lips ghosted over unspoken words, then he pressed them together and shook his head. Yutani had never seen Finn like this. Usually he as so collected and the Voice of Reason in their friend group.

Finn waved his hand dismissively, shrugging Jake's hand off. "No no, it's fine." He started, a smile stretching onto his lips but seeming just a tad too forced. He didn't even usually smile, so it was just much odder.