Roy

By Roy Page Finch sat cross-legged on her bed, surrounded by scattered books, a few stray acorns. In front of her, perched on a small pillow, was her newest little companion—a squirrel she had unofficially adopted (don't adopt a squirrel, never adopt one). She grinned as the squirrel rubbed its tiny face with its paws, looking up at her as if it completely understood everything she was saying, don't really know how that works.

“So, Little guy,” Finch said, leaning closer to the little creature, “you’ve been hanging around a lot lately. Is it because I feed you peanuts, or are you just here for the free entertainment?” She poked gently at the squirrel’s stash of acorns sitting near her pillow.

The squirrel tilted its head, twitching its nose as if deep in thought. Then, after a moment, it let out a soft, high-pitched squeak: Squick!

Finch gasped, pressing a hand to her chest as though she’d just heard the most important piece of advice in the world. “Oh, I get it! You think I should tell Nicky I like him more often, huh? You’re a little romantic, aren’t you?”

The squirrel, completely uninterested in her musings, rubbed its face again before curling its tail around itself.

Squick, it replied simply.

Finch laughed, leaning back against her headboard. “You’re no help at all, you know that?” She grabbed a handful of peanuts from the small bowl on her nightstand and placed a couple near the squirrel, who eagerly grabbed one and nibbled away. “But you’re still pretty cute.”

As Squick munched on the peanut, Finch sighed, glancing toward her desk where her camera rested. The photo of her and Nicky from the cookie stand sat propped up against the corner of her lamp. She couldn’t help but smile every time she looked at it.

“Do you think he’d ever call me cute?” she murmured, almost to herself.

The squirrel paused mid-nibble, its tiny eyes blinking up at her as though considering her question. Then it let out another Squick! before returning to its peanut.

Finch raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. “Well, I think that’s your way of saying yes. Or maybe you just want more peanuts.” She leaned forward, scratching behind the squirrel’s ear gently. “Either way, you’re a pretty good listener.”

The squirrel leaned into her touch, making a soft chirping noise as it rubbed its cheek against her finger. Finch giggled at the sight.

“All right, little, let’s call it a night,” she said, scooping him up gently and setting him on the little blanket-lined basket she’d set up as his bed near the window. “I have class tommorow. Who knows? Maybe I’ll get Nicky to try another cookie. Or… I don’t know, maybe he’ll actually say something sweet for once.”

The squirrel chirped again, curling up in its makeshift bed. Finch smiled as she turned off her lamp and climbed into bed, the moonlight streaming softly through the window.

“Goodnight, Little guy,” she whisper. The Next Day Finch strolled casually through the school hallway with her scout friends by her side they were all girls of coures, small troop of giggling girls in matching scout uniforms. They were busy chatting about the upcoming bake sale, what kind of cookies to make, and who might win the Best Scout award this year.

“Chocolate chip cookies are a classic,” one of the girls said, twirling a strand of hair. “But peanut butter cookies sell out faster,” another added. "what about raisin cookies." and another one added. "Eww No" they all disagree on it.

Finch nodded along absentmindedly, not really paying attention. Her thoughts drifted elsewhere—mostly to a certain someone. She couldn’t help but smile a little, though she quickly shook it off when one of the girls nudged her.

“Earth to Finch,” the girl teased. “You’re zoning out again.”

“Oh, uh—sorry,” Finch said quickly, scratching the back of her head.

But then, as they walked past the main hallway, Finch suddenly froze mid-step. Her heart stopped. Her smile vanished. She stared wide-eyed at the bulletin board ahead of her.

“No… no, no, no…” she muttered under her breath, feeling a chill run down her spine.

There, plastered all over the board, was the picture. The one from the library. Her and Nicky, caught mid-laugh, sitting way too close to each other. Her face in the photo looked rosy and happy—just the way it had felt that day. But seeing it now, enlarged and pinned on the board for everyone to see, was a completely different story.

“AHHHHHHH!” Finch shrieked, clutching her hair as the hallway seemed to spin around her.

Her scout friends stopped walking, confused by her sudden outburst. “Finch, what’s wrong?” one of them asked.

Finch pointed frantically at the bulletin board, her face going beet red. “Who… WHO PUT THIS UP?!” she cried.

The girls leaned closer, squinting at the picture. “Aw, is that you and Nicky? You guys look so cute together!”

“CUTE?!” Finch yelped, her hands flailing. “THIS IS A NIGHTMARE!” Without thinking, she rushed toward the board and ripped the picture down in one quick motion, crumpling it into a ball.

But just as she let out a sigh of relief, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

Another bulletin board.

And on that bulletin board? The exact same picture.

Her jaw dropped. “No. Way.”

She sprinted to the second board, tore that one down too, and spun around frantically, scanning the hallway. Her stomach sank when she saw more.

The pictures were everywhere.

She darted from one board to another, pulling them down as fast as she could, stuffing them into her scout bag in a panic. Her scout friends trailed after her, trying to keep up but mostly laughing at her dramatic meltdown.

By the time she reached the end of the hallway, she was out of breath, clutching a pile of crumpled photos. She leaned against the wall, panting, her face as red as a tomato.

“I’m going to faint. I’m going to faith of shock,” Finch mumbled, shaking her head as her friends snickered nearby.

“Hey, maybe Nicky put them up,” one of the girls teased. Finch groaned, covering her face with both hands. “Don’t even joke about that, he would never do that." Later, at lunch, Finch sat at her usual spot in the cafeteria, quietly nibbling on a cookie she’d snagged from her stand earlier. She kept her head low, hoping to avoid any more attention after the morning’s disaster. But before she could sink completely into her chair, she noticed Nicky making his way over to her.

“Oh no,” Finch muttered under her breath, gripping the edge of the table.

Nicky plopped down across from her, casually dropping his tray onto the table with a loud clatter. “Hey, Finch.”

“H-Hi, Nicky,” she replied, forcing a small smile and looking everywhere except directly at him.

He tilted his head, giving her an amused look. “You seem... tense. You sure you’re okay?”

Finch sighed, realizing there was no way out of this. She set her cookie down, glanced around to make sure no one was listening, and leaned forward slightly. “Okay, fine. I’ll tell you what happened. But you have to promise not to laugh.”

Nicky blinked in surprise. “Uh, sure. No laughing. Promise.”

Finch hesitated, her cheeks already turning pink. She finally let out a defeated groan and said, “So… this morning, someone—ugh, I don’t even know who—decided to plaster pictures of us all over the bulletin boards. You know, the ones from the library. That picture.”

Nicky raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Wait… what? Pictures of us? Everywhere?”

“Everywhere,” Finch repeated, groaning as she buried her face in her hands. “It was so embarrassing! Everyone was staring at me! I had to run around ripping them all down before class started.” She peeked at him through her fingers. “And before you ask—yes, I stuffed them all into my bag. That’s why I was acting weird earlier.”

To her surprise, Nicky didn’t laugh or even seem embarrassed. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and shrugged. “Huh. That’s not as bad as I thought it’d be.”

Finch blinked, lowering her hands. “Wait, what? You’re not... mad? Or, like, totally humiliated?”

“Nah,” Nicky said casually, picking up a fry from his tray. “I mean, sure, it’s kinda weird that someone did that, but it’s not a big deal. I’m not embarrassed.”

“You’re… not?” Finch asked, her voice going quieter.

“Nope,” Nicky said with a grin. He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “If anything, it’s kind of funny. Plus, we look good together in that picture, don’t we?”

Finch’s face turned bright red. “W-What?!”

“I’m just saying,” Nicky teased, his grin widening as he leaned a little closer to her. “It’s not the worst picture in the world. Maybe I’ll frame it or something.”

“Nicky!” Finch whispered harshly, glancing around to make sure no one heard.

He laughed, clearly enjoying her reaction. “Relax, I’m kidding. But seriously, Finch—it’s fine. Don’t worry so much about it. People will forget about it in, like, a day.”

Finch let out a small sigh of relief, her shoulders relaxing slightly. “I guess you’re right,” she muttered, still feeling a little embarrassed but grateful for his easygoing attitude.

“I bet it’s Delroy again,” Nicky said, leaning back in his chair with a knowing look.

“Yeah, I think he did it,” Finch replied, crossing her arms as she tapped her finger against the table, her irritation clear. “But don’t worry about it. I had someone help me out with the mess.”

Nicky raised an eyebrow, looking a little confused. “Wait—what do you mean you had someone help you? Who?”

Finch smirked slightly but didn’t elaborate. “Don’t worry about it, Nicky. Let’s just say it’s taken care of.”

Although he was still a little puzzled, Nicky shrugged and decided to drop the subject. “Alright, Finch. If you say so.”

Later that night, Delroy lay in his bed, propped up against his pillow with a smug grin on his face. He was still chuckling to himself about the pictures he had plastered around the school earlier that day. “Man, another antic in the bag,” he muttered, rubbing his still slightly bruised face. “Nah, I’m just messing around. She totally deserved it after giving me a black eye.”

Feeling satisfied, he reached over and flicked the light switch off, plunging the room into darkness. But just as he was about to close his eyes, he heard a faint noise.

Squick... Squick...

Delroy sat up quickly, his heart skipping a beat. “What the—?” he muttered, fumbling for the lamp on his nightstand. When the light flickered back on, he froze.

His room was filled—completely filled—with squirrels. They were everywhere: perched on his shelves, hanging from his curtains, crawling across his desk. Some of them were holding acorns, ready to throw, their beady eyes locked onto him like tiny furry soldiers preparing for battle.

Delroy’s face turned pale. “A-Ah—AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” His scream echoed throughout the house as chaos erupted.

From the sidewalk outside, Finch stood watching with her arms crossed, a satisfied grin on her face. The squirrel she had adopted sat calmly on her shoulder, its tiny nose twitching as it listened to the muffled shrieks coming from Delroy’s room.

“Good job, buddy,” Finch said, reaching up to gently scratch the squirrel under its chin. “Just make sure they’re only there to scare him, not to attack. We’re scouts, not savages.”

The squirrel chirped in response, almost as if to say, Got it!

With that, Finch turned on her heel, adjusting the strap of her scout bag as she strolled away from the house. She pulled a cookie from her bag, took a big bite, and chewed contentedly, a smirk still lingering on her face.

By Roy Page

"An Acorn"

Ivan leaned casually against the wall, his arms crossed in a casual but confident stance, a sly grin spreading across his face. He looked over at Delroy, who was standing nearby, carrying a small stack of papers along with a few snacks he had probably grabbed from the cafeteria. Ivan could barely contain his amusement as he watched Delroy’s expression—smug, relaxed, and completely oblivious to what he had set in motion.

“So, it was you who put the picture up, huh?” Ivan said, raising one eyebrow, making it clear he already knew the answer.

Delroy just gave a careless shrug, not even pretending to feel the least bit guilty or concerned about what he’d done. “Yeah, it was me,” he replied, his tone completely nonchalant.

Ivan sighs "Finch is gonna kill you for that.”

But Delroy just chuckled, rolling his eyes as if the whole thing was no big deal at all. “Oh, really? I don't think Finch has it in her,” he said dismissively, as though the very thought was laughable.

Just as he finished speaking, the classroom door flew open with a force that made Ivan flinch, and there, standing in the doorway, was Finch. Her face was flushed an intense shade of red, her eyes blazing with anger as she focused on Delroy with a look that could cut through steel. Ivan took a step back as Finch stormed forward, looking like she was ready to tackle Delroy right there.

“You are so dead, Delroy,” Finch seethed, her voice low but laced with an unmistakable fury.

Delroy’s grin faltered, but he quickly tried to regain his usual bravado. “What, are you gonna fight me or something?” he asked, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Come on, Finch, you don’t want to do this.”

But Finch had already made up her mind. Without hesitating, she lunged forward, pushing him back with all the strength she could muster. Delroy stumbled, barely managing to stay on his feet, his hands going up in a poor attempt to defend himself. “Hey, hey, relax! It was just a joke!” he said, but Finch’s glare only grew more intense.

Before Finch could go any further, the classroom door swung open once again, and in walked Mr. Murtaugh, with his usual carefree expression and casual grin. He didn’t seem the least bit phased by the commotion, even as he looked around the room at the small crowd that had started to gather.

“huh... Has anyone seen Abena—hmm… never mind,” he said, trailing off as a random bag flew across the room, missing him by mere inches. Mr. Murtaugh ducked just in time, a bewildered but amused grin smile on his face.

“Whoa, that’s a first,” he muttered to himself before glancing around at the students who were all frozen in place, caught somewhere between shock and amusement.

With a slight shrug, he addressed the class with a grin smile. “You know what? Carry on, kids. Just… no major damage, alright?”

And with that, he strolled out of the room, shutting the door softly behind him as if nothing had happened.

The second Mr. Murtaugh left, Finch and Delroy resumed their scuffle in the middle of the classroom, while Ivan, watching from the sidelines, just nervously and stepped back, not wanting to get caught in the middle. "Only in Ravens Brooks" he said.

Later that afternoon, Finch found herself sitting in the school clinic, perched on the edge of one of the examination tables, looking down at the tiny scratch on her arm that had been the only real consequence of her fight with Delroy. A small bandage covered the scratch, but otherwise, she had come out of it mostly unscathed. Delroy, on the other hand, hadn’t been as lucky—he’d already been sent to the clinic earlier, sporting what looked like the beginning of a black eye and a swollen lip.

The door to the clinic creaked open, and Finch looked up to see Nicky strolling in, his usual relaxed smile on his face as he looked around and then spotted her. He walked over and sat down next to her, his presence instantly putting her at ease.

“You okay? I didn’t know you had it in you,” he said, giving her a gentle nudge as he leaned back against the wall.

Finch looked up at him, her cheeks still slightly flushed from her anger, but his calm expression softened her mood a little. “I can’t believe Delroy did that. He cant just show that picture,” she said, frustration still evident in her voice.

Nicky just chuckled, leaning forward as he spoke. “Yeah, but you’ve got to admit, it was pretty funny. Though, I get it… he went too far,” he replied, his voice soft and reassuring.

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Finch groaned, letting out a long sigh as she ran a hand through her hair in exasperation. “I just hate how everyone’s making such a big deal out of it. It’s like I’m being put on display.”

Nicky gently nudged her again, his hand brushing hers in a comforting gesture. “Hey, don’t worry about it. People will forget eventually. It’s just one picture, right?” he said, his voice calm and steady, as if he truly believed everything would blow over.

Finch managed a faint smile. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she replied, her tone a bit lighter now.

“And besides,” Nicky added with a playful smile, “it’s kind of cool. You’ve got the whole school talking about you now.”

Finch raised an eyebrow, trying to hold back a laugh as she looked at him with mock annoyance. “Oh, yeah? You think that’s cool?” she teased, a hint of a smile on her lips.

Nicky shrugged, the playful glint in his eyes making her heart race. “I mean, it’s better than being invisible, right?” he replied, his tone lighthearted.

Finch laughed, feeling a warmth spread through her. Being around Nicky made everything seem a little easier, a little more bearable.

Later that day, Finch was back at her usual spot in the cafeteria, sitting by her cookie stand and trying her best to focus on preparing the cookies for the day. But her thoughts kept drifting back to everything that had happened—the fight, the picture, that had taken over her morning or whatever. She glanced up, spotting Nicky as he walked past, and waved him over.

“Hey, Nicky! Over here!” she called, gesturing for him to join her.

Nicky smiled as he walked over, looking around curiously. Finch glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then motioned for him to duck down behind the cookie stand with her. With a grin, she pulled him under the stand, laughing at the surprised look on his face.

“Whoa, what’s going on?” he asked, looking around the cramped space beneath the cookie stand with an amused expression.

Finch grinned, leaning back against the stand. “I just wanted a little peace and quiet,” she explained, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “And besides, no one’s going to come looking for us back here.”

Nicky laughed softly, leaning back against the wall inside the hidden space beneath the stand. “You know, this is probably the weirdest spot I’ve ever been in,” he said, giving her a playful smirk. “But it’s kind of fun.”

“Yeah, I thought you might like it,” Finch said, reaching into her bag and pulling out a small Ziploc bag. She held it up for Nicky to see. Inside was a single cookie, carefully wrapped just for him. She handed it to him, a little shy but smiling. “Here, try this. I made it for you.”

Nicky took the bag, surprised and touched. As Finch watched, he unzipped it and unwrapped the cookie. He took a bite, his expression thoughtful at first. Then, to her relief, his face lit up in a grin.

“Wow, Finch, this is amazing!” he said, sounding genuinely impressed. “What’s in it? There’s something really good in there…”

Finch laughed as she watched him enjoying it. “Hazelnuts,” she said proudly. “I thought you’d like something different.”

“Well, I love it,” Nicky replied, looking at her warmly as he finished the last bite of the cookie.

They sat there under the cookie stand for a while, just enjoying each other’s company, until the school day started winding down. As students began trickling out of the cafeteria, Nicky spotted Finch’s camera next to her bag and, grinning, picked it up.

“Smile,” he said, aiming the camera at her.

Before Finch could say anything, he took the picture, catching them both grinning as they sat together under the stand. She rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help laughing.

Nicky raised an eyebrow, his gaze softening as he looked at her. “I think I might like you too, Finch.”

Finch’s heart skipped a beat, her cheeks warming as she felt the weight of his words sink in. She managed a shy smile, feeling a bit breathless. “You know, I like you too, Nicky."

Later that night, Finch was lying in bed in her pajamas, her hair loose as she stared up at the ceiling, replaying the day in her mind. She sighed, smiling to herself at the memories.

Turning over, she felt something lumpy under her pillow. She sat up, lifted the pillow, and gasped as acorns spilled onto her bed. She giggled, realizing who must have “gifted” them.

“It must have been that squirrel again,” she whispered, laughing as she gathered the acorns up.

By Roy Page

"Crushed By A Cookie"

Finch woke up to the soft glow of morning sunlight filtering through her bedroom window. As she stretched, she felt something tickle her cheek. Opening her eyes, she found a tiny acorn more then one resting on her pillow and heard a soft chittering sound. She looked over to see a little squirrel perched on her windowsill, watching her with curious eyes.

Finch giggled, gently shooing the squirrel back outside.

"Alright, alright, little guy. Go find some more acorns," she whispered, amused as the squirrel scampered off into the trees.

After dressing in her scout clothes, Finch slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed out the door. On her way to school, she noticed Mr. Peterson crouched behind a bush, intently watching something. His eyes darted back and forth, as if he was tracking someone or something nearby. Finch paused, debating whether to approach him, but decided against it and continued on her way, shaking her head slightly.

"Always up to something weird," she muttered under her breath.

When she finally entered the school, she noticed People seemed to be looking at her, whispering and nudging each other as she passed. Finch’s eyebrows knitted in confusion, but she tried to brush it off, forcing herself to ignore the stares. But as she walked further, the whispers grew louder, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was up.

she glanced over at the bulletin board where a crowd had gathered. Pushing through the students, she saw a photo pinned up in the center of the board. Her eyes widened, her face turning red like a tomato.

It was a picture of her and Nicky in the library—the moment she’d cornered him to confess her feelings. She recognized it instantly, remembering how she had leaned against the wall, blushing, with Nicky smiling at her, their faces inches apart.

Finch’s heart raced. Who took this? she thought, horrified. The picture was captioned in large, bold letters: "LOVE IN THE LIBRARY?"

Panicking, Finch turned and dashed down the hallway, hoping no one would notice her. She kept her head down, desperately trying to block out the murmurs and glances of her classmates. When she finally reached her classroom, she hurried to the door, hoping to slip inside unnoticed. But just as she reached for the handle, she bumped into someone.

It was Nicky.

“Whoa, Finch! You okay?” Nicky asked, steadying her with a concerned look.

Without thinking, Finch grabbed his hand, pulling him into the nearest closet. She pushed the door shut behind them, her cheeks still blazing red.

Nicky blinked, his confusion turning to amusement as he glanced around the cramped space. "Uh, Finch? Not that I mind hanging out in closets, but… what’s going on?"

Finch took a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts. She glanced at Nicky, her heart still racing. "Someone took a picture of us in the library, Nicky!" she blurted out, her words tumbling over each other. "And now it’s on the bulletin board for everyone to see! People are talking about us like… like… we’re some kind of couple!"

Nicky’s eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, seriously? Someone did that?" He rubbed the back of his neck, looking a bit sheepish. "I didn’t think anyone even noticed us in there."

Finch felt her embarrassment grow. "Well, apparently someone did! And now everyone’s acting like… like…" She trailed off, feeling her voice crack. She looked down at her feet, too embarrassed to meet his gaze. "Like we’re a thing."

For a moment, silence hung between them. Nicky cleared his throat, his voice soft. "Would it be… I mean, would it be so bad if people thought that?"

Finch’s heart skipped. She looked up at him, surprise in her eyes. "Wait… what?"

Nicky shrugged, trying to keep his tone casual. "I mean, I thought… I thought you liked me, right? And I… well, I kind of like you too, Finch."

Finch’s cheeks burned even hotter, but she couldn’t stop the small smile that crept onto her face. She’d been so worried about the picture, so embarrassed by the attention—but here he was, looking at her with that same warm, gentle smile that made her heart flutter.

"Yeah, I… I do like you, Nicky," she admitted quietly, her voice barely a whisper. "I just didn’t expect the whole school to know about it."

Nicky chuckled, reaching over to give her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Well, then let’s just ignore them. Who cares what they think, right?"

Finch looked up at him, her nerves beginning to calm. "Right," she agreed, feeling a sense of relief.

They shared a quiet moment for a few mintues. Nicky smiled, pulling her into a quick hug that made her heart race all over again. Just as he let go, a bell rang, signaling the start of class.

Nicky opened the door, glancing back with a grin. "Come on, Finch."