The Girl Who Made Life Worth Living

Chapter 2: I Can't Go Home Tonight

Finn watched the bus drive away. The image of Nora standing in the isle, with her elegant features on display in the harsh lighting and her frail frame overtaken by baggy clothes, stayed in his mind as he started walking home. It was now 8:56pm and he was eager to rest. What a day; first staying late at work and then her. Nora. Finn walked down the street to his apartment building and up the stairs. He kept his head down as usually but his face maintained a slight smile.

He put his key into the front door but it unlocked from the other side and opened on its own. Finn's mother rushed to hug him, then abruptly pulled away to look at him with an agitated face. Her nose was slim and pointed with a forward arch in the bridge. Her normally kind eyes were dramatically hooded by furrowed brows and her thin lips were scrunched into a frown.

"When you texted me you'd be late from work I didn't expect this late! Do you know what time it is Finnley?! You should've told me!"

Finn was startled but managed to get the words out, "I'm sorry, I missed the first bus that came after I got out."

"And why was that?" his mother put her hands on her hips, still standing in the doorway.

Finn stammered a bit before saying, "I got caught up talking to someone - a girl I just met."

She took her hands off her hips and said, "A girl?" with a hint of excitement in her voice.

"Yeah, yeah.." Finn pressed forward. She stepped aside and he closed and locked the door behind him. Even with her fierce stance, she was still shorter than Finn at 5'9."

"A nice girl? What's she like?"

"It wasn't a date or anything mom," Finn said, trying to sound annoyed. He set his bag down on the shoe rack-bench. "I'd just seen her around, and it was dark so I was checking on her."

"Oh, is there something wrong with her?" the excitement had disappeared from her voice.

Finn looked at his mother with a slight glare, "Don't word it like that! But no." He moved past her.

"I put your dinner in the fridge."

"Thanks." Finn went into his room instead of following her suggestion. He could eat later. Right now he just wanted to lay down.

Suddenly Finn was woken up by his phone aggressively vibrating against his upper thigh, still in his pocket. He pulled it out, seeing the caller identified as 'Building Security.' It wouldn't have been unusual for them to call him instead of his mother, but why at this time? It was 10:26pm; clearly past normal call hours. Something must've happened.

"Hello?"

"Is this Finn?" Nora's familiar voice surprised him.

Finn sat up in bed, speaking more intensely than he meant to, "Nora??"

"-I'm sorry! I just, I can't go home tonight. You said if I needed anything. I'm sorry if-"

"No," Finn said firmly. He got up and started putting his shoes on. "I'll be right down, just stay there." What am I getting myself in to?

"Okay," Nora said meagerly.

Finn hung up and grabbed a shirt to put on. He slipped it over his head as he left the room. His mother's bedroom door was closed as he walked past it in the small hallway. He figured she was sleeping by now and didn't want to bother her; she worked long hours at a customer service call center and was working again first thing in the morning.