Amongst The Water-Fresh Waters

Chapter 36: First Date Going Awry! Part 3

 FIRST UPLOADED: JANUARY 24, 2021 UPDATED: AUGUST 2, 2021 11:54 AM  

Instead of letting her anxiety and nerves take over, she moves her head to where her face is just about an inch away from Finn's. His eyes are looking right into hers. "You're eyes are so blue. Like the ocean." Kylie says. "And yours are a beautiful brown like a decadent brownie." Finn says. He leans in and kisses her gently on the lips. They both sigh together. 

Finn pulls back as Kylie leans in farther, causing her to nearly fall into his lap. If the cup holder wasn't in the middle of them, she'd be in his lap. Finn's eyes widen as Kylie is laying across the cup holder and chest compartment clutching her stomach. Finn gently pulls her up and stares at her. She starts bursting out laughing. Finn holds back his laugh. But he does smirk. "Are you okay? I know we were getting along. But you didn't have to literally fall for me." He chuckles as she slowly stops laughing. 

She wipes her eyes carefully trying not to smear her eye makeup. "I'm sorry. That was so embarrassing." She says, her voice hoarse from laughing so hard. Finn chuckles. "It's okay. Don't be embarrassed. You didn't know I was going to pull away." He says. Kylie shrugs. "I know. But I should have taken a hint in how you kissed me." She says still quietly laughing.

"Ouch." Kylie says, holding her side. Finn gestures toward her ribs. "Are you hurt?" His tone suddenly changing. Kylie smiles at him feeling a rush of happiness in his caring nature. "I'll be fine. It just hurts when I laugh. At first, it felt like someone punched me in the stomach. But my stomach is fine now. It's my right ribcage that is sore." Finn sighs relieved. "Thank goodness. I'm glad you are okay." "I wouldn't want you to get hurt before play rehearsals start." He winks at her flirtatiously. "Because I'm hoping to get Prince Eric."

Kylie's body heats up with excitement thinking of him being Prince Eric and her playing Ariel. They'd be able to spend countless hours and days together and she wouldn't have to make up excuses. Maybe the cookout could come first, then the play rehearsals and eventually she can finally tell her dad about Finn. Maybe then, he'll come around and like Finn. All the good thoughts are suddenly washed away by a terrible thought that's been gnawing at her since she found out. She's been keeping it pushed back far into her mind for several hours. That is until now. 

"There may be a problem with The Little Mermaid play," Kylie tells Finn. Finn looks at Kylie. His lips parting, as if he's waiting to say something. But before he can get any words out, Kylie decides to take the opportunity of his silence as an option to tell him before her anxiety gets worse. "Matt got Triton." She blurts out before she can think twice. Finn's eyes widen, then his lips clamp together, making it look like he's trying to keep his words to himself. He takes a deep breath and exhales. "To be honest. I hate that news. But I can't stop him from being...." He laughs amused. "Your dad." Kylie laughs too. "I CAN, however, make him jealous by playing the role he wanted and being YOUR real boyfriend." Finn says, his voice a little possessive.

 Kylie flinches a little at the tone of his voice. He frowns and looks down at his hands. "I didn't mean to sound possessive. If the roles in the play were reversed; then I guess he would deserve it. I shouldn't have let my emotions get the better of me." Finn says. Kylie nods. "You shouldn't have. But I agree. But him being King Triton means that I'll have to see him even more now." 

Kylie sighs at Finn. "Every time he sees me he expects me to act like I'm his best friend and he makes my anxiety worse." Kylie tells Finn as she clamps her hands together. Finn shakes his head. "I think he wants to be more than friends. Remember all the comments he keeps making toward you?" Finn says to Kylie. Kylie's face forms a disgusted look. "Yeah. Now we know why he was referring to me as 'Our' girl when he was talking to you about me." Finn grunts annoyed. 

"Yeah. This Double Bind sucks." Kylie sighs exhausted, keeping the recent news Mr. Miles told her, from Finn. She doesn't want to talk about it anymore.

"So why haven't you found out what role you got?" She says changing the subject. Finn shrugs. "I was told that we have a new kid at school and he also tried out for Prince Eric and he did a phenomenal job apparently." Kylie looks at him confused. "Why would they let a brand new student try out. Right at the last minute?" She asks him. He rolls his eyes. "I don't know. He's not even from here. He came from the States. He was in his Drama Club there, and was the best performer they had." He shakes his head annoyed. Kylie sighs. "I'm sure you'll get Prince Eric." Kylie says reassuring him.

Finn smiles at her, admiring her support. He looks at Kylie's house. "You probably should be going soon before your dad and Brianna gets back from work." Finn says to Kylie. Kylie looks over to her house. "I should. I couldn't even begin to explain why I was dressed like this for studying." Finn nods in agreement smiling at her flirtatiously. "I knew I should have changed back into the clothes I had on before our date." 

Kylie looks at Finn and sighs, his smile melting her. Finn nods. "Yes, you should have. But you sort of couldn't because of the last-minute change in plans." Finn says. Kylie rolls her eyes. "I really wish Matt's dad wasn't at the Crab Shack. That ruined our last adventure for the day." She looks at Finn upset. Finn smiles and takes her hand. "Yeah. That did throw a wrench in things." He sighs relieved. "We are lucky that Evie called you to tell you that he was there." Kylie shakes her head. "We were absolutely lucky for that. Or else he would have hammered me with questions or probably just used his Merman powers and read my mind to find out what I really was doing. And he'd most definitely call my dad." Finn nods and watches the driveway to Kylie's house. "I still can't believe he's gone too. That's crazy." Finn says astonished. "Same here." Kylie nods her head. "I wonder if we can really trust him and Matt?" Kylie asks. Finn shrugs his shoulders. "Who's to say." He says plainly.

Finn jolts startled by his phone buzzing in his pocket. He leans forward and pulls it out of his pocket. He stares at it in shock. Kylie looks down at his phone and gasps. "Well read it." She says motioning toward his phone. He opens the text from their Drama teacher. His eyes scan over the text and he looks up to Kylie and rolls his eyes. He sighs exhausted. "She still hasn't chosen the role of Prince Eric yet." 

Kylie grunts. "What? Almost every role has been filled. Why haven't you been told who you got?" She asks. Finn shakes his head. "I guess Ariel's sisters haven't been chosen yet either and a few other extras need to be filled too." He informs her.

 He looks down at the text. "The new student who tried out for Prince Eric is named Lucas Bates. And it is for sure down to me and him for the role." He sighs. Kylie's eyes widen. "No!" She gasps. Finn looks at her startled by her voice. "What's wrong?" She puts her head in her hands. "I know who he is." 

She looks up from her hands. "He and I went to Elementary school together and we went to Bible Camp and Summer Camp together. We were pretty good friends." She says, her voice strained. 

"Then what's the problem?" He sighs. "I don't want anyone else to play Prince Eric, but if he's your friend, then shouldn't you be happy you get to see him again." Finn asks confused and curious. Kylie shrugs. "If we were normal friends when he left during summer camp." She pauses. Her chest suddenly tightens. "We were friends since we were 5 years old." She smiles. "He was my first crush and I thought he was going to be my boyfriend at the end of Summer Camp when we were 12. He kissed me one day at camp. I asked him to be my boyfriend later in the day, and all he told me was that he was moving. Then we finished our lunch in silence and he went back to his bunk and the next day he left Camp." Kylie looks down at her hands shaking. "I didn't hear from him until he messaged me on Facebook a little while ago. About a week after we moved here." She says looking back at Finn. 

Finn lets out a long huff. "You are worth so much more than him and Jacob. They have no idea what they missed out on." Finn blurts out. Kylie laughs. She smiles shyly at him. "Thanks." "But are you sure about that now? I mean, I come with a lot of drama." She laughs nervously. Finn nods. He sighs. "I mean every word." He closes his eyes. "I have a dark past that is so much worse than yours and I'm afraid to tell you." He opens his eyes. Kylie looks at him worried. "Whatever it is, you have changed and I know you have learned from the past. You can tell me whenever you are ready." 

Finn smiles at her. "I have, and I thank you for helping me stay grounded and rooted in the Word of God." He smiles at her. She smiles back at him, pushing everything from that day behind her. "Thanks. I'm not sure if I'm ready yet." Finn says remembering that awful day and that awful woman.