Chapter 56: Sidelines
It's never easy to just stand at the sidelines, for anyone. But I have my reasons for not wanting to get sucked up into other people's problems and I can't afford to mess it up. Not now especially.
Finn slept heavily in his room. The drapes shut close and no light being able to cut through it. It couldn't have lasted for long since Finn was getting late for school. His mom knocked on the door and entered seeing that he was still asleep. She shouted and woke him up, "Get Up! Your Late!"
Finn's peaked his head out of the covers looking at his mom with groggy eyes and said, "Im up." Without even listening she left the room. Finn sat on the bed with his back against the headrest and wiped his drool off the corner of his mouth.
He was about to get out when he saw a pair of feet sticking out of the covers. He hurriedly removed them and saw Malia sleeping next to him. She whined and pulled the cover back but he removed it and said, "What are you doing in my bed?"
She replied in a stupor, "I couldn't sleep in my bed." She pulled the cover again trying to go back to sleep.
He pulled them and threw it away and she got up and whined, "I want to sleep."
He looked at her and was about to tell her off but then he remembered that his mom was here and asked, "Do you think my mom saw you?"
She looked at him and plopped down in the bed, while a voice came from downstairs, "Finn! Move your ass out of the bed! Malia you too!"
She sheepishly said, "I think she knows."
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After that chaotic morning Finn was hoping for something peaceful. But you don't always get what you want. Finn and Malia pulled up at the school and they stopped to talk before getting into the school.
Finn looked at her and didn't know how to articulate it better without hurting her, "I don't want you to feel bad but you can't just come in my room and just sleep in my bed."
Mali looked at her pouting and said, "But I can't sleep on that bed… Don't you want me to sleep on the bed?"
Finn didn't know what to say, it's not like he didn't like it and he couldn't even act as if he didn't like it, "Well, it's just not something you do and besides I don't think my mom will be happy with it."
Malia nodded and got out of the car with a defeated look on her face. Finn sighed and got out as well. They both walked together into the school and Malia went to her class and Finn went to his locker to get his books.
"Hey." He looked past the locker door and saw Alison.
Finn greeted her back and said, "Hey, thanks for the advice by the way… it really helped."
Alison smiled and said, "What are friends for?" Alison stared off into the distance and traced back at who she was looking at and it was Scott. He did not look happy at all, "So what you guys still together or something?"
Alison looked back at him and shook her head as he got the books out and closed the locker. They were walking to their classes, "No… we're not."
Finn shrugged and said, "I don't know it just seemed like there is still something there. At least with him."
She stopped and said, "I really need to go… I talk to you later okay."
Finn nodded and she went on her way to French. All the while Scott glared at Finn but he couldn't do anything to him. Finn waved at him and went on his way to Biology class.
He went inside and sat down on his usual seat, Erica was not there which was odd cause she was always there. He thought she'd be there by the time class would start. But she wasn't, she came in after 15 minutes. The teacher let her in and she sat in the usual seat. She looked a little off, like her hair was messier than usual. She looked tiered everything was just odd.
Finn wanted to ask something but she was kinda ignoring him. Even when the class was over she ran away from him. Finn was confused as to why she was acting like this. He thought she'd talk to him during lunch when it was just them, but she didn't even show up for lunch at their usual spot.
The next period was gym and he got ready and went to the gym. And there was this rock climbing wall in the middle of the gym. Finn looked at thing and questioned as to why it was there. As he was looking at the monolith he heard, "Why is it even here?"
He turned his head to the side, it was Erica. "So you're talking to me now?" He asked.
Erica rolled her eyes and said, "Don't be such a Diva."
He sighed and shook her head, "What happened? Are you okay? Is everything okay?"
She looked like she wanted to answer him but before she could, the coach came in and said, "Alright, you prepubescent Neanderthals and I mean you Greenberg. This thing right here was bought by the old principal cause he wanted to hook up with the employee at smart sports. Since he's gone, we are told by the new principal to find a use for this junk. So we're gonna climb it today. I don't want anybody getting hurt cause if you hit your head. You're iq is gonna drop in the double digits so, wear protection."
He looked at the list and said, "Monty, Biles. You're up first."
Finn looked at Erica and she smiled and patted his back, "You're up Monty hall."
He smiled and shook his head and walked up to the wall and started putting on the gear. Stiles was putting on his gear and said, "You've ever done this before?"
Finn looked at him and said, "Climbed a few rope less with my dad. So yeah, it's gonna be easy."
Stiles sighed and said, "Can you at least make it so that you don't destroy me?"
Finn got up and said, "It's not a competition Stiles, it's mandatory gym. You can relax a little."
They both nodded and then coach blew the whistle and they started climbing, they started out the same speed but the proficiency with which Finn making it very clear he was good at this. He came down first and after a couple of seconds so did Stiles.
"Next up, Mccall, and Reyes." Coach declared the next pair.
Erica was passing through to the wall and Finn wished her best of luck. She walked up to the wall and hyped herself up. Before putting on the gear and starting to climb the wall. She was doing good. And Finn was looking at her and offering words of encouragement. But when she got to the top. She stopped, she looked behind and she got afraid. Scott had completed the climb and was on the floor.
Finn walked up to the wall and said, "Come Erica, you can do this!"
People looked at him weird, they all had always thought that it was weird that Finn and Erica hung out together because of the social disparity between them. But no one said anything.
Erica wanted to continue but she was frozen in place from the fear. Coach came in and said, "Erica it's allright just let go of it you can come down."
Erica looked down and was scared, it was apparent on her face, "Erica, just breath it's okay. Just let go." She took a deep breath and let got of the wall and repealed down.
Finn looked at her and grabbed her shaking hands and asked, "Are you okay?"
She looked at him and shook her head and gave him a smile to asssure him and said, "I am okay." She looked at Coach and said, "Can go to the nurse?"
Coach nodded and Finn asked, "You want me to come with you?" She shook her head and walked out of the gym.
Watching her leave Finn felt uneasy, like something was amiss. He thought to really sit down and talk with her. But it would have to wait. The class went on after that and the coach dismissed most the students but held back the people who were on the team to talk to them.
He looked at everyone in the room and whistled to get our attention and said, "Listen up! If any of you see Issac I want you to tell the principal, get a teacher or you call… me." He looked at Greenberg and said, "Except you. Don't call me. You shouldn't even have my number."
He then looked at Finn and said, "Come with me."
Finn followed him into the office and he asked, "Have you seen him?"
Finn shook his head, "No, why would I?"
He looked at him and shrugged, "Cause you guys are friends remember? Now I understand the feeling the need to protect a friend but this is serious. If I hadn't turn my best friend in for…"
Before the coach could go in one of his rants, Finn heard or felt something. He turned away from the coach and went running in into the gym. He saw Erica on the wall and she had no protection. And it looked like she was having a seizure. Her grip on the peg loosened and she was falling.
Finn ran to her and caught her. He placed her down on the floor to her side. And placed her head on his lap. Thankfully she wasn't wearing anything tight. He restrained her and tried to calm her. People from the locker came in to see why he ran and saw Erica lying on the floor. Coach came in and asked, "What's happening to her?"
"She's having a seizure." Stiles explained
"I'll call an ambulance." Coach took out the phone and called them.
Finn stayed with her until the paramedics arrived and took her away. "Damn it Erica." He cursed.