The Clubhouse - 8. Exes and Ohs

“Can’t believe you’re eating that.”

Finn registered the disgust in Emily’s voice as she waggled her finger at the chicken nuggets and fries piled high on his tray. On Fridays, the cafeteria served what his mother liked to refer to as “the Devil’s food”. If it was fried or salty or contained high fructose corn syrup, it wasn’t allowed at his house. Only his mom or their housekeeper, Francine, were allowed to do the grocery shopping. Finn liked to think of lunchtime on Fridays as his very own culinary Rumspringa.

Finn dripped a nugget first in a ramekin of mayonnaise and then in the puddle of ketchup on top of a folded napkin before popping it into his mouth. He shot her the biggest shit-eating grin and then he reached for 12-ounce bottle of Mountain Dew sitting next to his tray.

“They’re all out of fries,” Braden announced as he slid into the seat directly in front of Finn. Hayden appeared carrying a blue Tupperware container. Finn noticed she was wearing her cheer uniform. Her light brown hair was pulled into a high ponytail and secured with a gold scrunchie. She dropped down into seat next to Braden and pried the lid off the container. For the fourth day in a row, Hayden was eating hummus and pita chips.

“That’s because Finn took them all.” Emily stirred a small cup of strawberry yogurt with bits of granola.

“Don’t be hating,” Finn said as he shoveled a handful of fries into his mouth.

Braden reached across the table and plucked a nugget from his tray.

“I’m starving,” he said. He patted his stomach. “But I’m trying to save room for tonight.”

“What’s going on tonight?” Emily reached for her phone which was sitting on top of her notebook.

“Coach Harrington is having the team over for a cookout tonight.”

“Well, don’t go too crazy” Finn said with a wink. “Remember last time you got into that hotdog-eating contest with Dustin Rivers and you ended up puking in Coach Harrington’s rose bush.”

Braden snorted. “Yeah – his wife was pretty pissed.”

“Babe, you know I hate that word,” Emily said.

“And which word is that?” Finn asked, brow cocked.

“The P-word,” she said. “It’s gross.”

“You mean -.”

Hayden elbowed her boyfriend. “Quit it. I’m eating.”

“Barely,” Braden muttered. “You’ve been eating nothing but that hummus shit all week.”

Hayden looked down at her container and frowned. “Our main flyer is out with a foot injury, so Coach wants me to take her place tomorrow.”

“Hayden, that’s awesome,” Emily said.

“Thanks,” Hayden said. “I’m just really nervous.”

“I’m sorry.” Braden draped his muscular arm over her shoulder and pulled her in close to his body. “I know this competition means a lot to you. You’ve been hella disciplined and I respect that. And I’ll be there to cheer you on tomorrow morning.”

Hayden pecked him on the cheek and blushed a bit. “Thanks, Babe.”

“By the way,” she said looking back and forth between Finn and Emily. “I’d love to have you guys there, too.”

Emily sat her phone down and looked over at her friend. “I’d love to, but I’ll be super busy tomorrow.” She looked over at Finn. “Mom and I are going grocery shopping early in the morning and then I’m supposed to pick up your cake at noon.”

Finn bristled. Earlier that week, he’d told Emily he didn’t want a birthday party. His parents were actually planning to celebrate his birthday after church on Sunday. His brothers, their wives and their kids plus his grandparents were planning to gather at his house around noon. Emily, Braden and Hayden were invited to come.

Emily held up her hand and said, “I know you said you didn’t want a birthday party, but this is your eighteenth birthday, Babe. Eighteen is a pivotal birthday.”

“It is?” Braden asked taking another chicken nugget from Finn’s tray. “It’s not an election year so he won’t be exercising his right to vote. He doesn’t smoke. Pornhub is free. Plus, Finn and I have been watching rated R movies since we were like ten. What’s really the big deal?”

Emily leveled a scowl at Braden before returning her focus to Finn. “It’s just going to be a small gathering. Just you and me, Braden and Hayden – and a few others.”

Finn leaned back and folded his arms over his chest. “Define a few others.”

Emily shrugged and looked down at the table. “Jennifer Neal and Shekinah King. Oh, and Becca Bell.”

Jennifer and Shekinah and Becca were all friends of Emily. They all served on the student council and were the founding members of the Future Girl Boss club, a club for teenage girls with aspirations of going into politics or running their own businesses, that had been established during their junior year. Finn was friendly with the girls, but they weren’t his friends.

“That all?”

“I invited a few of the guys,” she said. “I invited Floyd Maynard and Jeremy Bankhead. I also talked to Tad Timmerson and he said he’ll be there, too, and he’s bringing his sister Olivia. Oh, and Eric Cartwright.”

Both Floyd and Jeremy were on the varsity baseball team. Tad was on the basketball team, but he and Finn had been friends since middle school.

“You invited Eric Cartwright?” Braden asked. There was an edge to his voice.

“Yeah – he’s one of Finn’s friends.”

Finn and Eric had met via their Cub Scout troop. Eric had grown up on the other side of Minor Springs and when freshman year rolled around, he’d enrolled at Minor Springs High. They spent a lot of time around each other due to being involved in sports but Finn would hardly call the guy a friend.

Emily slapped herself on the forehead.

“I’m such an idiot,” she groaned. “Hayden, sweetie, I’m so sorry.”

Hayden looked up from her hummus and looked from Emily to Finn to her boyfriend and then back to Emily. She rolled her eyes and sighed. “You guys, it’s no big deal. That was like eons ago.”

Finn recalled the brief romance between Hayden and Eric during sophomore year. Things had started off okay. Finn and Emily had even tagged along with them to the movies a few times. Things came to an end two week into their relationship. Eric’s reputation for being an A1 man whore and a first-class dick had been established the previous year, so it was no surprise when Hayden caught him in his car with some freshman girl.

Braden frowned and looked over at Finn. “Sure you want him there?”

Emily placed her hand on top of Finn’s. “Sweetie, if it’s a problem, I can always uninvite him.”

In addition to being an asshole, Eric liked starting shit and the last thing Finn wanted to deal with aside from a birthday party he didn’t want was a fight.

“It’s fine,” he said.

“Awesome,” Emily sang. “I’m gonna send out a group text later on with more details about tomorrow. Dress code is casual, of course, and you may want to bring a bathing suit just in case. If it’s warm enough, Daddy said we could use the hot tub. Oh, and Babe, if there’s someone else you wanted to invite, please let me know by the end of the day.”

~

“You free tomorrow night?”

Finn was pushing a wheelbarrow across Tristan’s backyard. Tristan walked a few paces behind him carrying an old rusted toolbox that belonged to his father. It was the warmest it had been all year. They’d spent the last couple of hours making repairs to the wooden structure they’d discovered the day before. Or rather, Finn had made the repairs while Tristan had gone on and on about the various bands his brother had introduced him to.

As the daylight started to recede, Finn could hear the tedious song of the cicadas.

Tristan stopped walking and placed the back of his hand to his forehead.

“Why, Finn Montgomery, I do declare,” he drawled. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

Finn sat the wheelbarrow down and turned around to face Tristan. The swelling underneath his eye had gone down but the black eye was noticeable. He watched the other man mock-swoon. He removed his baseball cap and ran his fingers through his damp hair.

“Just found out Emily’s throwing me a birthday party tomorrow night and she’s invited some people from school. I was thinking I’d like to have some of my actual friends there. I could pick you up and bring you home afterwards.”

Tristan bit his lower lip and looked up at the sky for a bit. He then lowered his head and grinned at Finn.

“Why of course, I’d like to attend,” he gushed. “A party at Branson Manor – and I don’t have a thing to wear.”

“Keep that up and I will take it back,” Finn said with a smirk.

“Fine,” Tristan said, voice returning to normal. “I’ll rein it in.”

The two of them returned the wheelbarrow and toolbox to Tristan’s garage. As Finn walked out to his Jeep to make his trip home, he turned to Tristan who was still standing in the open garage.

“You know, you really surprised me.”

Tristan’s eyes widened. “Oh? How so?”

“A few days ago, you’d barely talk to me and now you’re coming to my birthday party.”

Tristan shrugged his shoulders and looked down at his feet. “I’ve come across a couple of not so nice people over the last few years, Finn. I’ve decided you’re one of the good ones.

“Please, don’t disappoint me.”

In that moment, Finn could see a lifetime’s worth of pain in Tristan’s eyes. They’d been pretty inseparable over the last few days but there was still a lot about him Finn didn’t know. In that moment, Finn promised himself he would never do anything to intentionally hurt or disappoint Tristan Goolsby.

Finn held up his middle three fingers and said, “Scout’s honor.” Tristan nodded and smiled.

Finn unlocked his Jeep and opened the driver’s side door. He looked back over at Tristan who had slipped back into his southern belle schtick.

“Goodbye, Finn,” he drawled. He gave Finn a limp-wristed wave. “I’ll see you tah-mah-rowwwwww.”

Finn shook his head and placed his cap back over his sweaty hair. He climbed in behind the wheel and started the Jeep. As he backed out of Tristan’s driveway, the door to the garage began to lower. He thought about Tristan coming to his party and chuckled. His eighteenth birthday was definitely going to be interesting.