~Chapter 8~

"Bye, Steph!" I yelled to the dirty blond male that was leaving my house. A hand landed on my shoulder, "Ah-" slightly startling me.

Finn chuckled and shook his head.

"He was quite nosy wasn't he?" Finn said, lifting an eyebrow at me.

"I...yeah.."

I have no room to speak.

Finn sighed and pulled Lawrynce back in so he could shut the door, "I heard you do something last night."

How can he just swap conversation like that?! This was new..

"H-huh?" With a confused look, I lifted a brow, tilting my head.

"You snooped in his bag didn't you?" Finn said, a quite amused look on his face.

How did he know that?..

Instead of showing the truth, I might as well be stubborn.

"No, that's disrespectful and invasion of privacy, you moron." I scoffed, turning away and going to the kitchen. It was just now getting daylight. Stephen left early due to shopping with his mother. Something about football wear? I dunno.

"Lawrynce," Finn said sternly, suddenly his voice wasn't as friendly, "You know how much I hate liars. Especially the ones lying to my face."

I paused in my step. Mom and dad wasn't up yet. It was a Saturday, of course they were going to sleep in. The air around was dense..almost as if I could cut it with a knife. A dull one.

"Yeah, he seemed very suspicious to you too." I changed the subject and turned on the balls on my feet to face the male leaning against the door, arms folded over his chest.

"Wha'd you find?" Finn asked as if the subject hadn't ever been changed.

I felt sweat glide a trail down my back, heart beating in my ears.

"A note." I gave in, the breath I hadn't known I was holding escaping my lungs in a sigh.

"What did ya' find?" Finn asked in the same childish voice as usual.

"Huh.." I whispered under my breath. What was happening, right now?..

"Go on." Finn said, unfolding his arms and stuffing his hands in his pants pockets, making his way to the kitchen.

"Oh! Hm, I found a note.." I repeated, "It was messed up with water in some area's.." I stumbled over my words, still jumbled up on the situation from a few moment ago...and the one still rolling in front of my eyes.

"What did it say that you could read?" Finn asked, sitting on one of the four barstools at the edge of the counter. I sat in the one next to him after a moment.

"Something about seeing something, maybe a hallucination..." I had said from memory, but looked up after I remembered a certain section, "It! He called it an it." I said as Finns face scrunched up slightly.

"Ah, that wasn't so hard now was it, Ryncie." Finn said, his face morphing back into that dorkish smile.

Wait.

Ryncie?!

My face twisted, "Don't call me that." I said sternly.

"Okay." He said as if he had regretted it long before I even noticed what he had said.

"So, how long have you lived over this way?" I asked, earning a side glance from the still slightly taller male.

Finn hummed and looked down to his hands, one clenched out of my vision, "Just about all my life. Haven't had a choice." He said with an ending chuckle.

"Oh?.." I furrowed my eyebrows, leaning over the counter to see Finn's pale face better.

"Yeah, hey. Have you ever played hide and seek in these woods?" A random question to cover the recent conversation? Maybe that's a soft section..

Finn looked away from Lawrynce to look out the windows in the living room. Sighing, he looked back to me, where I had a slightly surprised facial expression.

"No, I'm guessing you have?" I asked.

A half grin forced its way on Finns face. "Yeah, I have, it was the best." He chuckled and tapped his thumbs on the granite counter, looking at the calendar that read July 2nd, 2134. Fun. It snows all year long.

"I'm guessing it was a long time ago?.."

"Yup, we stopped after one of us got injured because they hid in a tree." Finn said, glancing down at his arm. A small scar was peeking from under the sleeve of his long sleeved Tee.

"I'm guessing you were the one to fall?" I asked, eyeing the mark on his arm.

"No actually. I fell a couple games before she did." Finn laughed, "But she got severely injured, so we stopped playing out of fear for everyone else." Finn said, shifting his body to look at me, his other slim, dark green eye shaded by his long brown hair. I sometimes had the urge to just pull it into a man bun... how funny would that look! His face was clean of any blemish or freckle...it was almost unnatural. Weird. But lucky. I have freckles and these really girly eyelashes. Makes it that much better that they are naturally curled too.

"What are you gazing at?" Finn asked with a laugh before he got up.

I flinched and watched the light brown haired male steal an orange before he walked towards the doorway. "Wait! what? Was I staring? I didn't even..." I was baffled, grabbing a apple out of the fruit tray before I followed Finn.

"Didn't you say at summer camp, you were bullied?" Finn asked, slipping on his black, worn out combat boots before he grabbed his, also worn out, jacket.

"In school, I was, yeah." I said before holding the apple between my teeth to slip on both of my equally worn down boots. I took the bite out the apple and spoke, "Are shwe goishing oushide?" I asked with a full mouth before Finn shook his head with a sigh.

"Can't beat me up in front of your parents now can you?"

I ended up running to the kitchen and leaving a note, telling mom I was out exploring with Finn. She would understand. Dad should too.

"Catch up or I'm leaving you behind, Lawrynce." Finn yelled.

"You're not that far ahead!" I yelled back, taking the last bite off my apple before tossing it to the snow. In which, the snow was at least half a foot deep today. Must have snowed more last night. There was animal foot prints everywhere....and surprisingly...no wolf footprints.

I heard Finn start to run, making me shift my head up to look at him. Once again. Baffled. How does he have so much stamina! We just ran at least two miles out! I've never been this far out....or maybe I have. It all looks different in the mornings golden rays shining through the trees.

"Wait up!" I pulled up my jacket a bit more before following behind him. Finn definitely got the award for being faster. But he didn't get the award for best chef. That one goes to me.

The cold air heaved in my lungs, giving my lungs a chill that stung. My nose froze slightly, making me sniffle here and there.

I slowed in my step and huffed, the trees being more dense almost, the bushes had cleared a while back. It was clean. Almost like the snow was completely untouched by nature itself. The tree's bases completely covered, the bark cold to the touch, making you want to keep your hands to yourself and bask in your own warmth. It was just that cold... had to be nine degrees at least.

Finn stopped once he got to a open spot, no trees, but still snow. Why did we have to go all the way out here again? Why couldn't we just go a little ways into the woods? What if I actually hurt Finn and need to assist to a wound or something?!

Maybe I'm just over reacting....

Finn could probably handle himself better than Miles. No, not probably. He could. No doubt in that.

"Is this where-" I started just to be cut off.

"Yeah, I have learned many of things here. Now, it's your turn, Lawrynce." Finn said, making a chill run down my spine. Or maybe it was the cold winter breeze that followed his words. "We've already passed Stephens house? Or do you walk this far to get back here?" I asked, taking a few steps to be fully caught up with the chestnut haired boy.

Finn looked over at me while I gazed up into the grey clouds above. Besides the orange and yellow rays coming from between the trees and mountains ahead, it was also quite...eerie. "Stephens house was a mile back. We are only three miles from my house. I do go out to explore a lot like you, too, so yes, I do walk this far just to come here." Finn said, his tone silk laced, Soft.

Almost as if he was reliving memories, which I can understand that feeling. Just not anywhere here. I have no memories here since we just moved.

Finn took a few strides to be in the middle then got in a stance, with his fists raised, he said, "Now come on. Hit me with all you've got." He said with a devilish grin.

I feel like he's gonna enjoy this more than I am.. but I obeyed, stepping forewords, only a step or two away from Finn himself. "You asked for it." I said with a chuckle, while Finn shook his head with a dramatic eye roll.

I wasn't good at this fighting thing. So what I was gonna get from Finn was going to be all I will ever, most likely. But before I could draw my fist back, Finn locked eyes with me and spoke, "Just be warned. I will be fighting back. The only way to learn is being through it yourself." Those words. They didn't sound like his. Maybe they were. But maybe someone had told him that before, too, and he was just repeating it.

At least that's what I thought.

With a nod, I drew my fist back, farther than my shoulder. Then I let loose. Letting anger take over the hit to only have it blocked by Finns forearm. "Faster." Finn whispered, once again, I obeyed.

I hugged and pulled my hand away, shaking off the buzzing from the last hit. "Don't hold back, Lawrynce. I know you want to." Finn was right. I was holding back. I knew a few tricks, but I could be better!

Without earning a reaction out of me from his words, Finn shifted his weight and pulled his own fist back, targeting it through the air to hit my cheek. I ducked, letting the skin of his under palm caress my hair by a smidge. "See, you have fast reflexes. Show me that with your hits. Surprise me, Lawrynce." What Finn was saying was understandable. Hit me so I can teach you what could happen next. Hit me and show me what I need to improve on your strength and ability. Come at me with all you have now so we can build more.

So I did. I put my all into the sparring session with Finn, learning things on the way with little to no draw backs besides the burn of the cold air freezing my lungs, making my nose a smidge red and runny.

"Ack-" hitting the ground knocked the air out of my lungs, making me heave for a breath.

"Oh, shit! Ah, are you okay?" Finn asked, breaking his stance and talking through his own huffing, the spirit of his breath lingering in the air as he lended a hand to help me up, which I took politely.

"I-I'm good. Can't learn unless you go through it first, right?" I said with a chuckle, Finn giving me a approving smile and nod, pulling me back up to my feet.

He dropped his hand from mine, running it through his hair to brush the shaggy locks out of his vision. "You did a lot better after you warmed up." Finn started, "But, before you throw your punches, take a quick moment to think of what your opponent may do in return to that. There may be a better way to follow through. A different area to hit." I nodded to Finn, still catching my breath, I sniffled. One of my hands found its way to the back of my neck, resting on the warmth it gave off, the other slipped into my pants pocket. The jackets were getting in the way so we took them off and tossed them aside earlier in the session.

"Oh," Finn said then flicked my forehead, "Never let your guard down. You did a couple times and I was able to get hits in. That's most important thing." I rubbed my forehead where he had flicked and sighed.

"I didn't have a moment to catch my breath.." I argued.

"I didn't either, which, you should have continued. You can't catch your breath, they can't either. Use it to your advantage." Finn spoke, walking past me, brushing up on my shoulder when he did.

"Here." I turned to Finn grabbing my coat out of his hands, "Thanks." I was just now starting to have my breathing calm and manageable again.

After I had slipped my coat on, I looked around. We had to of been out here for a couple hours just fighting. "Hey, could I see your house?" I turned to face Finn, who was a little farther out now. More towards the mountain cliffs edge.

The cliff ran far.. I would hate to fall..

I shivered at the thought and jogged through the snow, earning crunches and sometimes a snap of a old frozen branch, hidden away from the white, heavy, fluff that laid atop of it.

I panted and sat next to the messy haired boy, "Wha'cha lookin' at?" I said goofily, trying to see where he was staring off too. It was the other mountain. "I wonder what's over there too, sometimes.." I had whispered, then Finn gave a scoff.

"Not much to bargain with." Finn spoke with a hint of hate into his tone.

I gave a sideways glance to Finn and scrunched my eyebrows, "Have you been over there?.."

"I have..." His voice lowered to a almost silent whisper. He sounded as if he didn't have anything to do with it.

But it looked like he missed it..

what am I talking about? Missing a mountain.. something on the mountain?.. Somewhere on it?

"What hap-"

"I don't want to talk about it." Finn cut me off and abruptly stood, starting off back to the way of my home with his hands in his pockets.

"Wait! I didn't mean to upset you!" I followed him, "Hey!"

No answer.

"Can I see your house?" Then Finn stopped.

"Aren't you in pain? Doesn't your cheek hurt?" Finn asked. He did hit me pretty hard right there.. and my jaw... I got some good hits in on him, but apparently not hard enough to bruise.

"Yeah, but what's that gotta do with-" Finn took a step closer to me before he paused and sighed, a couple feet away.

"There is some things Lawrynce shouldn't know." He spoke as if I wasn't standing in front of him, staring him in those long lost eyes. "Let's go home. You haven't seen yourself. You look as if you got mauled by a toothless bear." Finn chuckled, and turned, starting to walk away again. But this time I didn't argue. Actually, I stayed quiet the whole way back home. The air filling my senses with its chill, its wintery smell of leaves and snow, and the whistle it made in my ears like music.