Quiet Little Monsters

The next morning, I awoke to a sheer resolution. I was going to march into Finn's record shop and demand that he stay away from me. Tell him that I was a mature, sophisticated woman who would not be made a slut by a horny boy with a girlfriend.

I got up early and took a shower, brushing the tangles from my dark hair meticulously. I hummed a song by Pat Benatar as I picked out my best dress, a pale rose sundress I had invested a little too much money in.

By the end of the morning, I looked my best. My wild hair was combed and neatly pinned with a French braid running through like a diadem, my legs were shaved and moisturized, and my feet were tucked into my best Manolo knock-offs. Excuse me if I wanted to look good while I told Finn off.

I walked off the bus at Lily Oak St. and found myself striding towards Vittoe's Recs with this wild spark of confidence, mostly because a cutie on the bus had thought I was pretty, and that's always nice.

Anyway, so I was determined and feeling sexy and then I walked into the record shop to find a girl draped all over a very happy looking Finn Watson. That's when I felt all my confident sexiness evaporate through my fingertips. Since it was opening time, it was completely empty –well, except for me, this girl and Finn.

As soon as I got this image, the one of a pretty, little blond girl kissing a beanie wearing Finn's neck, I wanted to back away and run back home, but Finn looked up and found my wild hazel eyes staring at him and his... companion.

"Dolly?" Finn asked, wiping at the lipstick on his neck.

I contemplated acting like I didn't know what he was talking about, like gaping at him and being like, "Dolly? Who the fuck is Dolly? I always get confused for that bitch!" but I decided against it and said, "Uh. Hi, Finn. I'm just here to tell you that... I am having a sale. Yes. A sale on coffee. It's free if you can hop on one foot and rub your stomach and tap your head at the same time. So. I just wanted to let you know..." I broke off vaguely.

What the hell is wrong with this one? The blond girl thought, staring at me with a bewildered/pitying expression. Finn gave me a pained look before saying, "Oh, uh, really? That's great. I like... coffee, so I'll probably be down there later today. Harry? Have you met Dolly? She runs the bakery on Lily Oak St."

"Oh!" Harry said, brightening at her boyfriend, "Hi!" She walked over to me, "It's very nice to meet you. Finny tells me he loves your muffins."

I didn't know whether to burst into laughter or cry as we shook hands. Frankly, I had imagined Harriet to have horns and fangs, not have the sweetest pair of brown eyes and freckles and rosy cheeks! I gave Harry a smile (although it could have been a grimace too) and said, "Hi. Nice to meet you!"

Finn didn't smile though. He didn't smile at all and I tried to keep out of Harriet's thoughts. She was quickly glancing me up and down and studying what I was wearing. Just as she was about to ask me where I'd gotten my dress from to break the wretched, awkward silence, I cut her off.

"Well... I'll just leave you guys then. Er, bye," I spluttered and practically ran out on the street.



The rest of the day at work, I felt really miserable. People were flooding in on my thoughts. Bella had had a particularly ugly fight with her Jeremy and Gavin was stressing out over a paper he had due. I was about to tell Gavin he could have the day off, just so he could stop fretting in my head and start his fucking paper when the bells on the glass door jingled and I looked up to find an apologetic looking Finn entering the shop. I rushed to the back, not even bothering to explain myself.

I shut myself away in my tiny office and sat on my desk, hopefully, that was okay. I mean, that was pretty smooth, right? But just as I was about to poke my head out to see if Finn had gotten the message, there was a curt knock at the door.

"Dolly? I need to speak with you now please," Finn's voice didn't sound its usual easy-going self.

"Uh. I can't at the moment. Sorry!" I called back through the door, "I am having a very important business call-"

He came in anyway. "Hey!" I cried angrily, "What if that had been true?"

He stood at the doorway for a second, his dark hair was slipped into his beanie, and I realized he wasn't wearing a cardigan or a sweater; he had a tattoo of an elk covering one arm. I stared at it and then up at his face, realizing I didn't know him well at all.

"W –what do you want?" I asked, lifting my chin up defiantly.

"I want to say sorry about this morning. It... wasn't right," Finn said slowly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said airily and made to move around him, out of the tiny pale pink painted office, but he grabbed my wrist hard.

No, he said in my head in angered tones.

Let me go, I replied.

Not until you hear me out.

There is nothing to say. You have a girlfriend. Let's move on, I thought dismally.

You know very well that I like you. His murmur sent sparks up my spine.

"Not enough," I whispered and pulled my wrist from his grasp.

"We can be friends, can't we?" he said.

"Not yet, Finn. Right now, I need a break from you. You make me all jumbled," I muttered.

"Likewise. But I don't want a break from you."

"Shut up. Shut up. Go away," I whispered.

"Is that what you want? You don't want to know why you can read minds? Why you and I –out of all the people in the whole world- met? Doesn't that strike you the least bit interesting?"

"Shh about the mind reading thing," I hissed quietly and shut the door of the office tentatively as it was still wide open. "I do find it interesting, Finn. I do. But it seems that every time we spend one second alone, you end up cheating on your girlfriend. And I will not let that happen anymore," I stated.

He gave me one last, hard look.

"Is this what you really want? You never want to see me again?"

I tried to blink back tears; gosh, this Watson kid made me a big crybaby.

"Yeah. That's what I want," I muttered.

His long, tattoo ridden arm reached out for me, drawing me near him. I tried to pull away but my heart didn't let me. I shook as he kissed me softly on the lips, running them back and forth, and then trailing down my jaw. His soft, red lips then tickled their way to my ear.

"Bye," he whispered before turning around and walking out of the office and out of the café.

He did not look back. Not even once.