Entry: 1

Entry:1
    - This is the way it started, whether you like it or not


   "Finnley hurry up!"
A girl with long brown hair in running shorts and a wind-breaker jogged over to her best friend.
   "One more lap Tanya. One more." She said a little out of breath.
Her fashion obsessed friend who was wearing a long gauze skirt with boots and a knock-off Gucci bag slung over her shoulder sighed.
   "Fine. And Finnley, haven't you ever thought of putting on just, a little make-up?"
Finnley grinned and ran off.
Plugging in her headphones 'Love like Woe' ran through the earbuds and the energetic music made Finnley hyper.
Letting the music take her over she turned and ran backwards on the race track. Rising her hands above her head she quickly did three back flips in a row.
    "Show off!" Tanya yelled at her.
Finnley laughed as she dashed around the track.
As she made the last bend she noticed some of the high school kids, mostly seniors and sophomores, go off campus to get lunch from a fast food restaurant.
But she noticed the new boy standing slightly behind the bleachers, covering him from her view.
The Floridian wind hit her face causing her hair to obscure her vision.
When she moved it out of her eyes, he was gone.

She shook her head and ran over to Tanya.
   "You ok?" She asked.
Finnley nodded.
   "Yeah....I'm fine."
Finnley swiped her water bottle off a bleacher and chugged half of it down.
   "Come on. Lets go get something to eat."
Tanya led the way to the cafeteria.

Sweating and hot Finnley grabbed a bowl of mac and cheese along with some veggies.
The two friends sat down at a table in the practically empty cafeteria.
Finnley ate quietly and watched the other kids come and go.
She watched the new boy walk in with his head down low, he covered his short blond hair with his black hoodie.
He glanced over her way with screaming silver grey eyes.
Finnley blushed at being caught at her own game and looked down at her food.
   “Oh no...”
She looked up at Tanya, who was looking from her to the new boy.
   “Please tell me you’re not doing what I think you’re doing.”
   “What?” Finnley asked.
   “Finnley!”
She gave Tanya her most innocent look.
   “You’re flirting with him.” Tanya said in a low voice.
   “What?!” Finnley was shocked by the accusation. “I am not! I don’t even know his name!” she pointed out in a hushed tone. Hoping the new boy hadn’t heard their argument.
If he had, he didn’t let his face show it.
   “Maybe not. But you’re luring him in. Like a fish on a fishing rod.” Tanya said in a matter-of-fact tone as she picked at her salad.
   “I am not! How on earth is that possible when I don’t even know the boy? I haven’t even talked to him. At all.”
Tanya cocked her left eyebrow and leaned in closer to her friend.
   “You don’t have to talk to him Finnley. You could have any boy you want in this whole school with the touch of a little make-up, and a new wardrobe, they would be falling at your feet.”
Finnley rolled her eyes. It always went back to a new wardrobe and make-up.
Finnley never wore make up. And her wardrobe was all jeans a few skirts and shorts! She was a sporty girl not some pampered poodle.
   “It’s your eyes Finnley! I’m telling you...”
Finnley tuned out Tanya’s voice. Her eyes locked in the new kid’s silver-blue eyed gaze.
There’s....something....off about him....but what?

   “....Finnley?...Finnley!”
Tanya snapped her fingers in front of Finnley’s face. She snapped out of her daze and looked over to her friend.
   “What?”
Tanya again looked between the two of them.
   “You know what? I can’t take this.”
She shot up and walked across the cafeteria.
   “What? Wait no Tanya!” Finnley groaned and held her head in her hands.
She peaked through her fingers to see Tanya talking to the boy. Who looked slightly amused though he kept glancing over at her.
She cleared her throat and tried to pretend to be interested in the football field outside.
   “Thank you for you’re time.”
Tanya skipped back over and was looking pretty darn pleased with herself.
Sitting back down, Finnley couldn’t help but feel like she was in eighth grade again.
   “His name just so happens to be Jayson Stone. ’Jayson’ spelled with a ’Y’. Nice voice. Real polite too, and of course he could be Alexander Ludwig’s twin, but I’m sure you weren’t paying attention to that now were you?”
Finnley shook her head and picked up her tray.
   “You are insane my friend. Completely bonkers if you will!” Finnley stated in her perfect English accent. (Though mind you she was born in the south)
   “Yes well better insane then a chameleon.” She stated rising up, and the two went to the trash cans.
   “Chameleon??”
   “Yes. You prefer to blend in, when you could stand out a be a star!” She emphasized her point by throwing her arms out, creating a star.
Finnley rolled her eyes and walked away.
Glancing back once.

   “You will all team up for this English assignment. And please note, that this 14 page essay is going to count as half you’re grade.”
Everyone groaned as they bashed their heads on their desks. (not literally, they probably would have.)
Finnley sighed and waited for her boring English teacher to tell her who she had been pared up with this time. Of all things she hoped it wasn’t Ryan Stevens. The quarter back that seemed to be trying hard to make her his girlfriend in almost every way possible.
She glanced down at the silver band that had a Bible verse on it.
“1st Thessalonians 4:3-4.” She read out loud.
She wore the purity ring for a reason. And she wasn’t about to break it just because she was a junior in high school.
   “Travis, you’re with Elena.” Hooting rippled through the class room.
   “Jayson meet Finnley. Finnley make sure you help him out around school if he needs it.”
Finnley’s eyes grew big and her cheeks grew red.
Ooh no.
She caught Tanya’s gaze who raised her eyebrows and made a slight pucker with her lips.
Finnley sighed and scratched her head as she tried to avoid looking the one direction her eyes so desperately wanted to go.
   “Tanya, you’re with Ryan.”
Finnley chuckled at Tanya’s groan.
 
   “This is horrible!!! I can’t believe this! Ryan?? Really??!! I mean come on!!”
Finnley sighed as she shoved her English book into her backpack and slung it over her shoulder, pulling her long ponytail out from under the strap.
   “I know. It sucks I’m sorry Tanya.”
Tanya scoffed as she gazed around the busy hall.
   “Why should you be sorry? you’re stuck with dreamy eyes over there who can’t keep his eyes off you.”
Finnley spotted him across the hallway.
   “I hate making the first move.” She muttered under her breath.
She then spotted Ryan making his way towards her.
   “Oh shoot! Ok Tanya. I love you, but I really need to go, and something tells me that you’ll be working soon.” She gave Tanya a quick hug and walked away.
   “What?”
She bit her bottom lip as she ignored Tanya’s question.
She also tried to forget the fact that she was in fact, making the first move and she had no idea what to say.
Before she was ready, she was standing in front of him.
They both were quiet for a second before they actually looked at each other. He had this weird way of staring at her that made her shift uncomfortably.
Oi! She shouted at herself. Stop acting like an idiot and break the ice already!
   “Jayson right?” She asked.
Oh sheesh. Duh! Oh gosh I hate doing this.
The boy nodded.
   “Yup. Finnley am I right?”
She chuckled and moved a piece of stray hair behind her ear.
   “That’s me. So...” She was determined to get down to business. “Now that that’s out of the way. Do you want to work at your place or mine?”
It looked like he hadn’t expected that question.
   “Yours. If that’s alright.”
Finnley nodded and lead the way through the hall to get to the bus stop.
She kept a wary eye on Ryan and Tanya. Hoping that he wouldn’t look her way.
He did.
   “Shoot.” She muttered as he gazed at her. She quickly ducked her head and wove her way in and out of the crowd.
She was so consumed in blending in with the crowd that she had forgotten about Jayson.
Keeping one eye on Ryan, she moved around in a big circle and found Jason standing still and looking around for her. she grasped his jacket sleeve and tugged at him.
   “Come on. And don’t draw attention to yourself.” She whispered. Leading the way again through the hall and blending perfectly in so Ryan lost track of her.

Outside she let go of Jayson’s jacket and turned to explain.
   “Chameleon?” He asked with a grin and a cocked eyebrow.
She chuckled.
   “Yeah well, what can I say when you’re ignored long enough it’s kind of easy to become invisible. Come on. We’ll miss the bus.”

Jayson couldn’t believe this girl had been ignored. Not that he should be talking. He’s the master of blending in. But still....He had a feeling there was more to this story then at first glance. And he was eager to uncover it.

++++

Finnley threw herself onto her bed with a loud groan.
She heard Jayson chuckle from the end of her bed and she propped herself onto her elbows.
   “We should take a break.” She stated, looking at him by leaning her head back only to see him upside down.
   “Alright. If you say so boss.” He said. She was surprised by how agreeable he could be. She was really growing to like him.
Rolling off the bed she walked over to her lap top on the desk.
   “Know how to dance?” She asked randomly. What else was she going to ask?
“Enchanted” by Taylor Swift had been playing and it was definitely a song one could dance to.
She turned back to Jayson and fiddled with the wet ends of her long hair.

Once she had gotten home, she left him down stairs with her mom, and took a quick shower. She was now dressed in her favorite pair of vintage flare jeans and a school jersey, barefoot.

Jayson was at a lost for words when she shot out the random question. And he was boring into her with that intense stare of his.
   “No...” He admitted after a moment of stunned silence.
   “Want to learn?” She asked. Her intentions were pure and she just wanted to have some fun. She had never danced with a partner before though, so she wasn’t sure how this would go but in her head she thought she might as well give it a shot.
However, Jayson had no clue what was going on in her head.
   “Or we could go down stairs and indulge my mom.”
Finnley chuckled once this got Jayson moving.
Now she was in her element, she knew exactly what she was doing.
Which was good.
Because Jayson didn’t.

They stepped in middle of the room. She quickly instructed him on what to do. Moving his right hand to her waist, and taking his left.
   “Now just follow my lead.” She said with a smile. She couldn’t believe she was doing this!
This is crazy!
But Jason didn’t object, so she wasn’t going to say anything.
   “Isn’t usually the boy that leads?” He inquired.
Finnley laughed as she took a step back and he did indeed follow her lead.
   “Yes, but that’s usually when the boy knows how to dance.” She pointed out.
   “Touché.”
Time stood still. At least for Finnley. She couldn’t believe this was actually happening. Tanya was going to have a fit!

Half way through the song, she noticed a large improvement in his footing, like he actually knew what he was doing.
   “Not bad.” She said with a smile.
   “Thanks.” He rose his hand and she laughed as she spun around.
Spinning back into him he caught her before she made both of them fall.
For a moment their faces were so close that it made her heart stop.
But she fell back into the dance steps, and he grinned at her.
   “This night is
   sparkling,
   don’t you let it
   go.

   I’m wonderstruck
   blushing all the way
   home.”

Finnley chuckled.
Yeah isn’t that the truth!
A feeling deep with in her rose closer to the surface. A feeling she had never felt before and what it could be eluded her. But she wanted to find out.
   “Finnley.”
Both kids jumped as they heard her mom coming up the stairs.
They tried to take several steps away before she came in, but they were several seconds late.
   “What...are you two doing?”
Finnley bit her bottom lip and turned to her mother who looked like she could kill Jayson at the moment.
   “Mom...” Finnley said in a kind voice, trying to cool her mother’s temper. “I was just teaching him to dance. That’s all.” She said, holding up her hands in a surrender gesture.
   “I thought you were doing homework.” Her mother accused.
   “We....were. We just decided to take a quick break.” Finnley shoved her hands in her back pockets.
   “M-hmm.” Her mom wasn’t convinced.
   “Hey Finn,”
She was a little surprised by the nickname, but it sounded perfect coming from Jayson. Not that she said that though. Obviously.
She turned around and rose her eyebrows, encouraging him to go ahead a speak.
   “I’ve got to go anyways. I’ll write the final draft and we can go over it later.”
He gathered up his stuff and slung his backpack over his shoulder.
   “Ok?”
She nodded.
   “When?”
   “Um...”
   “I don’t mind if you give him your phone number Finnley, just make sure you meet in a public place.” Her mother said. “With lots of people.”
Finn hopped she wasn’t blushing to much.
Going over to her desk she grabbed a sticky note and jot down her phone number quickly.
Handing it over to Jayson he gave her a two fingered salute and walked past her mom.
   “Bye Mrs. Leavenworth.”
   “Good bye Jayson.” she said with what looked like a slight smile.
Once they heard the door open and close gently down stairs, Finn groaned.
   “Hmm...” Her mother said thoughtfully as she sat down at her daughter’s bed.
   “He’s actually really cute.”
Finn’s jaw dropped. Her mother noticed her look and quickly tried to cover up.
   “And polite, and...nice.”
   “Then why were you so mad when you came in?”
Her mother gave her a hard look. “Because, one, you had your door closed-”
   “You closed the door!”
   “-And he had his hands all over you.”
   “Mom. We were dancing. I mean come on! It’s kind of necessary. Other wise it doesn’t really work.”
Her mother sighed. And rose.
   “I’m sorry I embarrassed you. I should have known that you wouldn’t have done anything. You’re father and I have raised you differently. But when ever you feel tempted, just look at that ring on your left hand. Alright sweetheart?”
Finnley nodded.
   “Alright mom.”
Her mom nodded and walked out of her room closing the door behind her.
Finn stood for a moment, just trying to breath. It had seemed she had forgotten how to. Which was absurd.
The feeling in her heart was still there. and Jayson was still in her head. His weird, unnerving stare just freaked her out, though she wasn’t sure why.
Falling on her bed again she let out a deep sigh.
   “Whoa.”

   “Yikes Jayson!” He yelled at himself as he moved his hands under his head with his feet on his headboard.
   “What the heck are you doing?! Dancing with her. Really?? I’m loosing it. This is insane. I can’t do this.”
He swung his legs off the bed and rubbed his head.
   “Stay away from her.” He ordered himself. “She doesn’t need to get involved with someone like me. Keep it strictly business Jayson. Just business.”
He crumpled up Finn’s number and tossed it in the trash can.

To get off some steam he walked through his bare apartment he had momentarily rented. Wrapping up his hands he raised them to the sides of his face and braced himself. Facing the most deadly opponent.
The bunching bag.
Blasting his iPod (which was on shuffle) He let out all of his rising emotions that he couldn’t explain. Beating the bag till his shirt was drenched.
He paused as a song came on and he couldn’t remember what it was.
   “I keep playing it
   inside my head
   All that you said to
   me.

   I lie awake just to
   convince myself
   this wasn’t just a dream.
 
   ‘Cause you were right
   here,
   and I should have taken
   the chance,
   But I got so
   Scared
   And lost the
   moment again.”

Jayson sighed and looked out the window and down the street. Her house was just a few houses down from his apartment.
   “No, no, no, no.” He muttered as he went back to killing the bag.

   “Is your heart
   taken?
 
   Is there somebody
   else on you’re mind?

   I’m so sorry,
   I’m so confused,
   Just tell me-
   am I out of time?

    Is your heart
   breakin’?
 
   How do you feel
  about me now?
    I can’t believe
   I let you walk away when,
   I should have kissed you.”
Jayson let out a frustrated groan.
   “This song is not helping!” He growled. Switching off his iPod off and ripping the bandages off his hands. “Why do I even have that song?!”

Walking to the bedroom, he dug through his backpack and dug out his old worn leather Bible and opened it up.
   “Father, I don’t want to hurt this girl.” He prayed. “Give me the strength to leave her alone. She doesn’t deserve someone like me. Not with the life I lead. So please just remove all these feelings welding up inside me, and get rid of all the temptations rising out of the ground. Please Lord. Please.”
He quickly finished his prayer and took a cold shower. Hoping it would help with this absurd feeling that he couldn’t get rid of.

++++

Finnley had changed once again, but only this time it was in to a tight Nike fast-dry tank top and sweat pants.
Twisting her hair up into a messy bun, she grabbed two water bottles from the fridge down stairs in the stainless steel kitchen.
   “Hey mom!” She hollered to her mother in the living room who was watching TV.
   “I’ll be dancing!”
   “Alright have fun and don’t strain yourself.”
Finn laughed. Yeah right.
She ran into a separate wing of the house and opened the doors to a large studio. A large dance studio.
Sliding her laptop on the desk in the corner and plugging it into the surround sound high-tech speakers she swiped a clear tablet off the table.
Plugging in her earpiece for her phone she pressed the button.
   “Call, Tanya.” She ordered. There was a moment as the machine took in what she was saying.
   “Calling Tanya.” It said in an animated voice.
   “Thanks Siri.”
   “You’re welcome.”
   “Hello?”
   “Hey Tanya!”
   “Oh hey girl. Everything go alright?”
   “Yup, went great. Want to come over and work out?”
   “And by work out I assume you mean ‘do you want to dance till your feet bleed.’”
  “Yup. Pretty much.”
Tanya laughed, and Finn smiled.
   “Yeah sure I’ll be over in a jiff. Hey is hottie there?”
   “Tanya he has a name. And no, he went home.”
   “Where does he live?”
   “Uh....”
Well that stumped her. She had no clue!
   “We’re going to have to work on your social skills.”
   “Tanya I thought we’ve stated this. I have no social skills.” Finnley stated with a laugh before hanging up.
Looking down at the small tablet that was about the size of an iPhone, she double tapped it. Blue holographs came up and projected in front of her.
Flipping through the ports, she found the one that hooked up with her laptop. Double tapping on it, her laptop hummed. Scrolling through her playlists she clicked on the one that said ‘Dance Music’.
Setting it on voice command, she walked back over to the table and set the tablet down while picking up a pair of headphones with a microphone. (Though really it only had one headphone)

The techno beat pulsed through the speakers and she recognized the song from Real Steel.
“Fast Lane” Ran through the speakers loud and clear, she sure was glad the walls were sound proof other wise she would be dead.
Bobbing with the beat she waited till the queue. When it came she jumped strait up in the air, strait as a stick.
Bouncing several times she spun her hands in and out then pretended like she was punching someone. Stopping dead in her tracks she turned on her heals, moving her shoulders slowly, she moved her hands back and for doing the robot.
Going back and forth she grinned as she saw herself in the mirrored wall. She loosened up as she bounced around again, throwing in more punches and ending around house punch with her fist above her head and her feet apart.
She laughed as the song came to an end and she took a deep breath.
Opening one of the bottles she took a small sip.
There was a knock on the door.
   “Pause.” She ordered. The music stopped and she opened the door.
   “Hey girlfriend.” Tanya said with a smile. Finnley stepped by and let Tanya walk in.
   “Hey to you too.” She muttered as she glanced around outside before she shut the door.  
   “So what are we dancing too?” Tanya asked as she took of her layers till she was just in heels, purple leggings, a gold small skirt and a purple tank. Her dark curls had been died blond and looked really pretty with her coffee colored skin.
Finnley cast off her shoes and came up next to her friend. (Who was now about five or so inches higher then she was.)
   “Track 13, play.” She said into the microphone.
She grinned at her friend as music beat ran through the speakers.

Tanya laughed. As the beat came in they walked to the left, beating their right arm back and forth. Then they stopped and jumped while moving it up and down.
“Give it a Go” lyrics rolled past and Finn found herself lip-syncing them. Because she had no voice what so ever and wasn’t going to go embarrassing herself by singing out loud.
Pretending to duck a blow by leaning all the way back real fast she quickly did a back flip to get back on her feet.
Tanya did her own style by looking she was flying on air.
That was the difference between Tanya’s style of dancing, and Finn’s. Tanya was more....feminine and dainty, while Finnley’s was definitely like Max’s from Real Steel.
Finn jumped up next to her best friend and they both laughed as they clapped in time. Dancing around like crazy girls that had nothing better to do was what they did best.
The song finally came to the end and by then both of them were wiped out and needed a momentary rest.
   “Pause.” Finn said as she rose a bottle to her lips.
   “It’s still really weird how you talk to you’re speakers.” Tanya commented.
   “Everyone does that now.” Finn pointed out.
   “Everyone but my family. But that might be because we don’t have enough money to pay for the morgage.” She sighed and took a swallow of her own bottle.
   “Sorry Tanya. I didn’t mean it like that.” Now Finn felt horrible.
Tanya shook her head as she swallowed. “No I know you didn’t. And it’s fine really. But moving on to lighter and more demanding subjects.”
Uh-oh. I’m in deep trouble. Finnley thought. Tanya struck a pose with her hands on her hips and looked Finnley in the eye.
   “So what happened?!” She cried.
Finn leaned back by her sudden giddy out burst.
   “Um...we did homework. What else?”
Tanya shot her a look. Finn rubbed the back of her neck and walked past her best friend. Looking in the mirror she realized (to her horror) that she was blushing.
   “We....I taught him to dance.”
Both eyebrows rose in shock as her friend’s jaw dropped.
   “You’re kidding! Like....slow dancing kind of dancing? Or what we do kind of dancing?”
Finnley looked at her through the mirror.
   “The first.”
Tanya cried in glee and did this weird little two year old dance. Jumping from one leg to the other quickly as she cupped her hands over her mouth. She freaked Finn out for sure.
   “You’re joking! This is huge!!”
   “No. No it’s not! I can’t get involved with someone Tanya.”
Finnley turned to her friend with a desperate look. She fiddled with her purity ring and sighed.
   “Not after you know who.” She said. Moving back a strand of hair that had plastered it’s self to her sweaty neck.
   “You’re right. I’m sorry.” Tanya said. Stepping over and placing a hand on Finnley’s shoulder as she took a deep breath.
   “You made a promise, and I don’t want you to break it. You’re a model for everyone else Finnley.”
Finnley looked at her like she wasn’t sure Tanya was pulling her leg or not.
   “No I’m dead serious! You are. You’ve made it this far with your virginity still intact. That’s amazing! You’re dad would be really, really proud of you.”
It wasn’t only Finnley who was tearing up. But Tanya too. “Heck! I’m sure he’s looking down from heaven right now, just swelling with pride. You’re doing so good Finnley! You’re doing better then any others out there that’s been through what you have. Just keep it up, and I swear, cross my heart hope to die, I won’t try to hook you up with any other guys, or try to change you’re appearances. Your perfect just the way you are. And when that prince in shinning armor comes he’ll love you just the way you are. You just have to hold out for your hero. Mkay?”
Finnley took a shaky breath and nodded as the tears fell down her cheeks.
Tanya took her friends hands and prayed for her right then and there. Praying that she’ll have the strength to stay true to her promise and not to break.
Finnley had no idea how bad she really needed to hear that.
The feeling inside her didn’t go away, but it just lessened. Like she now had control over it. No. More like she had come to a peace, and it wouldn’t bother her as much anymore.
   The same happened with Jayson. And they both knew they could get through this and they would both be just fine.