Bubblewand (Finn Harries)

Chapter 3: Bubblewand

Noticeably, Isabelle was beginning to take comfort in her new environment. She'd made friends in her classes without her cousin's help and even allowed herself to go out with them once in a while. But since what she liked to refer to as "the incident" happened, she learned to disconnect herself from the goodness of reality once in a while because of her belief that nothing good lasted forever. It wasn't something everyone understood, even the friends she's grown close to.

Except Finn.

Finn was always the one to reel Isabelle back into the good when she was slowly drifting away. He wasn't as close to her as the friends she's made, seeing as they barely had 3 classes together. But no matter how distant they got from each other, it was as if they'd never stopped talking when they did.  

He came at the most unlikely times like when she'd made an alibi to her friends that she had to drop by the library really quick to be able to walk alone and clear her mind. He'd caught up to her and together, they walked back to the residence hall together and somehow, with Finn around, she was able to clear her mind.

But today was the end of Isabelle's second month in Leeds and for the first time since she's arrived, she's actually weighed the matter of Boston and staying in the U.K. without prejudice. She missed Boston, yes, especially being able to get her mind away from everything so easily there. But she knew she couldn't run forever and Leeds wasn't as bad as she'd preassumed. She was in the middle of comparing the classes she'd taken in Leeds and Boston when Finn had caught up with her again.

"Looks like you got a lot on your mind there" he said, looking down at her with a smile as they walked into the residence hall together. "I guess you could say that" she replied, then looked up at him, "hey Finn?"

"Yes?"

"Have you ever thought about what to do after something's happened?" she asked, Finn noticing the far away look in her eyes as she looked ahead, "like, having after plans."

"Come to think about it" he paused in his tracks, "I don't reckon I have. Why is it you ask?"

Isabelle shrugged and walked ahead, "no reason." Again, Finn caught up to her knowing she was bothered by something. He was never one to pry, but he really did want to try to help her.

"What do you mean, no reason?" he said, "Isabelle, there's got to be a reason. You know I'll never shut up about this until you give me one."

Not even bothering to look up at him again, Isabelle replied calmly, "it's because I was wondering maybe, if I had plans after...after my best friend, Lena, died, I wouldn't be at war with myself between leaving and staying." and as calmly as she'd replied, she walked away.

        "So she told you?" asked Isabella the next morning as they walked to one of their classes together and Finn nodded, "just like that?" Isabella asked again, "just like that." Finn replied again.

"You lucky duck!" she gasped, "I had to fish it out of her." As they continued walking, Isabella figured that it wouldn't hurt if she'd elaborated the story just to explain why it had gotten the best of Isabelle. 

"Isabelle and Lena were best friends. Lena was practically Isabelle's twin sister since they were both only children. Lena's literally the nicest person you're ever going to meet, she's like this walking ball of sunshine. She was the type of person you can tell anything; the type of person who'd quit if you signed up for something and only one of you had gotten in. And just to add to that, Isabelle wasn't always as gloomy as she is now. In fact, Isabelle was a cheerleader" 

"Wow" Finn said, the last line striking him the most, "I'd kill to see her in a mini skirt."

"You're not the first one" Isabella laughed, "Anyway, last summer, Isabelle, Lena and a few other friends including myself were going to spend the summer in America. And I swear, Isabelle was literally the most excited about Disneyland. Even when we were kids, she was a sucker for fairytales. Isabelle and Lena were going shopping for some last minute stuff, which apparently kept them late. It was raining when they were driving home and the police said the road must've messed with the breaks. Sadly, only one of them was chosen to continue on with life and it wasn't Lena.

"Isabelle had the hardest time figuring why such a good person had been taken away. It made her wonder what the actual definiton of goodness was. Then came Boston." 

     After having gone into town the day before, Finn had the idea that Isabelle needed some cheering up and so, was determined to get a chance to spend the day with her. "Bibbidi! Bobbity! Boo!" he said, creeping up behind Isabelle, who was intently reading a book called The Happiness Project. He blew bubbles around her with a tube of bubbles he's bought the day he'd gone into town. Isabelle looked up at him and smiled, "nice wand you got there, Finny Godmother" she marked the page she was reading 

They walked together, Finn doing the best he could to keep the smile on her face and at the same time, keep her to himself. Part of him realized that he had slowly crossed the border of interested and was now entering the zone of attracted when it came to his feelings for her. After all, you wouldn't go into town to get something to cheer up just anybody, right?  

     Isabelle was in the middle of telling Finn about her cheerleader days when Isabella had seen them from a distance and called her attention as she stood with 2 blonde adults. "Oh my god!" she cried, grabbing Finn's wrist and pulling him towards the two adults. 
"Goodness, Belle! I can't believe you're in college!" Said the woman, who gave her a hug. "Are you still growing?" asked the man, "you're so much bigger than when I'd last seen you!" 

"Uncle Ben, it's only been a year" laughed Isabelle as a little boy, about 4 or 5 years old wrapped his arms around her, "but this guy is SO much bigger!" Finn laughed at the sight of Isabelle hugging a little kid in her arms. "Oh, by the way, Uncle Ben, Auntie Cara, this is my--"Isabella began to say but Isabelle had cut her off by clearing her throat, "I mean, OUR friend, Finn." 

Finn shook the hands of both adults, who gave him the same cheeky smile Isabella had on the night of the barbeque. "Oh, and Finn" Isabelle said, turning to him, still with the little boy in her arms, "meet my baby cousin Phin." The little boy resting in Isabelle's arms looked up at Finn, "your name'th Phin too?" he asked with a lisp.

"Yes" he replied, "but I reckon you copied my name." he said jokingly. "No, you copied my name!" Phin had rebut, "right, Belly?"

"Belly?" laughed Finn as he turned to Isabelle, who rolled her eyes and played along, "Phin, your name's Phineas and his name is Finnegan. So neither of you copied each other's names, okay?" she explained. 

"But I'm still your favorite Phin, right?" Phin asked again which Isabelle had replied to with a laugh. "So, what brings you guys here?" Finn asked Auntie Cara and Uncle Ben, "well" replied Uncle Ben, "we heard Isabelle was back in the U.K and we thought that it wouldn't be too bad if we toured the campus."  With a sudden realization, Auntie Cara turned to Isabelle, "Belle, darling, would it be too much to ask that you watch Phineas while Izzy tours us?" she asked. "It's no problem at all!" Isabelle replied, "right Finn?" 

      "Belly" Phin said with his little lisp as he popped the bubbles Finn was blowing, "are you thtill going back to Button?" Isabelle and Finn laughed realizing that Phin was talking about Boston. "I think you mean Boston there, champ." Finn said as he resumed blowing the bubbles. "Yeah, Bothton." Phin added.

"Well it depends." Isabelle said, hugging her knees as they sat on the grass, "Will you miss me, Phin?" A little blush crept up to Finn's cheek as the younger boy looked at him, "she'th talking about the both of uth" he whispered, "tho, thay you'll mith her too!" then he turned back to Isabelle and smiled cheekily, "of courth I will, Belly!" He looked up at Finn again, saying it was his cue to answer the question, "me too" he said shyly, the blush now taking over his face, which made him grateful for the incoming sunset. 

       "Thanks for spending the day with me" Isabelle said shyly as they walked back to the residence hall, "and Phineas. I think he really likes you." Finn smiled, reminiscing on the day's events and he was so engrossed in thought that he'd started thinking out loud; "well, I really like his cousin." he'd said pretty relaxed before he'd noticed Isabelle had paused in her tracks and was looking at him weirdly.

"What?" She asked with the same cheeky smile Jack usually had on his face. Finn's face had gone red and with wide eyes, he stuttered to find the right words. By now, Isabelle was laughing at him and abruptly, he'd pulled her close and planted a soft kiss on her lips which had taken both of them by surprise. But Finn had manned up and spoken first, 

"Screw explaining with words."