Noted

TWENTY-TWO

a/n: 8 more chapters to go before this story is officially completed! Enjoy!

Notes at the end of the chapter

...

Lunch is happening and Finn goes to buy her a pizza. He found $5 on the ground prior to finding her in the library and buys himself two dim-sims.

She starts eating her pizza but finds no appetite in finishing it. She offers it to him and watches as he eats the rest. She doesn't say anything, content with the silence and the thoughts that were weighing her down. She embraces the sadness that follows and the anxiety rising as she wonders...

She sees their faces instead. Christian and Zachary are so alike and different in many other ways. Yet, as she wallows with herself, the one she thinks of most is Christian and how right he was.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Finn asks, flicking crumbs off his hands.

June purses her lips. "Would you be mad if I said it has nothing to do with you?"

"Nah," Finn says, chuckling. "I don't take things like that personally. I was only asking because I don't want to leave in case you needed to get anything off your chest-"

"You're friends with the Nilsson twins, right?"

It comes out of her before she can question if confining with Finn is the smartest idea.

Finn takes his time responding. "I'm more Christian's friend than Zach's."

"Oh." She has a heartbeat of a second to ask why but figures the quicker she can get to her problem, the better he can answer her questions. "Well, how long have you been friends with Christian?"

Finn hums before responding, "Since year seven. Christian was one of the friends I made and we've been inseparable since. It's funny looking back on it. We were hanging with a bunch of guys from our homeroom and there was this kid who liked showing off manga. I think it was Initial D at the time. We were going on about the cars. You know, an 86, S-13 Silvia, the iconic R-31's-"

"You're losing me here, Finn."

"Anyway, as we were talking about them, Christian came and sat next to me and asked if anyone watched the movies. We had a full rant about it, and after that, we were always around each other. When my dad left, it was just my mum and we moved into my Nan's place. She's been doing her best in supporting me and that meant living paycheck to paycheck. Mum puts my education first and sometimes that means no food to take to school. Christian had been bringing me lunches ever since. And when he couldn't, always offered me half of his. I've never had a best mate like him before, and probably never will."

June offers Finn a small smile. "It's amazing to have a friend like that." She cannot think what her life will be like without her girls. "Though, I imagine how difficult talking to him is." She shakes her head at the thought.

But Finn surprises her with a look of bewilderment. "June, Christian is the most understanding of them all. He doesn't dismiss my feelings or my thoughts. He calls me out when I do dumb shit and likes to listen to all my problems without complaint."

She arches a brow. "Right."

"What I'm trying to say is that Christian cares a lot about the people in his life. He will make enemies with the people who disrespect them. I mean..." he gestures at June. "No offense."

"I know." She shakes her head, trying to stop her emotions from clouding her judgment. Obviously, he would know the drama. Christian would've told him everything. "It's not like I intended to hurt anyone."