You Are the Only Exception
You are the Only Exception
“Fuck!” Solo Mardling yelled as she pounded her hands on the steering wheel of her piece-of-shit cherry red ‘98 Chrysler Sebring. “Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!”
She continued to mutter explicits as she got out of the car and slammed the door. She had hit a parking divider. Again. This time it was at the Luigi’s Pizzeria parking lot in downtown LA. She didn’t feel like looking at the damage, so she just stomped inside and sighed in exasperation. Finn Hudson chuckled from behind the counter Solo was leaning on.
“I swear, you can’t drive ten feet without wrecking that thing.” Finn said, gesturing to the evil beast out of the window. It was sitting still, practically on top of the parking divider, menacingly. Solo groaned.
“Well, maybe if this car wasn’t so fucking long I wouldn’t have to worry about these things.” She muttered. Finn laughed again.
“It’s just as long as any other car.” He chided. “Now come on, meet me around back so I can take my break, alright?”
“Fine.” Solo mumbled, trying not to smile at his parental tone. He had a way of scolding her that was both amusing as well as obnoxious.
One thing that has to be understood about Finn and Solo’s relationship is that it was based entirely on a lie. A few months prior to this warm June day after Solo’s sophomore year of high school, she and Finn were paired up to go on air for the first live news broadcast of the semester at McKinley High School. During some down time earlier that class period the whole class was going around talking about their full names. Hers, being Solo Song Mardling, got a lot of question about her parents musical background (both being producers in the industry)… but Finn’s took the cake.
Finn Miriam Hudson.
The whole class found this hilarious, but especially Solo. She couldn’t believe this adorable senior boy who she was secretly crushing on had such an embarrassing name… and the balls to share it with the class.
So, just moments before she and Finn went on air, they agreed to introduce themselves to their 2,500 strong student body with their full names.
The camera dings, their teacher, Mrs. Eggie, pointed at them indicating that they were live.
“Good morning McKinley High!” Solo started, “I’m Solo Song Mardling.”
“And I’m Finn! And here’s what’s happening at the McKinley High campus…”
The entire school saw Solo’s jaw drop. He had chickened out! He had lied to her!
After they were off air, Solo wasted no time punching him in the arm.
“I can’t believe you lied to me!” She said, feigning real hurt even though she was smiling.
Finn smiled too, “Sorry, but you have to admit that was funny.”
“I do not! That was mean!”
He laughed. It was the first time Solo had made him laugh.
“Tell you what; I’ll make it up to you.”
“Oh yeah? How?”
“I’ll figure something out.”
And they were friends ever since. Awkward acknowledgements in the hall turned to waiting at each other’s lockers. Class down time resulted in the exchange of phone numbers and arrangements to hang out after school. Before Solo even realized what was going on, Finn Miriam Hudson became her friend. And, even more surprisingly, she became his.
But that crush of hers never went away. Even on this day, sitting next to him on the curb behind the pizza joint, breathing in his minty breath as it trailed in the breeze, Solo’s whole body went to Jell-O when his knee brushed hers.
“So,” Solo said, looking up into the cloudless sky. “Graduation is this Sunday, huh?”
“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Finn said to the pavement.
“Why? All year in broadcasting class you were stoked out of your mind to graduate!”
“I know... But things have changed.”
“I don’t understand,” Solo shook her head. “You got a full ride to U of Akron, you’re rooming with Artie, it’s just about summer time, and now you’ll never have to worry about Slushie facials ever again! What’s not to be excited about? What’s the exception?”
Finn turned his head towards Solo. Her perfect, Chiclet teeth lit her face up brilliantly- from her delicate chin to her thin, mahogany eyes. Her blonde curls were like rings upon rings of beautiful halos.
He leaned in, and kissed her. Right there on the curb.
The shock in Solo’s expression was almost comical, if not completely adorable. Finn couldn’t help but smile that crooked smile of his. Solo couldn’t believe what was happening.
He told her, “YOU are the only exception.”
She continued to mutter explicits as she got out of the car and slammed the door. She had hit a parking divider. Again. This time it was at the Luigi’s Pizzeria parking lot in downtown LA. She didn’t feel like looking at the damage, so she just stomped inside and sighed in exasperation. Finn Hudson chuckled from behind the counter Solo was leaning on.
“I swear, you can’t drive ten feet without wrecking that thing.” Finn said, gesturing to the evil beast out of the window. It was sitting still, practically on top of the parking divider, menacingly. Solo groaned.
“Well, maybe if this car wasn’t so fucking long I wouldn’t have to worry about these things.” She muttered. Finn laughed again.
“It’s just as long as any other car.” He chided. “Now come on, meet me around back so I can take my break, alright?”
“Fine.” Solo mumbled, trying not to smile at his parental tone. He had a way of scolding her that was both amusing as well as obnoxious.
One thing that has to be understood about Finn and Solo’s relationship is that it was based entirely on a lie. A few months prior to this warm June day after Solo’s sophomore year of high school, she and Finn were paired up to go on air for the first live news broadcast of the semester at McKinley High School. During some down time earlier that class period the whole class was going around talking about their full names. Hers, being Solo Song Mardling, got a lot of question about her parents musical background (both being producers in the industry)… but Finn’s took the cake.
Finn Miriam Hudson.
The whole class found this hilarious, but especially Solo. She couldn’t believe this adorable senior boy who she was secretly crushing on had such an embarrassing name… and the balls to share it with the class.
So, just moments before she and Finn went on air, they agreed to introduce themselves to their 2,500 strong student body with their full names.
The camera dings, their teacher, Mrs. Eggie, pointed at them indicating that they were live.
“Good morning McKinley High!” Solo started, “I’m Solo Song Mardling.”
“And I’m Finn! And here’s what’s happening at the McKinley High campus…”
The entire school saw Solo’s jaw drop. He had chickened out! He had lied to her!
After they were off air, Solo wasted no time punching him in the arm.
“I can’t believe you lied to me!” She said, feigning real hurt even though she was smiling.
Finn smiled too, “Sorry, but you have to admit that was funny.”
“I do not! That was mean!”
He laughed. It was the first time Solo had made him laugh.
“Tell you what; I’ll make it up to you.”
“Oh yeah? How?”
“I’ll figure something out.”
And they were friends ever since. Awkward acknowledgements in the hall turned to waiting at each other’s lockers. Class down time resulted in the exchange of phone numbers and arrangements to hang out after school. Before Solo even realized what was going on, Finn Miriam Hudson became her friend. And, even more surprisingly, she became his.
But that crush of hers never went away. Even on this day, sitting next to him on the curb behind the pizza joint, breathing in his minty breath as it trailed in the breeze, Solo’s whole body went to Jell-O when his knee brushed hers.
“So,” Solo said, looking up into the cloudless sky. “Graduation is this Sunday, huh?”
“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Finn said to the pavement.
“Why? All year in broadcasting class you were stoked out of your mind to graduate!”
“I know... But things have changed.”
“I don’t understand,” Solo shook her head. “You got a full ride to U of Akron, you’re rooming with Artie, it’s just about summer time, and now you’ll never have to worry about Slushie facials ever again! What’s not to be excited about? What’s the exception?”
Finn turned his head towards Solo. Her perfect, Chiclet teeth lit her face up brilliantly- from her delicate chin to her thin, mahogany eyes. Her blonde curls were like rings upon rings of beautiful halos.
He leaned in, and kissed her. Right there on the curb.
The shock in Solo’s expression was almost comical, if not completely adorable. Finn couldn’t help but smile that crooked smile of his. Solo couldn’t believe what was happening.
He told her, “YOU are the only exception.”