#alfpage85

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.