Learning Curve

Finn

Scottie takes off at a run, through the living room and toward the back of the house. I look on, everything inside me wanting to chase after her but knowing I shouldn’t. For the sake of her embarrassment, and because of everything I know about myself, she’s better off without me. Kayla and Julia head in that direction instead, while I look on, my spine rooted so straight, my jaw aches.

Nadine takes over coddling Dane, her whining about her fucked-up wrist playing supporting actress to telling him how amazing he is, and the two of them toddle off together out the front door.

Blake is the first to say something to ease the tension after their exit. “I fucking hate that guy.”

“Dude,” Ace comments on a laugh. “He’s the worst.”

I find myself laughing a little at the truth of their statements, but for Scottie, I know nothing about tonight has felt funny. I don’t know how a girl like her found herself in a relationship with a guy like that, but I only hope that she starts to see the light.

I stare in the direction she went, as though I’ll be able to X-ray vision my way through the damn walls, but all thoughts of Scottie are cut off when my phone starts ringing in my pocket and I see my brother Jack’s name on the screen. Shit. Those motherfuckers better not have driven home.

“’Lo?”

“Finneyyy,” Jack croons, his drunkenness taking on a much more jovial state than that of dickhead Dane.

“Tell me you’re not driving,” I say by way of greeting.

“Well, see, the thing is…we don’t wanna drive, really, but everybody else is drunk too. And if we don’t leave soon, Mom’s gonna freakkk—”

“Do not get in the car, Jack. Do you understand me?” I talk over him before he can try to tell me their clearly dumb-as-fuck plans. “I’m coming to get you.” The last thing I need is for one of my brothers to get behind the wheel right now. I knew when I decided to go to Dickson—and with our eldest brother Reece in Cali—that shit like this could come up. I just didn’t expect it to be a thing the first damn week of college.

“No. No. We gots it,” Jack slurs. “Trav said you got school and shit.”

I swear, these two will be the death of me.

“Jack, stay put until I get there.” My words come out harsh because they need to be. “It’s going to take me at least an hour because I have to take the train to my car, but stay fucking there.”

“But Mom will be—”

“Don’t worry about Mom,” I cut him off. “I’ll handle it. Just keep your asses there.”

“Sorry, Finney. Reallllyyy sorry, Finney Finney Bo Bennyyy.”

“Jack?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up.”

“Ten-four.”

I hang up with a sigh.

“What’s going on?” Ace asks, and I look up to find him eyeing me closely.

“I have to go to Westchester to get my brothers so they don’t do something stupid.”

“I’m coming with,” he says, and I shake my head.

“You don’t need to do that.”

“I know, man, but that’s what friends are for.” He pats me on the shoulder. “Just let me tell Julia I’m going.”

“I want to come too,” Blake Boden says then, surprising the shit out of me. “This party is lame anyway.”

I shrug, too tired from all the other bullshit tonight to fight it. “I guess it’s a group outing, then.”

Looks like some people from Dickson are going to get a little glimpse into my real life a bit earlier than I expected.