Unseen Connections

Finney walked into class, his nose bruised from getting beaten by his bullies. He sat down next to Ariah, whose desks they shared, and didn't say a word. Ariah looked into her compact mirror, checking her eyeliner, when she heard the seat beside her move. She furrowed her eyebrows and put her compact away. "Those losers fuckin’ with you, huh?" Ariah asked, her voice laced with concern. Finney nodded slightly, looking away from her and staring at the board. He didn't say anything, not wanting to cause any trouble. He knew Ariah liked to keep to herself, and he didn't want to burden her with his problems. "It's nothing..." he murmured softly, his voice barely audible. Ariah's expression softened, and she turned to face him. "Obviously it is something if it keeps happening...wanna walk home with me today?" she exclaimed, her voice full of concern. Finney looked at her, surprised by her offer. He wasn't expecting her to care or even notice. He bit his lip, debating on whether to accept or not. He didn't want to impose, but the thought of walking home alone and possibly getting beaten up again made him shudder. "R-really? you don't have to..." "Yeah, of course! We've been in the same class since like, the 5th grade. And I also don't like seeing people get hurt for absolutely no reason," Ariah said with a bright smile. "We can rent a movie and watch it at my place!" Finney's eyes widened slightly, and he felt a sudden warmth spread through him. He's always liked Ariah, but he never thought she'd be so kind to him. He nodded slowly, a small smile forming on his face. "Yeah... yeah, that sounds good." The bell rang, signaling the class was over. Ariah grabbed her sunny yellow school bag and prepared to leave school. "Meet me by the entrance?" Finney quickly gathered his things, trying to hide the bruise on his nose better with his hair. He nodded and walked towards the entrance, his heart beating faster than usual at the thought of spending time alone with Ariah. As he reached the entrance, he saw her waiting by the door. "Hey! You actually showed haha," she giggled and reached into her bag, pulling out a yellow and orange claw clip and putting her long, honey-colored curls up. "So, you ready to go?" Finney watched her put her hair up, his eyes flicking from her face to her long neck. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, trying to hide the fact that he's tall and lanky. "You always have your hair down..." He murmured softly. Ariah looked up at him, startled. "Oh yeah, it's just because I like when my hair is free. To be honest, I only put it up like this when I'm nervous haha." She giggled. Finney looked at her with a slight smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He's never been nervous around her, but he's always been a bit awkward. He shrugged his shoulders slightly, his bag hanging low on his hip. "I like your hair down better." Ariah's caramel-colored cheeks flushed maroon. "Oh, thank you." She reached up and removed her claw clip, releasing her long golden curls once more. "Better?" Finney's eyes lit up, and he smiled softly, his shyness making him look away quickly. "Much better," he murmured, his hands still stuffed in his pockets as he walked beside her. As they walked to Ariah's house, Finney felt a sense of comfort he had never felt before. He was excited to spend time with her and get to know her better. When they arrived at her house, Finney was struck by the colorful decor of her room. The yellow and orange walls, the loads of albums, album posters, and fairy lights made him feel instantly at home. Ariah smiled as she saw Finney's reaction. "Welcome to my abode! Haha," she said, setting down her bag and starting to look for the VHS tape. "I spend a lot of time in here with my plants, hence the vines growing on the wall lol." Finney grinned, sitting down on the floor near the TV. He leaned against her bed, making himself comfortable. Her room smelled like perfume and incense, and it was surprisingly cozy for a teenage girl's bedroom. "I love it though," he said honestly. As they watched the movie, Finney found himself opening up to Ariah in ways he never had with anyone before. He was drawn to her quirky style, her infectious laugh, and her kind heart. When she asked him if he smoked, Finney felt a sense of excitement. He had never asked anyone to smoke with him before, always doing it alone. Ariah chuckled, a bit taken aback. "Um yeah, actually. Why do you ask?" she grinned. Finney grinned back, relieved she didn’t judge him for asking. "I was gonna ask if you wanted to smoke with me sometime," he said softly, picking at a loose thread on her blankets. Ariah blushed maroon. "Yeah, of course. I've always wanted to get to know you more, you know? I can roll up for us?" Finney's heart skipped a beat at her blush and the offer. He’d never actually smoked before, but he was willing to do so with her. He felt a warmth spread through his chest that had nothing to do with the incense or fairy lights. "Fuck yeah, that'd be awesome," he said genuinely excited. As they shared the joint, Finney found himself feeling more and more at ease around Ariah. He opened up to her about his feelings, and she listened with a kind and non-judgmental ear. When she teased him about Donna, Finney felt a pang of jealousy. He realized he had feelings for Ariah, and he wasn't sure how to process them. But as they sat together, surrounded by the cozy atmosphere of her room, Finney knew he had found someone special. And as he looked into Ariah's eyes, he knew that he was ready to take a chance on her.