𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐆𝐎 || 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐥𝐟𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐗 𝐎𝐂

part four

Tesla Vs. Prius

Finn had barely sat down at the booth before Jack launched into a story about nearly committing a felony in a Trader Joe's parking lot over almond milk.

"No, listen," Jack said, jabbing his fork toward Finn. "The guy watched me put my blinker on. He knew I was waiting. And then? Boom! Swerved in, parked crooked, and went inside like he didn't just declare war."

"Wow," Chosen said dryly, sipping his orange juice. "A hero's tale. Tell us again how you bravely waited in your car for ten minutes instead of keying his Tesla."

"It was a Prius," Jack grumbled. "And I had restraint."

Finn laughed, shaking his head. "Nothing's changed, I see."

"You know what has changed?" Chosen said, turning to Finn with a devilish glint. "You. Mr. Educator. Mr. Sunny Day High."

Jack snorted. "Okay, wait. Sunny Day? That's really what it's called?"

Finn groaned. "Yes. I didn't name it."

"That sounds like a daycare slash cult compound," Jack said. "'Welcome to Sunny Day, where no one ever leaves and we all wear yellow.'"

She wore yellow.

Chosen grinned. "Do the teachers have code names? Are you 'Mister Cloud'? Is there a lunchroom sacrifice?"

"Laugh it up," Finn muttered, sipping his coffee. "At least I'm not threatening people over almond milk."

"But really," Jack said. "How's the job?"

Finn shrugged. "It's good. Kids are chaos. Staff's cool. It's actually...kind of great." He smiled to himself, thinking of Sonny Katze and her flowery lanyard. How each day that week she had checked in with him, offered her assistance even when it may have inconvenienced her.

Chosen raised an eyebrow. "You're smiling?"

Jack narrowed his eyes. "He's definitely smiling."

Finn tried to play it off. "What? I'm allowed to smile."

"You're not a smiler, Finn," Chosen said. "You're a brooder. The quiet guy in the coming-of-age drama with the secret backstory."

Jack pointed dramatically. "There's a woman."

Finn opened his mouth, tried to deny it, but his throat tightened around the words.
Too slow.

Jack and Chosen pounced.

"A-HA!" Jack crowed. "I knew it!"

Chosen leaned in. "Tell us everything. Name. Department. Vibe."

Finn sighed, giving in. "Her name's Sonny."

Silence.

Then—

"No it's not," Jack said flatly.

Chosen cackled. "Sonny?! As in Sunny Day High School?!"

Finn winced. "Yes."

"Finn," Jack said, wiping tears from his eyes, "you've developed a crush on Sunny Day Sonny. This is so on brand for you I could scream."

"Does she sparkle in the sunlight?" Chosen asked. "Does she wake up to birds braiding her hair?"

"She's a chemistry teacher," Finn said, trying to stay composed. "Not a Disney princess."

"That's even worse!" Jack said. "This woman teaches literal chemistry and you're feeling chemistry? This is rom-com fuel."

Finn shook his head, laughing despite himself. "You two are impossible."

"But like... is she cute?" Chosen asked, grinning.

Finn hesitated again.

Jack's jaw dropped. "Oh my God. You're down bad."

"It's not like that," Finn said. "She's smart ofcourse. And yeah... she's beautiful. But she's got a boyfriend. Wyatt. He teaches shop at some middle school."

"Oh no," Chosen said, dragging his hand down his face. "She has a whole woodshop boyfriend? You can't compete with that. That man owns flannel and knows how to fix things."

"I'm not trying to compete," Finn said, defensive.

"You already are," Jack said. "Because you always do this. You find someone who reminds you of—"

"Don't say it," Finn warned.

"—Nurse Girl," Chosen finished triumphantly.

Finn groaned. "It wasn't like that."

"You had one head injury and then spent three years looking for some girl who probably didn't exist," Jack said, eyes wide. "It's a medical mystery wrapped in a teenage fever dream."

"She was real," Finn said. "I just don't remember her face."

"Yeah, and now here comes Sonny the Chemistry Teacher from Sunny Day High," Chosen said. "Tell me this doesn't feel suspicious."

Finn shook his head but didn't deny it.

"I don't know, man," he admitted after a beat. "There's something about her. It's not a crush. It feels... familiar."

Jack leaned back, serious for once. "So what are you gonna do?"

"Nothing," Finn said.

Chosen nodded. "And yet here you are. Talking about her like a guy halfway through a Taylor Swift album."

Finn sighed and picked up his coffee again.

Jack grinned. "Hey. Maybe Nurse Girl and Sonny are the same person! Plot twist."

Finn paused. Just a second. But his friends caught it.

"Dude," Chosen whispered. "No."

"I'm just saying it crossed my mind," Finn muttered.

Jack raised his glass. "To Sunny Day Sonny — the woman who may or may not be your past, your future, or your undoing."

Chosen clinked his juice against it. "And to Wyatt. The poor bastard who has no idea he's in the middle of this tragic love triangle."

Finn just shook his head, smiling despite himself.

And he wasn't sure if he was chasing a memory... or finally waking up from one.