Senior Standoff | RETIRED VERSION

Season 3 - Episode 6 | NOT REVISED

Authors note: okay, so Wattpad glitched and told me this chapter was published when it wasn't.  It comes before the campfire scene.  Sorry about the confusion.

"Where are we going?" Asher asked, voice shaking, as I backed out of the driveway. I caught him rubbing his hands on the tops of his thighs out of the corner of my eye.

"Finn's," I told him honestly. Right now, he didn't need any secrets to contribute to his anxiety.

"No! I don't want to talk to Finn about this," Asher cried out. As much as I wanted to, I didn't stop the car or change course. If I actually wanted to help him out, he needed to talk to Finn. He was the only one who knew how to help Asher through this.

"Do you trust me?" I asked.

"Of course I do," he said.

"Then let me take you to Finn's," I said.

Asher spent the duration of the car ride pleading with me to turn the car around and insisting that Finn couldn't help the situation. We rolled into the parking lot at Finn's apartment building. Asher fell silent. He stared out the windshield, still fidgeting.

"He's so ashamed of me," Asher whispered.

"You stopped selling. He has no reason to be anymore," I said.

"I can't talk to him about it. God, I'm going to fucking throw up," Asher said, laying his forehead down on the dashboard. "Please, Pen."

I watched him, biting on my lip. I didn't know how to handle this.

"I promise I'm just trying to help you. Finn knows how," I said.

He didn't say anything. I got out of the car and walked the dark path to the entrance alone, cold as hell. The black plastic button burned under my skin. It took a moment for Finn's voice to crackle through the intercom.

"Hello?" he asked, confused.

"Finn? It's Aspen. Your brother is in the car losing his shit," I said.

"I'll be right down."

I went back to the car and watched Asher through the window. He had his fist balled up, squeezing his thumb. Nothing seemed to get better when Finn walked out the front door and ran over to the car. He knocked on the window to the passenger side, and Asher looked up, shook his head, and put his forehead back on the dashboard.

I had to go around to the driver side to get Finn into the car.

"Go away," Asher said.

"Hey, Man," Finn said, climbing into the car. "What's going on? Why are you freaking out?"

"Some shit went down," Asher said.

"Like what?"

Asher looked up at Finn, trails of tears shining on his face. "I'm not telling you. You're going to hate me."

"How many shitty things have we both done, and yet we're still here? You're safe. Nothing you say can make me hurt you."

"Yes it can, and it will."

Finn sighed. He rubbed his hands together and breathed out a cloud of fog.

"Let's go inside. It's freezing," he said.

Asher agreed. I locked his car, and we followed Finn up the front walk. Asher wove his fingers between mine, grip iron. I gently squeezed back.

Finn's apartment was tiny. One bed, one bath, one kitchen, and a living room, all compacted into four walls. Basic amenities. Basic everything. Frugal, easy, and simple. Perfect for the bachelor who had just moved out on his own.