Chapter 5
Finn Pov.
I nervously walk to the beach. I'm so worried on how this is going to go. I don't even know what to say. I remember how things went in school earlier today.
"Hey Angie, can I tell you something?" I ask, as I feel my hands get sweaty and goosebumps creep up my arm.
"Sure, you can tell me anything, Finn." she says in her sweet voice that I never get tired of hearing. I bet I sound like my dad right now.
"Angie, for awhile now, I've kinda liked you more than a friend..." I say with an embarrassed smile.
"So, you have a... crush on me?" She asks and she blushes. I remember Dad telling me that he always made Mom blush so maybe this is good.
"Yea..." Is all I can manage to say.
"Really? Out of all the girls here, you like me?" she asks.
"Yea. Why wouldn't I? You're the sweetest, smartest, prettiest girl I know." I tell her.
"Because, the other girls here are, way better than me. They all like you. And I don't think this is happening because Finn, I've liked you too for awhile. But I couldn't even tell you were interested in me besides being my friend." she explains.
"Ann," I've heard Dad call Mom this many times before. "I don't notice the other girls, I only notice you."
She's bright pink, a cute color on her tan skin.
"Would you want to go to the beach after school?" I ask her.
"I'd love to, but I can't, swim." she tells me.
"What?" I ask.
"Yea, I know. Weird when you're growing up in four, it's just, my parents haven't taken the time to teach me." she explains.
"Don't worry, I'll teach you." I offer.
"Really?!" she asks, I nod. "Thanks Finn." she throws her arms around my neck.
She likes me too. But I'm still nervous. Before I know it I'm at the beach, I see Angie sitting on the sand. She turns around and sees me.
"I thought you weren't coming," she says.
"You thought I wouldn't come? You must really doubt that I like you, but you shouldn't. You're all I can think about." she smiles. "Sorry, I took so long. I got us a picnic."
"Oh, wow." she says, staring at the basket and the blanket I'm holding. "How do you know what a girl likes so well?"
"Are you forgetting who my Dad is?" I ask and we laugh.
"Right, Finnick Odair. This might sound weird, but my mom has a HUGE crush on him." She tells me.
I laugh, "No way!"
"Yes way! She's so crazy, I'm always telling her that he's married and I'm friends with his son and how awkward it is when she talks about him. But she's so star struck it's not even funny." she says.
"That's hilarious." I remember my Dad's infamous quote, when I open the basket and find four sugar cubes. There's a note from him. 'Ask her if she wants a sugar cube'. I'm not as smooth as my Dad, so I don't know if I can pull this off, but if it doesn't work, I can make it into a joke. I do have his sense of humor. "Hey Angie," She looks my way. "Want a sugar cube?"
She giggles, "How could I say no? Finnick Odair Junior."
I laugh too and show her the note, "See, my dad is helping me out without even being here."
"Aw, you're that nervous?" she asks, I nod. "Don't be, because I promise I like you. And I'm having a lot of fun already."
I stare into her light blue eyes. They're a lighter version of my Mom's. They're really pretty. She snaps her fingers in front of my eyes.
"Oh, uh, sorry. You're eyes are bluer than the water out there." I tell her, nice complement, I tell myself.
"Thanks, but I like your eyes more than mine. They're so green." she says. Green has been her favorite color since we were little.
"So, ready for that swimming lesson?" I ask.
"I thought you'd never ask." she says, winking at me.
I don't know how I do it, maybe it's my Dad's confidence that's coming through right now, but I grab her hand and guide her into the water. She holds mine back right away. It's so soft, and I like holding her hand.
"So, how do I not drown?" she asks and I laugh, thinking it's a joke. "I'm serious!" she punches my arm but it doesn't hurt a bit.
"Well, I won't let you drown. So just move your arms like this," I show her with my arms, making the motions while standing up. She tries but they don't move the way that they should. I grab each of her arms, "Here, it's like this."
She turns and looks back at me, "Am I doing it right?"
"Yea," I say and we stare at each other for awhile without moving. I snap myself out of it. "So next, is your feet. You have to kick them like this," I lay down on the water, making the small, but quick kicks with my feet.
"Okay, looks pretty easy." she says. She lays down and tries it, kicking pretty good.
"Good job, ready to try them both?" I ask. She nods. "I'll be right here. Swim out as far as you can."
She starts swimming but as she gets deeper, she struggles a little. She starts panicking a little and I put my arms under her so that she's being held up, I tread the water.
"How are you holding me and staying up?" she asks.
"Treading the water," I tell her.
"Oh, can you show me?" she asks.
"Yea." I say. I show her how to make the frog like movements with your legs. She's pretty good at this. "Nice, swimming isn't that hard, huh?"
"No, not really." she says. "Thanks for
teaching me, Finn."
"It was my pleasure." I tell her.
She smiles, "Why do you like me?"
"Didn't I explain that earlier?" I ask.
"Pretty, smart, sweet, funny. Why do you like me?"
"Because you're perfect." she says.
"I'm not perfect, at all." I say truthfully.
"Tell me one bad thing about you." she says.
"Okay, I'm really bad at science." I tell her.
"Hm, I didn't know that. Maybe I can thank you for the swimming lesson with a science lesson." she offers.
"Yes please. Because if I don't get a better grade, I don't get Dad's old trident." I tell her.
"We can start tomorrow, if you want." she says.
"Sure, my place? We have a library where I do my homework." I tell her.
"Yea, I don't like bringing friends home anyways." she says.
"We're just friends?" I ask.
"Well, I don't know... I don't know what we are anymore." she says.
I laugh a little, "So do you want to be my girlfriend?"
"Hmm, okay." she says and smiles.
I smile too. "Want me to walk you home?"
"Sure, but just walk past okay?" she says.
"Gosh, your parents are that bad?" I ask.
"Don't ask." she says. "Your parents are so cool."
I don't know how to react, I don't want to come across as bragging. So I just say, "Yea, they're pretty cool." Even though I think they're a lot more than 'pretty cool'. I couldn't ask for a better Mom or Dad, they're both so brave, they've both done so many good things. They're still my heroes.
I walk her home, holding her hand. We're pretty far from her house.
"Can you leave me here?" she asks.
"If you want," I say.
She gives me a hug, I hug her back. "Thanks again, Finn. I had a lot of fun with you today."
"Anytime, Angie. I'll see you tomorrow." we end our hug.
"See you soon, Finnick Odair Junior." I laugh to myself. I walk home.
I open the door and walk in. "Hey guys, I'm home."
"Hey Finn! How was it?" Mom asks right away.
"Really, really good." I say.
"There's my little man!" Says Dad. "How did it go?"
"It was perfect," I say smiling.
"Did you use the sugar cubes?" he asks and Mom looks at him.
"Yes, she called me Finnick Odair Junior." I tell him, this makes Mom and Dad laugh. "She's also my girlfriend now."
"See, you had nothing to worry about! Up top!" Dad says, giving me a high five.
"And she's going to help me with my science tomorrow after school over here, if that's okay with you guys."
"Yea, no problem. I'll make sure the library is clean." Says Mom.
"Thanks Mom." I say. "I'm going to go take a shower."
"Okay, glad you had fun son!" Says Dad.
I feel like I'm in a complete dream land right now, like everything in the world is perfect. Because everything went great. I feel like I've got my head in the clouds.