Mr. Vens was an old man who was always a little “too.” He was always a little too happy. He was always a little too talkative. He was always a little toowanting, and when I introduced him to Finn he was a little too curious.

“ I didn’t know Edith had a friend?” Was the first thing Mr. Vens said when we entered his office. He smiled widely before standing up from his chair and shaking Finn’s hand.

Finn smiled back, but his wasn’t like Mr. Vens, it wasn’t desperate and awkward. It just sat on his face like it belonged there.

“ This is Finn.” Mr. Vens raised an eyebrow before nodding.

“ Finn what a very nice name, now you wouldn’t happen to have parents of irish descent would you?” Finn rubbed the back of his neck as Mr. Vens motioned us to sit.

Mr.Vens’ office was small, not so small that you couldn’t breathe, but it was just small enough so that you believed you couldn’t. His bookshelves were unorganized with books popping out here and there. Long story short, I did not like Mr.Vens’ office, but I sat anyway.

“ Surprisingly no, I guess my mother just really enjoyed the name.” Mr.Vens nodded and continued to stare before putting his glasses on his desk.

He remained standing as he looked at both of us. I didn’t like it when Mr.Vens stood and spoke to me, in a way it made me feel as if he were looking down on me, as if he were better then me and some sort of way. When I tried to explain this to him he started asking me questions, like if I ever was annoyed by how there were three different colors on a stoplight or if I sometimes felt a weird urge to clean messes, but I didn’t answer it because all the while he continued to stand.

“ How did you two meet?” Mr. Vens eventually asked finally seating himself in his big leather arm chair.

“ On the street.” Finn answered looking over at me as if he needed my permission to speak.

Mr.Vens made an “ahh” sound before turning his focus towards me..

“ You’ve been very quiet Edith, is something bothering you?” I slouched down on the couch where Finn and I had placed ourselves.

“ I’m just tired.” I muttered before briefly shutting my eyes.

“ Ah, yes your father did mention that you haven’t been sleeping lately.” I stared at him for a second before focusing on the silver pen in his hand. “ When was the last time you had a solid five hours of sleep.”

I glanced at Finn who stared back at me and shifted uncomfortably. At the moment I realized maybe it wasn’t such a good idea inviting a very attractive boy to watch me talk about my problems with a forty-two year old man.

I looked back at Mr. Vens before shrugging and whispering an, “I don’t know.”

After that the room became awkward with Finn simply staring at the clock and Mr.Vens attempting to find out more, and by the time my father finally arrived I had barely spoken ten words.

“So how did it go?” My father asked as he turned the corner. We had dropped Finn off only five minutes ago and to say the least it was uncomfortable.

It was hard for me to think back to the moment when I decided it was a good idea to invite Finn to one of my therapy lessons, but the more I thought about it the more I regretted it.

“ Horribly, Finn probably thinks i’m a freak.” I muttered before slouching in the front seat.

My father remained quiet for a moment, before quickly changing the subject.

“ Ray went out to the store so he probably won’t be back until later.”, and that was all he said for the rest of the drive.

When you have insomnia you don’t always feel as tired as you actually are. You can feel like you’ve gotten a full ten hours of sleep even though your body knows different. Because of this default, by the time I got home I was wide awake and the only thoughts running through my mind were the ones of Finn. I knew he wouldn’t come back, and I probably wouldn’t see him until school started again. I saw the look he gave me when he dropped me off. It was the look you gave people when you were trying to say goodbye but decided to let your eyes do it for you.

So, like any normal teenage girl, I decided to sit in my room, lie on my bed, and sulk about. Of course, at the time, I convinced myself that I wasn’t actually sulking. I mean, how could someone sulk over a boy they barely know.

“ Gosh Edith you are such an idiot.” I whispered quietly to myself before groaning and leaning against my headboard and staring at my wall.

I had a small room, which was okay because small can be another for cozy, and I personally like cozy things. I had three perfectly hung picture frames above my desk; but I won’t tell you what was in them.

I eventually stood up, walking down the stairs and out the door, the smell of salt and seaweed drafting through the street.

My house was two minutes away from town, and five from the beach. When we bought the house my father would constantly brag to others about what a deal he made, buying a house near the coast and town. But it wasn’t always the best thing, living near town and the coast. There was never anywhere to hide, which I seemed to discover when a dark army jeep pulled up on the side of the road.

I didn’t believe in fate, because everyone knows there is no such thing, but there is no explanation of how Finn Wehr ended up finding me that day. But somewhere he did, out of all the places he could’ve possibly been that night, out of the all of the people he could’ve found, it was me.

When he pulled over he didn’t say anything, he just pushed open the passenger door, motioning me to come in.

“ I was actually coming to pick you up.” He said after pulling off of the side of the road.

“ I didn’t think you wanted to see me after today.” I muttered quietly earning an honest look of confusion.

“ After today? What happened today?” The confusion in his voice caused me to laugh dryly.

“ Um does the name “Mr.Vens” ring a bell?” When I replied Finn seemed to laugh turning the street corner.

“ Edith, has anyone ever told you you overthink things.” I blushed but didn’t respond to his comment.

“ I didn’t know you could drive.” I said turning my head to face him. It was interesting watching Finn drive, and how, though his exhaustion, he held great concentration.

“ Yeah.” His voice faltered a bit. “ I got my license two months ago.”

He smiled before stealing a glance at me.

“ What about you, Ms. Perfectionist, when are you getting your license.” I felt my face turn hot.

“ I have my permit.” My voiced trailed off. “ I just haven’t exactly passed my test.”

Finn didn’t say anything at first, then...laughter. Finn had the best kind of laugh, while most laughs were distant and uncertain, Finn’s was sure, like he knew exactly why he was laughing.

“ It’s okay.” He said breathing out eventually, “ I’ll teach you.”

We didn’t say anything after that, and I looked outside the window, watching the sun dance off the coast. I would say I liked a lot of things, and sunsets were one of them. Sunsets, and the song Finn was playing on the radio.

He must have liked the song to because he was quietly humming to the tune, tapping his thumb on the steering wheel.

The first though I had on Finn’s house when we arrived was that it was big. It was big and it also in the middle of nowhere.

“ I like your house.” I whispered awkwardly which caused Finn to laugh and unbuckle his seat belt.

“ Come on, you can meet my mom.” Finn got out of the car and went around to open my door. He held my hand as we walked to the door. I smiled.

Finn’s house smelled like old books and fresh coffee; comforting. When I first entered Finn took of his boots, so I mimicked his actions and removed my sneakers. Then he motioned me to follow him saying how his mom was probably in the kitchen. His kitchen had mint green walls and clean white cabinets, his mom was humming at that stove.

“ Mom, this Edith.” His mom jumped a bit at his voice before turning around with a flustered look on her face. Her eyes went from him to me.

“ Oh, hello Edith, I apologize, my son did not tell me we had company.” She wiped her hands on her apron before offering me hand. I took it politely suddenly feeling as if I was intruding.

“ You have a lovely home Mrs. Wehr.” She smiled genuinely before blushing a bit.

“ Why thank you, now if you could only tell this one not to leave his things around I’m sure it would be even lovelier.”Finn coughed before grabbing me by the arm.

“Okay mom, we’re just going to go to my room now.” His mother nodded.

“ But remember the rules, leave the door-”

“ open.”Finn finished her sentence before pulling me upstairs.

At first I was afraid to enters Finn’s room, but I eventually did.

“Yeah.” Finn said quietly. “ I’m a bit old school.”

I did nothing but stare. His room was messy and unkempt, but in a very beautiful way. There were books stacked up against the walls and an old record player set neatly on his desk. His shelf was filled with 76’s and 45’s. I ran my hands along the albums before picking one out.

Peter Gabriel.

I looked at the album and then at Finn who was staring back at me expectantly. I smiled slightly before walking over to the record player and placing in the record.

“  My dad loves Peter Gabriel.”  I murmured quietly as the muffled sounds of instruments began to play. “ It’s kind of like his guilty pleasure”

Finn laughed quietly before sighing.

“ My dad loved him too.” And I looked him, unsure whether to speak or not, but when he lied down I decided not to.

“ Edith.” Finn said eventually, “ When invited you to my house I didn’t invite you to stand there, come lie with me.”

I shuffled uncomfortably.

“ But your mom-”

“ Only makes me leave the door open to seem like a good parent, she won’t mind.” Finn moved to the left sighed to the bed, which sort of made me smile because I liked the right side of the bed anyway.

I lied next to him, and tried to keep my heart beat normal.

“ My mom’s making spaghetti.” Finn said after some time, he laughed like it was the funniest thing.

“ Does she not cook often?” I questioned trying to reason through his laugh.

“ No.” He answered. “ It’s just she makes the worse spaghetti. When she’s asleep we can order a pizza.”

I didn’t say anything for some time, taking in the wonder that was Finn’s room. It smelled just like him, and Finn smelled good.

“ Do you have any siblings?” I asked, playing with his bed sheets.

‘ Yeah, twins actually, but their both in college.” Finn sighed. “ I haven’t seem them since last year, when dad died.”

“ how did he...how did he die?” I asked gently.

He laughed, but not the way he usually did. This laugh was bitter and dry.

“ The man was fucking crazy, he shot himself right in the head.” He continued laughing. “ By the time mom finally found him he had already lost too much blood.”

I shifted uncomfortably.

“ How’d your mom died?” He asked after a while.

“ Drunk driving.” I said simply, “ I’m not really sad about though. ”

“ I doubt that.” He said sternly, and for some reason, maybe because of my fondness for him or the fact I hadn’t slept in days, I appreciated his comment.

“ Me too.” I admitted, before closing my eyes.