The Kids Aren't Alright

Chapter 26: Finn

The scene unfolds in front of me. There's Eric and Sean standing side by side, both looking a little worse for the wear after their late night. Standing a few feet away is Clancey, holding a smoking BB gun in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other, his expression more triumphant than surprised. Less than ten feet away from the gun currently dangling at his side is one of the stray camp cats. It isn't moving.

And then all I can see is the color red.

"Finn," Clancey says, they way he'd greet an old friend. "What are you doing out here?"

There's so much fury inside of me that I can barely contain it; I can feel my fists trembling, my molars grinding until my jaw aches. "I was going for a run. That was, until I heard you torturing animals."

"The cat?" Clancey laughs, a cheerful dismissal. "It'll be fine. And so will you, if you leave us alone."

He doesn't even care. He goes around shooting animals, and he doesn't even care. "You're a fucking monster."

Clancey shrugs, dropping his cigarette and grinding it out with the heel of his shoe. "I've heard that before." He turns back to his friends and asks, "Should I shoot him now?"

"Make him run first," Eric suggests. "That's more fun."

Before I can even respond, I hear the BB gun fire again. Something stings my arm, almost like a hornet or a wasp, and then my skin erupts in pain. A lot of pain. Like, a lot. When I look down at my arm, I can see the red welt already starting to swell up. 

Eric and Sean cackle loudly while Clancey brings the muzzle of the BB gun up to his face and blows the smoke away like an old-fashioned cowboy. "You still wanna fight us, Fish? Or have I changed your mind?"

"You'll never get away with this!"

"If not for you meddling kids," Clancey finishes mockingly. "Turn around, Fish. Turn around and start walking and don't look back. This doesn't have to involve you. Not if you know what's good for you."

I wouldn't be at this camp if I knew what was good for me, I think. Then, loudly, I say, "Just leave the cat alone, okay? I'll go if you just promise to leave the cat alone."

"And ruin all our fun? I don't think so." Clancey cocks the BB gun and aims it at my forehead. "You'll go because I say so, Fish. You'll go, because if you don't, I'll put the next pellet through your eye."

I glance over at the fallen tree to check if Becca decided to stick around, but there's no sign she was ever even there in the first place.

Smart. At least Becca knows when to run.

I redirect my gaze to Clancey and his gun. "You wouldn't," I say. I'm starting to freak out a little on the inside, but somehow, my voice remains steady. 

"How much do you want to bet?"

"Fine. You wanna blind me? Go ahead. You'll get kicked out of camp once I tell the counselors it was you, but it's totally worth it, right?"

"I'll take my chances."

I stare at him. He stares back. We stand like that for good, long moment; silent, the world stretching itself thin between the end of his BB gun and my wide eyes.

Until the silence is broken by Becca's voice ringing out behind us.

"Let's get this over with quickly. Finn, step aside. Clancey— hand me the BB gun."

When I spin around, she's stepping neatly over the fallen tree, having apparently appeared out of thin air. Her blue-brown eyes are narrowed slightly and her mouth is threaded into a thin line, but she looks more serious than angry. I can't tell if she's consciously restraining herself, or if she really has such little interest in the situation; if, to her, breaking up a fight between Clancey and me is just another boring camp activity.