The Clubhouse - 4. Secrets and Lies

Springtime in the south meant the weather could go from being sunny and warm to dark and stormy in the matter of minutes. Finn stood in the small hallway linking the main part of the school to the smaller building housing the cafeteria with his head pressed against one of the windows. Fat drops of rainwater pelted the glass and large puddles were forming in the courtyard.

“There you are.”

Finn saw Braden West approaching from down the hall.

“You weren’t in class.”

Finn thought about his meeting with Mr. Townsend. He shoved his hands inside his jacket pockets and started towards the cafeteria. Braden fell in step alongside him.

“You know the scholarship I was telling you about?”

“The one for Ole Miss?”

“Yeah. I asked Mr. Townsend if he’d write me a recommendation letter.”

Braden slapped him on the back.

“That’s awesome. I asked Coach if he’d write one for me and when I got it back, my name was misspelled.”

“You serious?”

“Yeah, man. Kind of sad when your wrestling coach who’s like a second dad to you can’t even spell your name right.”

“Did you tell him?”

Braden rubbed his chin. His attempt at trying to grow a thick beard like some of the other guys on the team had proven futile.

“Didn’t have the heart,” he said. “I ended up asking one of my dad’s friends to write it.”

“Well, at least you got it done.”

“Yeah, I checked my email this morning and it was there.”

Braden stopped just short of the entrance to the cafeteria. Finn’s stomach growled as he got a whiff of whatever greasy deliciousness was being served for lunch. Loud chatter and laughter came from beyond the double doors. He figured Emily and Hayden were already at their usual table, waiting for he and Braden to arrive.

“You talked to Em yet?”

Finn sighed and looked down at his feet. He was wearing his favorite pair of Converses – custom-made hunter green high tops with yellow laces to match his jacket.

“I’m guessing that’s a no.”

Finn had tried to broach the topic last night, but all Emily wanted to do was talk about was their internship. They’d stayed well up past midnight looking at one-bedroom apartments they could rent in Downtown Nashville.

“I tried,” he offered weakly to his best friend.

Braden rolled his eyes and leaned against a nearby wall.

“You have to tell her. Graduation’s less than a month away. She’s expecting you to pack up and move with her to Nashville.”

“I know.”

“She thinks you’re going to Vandy in the fall, Finn.”

“I know.” Finn ran his long fingers through his hair. “I know.”

“What’s stopping you?”

He’d spent the last several weeks wondering the same thing. What was stopping him from telling someone he cared about and who cared about him the truth? He was usually so good with words. Emily always said no matter what the situation was, he always knew exactly what to say. Why couldn’t he say something now?

“I dunno.”

Braden folded his massive arms over his chest. He was a few inches shorter than Finn but much bulkier.

“You afraid she’s gonna break up with you if you tell her how you really feel?”

Of course, he was worried about that. Emily had spent the last four years planning her future and Finn was very much a part of that future. But there were others to consider as well. For starters, his parents. Emily may have started making plans the moment they’d officially started dating but John and Suzanne Montgomery’s plans for their youngest had began while he was in utero. There was just too much disappointment to go around.

“Can we talk about this later?”

Braden studied his friend for several moments. He opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it. He swallowed back whatever words had been on the top of his tongue.

“The girls are probably wondering where we’re at,” he said.

Finn pulled open one of the doors and gestured for Braden to go in. As he stepped inside the cafeteria, he immediately spotted Emily. She and Hayden were seated along with a couple of others from their group at one of the tables in the middle of the room. When she saw him, her eyes lit up as they had countless times before. A huge smile appeared on her face as she waved at him.

He’d hate to be the reason that smile disappeared or those eyes of hers dimmed. The idea of hurting her made him nauseous. Braden was right, though. She deserved to hear the truth. Sooner rather than later.

~

Finn told the others he needed to stay after school to talk with Mrs. Jones, the guidance counselor. When the final bell of the day rang, he took his time gathering his things before he left the chemistry lab. He stalled at his locker until the crowd thinned out.

Finn climbed the stairs to the top floor. There were a few kids milling about, mostly underclassmen who were preparing for after school extracurriculars. At exactly two-thirty, Finn arrived at the library. He looked at his phone to make sure it was still on silent before he headed inside.

Mrs. Becker was stationed behind the circulation desk. When he walked over, she lifted her head to smile at him before busying herself with whatever she’d been looking at on her phone. She waggled a colorful nail at the clipboard in front of her and he reached inside his pocket to take out a pen.

“No talking and no texting,” she said as he finished writing his name. “You must remain in the library until four. Sit at one of those desks.”

Mrs. Becker pointed at a cluster of tables next to a row of copier machines. He didn’t know any of the other students already seated. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about Emily finding out about his whereabouts.

There was a guy sitting at the table farthest away from the circulation desk. Finn had seen him earlier in the office, but he didn’t know his name. They were in the same grade and he didn’t know his name. In less than a month they would be graduating, and Finn didn’t know even know the guy’s name.

Finn walked over and stood at the table.

“Mind if I sit here?” he asked, tugging at his backpack strap.

The guy looked up and acknowledged him briefly before lowering his gaze back to the book open in front of him.

“I’m gonna assume that’s a yes.”

Finn slipped his backpack off and sat down across from the guy. He leaned forward to see what he was reading.

“What you reading?”

“We’re not supposed to be talking,” he spoke through gritted teeth.

Finn looked over his shoulder and saw Mrs. Becker was too focused on her phone to pay attention to them.

“She doesn’t care,” he whispered.

“I care,” he hissed.

“Fine.”

Finn reached down and wrestled his Economics textbook from his backpack. He dropped it onto the table startling the guy across from him. He shot Finn a death state.

“Sorry,” Finn said as he opened his book. He looked up at the clock on the wall behind him. It was two-forty. This was going to be torture.

“How long you in for?” he asked.

“What part of you we’re not supposed to be talking do you not understand?”

Finn shrugged and leaned back in his chair.

“What else can they do to us?” he asked. “In a few weeks none of this will even matter.”

“Maybe for you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Finn asked.

The other guy shook his head and frowned.

“Nothing.”

Finn sighed and looked down at his book. There was no way he was going to be able to focus on supply and demand. He closed his book and placed his elbows on the table. He cradled his face in the palms of his hands and watched the other guy.

He closed his book and looked over at Finn. Irritation was written all over his face.

“Good,” Finn said. “Now that I have your attention, what’s your name?”

“Why?”

“Why?” Finn asked. “Well, it just occurred to me we’ll be leaving this place for good and I don’t even know your name.”

“If I tell you my name, will you promise to stop bothering me. I’m supposed to have this book read by Friday and you’re sort of not helping with that.”

Finn held up the middle three fingers on his right hand.

“Scout’s honor.”

“I’m Tristan.”

“Tristan …”

He rolled his eyes and said, “Goolsby. Tristan Goolsby.”

“Nice to meet you, Tristan Goolsby. I’m …”

“Finn Montgomery,” he said. “I sat behind you in English. Freshman year.”

Finn frowned. “Well, now I feel bad. You already knew my name and I didn’t know yours.”

“Well,” Tristan said, a hint of smirk in his voice. He opened his book up to the page he’d bookmarked. “Now you know.”