“Nah, man, I just heard some stuff. So, you goin’ out with her or what?” he asked, more curious than casual conversation merited. It was obvious he was still into her.
“No, we’re just friends.”
“Cool,” he said, seemingly satisfied. He started to walk away but stopped and turned back around. “You should be careful around her, though. Remember what I said, she’s got issues, man.”
I snorted. “Not any more than I do.”
“What?”
“Nothing, see you ’round,” I said, standing.
“Later.”
I leaned against the edge of the booth to wait for her. Finley came around the office corner removing all her pencils and her hair came tumbling down her back. She tossed them all in her bag on the shelf then swung the strap over her head and across her torso, untucking her hair that’d caught in the strap.
She sighed, threading her hands through her hair. “It’s been a long night,” she admitted, looking sleepy.
“Come on. I’ll take you home.”
“No, my car’s at Sykes remember?”
“No way. I can tell you’re exhausted. I’ll just pick you up tomorrow morning and take you then.”
“Fine,” she conceded.
But life rarely makes it easy for you, because my truck had other ideas.
The key turned and the truck began to rumble but died outright. I tried it multiple times but it wouldn’t start.
My hands fell to the seat in resignation. I turned to Finley. “Shit, I’m so sorry, Finley.”
She laughed. “Nah, it’s fine. It happens. What do you think is wrong with it, though?”
“Pretty sure it’s just the battery.”
“Okay, we’ll ask somebody for a ride.”
We got out and shut our doors. I felt so bad for keeping her up because of my piece-of-shit truck. I couldn’t stop screwing up her life.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, studying me when I met her side.
“I just feel like you’ve helped me out so much but I can’t seem to return the favors. Small, though, they may be.”
“Life is strange like that, Ethan. There are going to be times where you’re wondering what the hell is going on with yourself, when you begin to question your world. You’ll be lost as shit but inexplicably someone finds you the moment you’re ready to jump from the ledge and helps you stand back up. Holly Raye did that for me once, and now it seems it is my destiny to help you. There are no debts earned or owed when life is cruel to you like that. It’s my duty as a friend first but also as a human to lift those who need lifting, to lift you.”
“That’s so comforting to think about, Fin. Not everyone thinks the way you do.”
We began to walk back toward Buffalo’s.
“Just because they don’t doesn’t mean they shouldn’t. Besides, people will surprise you sometimes. All we need is for someone to shine by example. People inevitably gravitate towards the good when the good can’t be helped but to overshine the awful. It’s human nature.”
“Many would disagree with you.”
“Are one of these many you?” she asked.
“No,” I answered, earning me a glorious smile.
“We’re bombarded with so much evil in this world on a twenty-four-hour basis that it’s hard to believe we’re capable of anything but the worst. But all it takes is the conscious decision of one. One person can move mountains.”
“What if they fail?” I asked.
She eyed me. “Dig yourself out and move on to the next. Your hands may bleed, but they’ll be made all the stronger for the effort. Failures and trials are designed to make you that much more resilient. They callus the weak parts of you and leave the strong.”
I nodded my acceptance and we kept walking. A loud pickup truck whipped around the corner. My arm shot out to keep Finley from moving any farther. The truck came to an abrupt stop and obnoxious music came spilling out of the windows as they rolled them down. It was the teenage boys from earlier.
“Oh jeez,” Finley said under her breath.
“Hey, Finley. What’s up?” the driver asked, eyeing me up and down.
“Hey, Patrick,” Finley answered. She gestured toward me. “Ethan’s truck’s battery died.”
“You need a jump?” he asked.
Finley looked at me for an answer. “Thanks, yeah, that’d be cool,” I told him.
Patrick drove his truck and parked a few feet from the front of mine, and Finley and I walked back to meet him. There was a guy in the passenger seat and two in the bed of the truck but they stayed put, staring at their phones. Patrick got out and opened his hood while I fished behind the bench for my cables. After we got everything hooked, I attempted the engine but it didn’t even turn over once. We decided to let the cables stay connected for a while before trying again.
“So, uh, you guys are together or something?” he asked after a few moments.
What in the world is up with that question tonight?
Finley giggled. “No,” she offered, looking at me and smiling. “Ethan and I are very good friends, though.” She ran her palm down my arm and squeezed when she reached my fingers before letting her hand drop back down. I nearly closed my eyes at the relief her brief touch gave me. Hearing Finley admit that we were friends out loud after our discussion at the lake was yet another balm to my soul.